Satisfy your sweet tooth with this delicious banana mug cake! Made with wholesome ingredients, this is a healthier treat that is easy to whip up. It clocks in at just 210 calories with 8 grams of protein. What a perfectly pleasant way to use up those overripe bananas!
Ingredients
Here’s a photo of all the ingredients you’ll need, along with selected ingredient notes:
- Banana – Overripe bananas work best for this recipe, as much of the starch has been converted to sugar, and the texture is very soft. They should have a ton of brown spots, or even be turning a little black on part of the peel. You can still use a less ripe banana to make this, but you may find that you need to add a little extra milk to create the right texture, and possibly a little extra syrup to sweeten.
- Powdered peanut butter – With powdered peanut butter, some of the oils been pressed out of the nuts before they’re pulverized into a fine powder. While I don’t think we need to worry nutritionally about the healthy fats in peanut butter, powdered peanut butter can be very convenient for baked goods and smoothies. (I also love it in my healthy peanut butter cookie dough bites).
Instructions
It’s so easy to make this recipe! You’ll find the full instructions and amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but here’s a helpful overview.
You’re going to start by taking half of an overripe banana and mashing it in a microwave-safe mug. (Tip – save the other half in a freezer-safe bag to go in smoothies!)
Then mix in your powdered peanut butter, whole wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, maple syrup, and milk.
Once those are combined, fold in your chocolate chips. Your cake batter will look like this – fairly thick:
Now microwave that for about 45 to 60 seconds. I recommend you start with 45 seconds, check the mug, and add an additional 10-15 seconds if needed. You’ll know it’s done when the top of the mug cake doesn’t appear damp. Avoid overcooking it.
Let the banana mug cake cool for a few minutes. This will be the hardest part – it’s so tempting to dig in! – but y’all, it will be hot. I say this after burning my mouth one too many times, haha.
After it cools, grab a spoon and dig in! You can eat it as-is (which is what I normally veer towards) but you can also feel free to add a dollop of vanilla ice cream or vanilla Greek yogurt.
Recipe FAQ
Here are some common questions that may arise as you prepare this recipe:
The texture will be slightly different since it’s made in the microwave, but the taste is delicious.
Yes. Combine all the ingredients and pour them into a small oven-safe ramekin. Bake at 350 degrees F for 13-17 minutes, or until baked through and a toothpick pulls out clean.
It’s not recommended to eat mug cake batter, since it contains raw flour.
Sure – to do so, simply substitute a dairy-free milk for the regular milk in the recipe. Be sure your chocolate chips are dairy free as well.
If you’re not a fan of cinnamon, feel free to leave that out and use a quarter teaspoon of vanilla extract instead. That said, the cinnamon adds a lot of flavor, so I recommend at least a pinch!
Nutrition Benefits
This banana cinnamon mug cake has a nutritional step up compared to many mug cake recipes! Here are a few highlights:
- Provides protein – This mug cake packs in 8 grams of protein, helping you feel more full and satisfied after your snack.
- Less added sugar – While many mug cake recipes call for 3 tablespoons of added sugar, we’ve used just half a tablespoon of maple syrup to sweeten.
- Unique base – The base of this recipe is made with powdered peanut butter and whole wheat flour, making it a more nutritious option than traditional white flour recipes.
- Contains minerals – You’ll walk away with 9% of your daily potassium needs, 6% of your daily iron needs, and 7% of your daily magnesium needs – all of which are very important for runners! (Read more about magnesium for runners and iron for runners).
More Overripe Banana Recipes
Looking for more recipes you can make with those browning bananas in your fruit bowl? Try one of these delicious ideas:
- Healthy banana peanut butter cookies – Just 5 ingredients and 10 minutes of cooking stand between you and these delish cookies.
- Almond flour banana muffins – These muffins are packed with healthy fats and fiber, making them perfect for part of a filling morning meal.
- Peanut butter banana granola – Another classic peanut butter and banana combo! Make this granola and enjoy it on top of a bowl of yogurt.
- Banana protein muffins – These are a fan favorite here on the blog! More protein than your average muffin, and they taste great.
- Cacao smoothie – Freeze those overripe bananas to toss into this nutritious chocolatey smoothie.
I hope you enjoy this healthy banana mug cake. If you get a chance to try it, I’d love for you to leave a recipe rating or comment below.
Healthy Banana Mug Cake
Ingredients
- ½ overripe banana (one with lots of brown spots)
- 2 tablespoons powdered peanut butter, packed (i.e. PB2)
- 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch salt
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon 1% milk (or milk alternative*)
- ½ tablespoon dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Place the half of the overripe banana in the mug. Use a fork to mash well.
- Add the powdered peanut butter, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, maple syrup, and milk. Stir together until well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Place the mug in the microwave and cook for 45-60 seconds, or until the top of the cake does not appear damp. Do not overcook.
- Let cool for a few minutes, then enjoy! Feel free to add a dollop of vanilla ice cream or Greek yogurt on top if you’d like.
Notes
- *This works best with an overripe banana – one with lots of brown spots. If your banana is only slightly overripe (i.e. a few brown spots), it will not provide as much moisture. As such, you may need to increase the milk to 2 tablespoons in that situation. If your banana is completely black, it is too overripe – do not use that for this recipe.
- Freeze the remaining half of the banana to use in smoothie recipes.
Nutrition
Share: What’s your favorite way to use up overripe bananas? Are you a fan of mug cake?
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Didn’t work at all. Total fail
Hi Jean! I’m so sorry to hear that! Can you give me more details about what didn’t work? Did it not rise, was it too dry, was it too wet, etc? I have made this several times with success so I definitely want to get to the bottom of what went wrong so I can help others get the result I am! 🙂 A few things that come to mind off the top of my head (none of which may apply, but just trying to troubleshoot):
1) Did you use an overripe banana (lots of brown spots), and only half of one? Using a banana that’s only yellow will be pretty starchy and may not result in the right moisture level and texture for this recipe. Using a full banana would throw off the texture as well.
2) Did you substitute the maple syrup for another sweetener? Maple syrup has the right liquid consistency for the right amount of moisture so subbing with a dry sugar wouldn’t work.
3) Did you substitute regular peanut butter instead of powdered peanut butter? Powdered is essential for the right amount of dry ingredients in this recipe.
4) Did you let it cool for a few minutes before digging in? That helps it finish cooking fully through.
5) If none of these apply, can you let me know the brand of powdered PB you used? I’m wondering if that could account for the difference and I can test it again with several brands.
Let’s try to figure this out together! 🙂