Keto Pumpkin Mug Cake

Name: Keto Pumpkin Mug Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 min
Total time: 16 min
Ingredients: 2 oz cream cheese; 1 tablespoon canned pure pumpkin puree; 1/4 teaspoon stevia glycerite ((equals 1 tablespoon powdered sugar)*); 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree; 1/2 teaspoon stevia glycerite ((equals 2 tablespoons sugar)); 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 large egg; 1.5 tablespoons coconut flour ((11 grams)); 1/4 teaspoon baking powder ((gluten-free if needed))

Last updated: May 20, 2023 · Recipes developed by Vered DeLeeuw and nutritionally reviewed by Rachel Benight MS, RD · This website generates income via ads and uses cookies.

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

This keto pumpkin mug cake is amazing. Without the frosting, it makes a great breakfast. With the frosting, a decadent dessert.

It's ready in about 15 minutes, making it the perfect answer for those occasions when you crave something sweet!

Keto pumpkin mug cake served on a white plate with a fork.

I adore mug cakes! They are fast and easy, and they give you wonderful built-in portion control. No temptation lurking in the fridge after you've had a serving!

My go-to is this simple keto mug cake. I also love making keto chocolate mug cake, keto peanut butter mug cake, and microwave cheesecake.

In the fall, I greatly enjoy this keto pumpkin mug cake. It's the perfect fall dessert (or breakfast!).

Jump to:

Ingredients
Variations
Instructions
Expert Tip
Recipe FAQs
Serving Suggestions
Storing Leftovers
More Pumpkin Recipes
Recipe Card

Ingredients

Here's an overview of the ingredients you'll need to make this tasty cake. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.

Unsalted butter: I love using creamy European butter, but any butter will be great.
Canned pumpkin: Make sure you buy pure pumpkin puree and not sweetened pumpkin pie filling.
Sweetener: I use stevia glycerite. You can use a granulated sweetener instead.
Vanilla extract: Try to use the real thing - pure vanilla extract - and not the artificially flavored stuff.
Cinnamon: You can also use pumpkin pie spice in this recipe.
Egg: I use large eggs in almost all of my recipes, this one included.
Coconut flour: Since it's so extremely absorbent, it's best to measure it by weight and not by volume. Every gram counts!
Baking powder: Make sure it's fresh. And if needed, also make sure it's gluten-free.
For the frosting: Cream cheese, canned pumpkin, sweetener, cinnamon, and vanilla.

Variations

The main variation I sometimes make is to use pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon. It's a nice variation and it certainly gives the cake a bolder, more intense flavor.

Another variation is to first the cak with this simple keto cream cheese frosting, with yogurt frosting, or with keto whipped cream.

Instructions

This delicious keto pumpkin mug cake "bakes" in the microwave for just 90 seconds. In fact, I got the idea for this cake from this 90-second bread recipe.

What would happen, I wondered, if I added pumpkin, a sweetener, and cinnamon? I increased the amount of coconut flour just a little - it is so absorbent that too much means a very dry cake - and loved the result!

The frosting is lovely, and just as easy to make as the cake. I simply mix the ingredients by hand. The cake is nice without frosting, but it's REALLY good with it.

The detailed instructions for making this cake are listed in the recipe card below. Here are the basic steps:

Your first step is to mix the frosting ingredients by hand, then set it aside.

Next, in a ramekin, mix the cake ingredients thoroughly, in the order listed.

Microwave the cake for 90 seconds.

A photo collage showing steps 1-4 for making a pumpkin mug cake.

Allow the cake to slightly cool, then remove it from the ramekin, slice it crosswise, and frost it, as shown in the video below.

A photo collage showing steps 5-8 for making a pumpkin mug cake.

Expert Tip

Since this recipe requires a small amount of pumpkin puree, to prevent waste, it is a good recipe to make when you have leftover pumpkin puree from another recipe.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use a granulated sweetener instead of stevia?

Yes. The amount of stevia I use in the cake batter equals about 2 tablespoons of sugar.

So you can use a granulated sweetener to equal 2 tablespoons of sugar, or simply use sugar if you don't mind the carbs.

Can I use regular flour or almond flour?

No, unfortunately, you can't. Coconut flour is very unique in how it behaves in baked goods. It is not interchangeable with other flours.

Can I bake this cake in the oven?

You probably can, if the ramekin you use is oven-safe, but I haven't actually tried that.

I would start with 10 minutes in a 350°F oven and see if that does it. When ready, the cake should be puffed and fragrant and a toothpick inserted in its center should come out clean.

Serving Suggestions

This is a big cake, and when it's frosted, it makes two generous, filling servings.

When I make it without the frosting, I have all of it for my breakfast with some coffee.

But when I frost it, I either share it with my husband or save half of it for later. Once it's frosted, you can sprinkle it with a few dark chocolate chips, if you like the combination of pumpkin and chocolate.