As Bette Midler said “Oh, you’ve gotta have friends!” I quote those wise words because not only does it help make baking a hundred times more fun, but when your friends are healthy and fit (and award-winning actor Mary-Louise Parker), it also helps introduce you to baking that’s not only delicious, but HEALTHY!
Folks, we are making healthy, sweet, gluten-free mug cakes in mason jars today. And believe me when I tell you, I would have NEVER attempted such a recipe unless I was assured it would taste awesome, even without all the sugar and carbs. Mary-Louise and Evy join me in showing you how to achieve such sorcery!
Not only does it taste like a wonderful pancake in a jar, but this is a mess-free snap to make in your Instant Pot! What’s more? You can have it more breakfast, dessert AND/OR a snack AND you can eat it either hot OR chilled!
Here’s How I Made It!:
Start by finding some REALLY fun people to make these mug cakes with. (Oh, and it helps when your friends laugh a lot and perhaps look like Mary-Louise Parker).
Then, take a few 8-ounce mason jars…
…and fill it with almond flour…
…an egg…
…(I’d suggest the whole egg including the yolk instead of just an egg white)…
…maple syrup…
…vanilla or almond extract…
…baking powder (NOT the same thing as baking soda)…
…salt…
…and perhaps a little cinnamon.
Stir…
…until you have a nice, smooth batter-like consistency.
…and make sure you do it well so that everything is combined (we don’t want any flour stuck on the bottom or the sides of the jar – it should all be mixed in).
Now comes the fun part – choosing our mix-ins! From dried fruits…
…to pomegranate seeds and blueberries…
…to raspberries…
…to nuts. Choose whatever you want!
You can even play a fun came where you close your eyes and have one of your friends spin you around til you’re dizzy and then grab a random mix-in and whatever it is, you put it in the jar!
Look at that! We are ready to go!
Gently stir/fold the mix-ins into the batter.
When done, it shouldn’t come up any higher than 3/4 of the way to the top of the jar.
Cover each jar with aluminum foil and NOT the lid it came with.This is very important as it can cause too much pressure on the jar if that’s the case).
Add some water and the trivet to the Instant Pot.
Rest the mason jars on the trivet.
Secure the lid and cook at high pressure.
When it’s time to do a quick release, watch your friends’ reactions if this is their first run…
…and laugh it off.
When the pin drops…
…get very excited!
Once the lid comes off the Instant Pot, remove the foil from the tops of the jars.
And let them cool for a few minutes.
And now it’s time to marvel at your creations and dig in either now or later as these taste great both hot and chilled!
Sink your fork or spoon into it…
…and compare notes on how each person’s mug cakes look. This may cause you to laugh a lot.
But don’t that look pretty?!
And how sweet it is! Sweet food and sweet times with sweet folks – because that’s exactly what baking should be all about!
Enjoy!
Filmed by Mark Stephen Kornbluth
Check out Evy Drew’s makeup looks here!
Instant Pot Mug Cakes in Mason Jars
I enlisted the help of my fabulous award-winning friend, Mary-Louise Parker, to make these healthy, adorable and customizable treats. All it takes are a few mason jars and a bunch of fun.
Ingredients
Amounts Below Are Per Each 8-ounce Mason Jar:
- 1/3 cup Almond flour (you can use other flours such as Oat or Buckwheat as well but after experimenting, I *STRONGLY* suggest Almond flour for the absolute best result. Plus, it’s very low carb & gluten-free! I would avoid all-purpose flour for this)
- 1 large egg (don’t use eggs bigger than large size)
- 2 tbsp of maple syrup or blue agave
- 1/2 tsp of vanilla, almond or lemon extract
- 1/8 tsp of salt
- 1/4 tsp of baking power
- 1/8 tsp of cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp of vegetable oil or butter (optional)
Any Mix-Ins Of Your Choice:
- Fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, pomegranate, pineapple, sliced bananas and/or natural coconut
- Nuts such as almonds, pecans, almonds and/or macadamia (raw is best for healthy results)
- Seeds such as flax, chia and/or hemp hearts (if using, add in an equal amount of vegetable oil as they absorb)
- Naughty things such as chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, mini-marshmallows and/or sweetened coconut flakes (if you wanna be bad)
Instructions
- Mix all the base batter ingredients directly in the 8 oz mason jars. Stir VERY well to make sure all the flour is absorbed and not stuck to the sides (especially on the bottom)
- Add in any mix-ins of your choosing and stir well so it’s nice and mixed with the batter. Whatever you add in, just make sure the jar isn’t more than 3/4 of the way filled
- Cover each mason jar with aluminum foil (do NOT use the lid that came with the jar while pressure cooking)
- Pour in 2 cups of water to the Instant Pot, lay in the trivet and carefully rest the foil-topped mason jars on it. You’ll be able to get 4 in at a time!
- Secure the lid and hit “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” at high pressure for the following time options:
- 15 minutes for a runnier, more pudding-like consistency
- 20 minutes for a light and fluffy-cake consistency
- 25 minutes for a more dense and firm cake consistency (recommended)
- Quick release when done. Immediately remove the foil from the jars and let cool for 10 minutes. Either serve right away or put the mason jar lid on top of the jar, pop in the fridge and eat chilled. If you want it sweeter, add a little more maple syrup when serving or whatever sweetener you want. Perfect for breakfast, dessert or a snack!
- Enjoy!
Jeffrey's Tips
Again, Almond flour is my #1 pick for the absolute best results here. It won’t be the same if you use regular, all-purpose flour at all.
If you feel the cakes aren’t done at the suggested times, just simply pressure cook a little longer.
My personal favorite combo was some blueberries, raspberries, bananas and chocolate chips!
Feel free to put a little more maple syrup on it when serving. It tastes like a delicious pancake in a mug!
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