This fluffy chocolate protein powder mug cake bakes in a flash and will satisfy those dessert cravings without any of the guilt! This cake bakes right in the mug you eat it from and all you need are a few ingredients, a few minutes, and a microwave!
A fluffy chocolate protein powder mug cake to satisfy your chocolate cravings without any of the guilt!
If you have a sweet tooth - like I do - the hardest part of health-conscious eating is not giving in to the pesky dessert cravings. With this chocolate protein powder mug cake, you can have your cake and eat it too without feeling bad about it!
You may have seen the personal mug cake mix sold at your local grocery store. Big brands are jumping on board because they have become so popular (for good reason)!
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Don’t overpay for the pre-packaged stuff that’s high in sugar and additives when you can make it at home with practically no effort!
❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe!
Super quick! This cake takes only 7 minutes to prep and bake!
Perfectly portioned! You don’t have to worry about portion control or sharing!
It's Adaptable! There are options for ingredient substitutions so you can customize without sacrificing flavor!
🥘 Ingredients
Just a few ingredients that are super easy to find, you likely have most of them in your pantry. If you need to make substitutions due to dietary restrictions, this recipe is pretty flexible.
- 6 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour - Spelt flour, oat flour, or coconut flour will work just as well.
- 3 tablespoons Chocolate Protein Powder - There are thousands of brands out there, use your favorite if you have one. Brands like IsoPure, Optimum, GNC, Orgain, Phormula-1, and Impact (plus plenty more) offer a great chocolate product.
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder - A common leavening agent used in baking. The cake will be much denser without it but don’t worry, such a small amount has very few carbs and can still be used in carb-conscious baking.
- ¼ teaspoon Salt - Table salt will work just fine.
- 2 teaspoons Sugar - Granulated sugar can be substituted with Swerve sweetener if watching your sugar.
- 2 tablespoons Coconut Oil - Normally found next to the olive oil at the grocery store. It can be substituted with applesauce if coconut oil is not an option.
- 6 tablespoons Milk or Water - Almond milk, oat milk, or coconut milk will all work perfectly well in this recipe. Milk is much creamier than water and will give your mug cake a richer flavor, but if watching calories or carbs (or if you’re out of milk) you can use water and it will bake just fine.
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract - Vanilla and chocolate may be opposites, but in small amounts it helps the other flavors stand out! If you don’t have vanilla extract, this mug cake will still taste alright but the vanilla really helps tie it all together.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions
The only tools you will be needing here are a mug, a spoon, and a microwave. If it’s easier to mix the batter in a mixing bowl and pour it into the mug before microwaving, you can do that as well.
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- Mix dry ingredients. In your mug, mix the 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons chocolate protein powder, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 2 teaspoons sugar until well-integrated.
- Add liquid ingredients. Next, add 2 tablespoons coconut oil, 6 tablespoons milk or water, and ½ a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the dry ingredients and stir until fully combined. Transfer the mixture to the mug now if using a mixing bowl.
- Cook the cake. Microwave the batter on high for 90 seconds to 2 minutes, depending on your microwave. When the cake is ready it will be fluffy and spring back when touched.
- Cool slightly. Allow the cake to sit in the microwave for 1 additional minute so that it can cool and set before eating.
This mug cake goes great with ice cream, whipped cream, or try my super simple vanilla nice cream for a healthy alternative. Grab your mug cake and a spoon, then kick back and enjoy!
💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
- Check doneness using a toothpick! Stick a toothpick in the center of your cake. If wet batter is still on the toothpick, microwave it for 10 second intervals until the toothpick comes out clean.
- Elevate the flavor of your mug cake! Add a little texture by mixing in some shredded coconut or slivered almonds. You can also make your own molten center by adding a dollop of peanut butter (or your favorite nut butter) or chocolate chips right in the middle of the batter, it will sink on its own while it bakes. *Don’t forget the molten center will be hot!
- If you don’t have a microwave, this mug cake can be baked in the oven. Use an oven proof ramekin in place of the mug and bake at 350℉ (175℃) for 12-15 minutes. Oven baked cakes may be more dense but are still delicious.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Any time you are storing a mug cake, make sure to wrap it tightly with plastic wrap to keep the air from drying it out. The cake will keep just fine at room temperature for 3-4 days, after that it begins to become dry.
Refrigerating a mug cake may give you an extra day or so but isn’t necessary unless you want to eat it chilled.
I do not recommend reheating a mug cake because they tend to become rubbery and over-baked. Don’t worry, they taste great cold! However, if you added a molten center as mentioned in the tips above you can microwave it for 10-20 seconds just to get the inside to melt.
Freezing Your Chocolate Protein Mug Cake
If you would like to freeze your mug cake for later, cover it tightly in plastic wrap or foil. Eat it within 3-4 months for maximum flavor.
Thaw the cake in the refrigerator overnight, it will take a few hours. If you are in a hurry, you can thaw the mug cake on the counter but be sure to eat it within a couple of hours for maximum freshness.
❓ FAQ
Why did my mug cake turn rubbery and dry?
Sometimes microwaving things can be tricky because every microwave is different. Try taking 30 seconds to 1 minute off the total cooking time. From there, microwave 15-20 seconds at a time using a toothpick to check doneness at each interval.
You can also keep the cake moist by adding a tablespoon of water on top of the batter before microwaving. It will evaporate while baking and simultaneously keep the cake from drying out!
Can I use other flavors of protein powder?
You can. You can use any flavor of protein powder you would like in place of the chocolate. However, make sure it’s a flavor you have tried and enjoy because different brands of protein powder can have different tastes.
Chocolate is hard to mess up, but some of the more unique flavors of protein powder (like birthday cake, or fruity cereal, etc.) can be an acquired taste and might not be as yummy.
Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
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📋 Recipe
Chocolate Protein Powder Mug Cake
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoon all-purpose flour (or spelt flour, oat flour, or coconut flour)
- 3 tablespoon chocolate protein powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon sugar (or swerve)
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil (or applesauce)
- 6 tablespoon milk or water (preferred milk - almond milk and oat milk taste great)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients in your mug or a small mixing bowl (all-purpose flour, chocolate protein powder, baking powder, salt, and sugar). Mix to evenly distribute the dry ingredients.6 tablespoon all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoon chocolate protein powder, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoon sugar
- Add the liquid ingredients (milk or water, coconut oil, and vanilla extract) and stir until just combined. Transfer into a mug if needed.2 tablespoon coconut oil, 6 tablespoon milk or water, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Microwave on high power for 1 ½-2 minutes, adding short 15-30 second intervals of cooking time if needed. The mug cake should be nice and fluffy and spring back to the touch.
- Allow the mug cake to set in the microwave for 1 minute after cooking, then remove and serve while warm. Allow your microwave mug cake to cool completely if you'd like to remove the cake from the mug and serve. Top with whipped cream, chocolate sauce drizzle, or with ice cream if desired.
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
Nathalie says
Hello from France
Thank you for this recipe. It's just perfect and delicious.