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If you’re on the AIP diet, and you want a really special dessert, I highly recommend this one. AIP Chocolate Caramel Mug Cakes are the perfect moist carob-based individual chocolate cakes, each one topped with Easy Caramel Sauce.
Grab a spoon and some optional coconut whipped cream, and dive into this egg-free, nut-free, dairy-free … + super delicious Paleo, Gluten-free treat!
How to make AIP Chocolate Caramel Mug Cakes
Mug cakes are made by making a simple AIP Chocolate Cake Batter, baking it in greased, oven-proof mugs, and topping with Easy Caramel Sauce.
I don’t have a microwave, so even though a lot of mug cakes are made in the microwave, I don’t know if this one will work that way or not. Let us know if you try it!, in the Comments section below.
How to prep the mugs and bakeware
So, you’ll need oven-safe mugs, which most ceramic mugs are. Find out if your mugs are oven-safe here.
You’ll have enough batter to make 5 to 6 mug cakes.
Rub or grease the insides of the mugs with coconut oil or palm oil before filling them with batter.
And, you’ll also use a large casserole dish (a 9×13 or similar) in the oven to hold the mugs. As shared in the recipe below, add water to the casserole dish before preheating the oven. This creates a “water bath” which makes the baking process gentle on the mugs and the cakes.
Ingredients in AIP Chocolate Caramel Mug Cakes
Chocolate Mug Cakes use my basic indulgent AIP Chocolate Cake recipe. The dry ingredients in it are:
- tiger nut flour
- tapioca flour
- coconut flour
- carob powder
- gelatin — Used in place of eggs, be sure to include this ingredient.
- baking soda and sea salt
The wet ingredients are:
- olive oil or avocado oil
- maple syrup
- water
- balsamic vinegar — Vinegar reacts with the baking soda to create a rise during baking. You could probably use apple cider vinegar in its place, but I like the dark, rich balsamic with chocolate.
How to garnish AIP Chocolate Caramel Mug Cakes
Garnishing Chocolate Caramel Mug Cakes is optional, because they’re already super special and indulgent as-is. The Caramel Sauce is quite enchanting and inviting, so it’s nice to SEE it.
However, here are some good embellishments:
- Berries: Garnish each mug with one or several fresh berries, to make this dessert extra pretty and special. I could see this for any lovely occasion really setting the dessert apart visually.
- Whipped Cream: Whipped coconut cream is delicious on the cakes.
- Ice Cream: If you choose to garnish with Paleo Vanilla Ice Cream, just keep in mind the Caramel Sauce hardens when chilled, so one idea is to scoop out a spoonful of cake from each mug, pour in the caramel sauce, replace the scoop of cake, then … top with ice cream! You’ll have an impressive, gorgeous, over-the-top treat! (Not super AIP in terms of its decadence, though, so be careful not to overdo. But if you need a big treat for a special occasion…)
How to store leftovers
Mug cakes keep nicely on the counter, for up to 2 days, covered.
Or, place in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days. The caramel sauce will firm up in the fridge, so you may wish to warm the cakes gently before serving.
AIP Chocolate Caramel Mug Cakes
Equipment
- oven-proof mugs
- oven
- large casserole dish
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake Batter
- ¾ cup + 1 Tablespoon tiger nut flour
- ⅓ cup olive oil or avocado oil
- ⅓ cup maple syrup or coconut sugar
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup carob powder
- 2 Tablespoons tapioca flour /starch
- 2 Tablespoons coconut flour
- 1 Tablespoon gelatin use link and DISCOUNT code BEAUTIFUL10 at checkout for 10% off your entire order
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda sifted
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
AIP Easy Caramel Sauce (recipe here)
Instructions
- Lightly grease oven-proof mugs with coconut oil or palm oil. Fill large casserole dish ⅓ to ½ full of water. Place dish in oven. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Into large bowl, place dry ingredients: tiger nut flour, carob powder, tapioca flour, coconut flour, gelatin, baking soda and sea salt.
- Add wet ingredients: oil, maple syrup, water and vinegar. Stir well with a fork, or use electric beaters on medium speed to combine.
- Scoop batter equally between mugs. Place mugs into hot water bath in casserole dish (in the oven).
- Bake in preheated oven 15 minutes for 6 mug cakes, or up to 25 minutes for just 4 mug cakes. Check for doneness, to be sure, with a toothpick (look for moist crumbs adhering).
- Make Easy Caramel Sauce while mug cakes bake.
- Allow the cakes to cool 1 hour before serving, or serve at room temperature. Top with warm Caramel Sauce. Leave at room temperature until you're ready to serve, or eat immediately.
Nutrition
You can Pin this recipe here:
Elyse says
These mug cakes are literally a sanity saver and a craving cruncher!!! I really enjoyed them and the caramel sauce!
I have been eating AIP for the last 10 weeks and lately I have just been missing a sweet treat. Well…chocolate, just chocolate. I know nothing about baking AIP and this recipe was the best thing I have tried yet. Thank you so much for sharing it!
I am going to try the Carmel sauce again and cook it longer maybe to see if I can get it to set up as actual caramels I can cut. Have you ever done that? I tried to refrigerate the caramel sauce after I used what needed on the mug cakes, but it stayed sauce form. Which is fine since I plan to make the mug cakes again and again until the sauce is gone!! Yum!
Megan says
Yay, Elyse, so happy for you! I totally get that craving for chocolate, and over the years, I’ve concluded more and more that it’s not healthy, so only eat carob now, and I truly love it because of recipes like this one with such good cake. I need to try the caramels again. I will let you know if I figure out the perfect tip for the right texture when it chills. Thanks for sharing your results with the mug cakes!