Candy Bar Mug Cake is a chocolate microwave cake with the added deliciousness of chopped candy bars. Add your favorite candy to make this cake a winner.
Why you'll love this recipe
An overabundance of left over Halloween mini chocolate bars was the inspiration for Candy Bar Mug Cake, a quick and delicious twist to Cake in a Mug that puts left over candy to spectacular use.
These instant cakes are amazing. Sweet. Gooey. Crunchy.
Candy Bar Mug Cake couldn’t be quicker or easier. Whether for a speedy after school snack, an instant gratification dessert, or a 3 a.m. studying-for-exams boost, a little 3-2-1 mug cake is the answer.
The ingredients for Candy Bar Mug Cake are just the “magic” mug cake mix (1 box any flavor cake mix plus 1 box angel food cake mix) and 2 or 3 mini candy bars of your choice. I think most chocolate bars or m and m’s would work.
I taste tested Snickers, Milky Way, Butterfinger, Twix, and Kit Kat. Don’t use Kit Kat. The cookie wafers get soft and mushy. The others were all fabulous. My surprise favorite was the Butterfinger.
I didn’t expect that the crunchy peanut butter center of the Butterfinger would melt into gooey, sweet, peanut buttery sauce inside the chocolate mug cake. With some chopped Butterfinger sprinkled on top after baking, the combination of gooey and crunchy was outstanding.
Candy Bar Mug Cake is such a great idea, you might even want to hit the after Halloween sales and stock up on some bags of snack size chocolates.
The ingredients for a microwave mug cake would make any care package recipient very happy and would be perfect in a gift basket for anyone with a sweet tooth.
Ingredients
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- In a gallon sized ziplock bag, combine the two boxes of cake mix. Shake the bag to mix thoroughly.
- Lightly coat the inside of a mug with non-stick spray. Stir in 3 tablespoons of cake mix and 2 tablespoons of water.
- Roughly chop 2-3 candy bars and place into the batter, reserving a few pieces for topping the cake after baking.
- Microwave on high for up to 1 minute until cooked. (My microwave takes 45 seconds.) Add a few pieces of chopped candy bar and a generous dousing of chocolate or caramel syrup on top.
Storage
Microwave mug cakes and cobblers are best when cooked right before eating. The individual serving size makes it easy to make just what is needed.
For care packages, send the ingredients, instructions, a tablespoon and a mug or paper cups.
Related recipes
Be sure to see the full listing of over 21 Mug Cakes recipes here on The Monday Box.
Hot Chocolate Mug Cake is just what your sweet tooth needs! This chocolate cake with chocolate sauce and melted marshmallows is amazing.
Coconut Mug Cake is a gooey treat made with vanilla cake, coconut, and melted marshmallow cream.
Make a 4th of July Mug Cake with patriotic colors from white cake with strawberry and blueberry pie filling.
Biscoff Mug Cake is deliciously full of cookie butter spices.
Lava Cake in a Mug is for chocolate lovers! Rich chocolate cake overflowing with melted chocolate candy.
Pineapple Upside Down Mug Cake is an individual vanilla cake topped with brown sugar syrup, pineapple, and maraschino cherries.
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3-2-1 Candy Bar Mug Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box Angel Food Cake mix
- 1 box chocolate or vanilla cake mix
- Non-stick spray if not using disposable cups
- Water
- 48 snack size chocolate bars 2-3 bars for each individual cake
- 3 cup chocolate and/or caramel syrup about 2 tablespoons per cake
Instructions
- In a gallon sized ziplock bag, combine the two boxes of cake mix. Shake the bag to mix thoroughly.
- If using a microwaveable mug, lightly coat the inside of a with non-stick spray. Without the spray the cake will stick to the mug and the mug is harder to clean. If using a disposable, microwave safe paper cup, no non-stick spray is needed.
- (Here comes the 3-2-1 part) Into the prepared mug/cup, stir together 3 tablespoons of cake mix and 2 tablespoons of water. Stir.
- Roughly chop 2-3 candy bars and place into the batter, reserving a few pieces for topping the cake after baking.
- Microwave on high for up to 1 minute until cooked. (My microwave takes 45 seconds.)
- Add a few pieces of chopped candy bar and a generous dousing of chocolate or caramel syrup on top of the 3-2-1 cake. Then eat it right out of the mug. If you want to transfer the cake onto a plate, run a knife around the edge between the cake and the mug to loosen, dump out onto a plate, then add the chopped candy and syrup.
Notes
- Combine the two cake mixes into a gallon-size ziplock bag labeled with directions.
- Include a measuring spoon, bags of snack size chocolate bars, and a bottle of chocolate/caramel syrup.
- If the care package is international, include microwave safe paper cups.
- If the care package is domestic, add either a can of non-stick spray (for use with a ceramic mug) or microwave safe paper cups.
- Don’t forget to include the “recipe”.
Nutrition
First Published: November 4, 2014. Last Updated: January 31, 2023. Updated for additional information and better reader experience.
Sandra Garth
This is so tempting and it looks delicious!
