The Best Keto Pecan Pie Mug Cake
Published November 17, 2019 • Updated February 26, 2026
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I built this keto pecan pie mug cake around the same caramelly, pecan-loaded flavor as my full-size pie, but it's done in the microwave in about 90 seconds. Single-serving, 3.9g net carbs, and it holds up to every holiday craving I've thrown at it.
I wanted a pecan pie dessert I could make on a Tuesday night without turning on the oven, and this is what I landed on after a lot of testing. The whole thing comes together in under three minutes, and the flavor is dead-on: buttery, caramelly, loaded with toasted pecans. My kids request it. My non-keto friends have eaten it without knowing. That’s the bar I set for every recipe on this site.
The base uses both almond flour and coconut flour, and that combination is deliberate. I tested this with almond flour alone (too greasy, too flat) and coconut flour alone (too dense, too dry). The two-flour blend is what gives you a tender, set crumb in under 90 seconds. Most microwave cakes from other sites skip this step and use just one flour. You’ll notice the difference.
The pecan topping is where this goes from good to something you’ll actually crave. I use ChocZero Maple Pecan Syrup because I helped develop the original recipes for their site, so I know exactly how it performs in baking. Cold butter cut into small cubes, chopped pecans, the syrup, and a pinch of salt. You mash it together with a fork and leave it chunky on purpose. Add the topping right after the first microwave, not after it cools, because the syrup sets as the cake cools and you want it to melt into the surface first. That timing detail makes the whole topping work.
If you love single-serving keto desserts the way I do, I have a whole collection: my keto chocolate mug cake is the one I make most often, the keto pumpkin mug cake is perfect for fall, and the chocolate chip version is what my kids pick. I also have a red velvet mug cake and a birthday mug cake for when you want something more festive.
One thing I want to address: yes, the full recipe is around 600 calories. I’ve seen comments about it. For me, this is a deliberate treat, not an everyday snack. I split it into two ramekins when I want a smaller portion, or I eat the whole thing when it’s Friday night and I’ve earned it. The low carb count (3.9g net) is the point, and the calories are mostly from healthy fats in the pecans and butter. If you’re watching calories closely, the ramekin split is the move I’d recommend.
For the holidays, I rotate between this and my keto pumpkin pie and pumpkin dump cake. The pecan version is the one that disappears first every single time.
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Mug Cake Ingredients
1 egg -
2 tablespoons almond flour
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2 tablespoons coconut flour
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2 tablespoons ChocZero Maple Pecan Syrup
-
1 tablespoon butter, melted
-
1 tablespoon golden monk fruit
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1/2 teaspoon baking powder
-
pinch of salt
Pecan Topping Ingredients
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1/4 cup chopped pecans
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1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into cubes
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1 tablespoon ChocZero Maple Pecan Syrup
-
pinch of salt
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Mix the ingredients
Combine all ingredients for the mug cake in a small bowl and mix together until combined.
Pour into mug
Pour mug cake batter in a large mug or into two ramekins greased with cooking spray.
Bake it
Microwave for 60 to 85 seconds or until the cake has risen and is set in the middle (not wobbly). Remove from microwave to let cool. Baking times will vary based on make and model of microwave.
Make pecan topping
To make the pecan topping, combine all ingredients in a bowl and mash together with fork. It’s okay to have chunks of butter. You don’t want it completely uniform.
Add the topping
Add pecan topping on top of the mug cake and microwave for an additional 20 to 30 seconds or until the butter has melted.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bake this in the oven instead of the microwave?
I've done it at 350 degrees F for about 12-15 minutes in a greased ramekin. The texture comes out slightly different (more like a keto pecan muffin than a soft mug cake), but the flavor is the same. I check mine at 12 minutes. The center should be set but not dry. If you go this route, the topping goes on before it goes in the oven, not after.
Can I use maple extract instead of ChocZero Maple Pecan Syrup?
I've tested this. Use 1/2 teaspoon of maple extract plus 2 tablespoons of your preferred keto sweetener (I use golden monk fruit) to replace the syrup in both the cake and the topping. The flavor profile shifts slightly (less caramel, more straight maple), but it works. I still prefer the ChocZero version because the syrup adds moisture and that sticky caramel quality you can't quite replicate with dry sweetener.
Do I add the pecan topping right after the first microwave or wait for it to cool?
Right after. I add the topping while the cake is still hot, then microwave it again for 20-30 seconds. The syrup sets as it cools, so you want the topping on while everything is warm so the butter melts into the surface and the pecans get that glazed texture. If you wait too long, the topping just sits on top instead of melding in.
