5 Minute Chocolate Mug Pudding (gf, df, sf, vegan)

5 minute chocolate mug pudding title picture for pinterest pink background

Sometimes I just NEED something sweet and stodgy and I don’t want to wait for it! I first discovered this recipe when I had to be dairy-free years ago and the corner shop never had any dairy-free cake when I wanted to impulse buy some at 8pm! These days anything I bake has to be gluten-free (otherwise it’s just mean to my poor Coeliac husband!) and to top it all off I’ve recently had to switch to a low-sugar diet which has totally ballsed up all my favourite bakes!

Instead of sitting in the corner and crying I decided to step-up to the challenge and start by tweaking this super-easy recipe, using things I already had lurking in my cupboards. I thought I might as well make this vegan-friendly as well, since I have friends doing veganuary that might *need* some cake too, so I dug out some xylitol I had hanging around from the time I tried making my own toothpaste and combined that with the delicious tree-goo that is maple syrup! (Now I know that maple syrup isn’t exactly ‘good’ for you if you’re avoiding sugar, but at least it has some trace minerals that refined sugar doesn’t have – you could also try a different liquid sweetener in its place such as Sweet Freedom which is made from apple, carob and grapes)

purple mug on kitchen worktop containing chocolate mug pudding and custard

I know, it’s definitely not going to win any beauty competitions, but when you need something sweet, warm, stodgy and super-quick, this is totally where it’s at! Also I know these are usually referred to as mug ‘cakes’ but honestly this is way more like a sponge pudding and is best eaten warm straight away.

A note on the measuring system here – when I make this pudding I just use the spoon I’m going to eat it with (saves washing up!) so that is a dessert spoon here – for the dry ingredients the measurement is ‘heaped’ but, er, obviously not for the liquid ingredients!

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Pudding Recipe (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, refined-sugar-free) Serves 1

Ingredients:

4x dessert spoons Gluten Free Self Raising Flour (I use Dove’s Farm)
1x dessert spoon cocoa powder
2x dessert spoons xylitol
1x dessert spoon maple syrup
4x dessert spoons oil (I used Carotino oil)
3x dessert spoons milk of choice (I used Koko coconut milk)
1tsp vanilla essence
smidgen of extra xanthan gum (1/4 tsp ish?)

Method:

collage of images of making the mug pudding. Various stages of mixed batter and cooked final pudding

Basically measure all the ingredients in to a microwavable bowl or large mug and mix well to make a smooth batter. Shove in the microwave on high for about 2 minutes – it’s done when it’s springy when you poke it and it looks like cake and not goo! Serve with dairy-free custard or ‘ice-cream’ of choice! I love it with the vanilla Swedish Glace iced dessert stuff, however with being sugar-free I made up some Bird’s custard powder (which is basically just vanilla flavoured cornstarch! yum! lol) with a drizzle of maple syrup in it. My kids love it with squirty cream and sprinkles!