6 Fall Mug Cake Ideas That Taste Like October (in 90 Seconds)

Fall wants you to bake. Fall also gave you a calendar full of school pickups, early sunsets and a hoodie you have not taken off since Tuesday. Good news: you can have the whole cinnamon-scented, apple-and-pumpkin season in a mug, without turning on the oven.

Start with a warm Pastel mug cake (90 seconds in the microwave, then a 30-second rest), and dress it up with one of these.

1. Apple pie a la mug

Dice half an apple, toss it with a pinch of cinnamon, and microwave it for 30 to 45 seconds until soft. Spoon it over a Cinna-Buns cake. It tastes like the filling of a pie, minus the crust and minus the afternoon.

2. Pumpkin spice, the real kind

Stir a spoonful of plain canned pumpkin into a little Greek yogurt with a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Dollop it on top of Cinna-Buns. Canned pumpkin is just pumpkin, so you get the flavor of the season without a syrup.

3. Maple pecan

A small drizzle of maple syrup and a few chopped pecans. Toast the pecans in a dry pan for a minute if you want to show off. This one works on either flavor, but it is especially good on Cinna-Buns.

4. Caramel apple

Thin apple slices fanned on top, then a thin line of caramel sauce. A little goes a long way, which is the whole trick of fall desserts: one bold flavor, not five.

5. Chai-spiced brownie

Dust a Brownie Points cake with a pinch of cinnamon, cardamom and a tiny bit of black pepper. Chocolate and warm spice is a classic pairing, and it makes a regular weeknight brownie feel like a cafe order.

6. Campfire s'mores

Press two or three mini marshmallows onto a warm Brownie Points cake and give it 10 more seconds in the microwave, watching closely, until they puff. Crumble a bit of graham cracker on top. Eat it before anyone asks for a bite.

A quick note on toppings

The cake is doing the heavy lifting: about 25 g of protein a serving. Toppings mostly add flavor, and some (caramel, maple, marshmallows) add sugar too. Fruit, pumpkin and Greek yogurt are the lighter options; the sweet ones are for nights that call for it. No judgment either way.

Make it a fall habit

Cinna-Buns is basically fall in a bag, and Brownie Points is the chocolate base for everything else. Each serving has about 25 g of protein and about 350 calories, works out to about $3.33, and contains egg, milk, soy and wheat.

Shop the mug cakes

FAQ

What can I put on a mug cake for fall? Warm cinnamon apples, pumpkin mixed with Greek yogurt and spice, maple and pecans, caramel apple slices, chai spices on chocolate, or toasted mini marshmallows for s'mores.

Which Pastel flavor is best for fall toppings? Cinna-Buns pairs naturally with apple, pumpkin and maple. Brownie Points is the base for chai spice and s'mores.

Do toppings change the protein in a mug cake? The cake still has about 25 g of protein a serving. Greek yogurt adds a little more; most other toppings mainly add flavor, and some add sugar.

Can I make a fall mug cake without an oven? Yes. Pastel mug cakes cook in the microwave in 90 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds.

Sources

• Product instructions and nutrition: Pastel Protein Brownie Points and Cinna-Buns (microwave 90 seconds, rest 30 seconds; about 25 g protein and about 350 calories per serving; contains egg, milk, soy and wheat).