This protein mug brownie is incredibly fudgy and decadent, making it the perfect healthy treat. All you need is 5 minutes to make this simple recipe. Plus, each serving contains approximately 15g of protein!
I love my high-protein desserts! It is a great way to satisfy my sweet tooth while meeting my protein goals. Although I love my protein muffins, protein cookies, and chocolate protein bars, this protein mug brownie is my go-to recipe when I want something quick.
💚Why you will love this recipe
- A single-serve dessert made in a mug
- Fudgy, moist, and incredibly decadent to have
- Naturally eggless, gluten-free, and vegan
- Makes a great post-workout snack
🍌What you will need
📃Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Banana - Can be substituted with ¼ cup of applesauce.
- Milk - any kind of plant-based milk will work. You can even use regular dairy milk.
- Maple syrup - Feel free to substitute it with another liquid sweetener like agave syrup, honey, or coconut nectar. To make this recipe sugar-free, use a sugar-free syrup.
- Oat flour - If you don’t have it, you can easily make homemade oat flour by grinding oats in a high-speed blender or food processor. For a lower-carb option, substitute it with almond flour.
- Protein powder - It is highly recommended you use plant-based protein powder like pea, hemp, or soy as they work best in baking. I am using Orgain’s chocolate fudge protein powder.
- Chocolate chips - Optional, but highly recommended! I am using Enjoy Life’s chocolate morsels.
🔪How to make
Start by mashing the banana until smooth using a fork.
Add milk and maple syrup. Stir to mix.
Stir in dry ingredients, then microwave for 45-60 seconds. You can also bake it at 180C/350F for 10-15 minutes.
Allow the protein mug brownie to rest briefly before digging in!
✅ Helpful tips
- Use the right mug - A standard 8oz mug or ramekin will work. Make sure the mug used is microwave-safe.
- Adjusting for sweetness - If your protein powder is on the sweeter side, reduce the amount of sweetener used. The reverse is also true, so use more sweetener if you use an unsweetened protein powder!
- Lightly grease mug - This ensures that the mug brownie can be easily scooped out without leaving much behind. You can use a cooking spray to grease your mug.
- Do not overcook -An overcooked protein mug brownie will taste dry and chewy. I like to microwave mine for 45 seconds and check for doneness, then microwave it for an additional 10-20 seconds if needed.
✨Variations and add-ins
Peanut butter chocolate - Chocolate and peanut butter are one of the best combinations ever! Mix in a tablespoon of peanut butter or use a peanut butter-flavored protein powder instead. Another option is to add 1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter powder, such as PB2. However, you might need to add more milk to thin the mixture out.
Jam-filled - For a sweeter mug cake, make a hole at the center and add a dollop of your favorite jam.
Chopped nuts - Chopped pecans and walnuts work exceptionally well in this recipe.
Spices - Add a pinch of ground cinnamon to this protein mug brownie to enhance its flavor!
🍦Serving ideas
- Ice-cream - vanilla-flavored is my go-to, but feel free to use any flavor you like!
- Whipped cream - regular or plant-based
- Syrups like caramel syrup or chocolate syrup
- Fresh fruits - blueberries, banana slices, chopped strawberries
- Pinch of flaked sea salt
- Nut butter - peanut butter, coconut almond butter, cashew butter
❄️Storing suggestions
Since this is a single-serve recipe, serving this protein mug brownie fresh is recommended.
If you have any leftover brownie, store it in an airtight container and refrigerate it for 2-3 days. You can either eat it cold or warm it up in the microwave briefly until it's warm. Be careful not to overheat it, as this may dry out the brownie.
❔Commonly asked questions
If your protein mug brownie turns out dry and tough, you may have cooked it for too long. To make it taste better, you can pour some milk into it to soften it and serve it with your favorite toppings to improve its texture and flavor.
Measuring the dry ingredients correctly when making a mug brownie is also essential. Too much flour or protein powder may produce a chewy or rubbery texture. Use the spoon and level method to measure accurately and avoid packing the flour into the tablespoon.
You can bake your protein mug brownie in an oven preheated to 180C/350F for 10-15 minutes or until the center is no longer soft. Ensure that the mug used is oven-safe.
It is safe to microwave protein powder. Although heating protein powder might denature the protein molecules, the protein content and nutrient profile will remain the same.
🍨More easy vegan desserts
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📖 Recipe
Protein Mug Brownie
Ingredients
- ½ medium banana about 50g/2oz
- 3 tablespoons soy milk or another plant-based/dairy milk of choice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup see notes**
- 2 tablespoons oat flour
- 2 tablespoons chocolate protein powder plant-based preferred*
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon chocolate chips
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Grease an mug (around 8oz capacity) with some cooking spray or oil. Mash banana with a fork until smooth.½ medium banana
- Next, add milk and maple syrup. Stir to combine.3 tablespoons soy milk, 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.2 tablespoons oat flour, 2 tablespoons chocolate protein powder, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon chocolate chips, ½ teaspoon baking powder
- Microwave for 45-90 seconds or until the top appears set. Alternatively, you can bake it in an oven preheated to 180C/350F for 10-15 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy your protein mug brownie while warm!
Notes
- Use the right mug - A standard 8oz mug or ramekin will work. Make sure the mug used is microwave-safe.
- Lightly grease mug - This ensures that the mug brownie can be easily scooped out without leaving much behind. You can use a cooking spray to grease your mug.
- Do not overcook -An overcooked protein mug brownie will taste dry and chewy. I like to microwave mine for 45 seconds and check for doneness, then microwave it for an additional 10-20 seconds if needed.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
Anonymous says
Absolutely delicious! I used chocolate protein powder, so I omitted the cocoa powder, and I opted for regular flour instead of oat flour since I didn't have any at hand, and the recipe still turned out great! It was moist and spongy, and had a chocolate banana bread taste. 10/10 will make again!