When a chocolate craving hits, this Almond Flour Protein Mug Cake is the fastest way to curb it. Made in 75 seconds with almond flour and protein powder, it bakes up soft, rich in chocolate flavor, and deliciously moist. A warm, high-protein dessert ready in minutes.
"I loved this mug cake. I eat a high protein diet so this was perfect for my dessert!" -Addison
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- ⏲️Ready In: 2 Minutes
- 👪Serves: 1
- 🍽 Calories and Protein: 244 kcals and 13 grams of protein
- 📋Main Ingredients: Chocolate vegan protein powder, almond flour, maple syrup, hemp milk, and baking powder.
- 📖 Dietary Notes: Dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, vegan, refined sugar-free.
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: This chocolate protein mug cake is rich, fluffy, and ready in just two minutes. The perfect single-serve treat when cravings hit fast.
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Ever get hit with a sweet tooth after dinner or mid-afternoon and want something warm right now? That’s exactly where a protein mug cake shines. This gluten-free protein mug cake is soft, lightly fluffy, and made for single-serve dessert moments (this protien chocolate chip mug cake rocks too).
What I love most is that it delivers 13 grams of protein, but instead of a straight sugar spike, you get something that actually supports satiety and energy (learn more about the benefits of a high protein diet). It’s the same strategy I use with easy protein snacks: build in protein so your treat fuels you too (learn more about how to boost your daily protein intake).
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💭Why You'll Love This Recipe
Quick to make: It takes about one minute of prep time and 75 seconds of cook time to the best almond flour protein mug cake, ready to enjoy (topped with Whole30 whipped cream if you have it)
Single serve dessert: Not only is the recipe packed with 13 grams of protein, but because it's single serve you don't need to share!
Rich and indulgent: Thanks to the high-fat content in almond flour and the lack of eggs, the protein powder mug cake stays light and moist.
Ingredients and Substitutions
The best part about gluten-free, protein mug cakes is that you only need a handful of ingredients (same goes for this cozy fall apple mug cake, too!).
- Vegan chocolate protein powder: The kind of protein powder you choose will make a difference to the texture and flavor of the chocolate mug cake.
- Almond flour: This makes the protein powder mug cake really light. However, make sure to use blanched almond flour and not almond meal so that you have a smoother texture (learn more about the difference between almond flour and ground almonds). Use up leftovers with these almond flour chocolate cookies.
- Dairy-free milk: Any non-dairy milk, like almond milk, will work. We use homemade hemp milk the most.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Flavor Variations
Chocolate caramel mug cake: Make the gluten-free protein mug cake as written, then drizzle coconut milk caramel sauce over top.
Vanilla chocolate chip: Use a vanilla protein powder in the mug cake and swirl chocolate chips into it or drizzle it with dairy-free chocolate glaze.
Chocolate peanut butter: If you love peanut butter protein cups, this is a great idea for you. Either mix in 1 tablespoon of peanut butter to the batter or melt it down and drizzle it over the top.
How To Make Almond Flour Protein Mug Cake
Step 1: In a regular-sized mug, combine the dry ingredients.
Step 2: Mix in the wet ingredients until they're all combined.
Step 3: Microwave the cake for 75 seconds and let it cool for about thirty seconds before enjoying it.
Expert Tips
Before you bake your chocolate protien mug cake, you want the batter to look wet. If it looks thicker and very sticky, chances are you need a smidge more liquid so that the mug cake doesn't come out dry.
If using a vanilla protein powder, add 1 teaspoon of cacao powder to the mixture.
Don't skip the baking powder and soda, even though they're small amounts. It really helps the mug cake from deflating!
This mug cake has been made with both Naked Nutrition Chocolate Pea Protein and Genuine Health Chocolate Protein powder. Both of which absorb lots of liquid.
If you're trying to use a whey or beef isolate protein powder, you'll want to add 1 tablespoon of gluten-free flour to help it all bind.
Mug cakes taste best freshly made. If stored in the fridge (even in an airtight container), it will turn a bit rubbery.
Gluten-Free Mug Ccake FAQs
Yes! Protein powder, like most things, can go into the microwave safely. As it is not “raw” and has already been dehydrated, microwaving protein powder will not ruin it or destroy its benefits.
Mug cakes will become dry when not enough liquid is added to the batter. This especially happens with vegan protein powders as they absorb more. To prevent this, make sure your batter looks a bit wet and not thick.
Any protein powder can be used to make a mug cake, but different protein powders change the texture quite a bit. Whey isolate makes the mug cake lighter and fluffier, beef isolate turns out slightly denser, and plant-based protein tends to be thicker, so you may need a splash more liquid. Collagen won’t work on its own (it doesn’t provide structure), and with whey, collagen, or beef protein, you may need to add about 1 tablespoon of flour to help it bind properly.
More High-Protein Dessert Recipes You’ll Love
If you tried this Chocolate Protein Mug Cake Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes!
Gluten-Free Chocolate Protein Mug Cake
Video
Equipment
- 1 Small mug
Ingredients
- ⅛ cup chocolate vegan protein powder
- ⅛ cup almond flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tbs maple syrup
- 2 tbs hemp milk or any non-dairy-milk
Instructions
- In a regular size mug, combine all the ingredients and mix until combined.
- Pop in the microwave for 75 seconds.
- Let cool for 30 seconds.
- Enjoy.
Notes
- The chocolate protein mug cake recipe makes one small serving. It does deflate ever so slightly, but not much.
- Some of the texture depends on how large your mug is and how dispersed the ingredients are. Use a regular-size coffee mug for best results.
- You can add chocolate chips or sprinkles to the mug cake; however, it’s actually better to add them on top after.
- Definitely let the protein powder mug cake cool for thirty seconds, as it is HOT.
- If using a vanilla protein powder, add 1 teaspoon of cacao powder to the mixture.
- Adjust the texture of your mug cake depending on your protein powder (see notes in blog post). If the mixture looks extremely thick, you'll want to add 1-2 teaspoons of liquid.
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Nutrition
Nancy says
Wow this protein powder mug cake with salted chocolate satisfied all
My sweet tooth craving!!!
fitasamamabear says
Haha yep! Chocolate fiend over here so it's a necessary one lol
Kalin Williams says
Yum!! Such an easy and quick dessert when looking for something sweet
fitasamamabear says
It does work beautifully for that!
Christina's Bread Bakes says
I love all your recipes but especially this one for those days when I have a sweet craving and don't want a lot of excess sitting around to be eaten!
fitasamamabear says
Thank you for the compliment! Honestly curbing the chocolate cravings is necessary haha glad this one helps you out with that!
Lisa Douglas says
This was FANTASTIC! We love making mug cakes but adding protein and other healthy ingredients like this was AWESOME and soo tasty! Thank you, we LOVED making this!
fitasamamabear says
That's awesome to hear! It's a nice craving buster for sure.
Addison says
I loved this mug cake. I eat a high protein diet so this was perfect for my dessert!
fitasamamabear says
Wahoo! Total win, glad you enjoyed it!
Vladka says
This mini mug cake was a great treat after our workout with friends. It was easy to make and extra energizing.
fitasamamabear says
Yay! Happy you enjoyed it!
Jere Cassidy says
I love it when I find a recipe and I have all the ingredients and this was my first mug cake which came out perfect.
fitasamamabear says
Having all the ingredients is the best feeling ever haha
Gina says
This is the perfect easy dessert for a sweet craving! Love the protein powder for extra satiety too.
fitasamamabear says
Best fo both worlds!