In chocolate emergencies, this Self Saucing Chocolate Pudding in a Mug has been a saviour. It’s single serve and you cook it in the microwave. So it’s ready in a matter of seconds. Plus, it’s gluten free, vegan, nut free and creates it’s own sauce. Luscious chocolate heaven.
I’ve been experimenting with the recipe for a while. The types of flour that I have tested with are gluten-free flour, almond flour and buckwheat flour. Almond flour or almond meal does not work. Disaster. Most likely because there are no eggs in the recipe to hold it together.
Gluten-free flour is my favourite way to make the Self Saucing Chocolate Pudding. I buy Orgran brand from Coles in Australia. Although it’s not really a ‘whole food’ ingredient, I personally think it’s fine to use in moderation. If you are ok with gluten, I imagine regular plain flour would also work.

I have also tested the recipe with buckwheat flour, which works. It has a slightly earthier flavour, but it’s a good option for a more wholesome approach. Depending on your stance on buckwheat – it is technically a seed – using buckwheat flour would make the recipe grain free.
When it comes to cooking time, this will depend on your microwave and the mug that you cook it in. The idea is to cook it long enough so that most of the mixture sets, but the centre and bottom edges stay soft and sauce-like. I recommend checking it at the 50 second mark, then every 10 seconds after that to make sure you don’t overcook it.
Serves
1
Prep time
1 min
Cook time
1 min
Ingredients
- 2 x 20ml tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/4 cup gluten-free plain flour (or buckwheat flour)
- 1 x 20ml tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 x 20ml tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup water
Method
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1Place the coconut oil into a mug and melt it in the microwave if it is still solid. This should only take about 30-40 seconds depending on how soft it is.
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2Remove the mug from the microwave and add the flour and cocoa. Mix well to combine and remove any lumps. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the mug well to ensure all the flour and cocoa is incorporated into the oil.
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3Add the maple syrup and water and stir until everything is well combined and smooth.
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4Microwave the mug on high for about 50-80 seconds. After the 50 second mark, stop and check the pudding every 10 seconds to make sure that you don’t over cook it. You want the top edges to be set, but the centre to still be slightly runny.
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5Once cooked, it will be very hot. You may wish to spoon the pudding out onto a plate so it cools to a good eating temperature faster. Enjoy.
Notes
I’ve also made this with buckwheat flour in place of the gluten-free flour. Buckwheat flour gives the pudding a more earthy flavour.