This fast, easy microwave cake shines a spotlight on the exceptional flavors of roasty, toasty almond butter and sweet, sweet honey. Together, they are divine.
You'll love that this Honey Almond Mug Cake does triple duty as on-the-fly dessert, satisfying snack, or yummy breakfast. Top it with Greek yogurt for a protein-fueled mini-meal that's great for your bones and muscles!
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This cake is wonderful any night of the week at home and fabulous for college students who rely upon a microwave for many meals.
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Ingredients
- Almond Butter
- Egg
- Honey
- Baking powder
Almond butter (affiiate link): Pricey, but delicious. You can swap in peanut butter. Unfortunately, sunflower seed butter doesn’t work as well if you want a nut-free alternative.
Egg: Necessary in this recipe to create a flourless lofty cake with a soft, tender texture.
Honey (affiliate link): Use less if you want to eat the cake more as a breakfast or snack instead of dessert. The cake will taste good but less like dessert with half the amount of honey.
Baking powder: A tad will help your batter rise.
Cooking Methods
Fastest
Whisk (affiliate link) everything together in a large (12- to 14-ounce) mug or ramekin until batter is uniform and has a sticky, gluey texture. Microwave for about 50 to 60 seconds on high power. Let cool for about a minute to finish cooking and add favorite toppings.
Pro: Minimal cleanup! Con: Rather large serving for one person. Perfect for two people.
Still quick
Coat the inside of a measuring cup with non-stick spray. Add almond butter, honey, and egg. Sprinkle baking soda on top and whisk together batter until it is thoroughly combined with a sticky texture.
Pour into two 8-ounce ramekins (affiliate link) and microwave for a minute. Let stand a minute before serving.
Slower oven method
This takes a few minutes longer, but is still quick when it comes to desserts. Use this method if you plan on serving four or more people, i.e., guests! Plus, you can make the batter ahead. Pour it into ramekins and bake as you're finishing dinner.
Coat the inside of a small measuring cup or bowl with non-stick spray and add almond butter, honey, and eggs. Sprinkle baking powder over the top and whisk (affiliate link). When texture is uniformly sticky, pour into four 8-ounce ramekins, or six muffin cups.
Bake in a 350 F oven for 12 to 15 minutes.
Let cool for three to five minutes and serve. Note: You can turn the ramekins or muffin tins (affiliate link) over and slide the cakes out for a fancier presentation! Adorn with ice cream, whipped cream, berries, whatever your heart desires!
❄️Storage and Make-ahead?
The baked cake can hang out in the refrigerator for a couple of days. This is great, since any leftover cake makes a good breakfast, especially topped with Greek yogurt.
The batter can be made earlier in the day or the night before and stored in the refrigerator. Give it an extra 10 seconds in the microwave if you’re fixing it straight from the fridge.
Variations, Substitutions
Nut butter swaps: The best one for almond butter is peanut butter. Cashew butter would probably work fine, too. Just don’t try a super-oily nut butter like macadamia butter.
Sunflower seed butter and tahini do not work as well in this recipe. They need a different ingredient formulation.
Add-ins: Of course, this cake will be fine with an additional tablespoon of something yummy, such as mini chocolate chips, crystallized ginger, or toasted slivered almonds.
😀😀Cake for breakfast: The amount of honey in the recipe is for a sweet snack cake or dessert. Cut the amount of honey in half if enjoying the cake as breakfast.
Keto diet: Substitute granulated monkfruit or stevia for the honey. Keep in mind that this may make the cake slightly drier.
Sweet substitutes: You can use maple or date syrup, agave, or even plain ol’ sugar in place of the honey.
Toppings and serving ideas
This cake can be a fancy individual dessert if you want to make it in ramekins or cupcake tins. Invert the cakes onto a small plate and serve with some ice cream or whipped cream.
🍫Add chocolate sauce and you’ve got a chocolate almond cake you can serve to guests!
By yourself, top it off with whatever strikes a chord:
- Fruit compote or jam 🍓
- Whipped cream
- Greek yogurt
- Vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt
- More honey drizzled over the cake.
⚕️Is this cake healthy?
It’s certainly a healthier dessert choice than a regular cake made with white flour and frosted with buttercream icing.
It’s a good choice for diabetic diets since it’s high in protein and doesn’t have too many carbs. The generous amount of healthy fats combined with the protein help to keep blood sugar levels steady.
