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Family Kitchen
Two-Minute Mug Brownie
That’s one-minute for mixing, another for microwaving – the eating part likely won’t take much longer. There are a ton of microwave mug cakes floating around the internet — a common comment though is that they’re not chocolatey enough, and too spongy — likely a result of using a whole egg in a single-serving cake. It’s not ideal to use part of an egg though (what do you do with the rest) and so it occurred to me that leaving it out would result in a denser, more brownie-like chocolate creation. Give me a brownie over cake any day — especially a warm one I can scoop ice cream on top of. This ultra-simple brownie for one is totally divine.
Use unsweetened cocoa powder — it has much more chocolate flavor than sweetened drink mixes like powdered Quick.
Stir together your flour, brown sugar, cocoa and a pinch of salt. A fork works.
Stir in the oil and milk or coffee — I use the dregs of my morning cup.
Stir it together — you’ll have a thick, chocolatey paste.
Microwave it for a minute — if you have a powerful microwave check it after 30 seconds, but 60 should do it. It’ll be done when it’s puffed and springy to the touch, but still a little gooey when you stick your fork in it — like any good brownie should be.
One of these is technically enough for two, but you don’t have to share.
Two-Minute Mug Brownie
Adapted from Instructables.com
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch salt
2 Tbsp canola or other mild vegetable oil
2 Tbsp milk, coffee or waterIn a heatproof mug or ramekin, stir together the dry ingredients until no lumps remain. Stir in the oil and milk until you have a thick paste.
Microwave on high for a minute, checking it after 30 seconds (microwaves vary) – it will be done when it’s springy on top but still a bit gooey – like the very best brownie. Eat warm.
Want more easily-containable recipes? Try these 15 great cakes in a jar!
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71 Comments
Jody commented on Sep 13 11 at 4:12 pmI’d skip the gym to eat this, too!
lucy Caron commented on Sep 13 11 at 7:52 pmuse camino cocoa powder, such awesome chocolate flavour! you will never go back to frys
Kookie commented on Sep 14 11 at 4:43 amthank you for sharing these yummy simple recipes! can’t wait to try them..
Madi commented on Sep 14 11 at 10:40 amThese look amazing – when I do mine though, I’m going to change the oil to melted butter because I’ve found it gives things more of a silky texture :)
Meghan commented on Sep 14 11 at 11:33 pmI read it, I made it, I ate it – excellent!
Shannon commented on Sep 15 11 at 10:16 amI love the brownie while eating it, but there is a pretty funky aftertaste (I used EVOO and milk) and I’m not sure how I feel about that…
JulieVR commented on Sep 15 11 at 7:33 pmShannon – yes, EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) has a very strong flavor – it would definitely affect the flavor of the brownie! Next time I’d use a neutral vegetable oil such as canola.
Koreen commented on Sep 15 11 at 9:29 pmI made it and I loved it! Cut the recipe in half so I could share with my sister. Topped it with vanilla ice cream. It was great.
Heidi commented on Sep 16 11 at 10:53 pmYummy…especially topped with some chocolate ice cream!
Erin commented on Sep 16 11 at 11:40 pmThis was awesome! I think I’ll put the dry ingredients into baggies with instructions to add the wet ingredients, mix it in a mug, and bake in the microwave. I’ll add some ribbon and voila! Stocking stuffers.
Janet Muter commented on Sep 17 11 at 12:23 amI never knew such things existed!! How simply perfect when its one of those late night no sweets or chocolate in the house times : ) !! And bet it will WoW my husband & kids in a pinch as well! Thankyou especially, for this one<3
bev commented on Sep 18 11 at 5:41 amThis is EXACTLY the kind of healthy heart care I like to participate in! It is 3:30 in the morning and I am going to try it RIGHT NOW!!
Amanda commented on Sep 19 11 at 7:08 pmThis is delicious. I used melted butter instead of oil and almond milk. I also poured a little extra almond milk on the top after it was cooked. This is DELICIOUS. And because it doesn’t have egg in it, it’s okay if it’s not cooked all the way through. I don’t know about you, but that’s always been a mug cake issue for me. :)
Leanna commented on Sep 23 11 at 12:00 amI’m going to try this!!! My mouth is watering just looking at the picture!!!
anne commented on Sep 26 11 at 7:17 pmfor that amount, how many mugs does it make?
Chantalle commented on Sep 27 11 at 11:09 pmJust made it! Delish! Wish I would have noticed the butter comment! Can’t wait to try it with butter instead of oil! Yummo!
Michela commented on Sep 28 11 at 6:04 amdoes anyone knows if it is possible with a normal electric oven?
at what temperature and for how long?
thanks
Capa commented on Sep 28 11 at 6:08 amThis looks awesome!
Any chance you can make it in an oven instead? (I don’t have a microwave)
jaide commented on Sep 29 11 at 8:46 pmit sucked…..it was chewy like undercooked…nastyness
Jena commented on Sep 30 11 at 12:44 pmI just found this from Pinterest and it is amazing! I had no idea these mug desserts existed. I added a little peanut butter which was really good. I did notice the sugar added a crunch (could have been because my brown sugar was a bit dried out), which I didn’t mind, but I have a bunch of Torani syrups that I use in my coffee that I might try substituting for the sugar. I’m thinking caramel or vanilla might be good. Thanks so much for sharing this!
Bethany commented on Oct 01 11 at 8:50 amI just made this and it was excellent! I used 2 tbsps melted butter (instead of the oil) and added a 1/2 tsp of vanilla and a pinch of cinnamon. I found I had to microwave mine for about a minute, but you want to make sure not to overcook it. It does need the ice cream for sweetness though… and because ice cream makes everything better :)
chelsea commented on Oct 06 11 at 1:08 amDid not work. Ended up with just gewy substance much like of cake batter. Maybe it was the cocoa power I used?