Can I make this in ramekins instead of a mug?
I do this all the time. The batter splits perfectly into two small ramekins (greased with cooking spray). One of my readers, Judy, makes it in four mini ramekins and uses about 50% more topping to cover all of them. I'd start checking doneness at 45 seconds for smaller portions since they cook faster.
How many calories are in this mug cake?
The full recipe is around 600 calories. I know that sounds like a lot, but the calories come from pecans, butter, and egg (healthy fats, not empty carbs). When I want a lighter serving, I split the batter into two ramekins and save one for the next day. That puts each portion around 300 calories with the same flavor. I treat this as a deliberate low carb dessert, not an everyday snack.
What are the total carbs in this mug cake?
Total carbs are 5.7g for the full recipe. Net carbs are 3.9g after subtracting fiber. I calculated this using the exact ingredients listed, so your count might shift slightly if you swap sweeteners or use a different brand of syrup. I always double-check with whatever tracker I'm using when I substitute.
Can I freeze this mug cake?
I've frozen the cake portion (without the topping) and it reheats fine. Wrap it tightly once cooled, freeze for up to two weeks, then microwave for 30-40 seconds to reheat. The texture softens slightly compared to fresh but it's still good. I make the pecan topping fresh each time because frozen butter topping gets grainy. If you like make-ahead keto treats, my keto no bake cookies freeze even better.
Can I use regular flour instead of almond or coconut flour?
I wouldn't. The almond and coconut flour combination is what keeps this low carb (3.9g net), and I tested it specifically for the microwave timing. Regular flour would change both the carb count and the texture. The two-flour blend gives you a tender crumb that sets properly in 60-85 seconds. Swapping in regular flour means you'd need to adjust the liquid ratio and bake time, and at that point it's a different recipe.
Mug cakes are made for those of us eating keto. We don’t always want lots of sweets lying around because they can trigger cravings. A single mug cake eliminates that problem. It’s portion controlled, single or double serving, and you can have it ready in minutes. Just mix everything together in a bowl, pour it into a mug, and microwave for less than 2 minutes.
Pecan pie in mug cake form is a perfect treat any time of year, but it’s especially good around the holidays when all the Thanksgiving and Christmas desserts get piled on the tables. You get all the yummy holiday flavors without the excess carbs.
And this one is to die for! Not only is it full of pecan pie flavor, but every bite of that warm buttery topping will send your fork going back for more.
In this recipe, I use Maple Pecan Syrup by ChocZero. ChocZero syrups are full of flavor with no sugars or sugar alcohols. I love using them in my baking.
If you don’t want to bother with ChocZero syrup, substitute the syrup with 2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream and 1/4 teaspoon of 
Traditionally mug cakes are mixed together in a mug and then baked in the same mug in the microwave for a minute or two. I like to transfer my mug cake to a pretty ramekin or I’ll just mix it together in a large ramekin. This recipe will make two pecan pie mug cakes if using a 
If you don’t have a microwave or don’t like to use them, you can still make this. Bake in an oven safe dish, like a 
25 grams of fat showed up in the app while my youngest was still asking when we're making it again. I'd already rehearsed my monk fruit defense for an eight-year-old who cross-examines every ingredient, but he didn't look up from the pecan topping long enough to ask. He's the one who notices when we're out of ChocZero now.
Assumed a 90-second mug cake would land somewhere between edible and fine. The cold butter in the topping changed that. Mashed into the ChocZero syrup it goes gooey and almost fudgy in a way I've never gotten out of any other quick keto dessert.
Making these for a cookout this weekend, need enough for 6. Do I just run three batches back to back in the microwave, or can I scale the batter and bake it in a dish instead?
Triple the batter and bake six ramekins at once at 350 for 12-15 minutes, it's more muffin-y than gooey, but the pecan flavor is all there and you're not stuck at the microwave for 10 minutes.
added cinnamon to the batter. tastes even more like pecan pie.
Cinnamon belongs in here, I have no idea why I left it out. Adding it to my notes now.
Glad it made your notes. You'd miss it without it though.
Made six of these in ramekins Sunday night and they're still perfect on day four, the pecan topping comes right back with 15 seconds in the microwave.
Our microwave just died and I've been eyeing this recipe ever since. Can I use the ramekins in the oven instead? What temp and how long?
350 degrees in a greased ramekin, 12-15 minutes. Texture is more muffin-y than gooey, but the pecan pie flavor is all there.
Used regular ChocZero vanilla syrup instead of the maple pecan kind because that's what I had, and the topping still got that sticky caramelly pull. Did not expect that to work but it did.
