Gluten Free Microwave Banana Cake

Name: Gluten Free Banana Nut Mug Cake
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 2 min
Total time: 4 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup gluten free flour blend (* see note); 2 tablespoons brown sugar; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; tiny dash salt; 1/2 banana (smooshed (see note)); 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1 egg (large); 1/4 cup almond milk (* see note); 1 tablespoon butter (* see note)

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This moist, sweet gluten free microwave banana cake is a delicious treat you can enjoy in just 3 minutes from start to finish! Bursting with banana flavor, top this mug cake with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge!

A frosted banana mug cake on a small white plate.

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Why This recipe is so Good:
Ingredients Notes:
How To Ripen a Banana:
Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:
Tips and Recipe FAQ:
More Gluten Free Mug Cake Recipes!
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Fearless Dining
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Don't let the looks of this cake fool you. This gluten free banana nut mug cake is an amazing treat! Full of delicious banana and brown sugar flavor, it is hard to believe it cooks in your microwave!

The downside of mug cakes is how they look. Mug cakes are certainly not "pretty." I definitely try to make them look good, like with this gluten free lemon mug cake. The drizzle of icing is decorative.

Although many make their mug cakes mostly during the hot summer, you can enjoy this banana cake in a mug anytime!!

Summer is hot, and I am adding some new gluten free mug cake recipes, so you always have quick and easy no-oven desserts! If you love dessert as much as we do, you will want to check out all of my awesome gluten free mug cake recipes!

Drizzling hot fudge over a banana nut mug cake.

Why This recipe is so Good:

You can make a cake that tastes sweet and delicious in about 3 minutes in your microwave is the best reason to try this recipe.
You can make and eat a cake in 3 minutes! I am repeating this because it still blows my mind!
You do not need an oven so that you won't heat your house up in the summer.
This gluten free microwave banana mug cake tastes incredible topped with whipped cream, frosting, or vanilla ice cream. Drizzle on some hot fudge, and this becomes an incredible treat!

Ingredients Notes:

Top Pick

King Arthur, Measure for Measure Flour 3 lbs

This is one of my favorite gluten-free flour blends for cookies, cakes, pie crust, biscuits, and muffins! (Do not use this flour blend for yeast recipes.)

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Banana - A ripe banana is best. See my tips below if you need to ripen your bananas.
Gluten free flour blend - I tested this recipe using Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend and King Arthur's Measure for Measure Gluten Free Blend. My DIY Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Blend also works really well in my mug cake recipes. That doesn't mean others will not work. I just have not tested other flours.
Non-dairy milk - I used almond milk, but other dairy-free types of milk will work. I do not recommend canned coconut milk.

Are you ready to give this easy banana microwave cake a try? First, you need a very ripe banana. If you don't have a ripe banana, no worries. There are some great tips to help you ripen a banana quickly.

How To Ripen a Banana:

If you have a day or two, place the banana into a paper bag and leave it on the counter.
Need that banana asap? Bake the banana in the skin at 300º F for 20 minutes. I usually make a small slit in the skin so air can escape.

Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:

Banana mug cake dry ingredients in a glass bowl.

Step 1: Add your dry ingredients to a small bowl. Whisk to blend. You could mix the whole cake in the mug, but the edges tend to hold dry ingredients and the mug cake ingredients may not be fully mixed.

The wet ingredients and chopped walnuts in a silver bowl.

Step 2: Add your wet ingredients to a bowl and mix well. Make sure you mash your banana with a fork so it doesn't have large chunks.

Banana nut mug cake wet and dry ingredients ready to mix

Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix.

Step 4: Pour the batter into a microwave-safe coffee mug. The batter should come up about halfway. Don't use a small coffee mug. You can tell if your mug is too small if the batter fills the cup ¾ or higher.

Step 5: Microwave the cake for 2 minutes. Touch your finger to the top. If it feels like batter, microwave an additional 30 seconds.

*Note the batter will rise high when the cake is cooking. It will sink back down when it cooks towards the middle. (See Q&A.)

A fork full of cake is sitting next to the mug cake. You can see the fudge dripping down the cake where the fork cut in.

Tips and Recipe FAQ:

How do you know when a mug cake is done?

You can tell when a mug cake is done by gently touching the top of the cake. It should feel firm but soft.

How long do you let a mug cake cool?

I like to let the mug cake cool for 15 minutes before frosting or icing the cake.

What kind of mug is best for a microwave cake?

You can use any coffee or tea cup to make a microwave cake.

What kinds of nuts can you use?

You can use any nuts. For this recipe I tend to lean towards using either walnuts or pecans.

Why do mug cakes rise way up while cooking?

Mug cakes rise up when cooking because the microwave cooks from the outside in, making the sides of the mug very hot. It pushes the cake up while cooking. Once the cake is cooked to the middle, it sinks back down.

Can you make this recipe dairy-free?

All you need to do to make this banana mug cake dairy-free is to use coconut oil instead of butter.

Can you make this banana cake nut-free?

It is very easy to make this cake nut-free. Just omit the nuts.