Paleo Birthday Mug Cake (Paleo)

Mug cakes are my favorite thing because they are a single serving, take little to no time to throw together, and honestly just taste delicious! I’m loving this Birthday Mug Cake for so many reasons, but it’s sweeter than many of my recipes, fluffy and delicious, and adds the perfect little treat to your life whenever you need it! I normally keep all of the ingredients for this mug cake in my kitchen, so whenever the craving calls, I can answer it with this tasty mug cake!

I know that many people forego sweets for a variety of reasons, some of which are related to their health. For tasty reasons why you should bring more dessert into your life, read below! (Not that you really needed a reason to regularly have something sweet, but there are some benefits!)

Reasons why you should consider adding dessert into your life

I know that in this blog I often post recipes that are Whole30. If you’re familiar with the Whole30, there is a strict no sugar or anything-like-sugar policy, and for good reasons. The main goal of the program is to gain what is called “food freedom,” which is another way of saying that you should understand the food that you put into your body, what it does to you, and should not be controlled by what your cravings or habits are around food. By eliminating sugar for 30 days, your body learns to live without that sugar (even in the form of honey, maple syrup, or other sweeteners), thus giving you a better idea of how sugar affects you and your microbiome personally.

But your life should not be Whole30 for forever. The reintroduction phase is considered to be an important part of understanding your relationship with food (and its effects on you). That is why once you have that greater understanding, you can indulge in foods like this mug cake and know how it will affect you and your own personal microbiome. For me personally, I learned on the Whole30 that although controlling the amount of sugar I take in is important for my skin health, my energy levels, etc., I learned that the gluten-free and dairy free aspects played a much larger role in my gut health. After about a year of completely avoiding dessert, I started experimenting with various paleo desserts so that I could, in a sense, have my cake and eat it, too.

That doesn’t meant that eating dessert should be an everyday occurrence, or even that desserts should be heavy in calories. The most important thing is moderation and balance, as in any healthy diet. Moderation and balance looks different for different people. For example, I cannot have “moderate” amounts of dairy or gluten ever, but I can find ways to make tasty desserts without those ingredients. In this case, the mug cake brings the perfect balance into my life. This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, and since the paleo lifestyle suits my microbiome best, a serving of this tasty treat every once in awhile really brings happiness and joy into my sometimes overwhelming life.

There even have been a number of studies that have concluded that eating dessert on occasion can actually help you make healthier choices in the long run. For example, people who choose a more decadent dessert before ordering their main meal are more likely to consume less overall throughout the entire meal. It seems that having the planned mindset of dessert, and knowing how you are going to eat, plays a critical role in your decision making process for your main course.

As long as incorporating sweets into your life is done in a healthy and balanced way, health experts agree that a healthy portion of dessert is completely okay. Having healthier dessert options that have fewer calories can be a great way to satisfy cravings without going overboard. This paleo mug cake does just that for me – controls both the portion and satisfies. As with many recipes, making a dozen muffins or an entire cake means that I have dessert lying around for the remainder of the week – and we all know that sometimes, that isn’t always what you want!

The reality is that dessert is a personal choice, but by working with your medical professionals, you can find ways to incorporate healthier dessert options into your daily life. Remember that everyone is different in their needs and what they can tolerate, so be ind to yourself and follow your doctor’s advice!

How to make Paleo Birthday Mug Cake

The recipe is extremely simple, but has a delicious outcome. You need the following ingredients:

• coconut flour
• almond flour
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• coconut sugar
• coconut oil, melted and cooled to room temperature
• nondairy milk (I use almond or coconut milk)
• baking powder
• baking soda
• salt
• rainbow sprinkles (find some that work for you!)
• vanilla frosting (optional, but I have a suggestion below)

The instructions for this are incredibly simple. First, melt the coconut oil and then set it aside to cool. Once it has cooled, add it to a mug. Mix it with an egg, the vanilla extract, and nondairy milk. Stir well. Next, add the coconut sugar and stir it in until the coconut sugar has completely melted. Add the almond and coconut flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir completely until the batter is smooth. Next, add in the sprinkles of your choice. I personally love sprinkles (it’s one of the main reasons why I love this Birthday Mug Cake!) and so I usually put in quite a hefty serving of sprinkles.

Once the sprinkles are all mixed in, place the mug in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes. Depending on your microwave, it might take up to 3 minutes to cook. Once the mug cake is done, remove it from the microwave and allow it to cool for a few minutes. Enjoy once it has cooled to room temperature!

While I haven’t yet tried to make any sort of frosting for this recipe, I highly recommend Simple Mills’s vanilla frosting if you’re looking for something to put on top!

Enjoy!