Protein Mug Cake
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Published Aug 13, 2021, Updated Jun 12, 2023
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Finally! A protein mug cake that actually tastes good… gone are the days of rubbery protein mug cakes. This one tastes amazing – perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth while hitting your protein goals.
Ever since sharing my coconut flour mug cake earlier this year, I knew I wanted to share a protein version as well. I love sneaking protein into pretty much any meal or snack and that includes dessert!
If you feel like you have a bottomless sweet tooth, you might need to balance out your treats a little more. That’s where this mug cake comes in! It’s packed with protein and fiber to help stabilize your blood sugar and leave you feeling satisfied. But it also tastes amazing!!
Ingredients Needed
- oat flour – you can make your own by grinding oats or buy a bag of store-bought oat flour.
- cocoa powder – adds a delicious chocolate flavor.
- chocolate protein powder – any type of protein powder will work for this recipe! I used chocolate for extra chocolate flavor! I personally love Nuzest protein powder. It’s plant-based and delicious. (Use code eatingbirdfood for 15% off your order.)
- baking powder – helps the cake rise!
- sea salt – to bring all of the flavors together.
- unsweetened almond milk – any dairy-free milk works but I like using almond milk.
- mashed ripe banana – applesauce also works! This replaces the oil/fat but still keeps the cake moist and delicious.
- egg – to bind the ingredients together.
- maple syrup – a natural sweetener.
- peanut butter – you can swap for any nut or seed butter! Fair warning if you use sunflower seed butter… the cake might look green (it’s a weird reaction with baking powder) but is totally fine to eat!
- vanilla extract – a flavor enhancer.
- chocolate chips – I recommend Lily’s chocolate chips because they are sweetened with stevia and low in sugar.
Making a Mug Cake
Ready for this? To make a mug cake, you simply mix everything and cook it in a mug! Yes, an actual mug. Instead of baking this, you just microwave it! Start by microwaving for just two minutes. Check the center with a toothpick and if it’s still doughy, cook for another 30 seconds to a minute. Let sit for a few minutes before digging in!
How to Serve This Protein Mug Cake
It doesn’t get much simpler than serving mug cake… this sweet treat is ready to eat! I like to drizzle a little extra peanut butter on top and then dig in!
How to Store Leftovers
If you don’t eat your mug cake in one setting (first of all, who are you?!), you can cover it and place in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can eat it cold or pop it in the toaster oven or microwave to reheat!
More Simple Treats to Try
Protein Mug Cake
Ingredients
- ¼ cup oat flour
- ½ Tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 scoop (25 grams) chocolate protein powder (I used Nuzest)
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- pinch sea salt
- ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 Tablespoons mashed ripe banana (about ½ banana), or applesauce
- 1 egg
- ½ Tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ Tablespoon peanut butter
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon chocolate chips, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Combine oat flour, protein powder, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a mug.
- Mix in mashed banana, almond milk, egg, maple syrup, peanut butter and vanilla extract until fully combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Top with extra chocolate chips and microwave for 2-2 ½ minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool, top with an extra drizzle of peanut butter and dive in.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can you use flax instead of the egg for binding?
Yes, you can totally use a flaxseed egg instead of the regular egg! Let me know if you try it!
I threw this together on a whim while my daughter and I had a movie night. She is super picky but if it has chocolate chips, there’s a chance! 😉 I’m not pleased with the texture. I did it another 30 seconds and it still is not true cakey and more mushy mush. But, my daughter is eating it which means I have to say it’s a win. It’s a pretty rich and heavy dessert so I could never eat this whole mug. But I guess it’s a good dessert for 2!
Sorry to hear that you didn’t love this mug cake, April. But I’m glad it was a hit with your daughter! I definitely note that this recipe makes enough for two. 🙂 Thanks for giving it a try.
would you use regular flour instead of oat flour?
I haven’t tried it, but I bet it would work. You’ll have to let me know if you try it and how this cake turns out!
My young kids and I all enjoyed sharing this chocolate protein mug cake at breakfast today! 😉 They couldn’t believe how yummy and healthy it was. With such good-for-you ingredients, we could feel good about enjoying cake for breakfast. 🙂 Fun recipe and much better than other mug cakes. Thanks for developing this recipe and sharing!
This was delicious! I baked in two 8-oz ramekins at 350 for 15 minutes because I do not have a microwave- worked perfectly. Topped them off with more peanut butter and homemade banana soft serve. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Woo! So pumped this protein mug cake was a hit, Allison. Thanks for trying it out and coming back to leave a review. It means so much to me!
Baking soda or powder? Directions say one and ingredients another – thanks
Hey Lauren- I’m only seeing baking powder noted in the recipe and instructions 🙂
Do I need the protein Powder?
This was so SO good!! Cooked perfectly at 2 min 15 seconds and was very cake-like texture. I used the applesauce sub as well.
Ahh! I am so glad you’re loving this mug cake, Steph. Thanks so much for your review & star rating, I truly appreciate it!
Question: when you say “1 scoop (25g) protein powder” do you mean your brand of protein powder contains 25g of protein, or that it is 25g by weight on a kitchen scale?
Hi G – Great question, the brand of protein I use has 25g of protein. So the scoop/scoops you use should equal out to 25g of protein. Hope that help!