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Home Recipe Index Snacks

Chocolate Protein Mug Cake

★★★★★ 5 /5
Jump to Recipe Rate Recipe
Rachel Tiemeyer
By: Rachel TiemeyerPosted: 2/6/23Updated: 2/8/23

This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This decadent-tasting chocolate and peanut butter protein mug cake satisfies your hunger and sweet tooth without the guilt. It only takes a few ingredients and just 2-3 minutes in the microwave.

spoonful of chocolate mug cake
Contents hide
Why My Junk-Food Loving Teen Developed This Recipe
Ingredients Needed
The Best Type of Mug to Use
Step-by-Step Tutorial
How Much Protein Is in This Mug Cake?
More Healthy Snack Ideas
Protein Mug Cake
Did you make this?

Why My Junk-Food Loving Teen Developed This Recipe

My 16-year-old son developed this recipe after weeks and weeks of testing. His story might give other parents hope when it comes to a junk-loving teen.

He runs anywhere from 30-40 miles per week with his cross country team and also lifts weights or does calisthenics 5x/week on his own. This kid has always been disciplined when it comes to exercise, but diet? Not so much. He’s a typical American teen boy after all.

About 8 months ago, he began researching how diet would affect his training and–lo and behold–learned that what his mom had been telling him for years: what we put into our bodies affects how we feel and perform. 😉 During that time, he made a commitment to cut out most junk food from his diet, giving himself one cheat day per week.

In an attempt to replace dessert with something that would be better for his body, he started experimenting with different mug cake recipes. Within a few weeks, he had perfected his own version–making sure it tasted good but was low in sugar and had extra protein for his training needs.

teen boy eating mug cake

He now makes this mug cake 3-4x/week and says it satisfies his cravings for something chocolatey and sweet. His favorite way to eat it is with lots of melty peanut butter over the top.

The best part: my son said he can feel the difference in his training since giving up most added sugars and dairy. As an aside, his skin has cleared up significantly as well.

protein chocolate mug cake with peanut butter drizzle

Ingredients Needed

Now, here are the ingredients you’ll need on hand to make this super quick “dessert”.

  • Cooking spray
  • Egg
  • Milk – Any kind will work, so it’s easy to make this a dairy-free mug cake.
  • Chocolate protein powder* – I use Orgain brand, which has no added sugars but has 5g Erythritol.
  • All purpose or white whole-wheat flour
  • Cocoa powder or cacao powder
  • Baking powder
  • Sugar – Only 1 tablespoon but it’s optional. Not all protein powders have sweeteners in them, so you might have to add sugar depending on your protein powder.
  • Peanut butter – I find that this is an essential ingredient to drizzle over the top. Not only does it add more protein, but it pairs perfectly with the chocolate. Almond butter or sunbutter will work, too.
  • Mini chocolate chips – This is optional, but it’s fun to sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top.
ingredients for a mug cake
mug cake batter

The Best Type of Mug to Use

It’s important to choose a larger mug, 16 ounces is a good size, since the cake does expand significantly while it is in the microwave.

It’s also important to source where you get your mugs from, since some contain heavy metals like lead and cadmium.

We like these lead-free, cadmium-free, microwave-safe ceramic mugs. 

16 Ounce Safe Mugs

Step-by-Step Tutorial

This recipe is fast and simple enough for kids to make. Here’s how it goes down.

Grease Mug & Add Wet Ingredients

Spray a larger mug with cooking spray. Add the egg and milk, and whisk together until combined.

milk and egg whisked together in mug

Add Dry Ingredients

Add the protein powder, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and sugar (optional).

ingredients for a mug cake in the mug

Stir thoroughly until the ingredients are completely combined. 

mug cake batter

Microwave

Microwave uncovered for about 2 ½ minutes or until the cake is cooked through (different for each microwave). It’s done if the cake springs back when you press gently in the middle.

protein mug cake with no peanut butter

Serve

Now, this step is really important! Top the warm mug cake with some peanut butter (my son uses a LOT–like 3 tablespoons!) and mini chocolate chips, if desired. Cover the cake with a napkin to help the topping melt. Allow 3-5 minutes to cool before eating.

spoonful of chocolate mug cake

How Much Protein Is in This Mug Cake?

