One Minute Flourless Chocolate Cupcake

Are any of you watching your weight?  Reducing calories?  Counting carbs?  Trying gluten free?  Have you heard of mug cakes?  They're starting to become popular.  Little cakes you can make in a mug in the microwave in less than one minute.  Wow, how convenient you say!  I don't have to make 24 cupcakes and don't even have to turn on my oven.  However, these little mug cakes pack a big punch in calories.  Traditional cupcakes average 160-200 calories (without frosting).  Some mug cake mixes out there are over 350 calories.  The cupcakes in this recipe ... drumroll please ... are only 30 calories! AND they're low carb and gluten free.

I was trying to lower my carbs this week and stumbled across this cupcake recipe.  It uses just 4 ingredients which most people already have in their kitchen.  I used Stevia for the sweetener but if you don't like zero calorie sweeteners you can also try honey or real sugar (add the calories to the total if you substitute a different sweetener).   The recipe makes 3 cupcakes (30 calories each) or 1 mug cake (90 calories).  You can top them with cool whip, peanut butter, yogurt, fresh fruit, sugar free pudding or eat them plain.  Any toppings of course add calories.

this cupcake is topped with lite cool whip

Honest review/opinion:  These cupcakes certainly aren't the real deal but if you're looking for something to curb your chocolate cravings while watching calories they're perfect.  And its pretty darn cool that you can make them in less than a minute.  I was amazed!

INGREDIENTS
1 egg

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon zero calorie sweetener (I used Stevia and about 7 packets makes 1 tablespoon)

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

DIRECTIONS

Line 3 ramekins (or other small microwaveable containers) with cupcake papers.  Crack the egg into a small bowl and mix with a whisk or fork until smooth.  Add the cocoa powder and sweetener and keep stirring until this looks like the consistency of cake batter. Stir in the baking soda.  Pour this mixture evenly into the 3 cupcake papers.  It doesn't look like much but it will rise to the full size of the cupcake paper.  Microwave all 3 cupcakes at the same time for 45-60 seconds (mine only took 45 seconds).  Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

before baking

after baking

Recipe adapted from: DitchTheWheat.com