Banana bread has always been a favorite in our house with its warm gooey comforting sweetness. This AIP banana bread mug cake, made with tiger nut flour, is a fantastic gluten-free alternative to traditional banana bread. It's a delicious, easy, AIP-friendly dessert.
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Banana Bread Mug Cake Ingredients
Banana
It should be medium-sized. Make sure it is at least somewhat ripe, enough so that you can easily mash it with a fork. Make sure you mash it really really well so that it mixes well with the other ingredients.
This is quickly becoming one of my favorite AIP-friendly flours because it's so good! It tastes good, and the texture is perfect. It seems to work well in pretty much everything, not to mention it's relatively low in carbs compared to say, cassava flour.
Arrowroot Starch (or Tapioca Starch)
You only need half a tablespoon but it really adds body to the bread.
Baking Soda
This ingredient also adds a little bit of rise to the bread and contributes to the flavor.
Salt
This one is optional. It does really round out the flavor though. If you do use salt, pink Himalayan sea salt is preferable.
Using a Bowl vs. a Mug
You can use either one. I did find that I prefer at least mixing it in a bowl because it's much easier to mash the banana. Once you've mixed everything together, you can leave it in the bowl or transfer it to a mug.
Click the image or button below for a PDF of the AIP Ingredient Substitution Cheat Sheet
Get the Ingredient Substitutions PDF!Cooking Your Mug Cake
You'll microwave it on high for 90 seconds and then it's ready to go! Just make sure you use a regular-sized mug (not a tiny one) because the dough rises quite a bit when it's cooking. If your dough fills about half the mug before cooking, you're in good shape.
Not Just for Adults
My kids went nuts for this banana bread. They were eating it faster than I could take pictures of it.
I hope you enjoy the recipe. If you made it, please leave a comment below and let me know what you thought!
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like:
Banana Pancakes with Strawberry Cream
AIP Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins
Beginners Guide to the Autoimmune Protocol
57+ AIP Pantry Items and What to do With Them
Conclusion:
I hope you love the recipe. If you tried this recipe, leave a comment below and let me know what you thought!
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Simple 5 Ingredient Banana Bread Mug Cake (Paleo, AIP, Vegan, Gluten-Free
Equipment
- microwave
Ingredients
- 1 medium banana, mashed
- 1/4 cup tiger nut flour
- 1/2 tbsp arrowroot starch (or tapioca starch)
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
- Mash banana thoroughly in a bowl or mug, then mix in remaining ingredients. Make sure mug (or bowl) is large enough to accommodate the dough as it rises in the microwave.
- Microwave on high for 90 seconds. Enjoy!
Mary Lou Hulan says
I can't find tigernut flour where I live. Can it be subbed with Coconut flour?
Arika | FoodCourage says
Hi Mary Lou,
Coconut flour might work but it behaves very differently from tigernut so I wouldn't generally recommend substituting it 1:1 for tigernut. If you're able to find cassava flour, that would probably be a better bet (and I've found cassava flour easier to find in stores compared to tigernut). I'd probably start with a half and half blend of cassava flour and coconut flour.
Barbara says
I was cozied up in bed, trawling AIP recipes before jumping into my nightly netflix offering. But as soon as I glanced through this recipe, I knew I had to head to my kitchen & make it immediately! Five minutes later, I pulled the mug out of my microwave & chowed down and ... WOW! So simple, sooooo fast - this is truly instant gratification. Thanks for posting what will surely become a regular treat chez moi!!
Arika | FoodCourage says
Hey Barbara! That's wonderful to hear! Thanks so much for the compliment- I'm so glad you like it. It's one of my favorites too. 🙂
Anjali says
Do you know if this will work in the oven? If so what temp and how long do you think?
Arika | FoodCourage says
Hey Ajali, Sure, I think it would work. For single-serve size, I'd probably cook it in a ramekin at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes (till a toothpick comes out clean). Let me know how it goes!
Jessie says
So easy and delicious! I typically bypass tasty treats because they are far too much work. But this is great! It doesnt take a million ingredients and is so fast. Thank you for this recipe!
Arika | FoodCourage says
Hey Jessie! That's awesome to hear. Thanks so much for the feedback.
Liz says
If you want to bake in a 350 oven, it takes 15 minutes and it's perfect! Thanks for this recipe! I've made it 3 times already!
Arika | FoodCourage says
Awesome- thanks for the feedback!
Cathy says
Awesome yummy-ness! Thank you so much for experimenting and coming up with this gem of a recipe!
Arika | FoodCourage says
Thanks so much Cathy! It's definitely one of my favorites.
Molly Mccarty says
This recipe is delicious! It really helps alleviate the craving of something sweet and "cakey" when on the AIP. I used a hand blender to mix the ingredients as my tigernut flour was kind of clumpy. I suppose a sifter would work too. I also added several dashes of cinnamon to the batter. I topped it with sea salt and honey. So great that it is so fast to make and really, really good!
Arika | FoodCourage says
Hi Molly! Awesome- I'm so pleased you liked it!
Becky Fitzpatrick says
OMG! I love this recipe! It was simple, quick and absolutely delicious! The only thing I changed was I added a big pinch of cinnamon to the dry ingredients before adding them to the mashed banana, (for flavor and anti-inflammatory properties). I ate every bite and was actually scraping the sides of the mug to get every smidgen I could 😋!! Thank you for a hearty & healthy AIP dessert!!
Arika | FoodCourage says
Hi Becky, That's fantastic! Thanks so much. I'm so pleased to hear you liked it.
Kimberly Cramer says
I love how quick this is to make, and it’s so satisfying to eat! I topped mine with some ghee, as I’m in stage 1 of reintros. 🙂 Thank you so much!
Arika | FoodCourage says
Wonderful! Thanks so much Kimberly.
Bambi says
Amazing! Cooked an extra 30 seconds, sprinkled some maple flakes on top and wow. Excellent texture, amazing flavour, with a wonderful aroma that filled my house. Highly recommend. Thank you for the recipe! I’ve struggled shifting to AIP baking from keto. Still have not been able to make AIP bread (9 failed attempts so far) but at least now I have a mug cake recipe for a treat. Ty for the win!
Arika | FoodCourage says
Bambi, that's great!! So pleased you liked it. Yes, breads are definitely tricky!
Charmaine says
I LOVE this recipe! It has been a game changer for me - so quick and easy. I can enjoy a little treat when others are having something. I found this recipe when I was on the road for work and could only use a microwave 🙂 The one thing I've discovered is that it cooks better with a wider mug or even in a bowl. In a taller mug it generally takes a bit longer. But other than that is so perfect as is! I sometimes add a few extra spices to make it a little more festive 🙂 Thanks so much!
Arika | FoodCourage says
Hey Charmaine!! Thanks so much for the comment. I'm so pleased to hear you've been enjoying it. It's always been one of my favorites. 🙂 Thanks for the tip on using a wider mug/bowl too- that makes sense that it would be a bit faster.
Yesenia says
Do you know if I could prepare ahead, freeze, then thawing before cooking it? I am trying to meal prep and looking for recipes to make.
Arika | FoodCourage says
Hey Yesenia, That's a great idea! I imagine it probably would work fine if you freeze the mixture then cook later. However, I haven't actually tried it myself. Another option would be to cook it first, then cool it, and freeze for later. If you try it, I'd love to hear what you did and how it turned out.