This answer depends on the exact ingredients you choose to use in the recipe. However, if you use these exact ingredients below…

  • 1 large egg = 6 grams
  • 1/3 cup 2% milk = 2.5 grams
  • 1 scoop Orgain protein powder = 10.5 grams
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder = 1 gram
  • 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour = 2 grams
  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter = 8 grams

…you’ll yield a whopping 30 grams of protein per mug cake!

protein mug cake with peanut butter drizzle

More Healthy Snack Ideas

Looking for more satisfying but healthier snacks? Try a few of these…

Breakfast cookies stacked up

Banana Breakfast Cookies

powerball cookies

Powerball Cookies

The Banana Boat: The perfect after school snack!

Banana Boat {The Healthier Version}

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Banana Bites

Make Ahead Banana Breakfast Cake

6 mason jars with various overnight oats in them

7 Overnight Oats Recipes

Fruit Pizza Roll-Ups

If you try this recipe, let my son know in the comments. He’s really excited that we decided to share his creation. 🙂

Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

close up shot chocolate protein mug cake with peanut butter drizzle
★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

Protein Mug Cake

This chocolate and peanut butter protein mug cake will satisfy your sweet tooth and hunger without the guilt.

Yield: 1 serving 1x
Prep: 2 minutesCook: 2 minutesTotal: 10 minutes
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Scale:

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/3 cup milk (your choice)
  • 1 scoop (23g or 8 teaspoons) chocolate protein powder*
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose or white whole-wheat flour
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder or cacao powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon sugar (optional; coconut sugar is a bit less processed)
  • 2–3 tablespoons peanut butter (sub: almond butter or sunbutter)
  • Optional: mini chocolate chips

*Note: Not all protein powders have sweeteners in them, so you might have to add sugar accordingly. I use Orgain brand, which has no added sugars but has 5g Erythritol.

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions

  1. Grease a 16-ounce mug with cooking spray. It’s important to choose a larger mug since the cake does expand significantly while it is in the microwave. 
  2. Add the milk and egg to the mug and whisk with a fork until combined. 
  3. Add the protein powder, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and sugar (optional) and stir thoroughly until the ingredients are completely combined. 
  4. Microwave for about 2 ½ minutes or until the cake is cooked through (different for each microwave). It’s done if the cake springs back when you press gently in the middle.
  5. Top the warm mug cake with some peanut butter and mini chocolate chips, if desired. Cover the cake with a napkin to help the topping melt. Allow 3-5 minutes to cool before eating.

Notes/Tips

  • Mug Recommendation: It’s important to choose a larger mug since the cake does expand significantly while it is in the microwave. We like these 16-ounce lead-free, microwave-safe ceramic mugs.
  • Gluten-Free Version: Use 1:1 gluten-free baking flour like Bob’s Red Mill brand.
  • Dairy-Free Version: Use plain almond milk, oat milk, or soy milk.
© Author: Jack Tiemeyer
Cuisine: American Method: Microwave

Did you make this?

Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

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Rachel Tiemeyer

Rachel Tiemeyer

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Rachel dreams about creating recipes (literally) and uses her husband, her 3 kids, and even the neighbors as guinea pigs several nights a week. She believes that good food has the power to bring families and friends closer together and continues to wake up excited about her job each day, even after 10+ years!

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  1. AvatarBeth says

    Posted on 3/1/23 at 11:08 am

    I cannot WAIT to try this mug recipe! If it is AWESOME and I bet it will be, I will measure one serving of the dry ingredients, quadruple it, and make up a jar of the dry ingredients to have on hand. Kudos to your son’s creativity and health consciousness.

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 3/2/23 at 9:09 am

      Let us know what you think when you do make it. Love the idea of keeping the dry ingredients ready to go!

      Reply
  2. BestyBesty says

    Posted on 2/27/23 at 3:33 pm

    The perfect after-school snack for my young athlete kiddo!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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