Yeah, that pull is really the cold butter + syrup ratio, not the maple flavor itself. Good to know vanilla holds up.
I've tried at least four other keto mug cakes and they all end up tasting sort of eggy and flat. This one is just different. The pecan topping with the cold butter mashed in gets this caramelly crunch that the others don't even come close to. 90 seconds in the microwave and it actually tastes like something I'd make on purpose.
The two-flour blend is what kills the eggy thing. Straight almond flour mug cakes go flat like that almost every time. Good to know the topping landed right.
I have tried probably six different keto mug cakes over the past two years and most of them taste like... a mug cake. You know what I mean, they're fine but they're not actually trying to taste like the thing they're named after. This one is different. The ChocZero Maple Pecan Syrup brings that caramelized depth I wasn't expecting from a 90-second microwave situation, and the topping technique (mashing cold butter into the pecans before the second microwave) gives you this almost toffee-textured finish I have not found in any other version. I've made it four times in the last three weeks. I have about twelve keto dessert recipes I cycle through and this one just leapfrogged most of them. Let it sit for 60-90 seconds after the topping microwave, by the way. The texture tightens up and it's nowhere near the same as cutting in right away.
The cold butter in the topping took me the longest to figure out. And yeah, that minute matters, the syrup's still liquid when it first comes out.
First mug cake I've ever made and the 85-second cook time had me hovering over the microwave convinced I'd timed it wrong. The ChocZero syrup gives it that actual caramelly depth I wasn't expecting from something this fast.
That hovering thing is real, even when you've made it ten times. And the maple pecan specifically is key. I've tried it with just maple extract and the caramel note is way flatter.
Made these in ramekins for a dinner at my sister's place last weekend, six of us, and I put together the pecan topping right at the table so people could see the whole thing go into the microwave. Two of her friends asked where I ordered the pecan tarts from. Had to explain it three times. The topping sets up almost like a real praline when it cools for a minute, which I wasn't expecting from 20 seconds in the microwave. The ChocZero syrup gives it that caramelly depth, tastes like the real thing and not some sweetener substitute. Took maybe 10 minutes total. Already planning to do it again when my book club meets in a few weeks.
The 'where did you order those' is my favorite reaction to this one. Nobody's brain processes a praline appearing in 20 seconds of microwave time.
Hosting friends Saturday night and this looks like the perfect dessert, but I really can't be stuck at the microwave cooking them to order. Can I mix the batter a few hours ahead and keep it in the fridge? My main worry is whether the baking powder will still work after sitting that long, or if it needs to go straight from bowl to mug. And does the pecan topping hold up if I mix it ahead, or does it get a little weird sitting out? I was also thinking ramekins instead of a mug so they look a bit more intentional for company.
Batter holds a few hours in the fridge, I've done same-day prep. Don't go overnight though, the baking powder loses its lift. Keep the topping pre-measured but separate and mix right before you cook. Ramekins are better for guests anyway.
My grandmother made pecan pie every Easter and I stopped letting myself think about it after going keto. Made this on a whim and the ChocZero maple syrup gets that caramelly depth way closer than I expected from something that took 90 seconds. It's not the same. But it's close enough that I had to sit with it for a minute.
'Close enough to sit with it for a minute' might be my favorite thing anyone's said about this one. That maple pecan syrup surprised me too the first few rounds.
Toasted the pecans in a dry pan for a few minutes before mixing them into the topping and it made a real difference, that nutty crunch hit completely different. Thinking a little vanilla extract in the batter next time.
The toasting thing is legit, especially in a mug cake where the texture is so soft all the way through. Vanilla would work, I'd start with 1/4 teaspoon, the maple syrup flavor is pretty forward so you don't need much.
Okay so I've never made a mug cake before and the 60 to 85 second microwave window has me a little anxious because I genuinely don't know what to look for, like does it still jiggle a little in the center when it's done or does it look totally set? I'm also not sure if my microwave wattage matters (pretty sure mine is 1000 watts but I've honestly never checked). And the pecan topping is a separate microwave step, which I didn't realize was a thing, so can you overcook that part too or is it more forgiving than the cake itself? I've made regular mug cakes before and ended up with something rubbery from going a little too long, and I'm guessing a keto version bakes a little differently. I really want to try this tonight but I don't want to ruin it on the first go.
1000W is fine. The center should look a little soft when you pull it (mine firms up in under a minute), so pull at 70, not the full 85. Keto version goes rubbery too if you push it. Pecan topping is way more forgiving, 20-30 seconds and you basically can't wreck it.