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My brownie in a mug is rich, fudgy, and loaded with rich chocolate flavor! It bakes in under a minute and will satisfy your sweet tooth. It’s the best post-dinner sweet treat with minimal effort.
Table of Contents
My easy mug brownie is one of my all-time favorite desserts. It’s essentially a condensed version of my almond flour brownies and flourless brownies.
The brownie mug cake comes together effortlessly. After a minute or less in the microwave, you’re left with a warm, rich, gooey brownie that gives classic brownies a run for their money. It’s a savior when the sweet tooth strikes and you need something quick and easy. I actually make this almost every week for a post-dinner sweet treat, and let’s not forget a cheeky scoop of ice cream on top!
Recipe highlights
- Single-serving. One of the unspoken rules about mug cakes is that there’s no sharing. It’s all for you!
- Simple ingredients. I purposely kept this mug brownie egg-free, so you literally can make it on a whim.
- Microwave or oven method. When I’m making mug brownies for a crowd, I find using the oven to be so much easier, so I included oven instructions as well.
Key Ingredients
- Almond flour. I recommend using blanched almond flour, as it will yield a lighter and fluffier cake.
- Sugar. I used white sugar, but brown sugar, coconut sugar, or a sugar-free alternative can also work.
- Cocoa powder. Dutch-processed or dark cocoa powder works best. Avoid using raw cacao powder, which is more bitter.
- Baking powder. Gives the mug cake rise and some fluffiness.
- Almond butter. Adds richness and a subtle nutty flavor that complements the chocolate perfectly. Not a fan of almond butter? Use any nut butter or seed butter you prefer, like peanut butter, cashew butter, tahini, or sunflower seed butter.
- Milk. I used unsweetened almond milk, but any milk works.
- Chocolate chips. Optional, but wise. Especially if you’re like me and a big fan of double chocolate, well, anything.
How to make a brownie in a mug
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Step 1- In a small mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients.
Step 2- Add the wet ingredients. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Step 3- Microwave the brownie in 30-second intervals until the desired texture is achieved. Remove the mug from the microwave and let sit for 1 minute before enjoying.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Adjust the cooking time. Microwave models differ, so your brownie may take longer to cook. If the brownie isn’t fully cooked after 1 minute, continue microwaving in 10-second intervals, checking between each.
- Add extra milk. If the batter appears too thick as you mix it, add an extra tablespoon of milk to thin it out.
- Add mix-ins. I’m boring and prefer plain mug brownies, but if you want to add fun mix-ins, I’d recommend chopped walnuts, peanut butter chips, or raspberry jam. Just make sure to keep the fillings under two tablespoons.
Make-ahead tips
Mug cakes should be enjoyed immediately. However, you can store the dried ingredients in a sealed container for up to 6 months. Add the wet ingredients and chocolate chips when you’re ready to assemble. Then you’re good to go!
Brownie In A Mug
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons almond flour
- 1 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon almond butter * See notes
- 3 tablespoons milk I used unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tablespoon chocolate chips Optional
Instructions
- Lightly grease a small microwave safe cereal bowl or ramkin with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a 4-ounce mug or bowl, combine the almond flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Add the almond butter, milk, and chocolate chips and mix until a smooth batter remains. If needed, add extra milk.
- Microwave in 30-second intervals until desired texture is achieved. Remove from the microwave and let sit for one minute, before enjoying.
Notes
- Oven instructions: Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease a 6-inch oven-safe ramekin. Prepare your brownie batter before transferring to the greased ramekin. Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until the desired texture is achieved. Remove from oven and let cool for one minute before enjoying.
- Add toppings. A little garnish never hurt anyone! Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, fresh berries, or caramel sauce.
- Enhance the flavor. Add a ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract or a dash of sea salt.
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
Mug cakes may be chewy if they’re overcooked. Since mug cakes only need 1-2 minutes to cook, it’s easy to overcook them mistakenly. The best way to prevent this is to microwave in intervals and check between each to see if the brownie is cooked. Also, there aren’t any eggs in this, so it’s okay to enjoy if it’s undercooked.
I tested this recipe using a 4-ounce mug (1 cup), a 6-ounce mug (1 1/2 cups), and an 8-ounce mug (2 cups) and found the 4-ounce mug to be the best. Thanks to its smaller cooking area, it not only cooked the quickest but also yielded a more moist and rich brownie.
Woah. I just made this and it was so rich and decadent, without being too sweet. This is definitely the best microwave dessert I have made yet! I’m so excited to try the mint chocolate version. I’m also thinking of making your death by chocolate cake for my dad’s 50th!
I love that! 😀
OMG!!! Just made this and it was sooooo good. My doctor recenty put me on a low carb, portion-controlled eating plan and this was the perfect sweet treat to have with my coffee. THANK YOU!
Tried this brownie , and my delicious early morning breakfast with a cup of coffee was ready in a minute. This recipe is foolproof. Thank you 🙂
Bomb! I added a tiny pinch of salt and they were perfection.
Ahhh thank you for the feedback! 😀
It worked and is definitely healthier than the store bought mug cake mix. Maybe next time I’ll add some powdered sugar on top or maybe another tablespoon of sugar. I made two tonight (one for me, one for the spouse).
Huge fan of your website & writing style! Keep it up!
Aw thank you, Sarah!
This was my favorite chocolate mug cake ever, and I’ve been searching for a while! I definitely made it more unhealthy, just because that’s what I have in my pantry: real sugar, regular flour, whole milk. And peanut butter was my nut butter.
I microwaved it for 30 seconds and it was PERFECT. Like a lava cake. Wish I had made a second batch.
I just made this 1 minute brownie. It was WONDERFUL!! Thank you!! Its a keeper and is going in my recipe box.
Love these mug cakes. Keep-um comin
Made this last night and it was tasty! Used 30g of denatured whey protein isolate and 2 tbsps of collagen. For the flour I used one tbsp of pamelas gluten free pancake and baking mix and for milk I used almond milk. I also use a whole egg.
My macros were just what I needed to end the day. Net carbs about 10gr, fat 10gr and like 45gr of protein! I reduced the sweetener to 1.5 teaspoons, but next time I’ll do the full tbsp. Also, I baked it instead of microwaving it and it actually took 25 minutes instead of 15min at 350F in a small deep Pyrex dish. Thanks for the recipe!
So welcome!
How about using a protein shake and eliminating the milk?
Hi! I haven’t tried that but keen to hear how it turns out!!
Can you use almond flour instead of coconut flour? I have that at home at the moment and don’t feel like waiting until coconut flour would arrive to try this delicious recipe!
I haven’t tried- It could work, but you’d need to double the amount 🙂
I love every recipe that you make. This one is so good- I’m currently eating it for breakfast even though it’s a “brownie” ?
😀 Aw cheers Sarah!
This was delicious! I put some leftover chocolate peppermint frosting I had on it and it tasted sooo good! I wish it baked all the way through (I did the vegan version and it turned out kind of moist on the inside) but with the frosting I couldn’t even tell. Thank you!
Really bad not a good Recipe
Hello, I’d like to know if you use always the same cup in your recipes and i’m also wondering how much ml is your cup measuring? Because in every country it’s different. Thank you very much for response :))
Hi Nicole! I use American measurements so it’s best to use an online converter if you need to make changes based on that 🙂