Are you craving a chocolate cake, but don’t want all the sugar and calories? This chocolate protein mug cake is the answer! Easily made in the microwave, this protein powder mug cake comes together quickly and without all the extra calories and sugar. The perfect healthy chocolaty snack!
Are you wondering how to make a chocolate protein mug cake? They are definitely delicious, but you need to know what ingredients to use, how much and how long to cook. Otherwise, this healthy chocolate cake won’t turn out.
In this post I’ll show you what ingredients you’ll need to make a protein mug cake, the best vessel to make a mug cake in (hint, it’s not actually a mug), and how to cook/bake a mug cake. I’ll also include step-by-step instructions and photos breaking down exactly how to make this delicious snack.
What do I need to make a chocolate protein mug cake?
- Chocolate Protein Powder – I use and love Orgain chocolate fudge protein. You can find it easily online or at Costco.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – this is needed to create a truly chocolate cake-like flavor.
- Almond Flour – I used almond flour to keep the carbs low in this healthy snack. You could also use oat flour, coconut flour or regular all-purpose flour.
- Baking Powder – this is necessary to help your cake rise and have the texture of a cake.
- Sweetener – I use and LOVE this Whole Earth granular monk fruit sweetener. It is a calorie free, low glycemic index and keto friendly sweetener.
- Coconut oil – I like Carrington Farms unflavored coconut oil. You could also use avocado oil.
- Egg – an egg will help keep the cake moist and not dry out while cooking.
- Unsweetened vanilla almond milk – the milk will help achieve a smooth batter and nice cake-like texture.
- Vanilla extract – this will help achieve a superior flavor.
- No Sugar Added Chocolate Chips – I like Lily’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips or Hu Chocolate. Both have great flavor and no refined sugar.
For exact ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the post for the recipe. Thanks!
How do I make a protein mug cake?
In a small bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients; coconut oil, egg, vanilla and almond milk.
Next, add in the dry ingredients; chocolate protein powder, cocoa powder, almond flour, sweetener and baking powder. Whisk together until all ingredients are well incorporated and form a batter.
Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into a 4″ ramekin. A ramekin is a small single-serving baking dish. A ramekin will work best for a mug cake, as it is uniform in size, microwave safe, and will help the cake cook evenly.
Pour the batter into the small baking dish (a 4″ ramekin is ideal) and top with additional chocolate chips.
Microwave the cake for 60-75 seconds. Begin with 60 seconds and check the cake to see if it has cooked evenly on all sides. Microwave for 15 seconds longer. It is okay to have moist sides. If you microwave it longer than 75 seconds, the cake will begin to try out or become rubbery in texture.
Need more ideas for healthy chocolate snacks? My Healthy Banana Brownies, Cookie Dough Protein Bites and Black Bean Brownie recipe are great brownie options for when you want something sweet but not all the sugar and calories. My Peanut Butter Protein Balls are a great peanut butter option that has 7g of protein per bite!
Toppings and Mix-In’s for this protein powder mug cake:
- White chocolate, dark chocolate or peanut butter chips – these are a great addition to any mug cake. There are many healthier low-sugar options now on the market. Lily’s now makes white chocolate chips and peanut butter chips that have no refined sugar and are quite delicious!
- Fresh raspberries or strawberries – both of these berries go wonderfully with chocolate.
- Chopped almonds, pecans or macadamia nuts – these will give your mug cake a great crunch with every bite.
- Nut butter – before microwaving, add a tablespoon of natural peanut butter, cashew butter or pecan butter. After cooking it will be soft and melt into every bite!
- Whipped Cream – feel free to use a store-bought low-sugar whipped cream, or try my Homemade Cool Whip recipe, which is made with just a few ingredients and without refined sugar.
For exact ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions be sure to scroll down to the recipe at the bottom of the post. Thanks!
Love a simple single-serving dessert? Try my Single Serving Apple Crisp and my Pumpkin Mug Cake recipes.
Frequently asked questions about making protein mug cake recipes:
For best results, cook a mug cake in the microwave for 60-75 seconds. Start with 60 seconds and check if the batter is cooked through. Add 15 more seconds for the batter to cook all around the sides.
There could be a couple reasons for a mug cake turning out dry. First, you’ve cooked it too long. For best results, microwave for just 60 seconds, add 15 more seconds if it is still wet around the edges. Second, you need to add some form of fat to keep it moist while cooking. Coconut or avocado oil, nut or seed butter or an egg are all good options to keeping your mug cake moist.
A rubbery mug cake is likely due to overcooking or adding too much oil. For best results, add no more than 1 tablespoon of coconut or avocado oil and microwave for 60-75 seconds at the most.
Despite the name, the best vessel to make a mug cake in is actually a ramekin. A ramekin is a small single-serving ceramic baking dish. It is uniform in shape and will help the mug cake cook evenly in the microwave. Mugs are often deeper than they are wide, and often result in an overcooked center and undercooked sides.
What goes well with a protein powder mug cake?
This delicious chocolate snack would be great paired with a coffee or tea. Here are some of our most popular drink recipes:
- Chai Tea Latte Recipe
- Cinnamon Dolce Latte Recipe
- Vanilla Bean Iced Coffee
- Mocha Smoothie
- Starbucks Vanilla Bean Frappuccino Recipe
If you loved this healthy chocolate snack recipe, check out some of these other similar recipes:
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Chocolate Protein Mug Cake
Equipment
- Ramekin This 4" ramekin is the perfect size for making a mug cake in the microwave.
- Mini Whisk This mini whisk is ideal for making any small batch recipe.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon coconut oil like Carrington Farms unflavored coconut oil
- 1 egg
- 1 Tablespoon unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons chocolate protein powder I use Orgain chocolate fudge
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons almond flour
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons granular monk fruit sweetener like Whole Earth
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 Tablespoons sugar free chocolate chips like Lily's or Hu Chocolate
Instructions
- In a small bowl or medium measuring cup, add the wet ingredients; coconut oil, egg, vanilla and almond milk. Whisk together to combine.
- To the wet ingredients, add in the protein powder, cocoa powder, almond flour, sweetener and baking powder. Whisk together well to combine. Mixture should resemble a pudding-like batter.
- Stir in half (1 tablespoon) of the chocolate chips to the batter. Pour the batter into a ramekin or 4" microwave-safe bowl. Top with the remaining 1 tablespoon of chocolate chips.
- Microwave for 60 seconds. Stop to check the sides – if still wet, microwave for another 15 seconds. Cake will still be moist.
- Enjoy warm and with additional toppings if desired. (See blog post above for additional topping and mix-in ideas.)
Notes
Nutrition
This Chocolate Protein Mug Cake recipe looks absolutely delicious and so easy to make! Can’t wait to try it out for a quick and satisfying treat. Thanks for sharing this delightful recipe idea!