What’s better than an ooey-gooey chocolate brownie fresh out of the oven? I’m thinking an ooey-gooey chocolate protein mug brownie with 100 calories and 13 grams of protein that’s ready in one minute!
Since I first published this recipe, it’s gone on to be one of my most popular recipes. And for good reason. It tastes amazing, has the texture of a real brownie, and is unbelievably easy to make.
Microwavable Protein Brownie Ingredients
Most readers love this protein brownie straight out of the box, but I’ll tackle some common ingredient questions below.
What can I use instead of pumpkin?
Another great thing about this protein brownie is that it’s highly customizable. If you don’t love pumpkin, there are lots of potential swaps:
- Unsweetened Apple Sauce
- Mashed Banana
- Light Butter (lower carb option)
- Avocado (lower carb option)
- Cooked and Mashed Sweet Potato (or any starchy carb puree)
I’ve included notes on using half pumpkin and half apple sauce in the recipe card’s notes section, as well as a peanut butter banana protein brownie variation.
Additional Sweeteners and Toppings
Depending on how sweet your sweet tooth is, you can add stevia or zero-calorie sweetener to either recipe, but I find it’s sweet enough without it.
As for toppings, fat-free whipped topping is a great way to trick your mind into thinking brownie with ice cream since the whipped topping melts a bit. Placing a few chocolate chips on top right out of the microwave will give a melted chocolate, extra gooey consistency without adding many calories. Just be sure not to go chocolate chip crazy here!
And I’d be remiss if I didn’t recommend using a half cup of a lower calorie ice cream like Edy’s Slow Churned Vanilla. Yum.
My Choice of Protein Powder
Nearly all my protein powder recipes use PEScience Select Whey and Casein. You can use my affiliate discount code ‘mason’ to save 15% on PEScience products.
How to Avoid A Tough or Dry Protein Brownie
Since there are a lot of moving parts in recipes with protein powder (different types of protein, volume differences in scoops, scooping vs weighing accuracy, etc.), there’s always a chance you’ll end up with a tough or dry finished product. I’ll include a few ideas to combat this below:
- Use whey concentrate or a blend of proteins that’s not super lean like whey isolate (the extra carbs/fat goes a long way)
- Slightly reduce the amount of protein powder used
- Increase fat sources or faux fat sources (i.e. pumpkin, mashed bananas, sweet potato, avocado, unsweetened apple sauce, coconut oil or processed coconut flakes, etc.)
- 14 grams of light butter only has 50 calories and changes lives
- Slightly increase liquid ingredients
- Reduce cook time
- Add moisture after cooking via whipped topping, ice cream, or fruit reductions
Life’s too short for dry protein treats. I hope this helps!
If you do like this breakdown, I recently did an even deeper dive to find the internet’s best healthy brownies.
Okay, that’s pretty much all ya need to know. As always, if you make this microwave protein brownie, tag me in your creation on Instagram. Enjoy!
One-Minute, 100-Calorie Protein Brownie
Ingredients
- 1/4 C 60g Canned Pumpkin*
- 1/2 scoop, 16g Vanilla Protein Powder
- 1 Tbsp 5g Unsweetened Dark Cocoa Powder
- 1-2 tsp Granulated Sugar Substitute, optional
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl or mug. If you'd like to easily remove the brownie from the mug after cooking, transfer the protein brownie batter to a second mug or bowl sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
- Microwave for 1-1.5 minutes for a single recipe or 2-2.5 minutes for a double recipe. Depending on the size of your bowl, watch for overflow.
Notes
Peanut Butter Banana Brownie Version
Mix the following in a small bowl or mug and microwave for 1.5-2 minutes:- 1 large (150g) Mashed Ripe Banana
- 1 scoop (31g) Vanilla Protein Powder
- 2 Tbsp (12g) PB2 or Powdered Peanut Butter
- 1 Tbsp (5g) Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1-2 Tbsp Water or Milk, as needed
Nutrition
For Make Ahead Brownies
You can fill 4-ounce microwave safe jars with the brownie batter and refrigerate for 4-5 days. When you’re ready for a brownie, pop the jar in the microwave. You’ll likely need to play around with cook time as it will vary on the size of jar and amount of brownie batter you put inside the jar. (The 45-75 second range would be my guess.) I’ve not tried freezing them, but you could probably freeze and thaw overnight.
If you’re using smaller jars, you could use a piping bag or Ziploc bag with a corner cut off the get the batter in the jars.
This is delicious! I used pumpkin and 2 teaspoons erythritol with chocolate chips on top. Can’t believe how great it tastes for being so low cal.
I will admit, I was skeptical as I was making this. I thought that it wouldn’t satisfy my sweet tooth like I wanted. BUT I was totally wrong. It was rich and chocolatey and the texture was pretty great for a microwave dessert. I made a quick whipped cream for the top, which helped cut the richness a bit. Would be even better with some ice cream!
Not kidding when I say I dry heaved after taking a bite of this with apple sauce instead of pumpkin.
Wow. I feel like I owe this recipe an apology bc I was skeptical. I thought there was NO WAY it could be that great, plus I’ve been disappointed by the texture of protein mug cakes before. This is soooo good and beyond worth the little effort it takes!
Not bad, right? Especially for what it is. 🙂
I love using this protein brownie as a base for my nightly desserts. It is great with some low-fat ice cream and crushed oreo!
made this many times and never have pumpkin on hand but have always had great success with apple sauce and mashed banana options. Top with ice cream or whipped cream it is a dream
I’m a huge chocolate/snack lover. This is the perfect treat for a cold day or even if you’re craving something sweet. I also recommend topping this with peanut butter, chocolate chips or whipped cream. I didn’t have pumpkin on hand but applesauce works great
This is my favorite way to get a dessert when I’m low on macros or need a protein punch. I’ve made it with normal cocoa powder and also black cocoa – both great. I add a splash of skinny syrup for flavor and sweetness. Pro tip- you may think you need more liquid as you’re mixing, but resist! Just keep mixing. I sometimes add chocolate to the middle for a lava cake type surprise… or I top with some flavored Pb!
An easy way to get your protein in even when you are short on time!! Helps curb that late night sweet tooth
I love how quick this is! I have a big sweet tooth and this is a great solution to always needing a desert! plus it helps me get more protein in! don’t forget the wip!!