Is it really spring time without some carrot cake? This paleo and vegan mug carrot cake is the perfect treat for a night where you don’t feel like doing much work, but want all the deliciousness of this classic treat. Mug cakes are great for single servings, and cut the craving of any cake dessert you might have had rolling around in your mind recently. For me, gluten free baked items taste best when they are fresh – and this mug cake means that it’s fresh every time you make it!
Unfortunately I don’t have a ton of science for this recipe, mostly because, well, it’s just delicious and should be eaten in moderation. I can, however, say that making mug cakes are a great way to limit the amount of sweets you have in your house. If you’re looking to cut back on desserts, mug cakes are quick but don’t sit on your counter calling your name. Of course, if you’d rather have two dozen cupcakes, then by all means go for it!
How to make Mug Carrot Cake
The instructions for this vegan and paleo treat are very simple. You also don’t need too many ingredients that many vegan and paleo households already have. The list of ingredients includes:
- carrots
- ground flax seed
- water
- coconut flour
- almond flour
- salt
- maple syrup
- coconut oil
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
- vanilla extract
- chopped walnuts – optional, but recommended
- coconut butter
Before you begin, select a normal sized mug for your Mug Carrot Cake. This vegan recipe does not expand much, so you don’t need to use a giant mug like I did in the photos!
Place the ground flax seed and water together in the bottom of the mug to make a flax egg. This is a great binding agent that brings everything together. Leave the flax egg for about 5-10 minutes so that it can “gel.” Next, shred one small carrot (about a 1/4 cup worth), and mix it in with the flax egg. Add the vanilla extract, and maple syrup. Melt the coconut oil in a separate container and then add to the cake mix. Add in the salt, coconut flour, almond flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and chopped walnuts. Stir thoroughly and place mug in the microwave. Microwave on high for about 2 minutes or until completely cooked through.
And that’s it! I topped my mug carrot cake with melted coconut butter, but also love Simple Mills’s vanilla frosting as a great icing option.
Enjoy!
Mug Carrot Cake
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup shredded carrot
- 1 tbsp ground flax
- 3 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp coconut flour
- 1 tbsp almond flour
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp coconut oil (melted)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp chopped walnuts (optional)
- 1 tbsp coconut butter
Instructions
- With a fork, mix together the the ground flax and the water in the bottom of a mug. Allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes to become more like a "gel."
- Add in the shredded carrot, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Stir with a fork.
- Add in the almond flour, coconut flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and chopped walnuts.
- Place the mug in the microwave and microwave on high for 2 minutes.
- Add coconut butter as an icing and enjoy warm.