Plus, the fat and protein will leave you full and satisfied unlike a high-sugar snack or dessert that can sometimes lead to overeating and leave you with a sick feeling in your gut. (Hmmm, maybe I was thinking of donuts at breakfast?)
A serving of this cake is a good source of calcium.
Gluten-free and grain-free: Perfect choice for anyone avoiding gluten (celiac disease) or refined carbs (paleo and keto diets).
🌰 Almond Butter Nutrition
There’s a reason dietitians often recommend almonds for healthy snacking!
- heart-healthy monounsaturated fats 💓
- vitamin E
- plant-based protein
- treasure-trove of minerals, including iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, manganese, calcium, and more! 💰
When turned into butter, these nuts have all the same benefits although read the jar label on your almond butter to be sure it doesn’t contain extra salt (sodium), sugar, and oils that are less healthy like palm oil (often found in “no-stir” nut butters).
🍯Honey
This natural sweetener offers antioxidants and trace minerals like potassium and iron.
Immune boosting: It may support healthy immunity; however, honey has not proven effective against seasonal allergies. It does have antibacterial properties, but that is most useful for healing wounds.
Glycemic index: Although it’s slightly lower than sugar, it will still cause a significant insulin response and can elevate blood sugar although that effect is blunted by the protein and healthy fats in the cake.
🥚 Egg
Of course, it adds 6 grams of high-quality protein to the cake. Plus, eggs have choline, which supports brain health, and vitamin D, found in very few foods—marvelous nutrition!
Do not leave the egg out or swap in a flax egg (see the FAQ below)! Your cake will not rise and will have an unappealing texture!
❓ FAQ: Honey Almond Butter Cake
Yes, of course, but avoid seed butters like sunflower seed butter and tahini. Peanut butter makes a fine substitute, while cashew butter is milder and creamier.
No. Maple syrup, agave, or even date syrup work well—just know each will change the flavor. You may love the taste of maple, while agave is a more neutral sweetener. Date syrup tends to have more calories and taste darker.
Not really. You can use a flax egg (1 tbsp flaxseed meal + 2.5 tbsp water, let sit to thicken) and swap in maple or agave syrup for the honey, but the texture will not be as nice without the egg.
Yes! Not a smidgen of flour or any other grain is necessary.
Absolutely. But you’ll need to use two mugs or four ramekins to avoid any messy overflow.
Other recipes you might like…
If the fun and minimal mess of mug cake is appealing and you don't want any leftover dessert, try this Chocolate Chip Mug Cake. You won’t need an egg for this one!
Or, how about some Sunflower Seed Butter Muffins? This easy recipe has a delicious flavor and is perfect for anyone with nut allergies.
Want to make your own nut butter? Macadamia Nut Butter is basically just nuts processed until smooth in a food processor.
Last but not least, if you’re wondering about the nutritional qualities and flavors of different nuts and seeds, including Brazil nuts and pumpkin seeds, read about how to substitute with different nuts and seeds.
Honey Almond Butter Mug Cake
Equipment
- 2 8-ounce ramekins, or one large 12-ounce ramekin
- 1 whisk or use a fork
- 1 quarter teaspoon
Ingredients
- Cooking spray, coconut or canola
- ¼ cup almond butter
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
Toppings
- vanilla ice cream
- vanilla frozen yogurt
- whipped topping
Instructions
- Wash hands thoroughly before starting, lathering with soap and rinsing with running water.
- Spray a one-cup measure with coconut or canola oil non-stick spray. Spoon almond butter into the measuring cup.
- Top the almond butter with egg and honey, and sprinkle the baking powder over the top. Whisk until the batter is uniform in texture and sticky.Divide in half and pour it into ramekins.
- Microwave the cakes for a minute and let stand briefly to finish cooking.
Mug or Large Ramekin Method
- Combine all ingredients in a large mug or ramekin that will hold 12 to 14 ounces.
- Use a whisk, spoon, or fork and beat until all ingredients are completely uniform and the texture of the batter is sticky and gluey.
- Place in the microwave and cook for a minute. Let stand a minute before serving.
Serving and topping
- Serve the large or small cakes with your favorite toppings like ice cream, frozen yogurt, chocolate chips, whipped topping, fruit compote, berries—your imagination is the limit!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Copyright © 2025 Jani H. Leuschel
Jani H. Leuschel
Hi Nancy,
Hope you find something tasty you enjoy cooking! Thanks for checking it out! 😌
Jalynn60
So quick and yummy!
Nancy Elledge
So impressed about your blog and all the recipes...please add me to your e-mails.