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This healthy chocolate protein powder mug cake is easy to make and ready in minutes! With rich, decadent flavors and fudgy texture, your chocolate cravings will be instantly satisfied. The best part? This easy protein mug cake has 19 grams of protein in every serving, and it can be easily made vegan and gluten-free, too!
On the days that you just don't feel like drinking a protein shake, try this high protein chocolate mug cake instead! Doesn't a protein shake cake sound so delicious?! It makes for the best post-workout snack or healthy dessert, with enough protein to boost your energy levels and keep you feeling satiated.
This convenient single serve dessert recipe uses healthy ingredients and is pre-portioned making it a good option for weight loss, too! The best part? It is ready in just 6 minutes with fast, easy clean up. It really is the best microwave protein powder cake ever!
When tasting this healthy chocolate mug cake, you'd never guess that all it took was a few simple steps. All you have to do is add the ingredients, mix, and microwave. It is so easy and versatile, with endless flavor combinations that you can try each time. Check out the variations section for some of my favorite suggestions!
👩🏽🍳 Why This Recipe Works
- Vegan & gluten-free options
- Rich chocolate flavor
- Simple ingredients
- Easy healthy snack
- Will satisfy your sweet craving
- Single serving microwave protein cake in a mug
- Fluffy cake texture
- High protein (19 grams of protein per serving!)
- Customizable for food allergies
- Healthy chocolate protein dessert option
- Best protein mug cake recipe!
Latest Recipe Video!
🥘 Ingredients
This chocolate protein mug cake is a great way to quickly satisfy your sweet tooth. It calls for basic ingredients that you likely have on hand or can easily find at the grocery store. Check out the recipe card for the full recipe and exact measurements. Here is everything you need to make this healthy cake in a mug.
- Flour: All purpose regular flour will make for a traditional texture to your mug cake and give the best results. You can also use whole wheat flour for more fiber. For a gluten-free mug cake, use oat flour, almond flour, or coconut flour. If you are using almond meal, be sure to blend into a fine powder first.
- Chocolate Protein Powder: Use your favorite chocolate protein powder for this high protein mug cake. It can be a whey protein powder or plant-based protein powder (like pea protein, or brown rice protein) based on your dietary preferences. If you only have vanilla protein powder on hand, just use 1 tbsp cocoa powder instead of 1 tsp to get more of that rich chocolate flavor.
- Brown Sugar: The brown sugar creates sweetness and moisture within this mug protein cake. You can substitute the brown sugar for white sugar, coconut sugar, or your choice of natural sweetener such as raw honey or pure maple syrup.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: You can use cocoa powder or cacao powder for this protein chocolate cake recipe!
- Baking Powder: The baking powder will help give this healthy dessert its fluffy texture.
- Almond Milk: Use an unsweetened almond milk to avoid an overly sugary chocolate protein cake, but you can use any type of milk for this recipe. Some other non-dairy milk options include oat milk, coconut milk, or soy milk. You can even use dairy milk if you like.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Use a light tasting olive oil in this mug protein cake recipe. Coconut oil would also be a good choice. You can also use melted butter, melted vegan butter or melted ghee.
- Chocolate Chips: For a double chocolate protein mug cake use chocolate chips! Feel free to use dark chocolate to give this sweet treat a rich flavor. For a vegan mug cake, use vegan chocolate chips.
- Optional Add-Ins: To enhance the flavor of this healthy protein mug cake, add a pinch of salt and a little bit of vanilla extract.
🔪 Instructions
This healthy chocolate protein mug cake recipe is easy to follow and quick to make. It will soon become one of your favorite chocolate-y treats! Here is how to make a mug cake with protein powder:
Add Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, protein powder, sugar, cocoa powder and baking powder to a microwave-safe mug or small bowl. Mix well.
Add Wet Ingredients: Add the remaining ingredients and stir until smooth.
Cook The Cake: Cook the cake batter in the microwave and cook for 60 seconds. Check if this microwave protein mug cake is cooked by inserting a skewer and if it comes out clean it's cooked if not continue to cook in 10 second bursts until cooked through.
Serve: Serve this delicious dessert warm topped with whipped cream, whipped coconut cream, ice cream or enjoy your healthy chocolate cake in a mug on its own!
💭 Expert Tips
- Mix well to avoid clumps. Mix the dry ingredients well to break up any clumps before adding the wet ingredients.
- Make sure to use a high quality protein powder. This will impact both the flavor and texture of this healthy mug cake recipe.
- Let your cake cool for a few minutes before eating it. This will allow the cake to set and prevent it from being too gooey.
- Make sure your mug is large enough, and that it's microwave save. Use a mug with the capacity to hold at least 1 cup of liquid.
- Do not over cook otherwise the chocolate protein powder mug cake will have a rubbery texture. Microwave your cake in short bursts, checking for doneness after each burst. This will prevent your cake from overcooking.
- If you want a fudgy center, try slightly under-cooking this chocolate protein microwave cake.
📖 Variations
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Mug Cake: Add peanut butter of your choice to this mug cake recipe. You can use creamy, crunchy, or even peanut butter powders. Not only will this add extra flavor, but also extra protein! You can also use almond butter if you prefer.
- Vegan Protein Mug Cake: To make this vegan friendly use vegan chocolate chips and vegan protein powder. The recipe is already egg free so you do not have to worry about mixing up a flax egg or having a ripe banana on hand.
- Make It Sugar Free, With No Refined Sugar, Or Low Sugar: For a low sugar version, feel free to cut the amount of sugar in half in this protein powder microwave cake. You can also omit it altogether for a sugar free version. If you use no sugar, this cake will be more savory than sweet, but it should still taste pretty good depending on what brand of protein powder you use. You can also use a sugar substitute like monk fruit or stevia. For a refined sugar free version, use maple syrup or honey.
- Gluten Free Protein Powder Mug Cake: Use oat flour, almond flour, or coconut flour. You can also try a gluten free all purpose flour blend.
- Protein Brownie In A Mug: To make this closer to a protein brownie mug cake, skip the baking powder! Leaving out the leavening agent will reduce the fluffiness and make it more dense and fudgy.
❓Recipe FAQs
Why is my chocolate protein mug cake rubbery?
If you microwave your protein powder mug cake for too long it will become rubbery. Be sure to start out with the shortest time duration and then check your cake. If it needs more time, microwave it in 10 second intervals to avoid overcooking.
How much protein is in a mug cake?
The grams of protein in a mug cake depends on what type of protein powder is used. Check the label on your favorite brand of protein powder to calculate how much protein would be in two tablespoons.
Based on the protein powder I used, this high protein mug cake has 19 grams of protein in each cake! If you are looking to even more protein, top your chocolate cake with a tbsp of nut butter (which will get you 6-8 grams more of protein!)
Are mug cakes unhealthy?
Some mug cake recipes are unhealthy but this chocolate protein mug cake is a healthier option because it's high in protein and low in sugar! In addition to the protein, you get healthy fats from the olive oil and anti-inflammatory antioxidants from the cocoa powder. Almond milk also has great health benefits and is a good source of vitamins and minerals.
Are mug cakes supposed to be gooey?
Mug cakes can vary in texture based on which recipe you follow and how long you microwave the cake. They can be gooey, but they don't have to be! You can control how gooey your cake is by changing how long you microwave it for. For a protein lava cake, microwave for less time. This will leave the center more gooey, just like a regular lava cake!
How do you store protein mug cake?
This chocolate mug cake with protein powder is best served immediately, however it can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. Let cool to room temperature and cover tightly with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container in the fridge. Warm slightly in the microwave before serving.
