Skip to Content

Protein Mug Cake

Satisfy your sweet tooth with a chocolate protein mug cake! The tasty dessert combines protein powder, healthy ingredients, and natural sweeteners for a convenient, single-serve mug cake. Want more like this? Try high-protein chocolate mousse or whip up some Kodiak Cakes pumpkin muffins.

A scoop of protein mug cake over the mug.

Key Ingredients

The chocolate mug cake is moist, gooey, and packed with 27 grams per serving, depending on your protein powder. Here’s what you need to get started.

  • Coconut Oil: Prepare the mug or ramekin with melted coconut oil to prevent the cake from sticking.
  • Egg: Eggs provide structure and bind the ingredients together.
  • Milk: Include milk or water in the batter since almond flour absorbs differently than all-purpose flour and other flour. Experiment with regular milk, almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, or coconut milk to find what you like.
  • Almond Flour: Use blanched almond flour, made from almonds with the skins removed, for the best results. I prefer blanched almond flour for baking because it produces a lighter batter, making the mug cake less dense.
  • Protein Powder: Flavor the mug cake with your favorite chocolate protein powder. The best type of protein powder depends on your budget, diet, and personal preferences, but here are a few suggestions. I use chocolate Truvani protein powder, whereas my husband makes his with chocolate Optimum Nutrition protein powder.
  • Cocoa Powder: Add color and decadent flavor with Dutch-process cocoa powder.
  • Monk Fruit: Sweeten the high-protein snack with a sugar-free option like monk fruit or replace it with bananas, honey, agave syrup, maple syrup, or light brown sugar.
  • Baking Powder: Baking powder lifts the batter, giving the cake a fluffy texture.
  • Chocolate Chips: Mix dark chocolate chips into the batter and use them as a topping.

Additions and Substitutions

Customize your chocolate mug cake with protein powder and other mix-ins. The flavor of the protein powder you use changes the taste of the cake, so feel free to experiment and find a flavor and brand you love.

How to Make Protein Mug Cake

The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Warm the coconut oil in a mug or ramekin until melted (but not boiling) for 20-30 seconds, depending on the strength of your microwave.

Coconut oil melted in a mug.

Step 2: Add the egg and almond milk and stir to combine.

Wet ingredients combined in a mug.

Step 3: Then, mix in the remaining ingredients until smooth and free of clumps.

Dry ingredients added to wet ingredients in a mug.

Step 4: Top the cake with a few more chocolate chips and microwave for 60-80 seconds.

Batter combined in a mug and topped with chocolate chips.

Expert Tips

  • Give the cake extra room. Use a large microwave-safe mug or divide the batter into two ramekins since the batter will expand in the microwave.
  • Microwave in increments. I recommend cooking the cake a little at a time to understand how your microwave cooks. I usually microwave 60-80-second seconds at a time until the cake is cooked.
  • Test the cake. Insert a toothpick or a fork into the mug cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready.

If you enjoy chocolatey protein mug cake, try more dessert recipes!  

A close up view of our protein mug cake.

Serving Suggestions

The protein mug cake comes together in minutes, a perfect on-the-go treat for a busy lifestyle. And you can eat it any time of the day, as a quick dessertbreakfast, or post-workout snack.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this recipe in the air fryer?

Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (176°C) and cook it for 10-15 minutes. I suggest dividing the protein mug cake batter into two ramekins if you make the cake the air fryer.

More Mug Cake Recipes:

Did you try this recipe?
Consider leaving a ⭐️ rating and comment below. And for more healthy international recipes for everyday cooking, sign up to have recipes emailed right to you.

A scoop of protein mug cake over the mug.

Protein Mug Cake

Tressa Jamil
Indulge in a healthy sweet treat with our chocolate protein mug cake. The single-serving cake is the perfect on-the-go snack.
5 from 7 votes
Prep Time 3 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 1 Mug Cake
Calories 488 kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
  
Instructions
 
  • Warm the coconut oil in a mug or ramekin until melted (but not boiling) for 20-30 seconds, depending on the strength of your microwave.
  • Then, mix in the remaining ingredients until smooth and free of clumps.
  • Top the cake with a few more chocolate chips and microwave for 60-80 seconds.
Notes
Expert Tips:
  • Give the cake extra room. Use a large microwave-safe mug or divide the batter into two ramekins since the batter will expand in the microwave.
  • Microwave in increments. I recommend cooking the cake a little at a time to understand how your microwave cooks. I usually microwave 60-80-second seconds at a time until the cake is cooked.
  • Test the cake. Insert a toothpick or a fork into the mug cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 Serving | Calories: 488 kcal | Carbohydrates: 43 g | Protein: 27 g | Fat: 34 g | Saturated Fat: 16 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g | Cholesterol: 197 mg | Sodium: 448 mg | Potassium: 290 mg | Fiber: 9 g | Sugar: 2 g | Vitamin A: 238 IU | Calcium: 431 mg | Iron: 3 mg
Did you make this recipe? Let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and follow @thejamilghar or tag #thejamilghar on Instagram!
4.86 from 7 votes (4 ratings without comment)
Recipe Rating




Alex

Friday 26th of May 2023

Highly recommended! Great for your gym goals.

Tressa Jamil

Saturday 27th of May 2023

That's what we use it for too. Wishing you will on your health journey!

Emily Thompson

Friday 26th of May 2023

This protein mug cake is a guilt-free treat. The protein powder and natural sweeteners make it a healthier alternative, and the single-serving size is perfect.

Tressa Jamil

Saturday 27th of May 2023

I am happy this recipe worked out for you, enjoy!

Rick

Monday 13th of February 2023

This was an easy and delicious way to prepare a pre-workout breakfast. Thank you.

Tressa Jamil

Monday 13th of February 2023

Never tried it as a pre-workout breakfast; may have you try it.