Simple 5 Ingredient Banana Bread Mug Cake (Paleo, AIP, Vegan, Gluten-Free)
Banana bread has always been a favorite in our house with its warm gooey comforting sweetness. This banana bread, made with tiger nut flour, is a fantastic gluten-free alternative to traditional banana bread. Being recently diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, an autoimmune disorder, I started following an autoimmune protocol diet about a week ago. The diet is pretty limited, so I was excited to find such a delicious, easy, AIP-friendly dessert.
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Five Simple 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
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!
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!
I can’t find tigernut flour where I live. Can it be subbed with Coconut flour?
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.
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!!
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. 🙂
Do you know if this will work in the oven? If so what temp and how long do you think?
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!
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!
Hey Jessie! That’s awesome to hear. Thanks so much for the feedback.
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!
Awesome- thanks for the feedback!