Vegan Mug Brownie

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This rich and chocolaty Vegan Mug Brownie is possibly the easiest and fastest dessert there is. All you need to do is mix it up and microwave it and POOF! You have a delicious vegan brownie in a mug.

Hey Internet, it seems to be the week of fast-er food here at Zardyplants. Yesterday we published a 15 minute out-of-this-world kale mushroom pasta and now we are giving you a less-than-5-minute dessert!

I don’t know about you, but after all those veggies I feel like I earned this brownie, haha.

OK but I may have had like 3 of these in the last few days. I could say I was testing different versions and while that’s true, we all know it’s just an excuse.

The real reason I’m doing super fast recipes is because it’s the busy season at my day job, and this vegan microwave brownie was born out of needing chocolate but only having 5 minutes before the next call from my boss came in.

But I mean, also, chocolate. Hi, hello, I love you.

I also happened to have all the ingredients on hand and hopefully you do too. 

It’s also pretty customizable and a forgiving recipe, since it’s not like a cake that might fall apart when you take it out of the mold--you’re literally just scooping this from the mug to your mouth.

Oh, and it’s single serving which is great because sometimes I have no self control and just want to eat all the things. This is actually a totally normal human response and though moderation is key to a healthy lifestyle (I sound like my dad, jeez), don’t demonize a natural urge.

That said, this recipe only makes one, so it definitely helps with portion control!

This super easy vegan mug brownie, of course topped with a scoop of vegan vanilla bean ice cream (oh so melty and creamy), is possibly the best single-serving dessert out there, and in a few short sections you can have it as well. Also, did you notice the Skip to Recipe button at the top of this post? That’s for those readers that don’t need any extra advice. :)

Alright, let’s get down to it so I can show you how easy it is to make this deliciousness.

What You’ll Need & Substitutions

The first thing you’ll need is obviously some cocoa powder. It doesn’t matter whether you use regular cocoa or cacao (which is unprocessed cacao bean, powdered), both will work.

I also used a bit of all purpose flour because I have a lot of that as a recipe developer, but check the substitutions section below for other ideas.

The only other dry ingredients here are the tiniest pinch of salt (it REALLY brings out the chocolate flavor) and a bit of baking soda, but baking powder will also work (will turn out just slightly more cakey).

For that awesome, rich, melt-in-your-mouth brownie taste, I actually added a tablespoon of peanut butter to this recipe. It does not have a super strong peanut-taste (if you want that though, feel free to add a little more). See substitutions section below for other options.

I also added a mashed banana and a touch of maple syrup (optional) for sweetness. I wouldn’t recommend totally omitting the banana, but if you’re worried I have options below. Though, I could not detect any banana flavor in the finished product.

Optional but recommended: chocolate chips! I definitely recommend adding some dairy-free chocolate chips to your brownie. 

I like Hu Kitchen, but there’s also Lily’s, Enjoy Life, Trader Joe’s, and some store brands are accidentally vegan like Target’s organic store brand. (The Target brand has turquoise packaging, but just check the label in case they reformulated, since they aren’t certified vegan).

What Substitutions Can I Make?

Flour

What kind of flour you use is up to you. I’ve tested this recipe with a few--and although the texture changes a bit, it definitely still tastes good.

For the BEST brownie texture, I recommend either unbleached all purpose flour or a cup for cup GF flour like King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Flour or Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour.

Peanut Butter

You can definitely use any other nut butter instead, even sunflower butter or tahini will work. You can also sub that with coconut cream. Or even vegan butter or coconut oil if you’re cool with oil. Or even a bit of mashed avocado!

You can also omit that if you want a lower fat vegan mug brownie, and if you need a little extra liquid in the recipe just add a splash of low fat non-dairy milk.

Mashed Banana

I could not detect any banana flavor in the finished brownie, but if you don’t have any overripe bananas, or you can’t have bananas, here are a few options:

Sweet potato or pumpkin puree, unsweetened applesauce, or mashed avocado.

Maple Syrup

You can add any kind of sweetener you want--or no sweetener! It definitely depends on your tastes. 

If you use a dry sweetener, you may need a touch more moisture to get it to mix. In that case, try a tiny bit more nut butter (or similar) or a tiny splash of non-dairy milk. You want the batter to be thick, though.

Tips for Making an Awesome Vegan Mug Brownie

• Both a 12 oz and a 16 oz mug will work for this recipe. The 12 oz (what I used) will look a little fuller but it's the same amount of brownie. Also the batter may puff up quite a bit in the microwave and look like it’s going to explode--don’t worry, it lowers once you open the door.
• Mash the banana in a separate bowl. It can be a little challenging to mash it straight in the mug.
• Mash the banana with a fork until it gets a little shiny or glossy. This helps it incorporate better into the batter.
• Add the mashed banana to the mug first with the rest of the wet ingredients and mix it. Adding the dry ingredients first makes it hard to make sure you get every dry bit.
• Sprinkle the flour, salt, and baking soda over the top of your wet ingredients and give them a good stir with a fork or small spatula, but try not to overmix (can lead to a somewhat tough texture).
• Stir in a small handful of chocolate chips if desired. You can even sprinkle a few more on top!
• Microwave for about 1-2.5 minutes. Don’t overcook it! Start with 1 minute and add 15 seconds at a time after checking it. How long it takes will vary by microwave. We have a crappy microwave that’s older than me (it doesn’t even have a turntable!) so ours took a little longer. You’ll know it’s done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean, or with tiny crumbs on it (which is the best doneness because it’s super tender at that point).
• There you have it: a perfect vegan brownie in a mug! Top with vegan vanilla ice cream if you desire and enjoy!

How to Make a Mug Brownie Without a Microwave

No microwave? No problem!

Make the batter in an oven-safe mug or a ramekin. Bake it on the top rack of your oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (or 177 degrees Celsius).

You’ll want to bake it for 6-10 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Be extra careful when removing it from the oven.

More Easy Vegan Desserts

Smores

Or if you want to get fancy: Smores Cookie Bake

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies (no chill)

Matcha Pound Cake

Lavender Nice Cream

Apple Cake

Mango Nice Cream

Toasted Coconut Nice Cream

Banana Bread

Anything Else?

As always, I hope you love this recipe–I know I do and so does Mr. Zardyplants. We keep making these over and over again. They’re seriously just the awesomest after a long day at work. 

This vegan mug brownie is:

• Chocolaty
• Fudgy
• Sweet
• Warm
• Cozy
• Gooey
• And the perfect dessert for kids and adults! It’s even easy for kids to make, though young children might need help removing a hot mug from the microwave.

Let me know in the comments below if you make this recipe or tag me @Zardyplants on Instagram so I can see your beautiful recreations! If you tag me on IG, I will share your post in my stories :)

Also, one quick request: if you love how this recipe looks or tastes, please leave me a 5-star rating and a nice comment–ratings help more people find my recipes which helps me keep providing them! Thank you!

<3 Liz

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