Giramuk's Kitchen
This recipe might just be the death of me!!! It sounds so easy and so so good! I'm tempted to stock up on butterfingers and snickers just to make this... and I know I wont be able to stop! So much for trying not to buy candy bars!! 😀
themondaybox
Thanks, Dini! 🙂 The 3-2-1 cakes can be dangerously easy, BUT at least they are portion controlled! 🙂 All of the 3-2-1 cakes I have on The Monday Box use ingredients that can be shipped in a care package or can be sitting on a shelf in a kitchen, just waiting to be indulged in. 🙂 Enjoy!
p.s. I know its not really fair. You teach me to make fabulous and healthy cauliflower couscous, and I give you reasons to buy candy! 😉
beyondfrosting
OH! Mug cakes with candy? I'm sold!
themondaybox
Even better, Julianne. Cake mix mug cakes with candy that cook in less than a minute! 🙂
enchantedhomeschoolingmom
Oh my goodness this sounds delicious! Pinning this now to try and make later in the week 🙂
themondaybox
Thanks for the pin, Jill! You will only need a minute (or less). Enjoy! The key to yummy 3-2-1 is the gooey-er the better. 🙂
Tina Truelove
I could feel my clothes getting tighter as I read this post. Oh my! We never have trick-or-treaters and we usually aren't home so I never buy a lot of candy but I sure wish I had a lot of it right now. This looks amazing. Pinning!
themondaybox
Thank you, Tina! With all the "mandatory" taste testing I did to check compatibility with a variety of candy bars...yup, I definitely feel my clothes getting tighter! 🙂 Just one portion controlled 3-2-1 cake would be fine though! I hope you will try one. They really are magic!
chrisscheuer
So fun Wendy - although perhaps a little too tempting as it's so easy and quick to throw together. I would not have much will power with a bag of this in the cupboard 🙂
themondaybox
Thanks, Chris. 3-2-1 cakes are just fun. The magic makes them surprising. The gooey sweet stuff makes them delicious. 🙂
Heather
I love love the idea of making individual cakes. and this one looks like perfection! Im thinking now I should not have seen this recipe and how easy it was LOL it may become a staple in my house. On a serious note, I will be pinning for later and definitely giving this a try!
themondaybox
Thanks, Heather! So glad you like the 3-2-1 idea! 🙂 Though the ease of making these CAN be dangerous, I like to believe that the portion control size helps. 🙂 Its also fun that everyone can have their own special treat with ingredients that are sitting on the shelf waiting to be enjoyed!
Larraine
Great idea for left over Halloween candy!
themondaybox
Thanks, Larraine! The other 3-2-1 cakes are tasty and easy as well! 🙂
missmeliss0330
This looks delish! Great way to use up leftover Halloween candy too.
themondaybox
Thanks, Melissa! There is something so satisfying about melted gooey chocolate! 🙂
Glenda
Now that's a GREAT use for leftover Halloween candy! Yum!
themondaybox
Thanks, Glenda! I was happy to find that 3-2-1 Candy Bar Cake works well with most Halloween candy bars!
Operation Gratitude
Oh. My. YUM! 🙂
themondaybox
Thanks! I SO agree! Butterfingers were my favorite add-in but these Snickers cakes were a close second! 🙂 I also love that all of the ingredients can be sent in a care package to anyone with access to a microwave!
Operation Gratitude
Yes! 🙂
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert
Well yum! I wish I had left over candy now. No joke - we had over 200 kids come to our house in less than 2 hours. Crazy! We like in a cookie cutter neighborhood, at the front so they bus them in and start with us. I always run out of candy but buy tons! This is a great way to use up the candy if I had any ! Haha
themondaybox
I am so jealous of all of your trick-or-teaters, Tricia! I love watching the little ones in their costumes. My daughter feels cheated this year. 🙂 If you get too old to do it yourself, you should at least be able to enjoy watching others! 🙂 We did have plenty of left over candy for her classroom though (minus what I hid for Monday Box stuff). 🙂
Ashley
We usually get a bunch of kids, but this year we had a lot less. So I have lots of candy left! What a great way to use some of it up!
themondaybox
Freeze some of the little chocolate bars, Ashley. Then, if you can resist the deliciousness of frozen candy bars, you will have a store of 3-2-1 cake ingredients whenever you need a sugar jolt. 🙂
Jess @ On Sugar Mountain
What an awesome way to use leftover Halloween candy, Wendy! If I ever manage to avoid eating all of the candy ON Halloween night I will definitely try this out heehee. 🙂
themondaybox
Thanks, Jess! I buy double of Snickers because those are the ones I nibble on all night. 🙂 The Butterfingers were so awesome in these 3-2-1 cakes, I may be buying double of those next year!
Monica
Okay, Wendy...this just might be a little too genius, a little too tempting! I likewise always have so much leftover Halloween candy, not to mention the hoard my son manages to gather! My husband takes some to work but I have to admit that I am re-discovering the goodness of nestle's crunch and kit kat right now! Using the candy for a 3-2-1 cake is such a fun (and addicting) idea!
themondaybox
Buckets of little candy bars have to be put to good use, Monica! 🙂 As tasty as they may be straight out of the wrapper, they secretly double as an amazing melted ingredient! People get so busy this time of year, I thought storing up a few of those candy bars for emergency 3-2-1 cake desserts would be a good idea. 😉