Kirsty commented on Oct 06 11 at 11:26 amMaybe you didn’t cook it for long enough Chelsea? Mine took more like 1 1/2 minutes in my rubbishy microwave. I also substituted oil for butter.
It’s really good, but half is plenty!
Randa commented on Oct 09 11 at 6:31 pmMade and while tasted good, it definitely didn’t have the same texture as a brownie. I also had to cook it for a minute and a half before it wasn’t a liquid. May have to retry some other day.
Corinne commented on Oct 14 11 at 10:51 pmJust made it – yummy. I added 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce instead of the oil and it seems to be fine (ice cream is melting….). I also microwaved it for one and a half minutes. Well, a minute and 25 seconds. This will be great over the winter!
lyndsea commented on Oct 15 11 at 12:35 amonce i mixed the ingredients it was much thicker than that of the picture, but i microwaved it anyway. after a minute and a half it looked the same, but smelled burnt. not sure what i did wrong. i triple checked to make sure i had the right measurements. i used dark cocoa, that was the only difference. what happened?
Lauren commented on Oct 16 11 at 1:14 pmI did not like this. It was kind of icky. But it was probably only because I used chocolate milk mix (ovaltine), and regular sugar instead
Trina commented on Oct 19 11 at 8:13 pmEating it now. I used WW flour {all I had}, coconut oil and whole milk. Had to add a bit more than the milk called for and microwaved it for a min and 30 sec. Topped with vanilla ice cream. It was plenty for 2 people, shared it with my kids, who loved it.
Penny commented on Nov 13 11 at 12:32 pmThese are over the top fattening! I can’t imagine eating one! Think about it…a 1/4 of a cup of sugar? 2 Tbsp of oil? I hate to be a party pooper, but I think that this would have to be over the top to die for amazingly delicious for me to eat it.
Stephannie commented on Nov 13 11 at 7:22 pmMade it…inhaling it…added a PINCH of cinnamon – heaven!!!!!!
Pam commented on Nov 13 11 at 7:33 pmI just made this too. I added vanilla, and a tad bit more liquid to it to make it come out with the same consistency as pictured above. It was really good! I made a second one for my hubby.
rachel commented on Nov 14 11 at 1:08 pmYikes! If you make this with 1% milk, it’s a whopping 530 calories!!
Kristen commented on Nov 14 11 at 7:16 pmAMAZING!!
I used butter (2Tbsp) instead of oil as we only had extra virgin olive oil.
It was so good!! I love it! I’m pregnant and to tired to walk to the shops so this was perfect!!
Penguin commented on Nov 14 11 at 8:43 pmTried it, it was delicious. Also I used macadamia nut oil instead of vegetable oil, as it is sweet.
Sabrina commented on Nov 15 11 at 10:56 pmOooh, I want to try this right now. Or at least I wanted to before the Debbie Downers chimed in with their nutritional opinions. Do I care? Eh, not really.
Ashley commented on Nov 20 11 at 3:47 pmJust made this….AWESOME!!! I had to cook almost two minutes because I have square cups and things don’t heat up as fast in square containers as they do in round ones.
Sasha commented on Nov 21 11 at 1:07 amWish it wasn’t as fattening, but it is delicious and no mess and you can’t compete on a Sunday night! YUM!
Leann commented on Nov 23 11 at 12:01 amOMGooey goodness!!! I have a chocolate head rush! Plus put cool whip on top to help with intense chocolate taste. Yum!
Sam commented on Nov 23 11 at 6:20 pmI just made this, delicious! However my brownie didn’t really raise much, but as long as the taste is still there it’s okay to me!
Pamela Bowes commented on Nov 29 11 at 8:23 amThis cake may be my downfall, totally delicious and gooey and wonderful Can’t wait to try some variations
Bobbi commented on Nov 30 11 at 2:17 amMine needed a couple teaspoons more sugar, a tad less cocoa, possibly a sniffed more water and a tiny bit less oil, and maybe baking powder, as it didn’t rise. I think it would taste better with margarine than oil, on the plus side, margarine has half the calories of canola oil.
Bobbi commented on Nov 30 11 at 2:19 amLol I meant a smidge more water.
Caitlin commented on Nov 30 11 at 11:53 pmI’ve tried a microwave mug cake before and I overcooked it. It included egg, so I wanted to be better safe than sorry. The result was a hard, burnt bottomed, gooey-centered brown…thing. When I saw there was no eggs in this recipe, I thought I’d give the microbaking another shot.
I. Am. In. Love.
Nuked it just before it began hardening on top. Fudgy delight in a ramekin!
Brianne Chason commented on Dec 01 11 at 4:39 amTried this as written, using the milk option, and the only cocoa powder we had in the house was dark cocoa powder. I appreciated the texture of the resulting brownie; it was gooey and cakey like I want my brownies to be. But the tang at the back of my throat I could do without. I figure that had to do with the oil and dark cocoa powder, so I will try it one more time using butter/margarine instead of oil (I used veg oil this time), and regular cocoa powder (I’m not a fan of the bitterness of dark chocolate). Definitely rich enough without added caramel or peanut butter, but then again I’m a fan of plain brownies anyway :) I guess if you really wanted to, you could add a few finely chopped nuts if that’s your thing. And even for this Fatty, one was definitely enough! Soothed my sweet tooth, though, and that’s what’s important!
Vickie Black commented on Dec 03 11 at 8:42 pmI AM GOING TO HAVE TO TRY THIS WHEN I COUNT VERY LOW CARBS FOR THE DAY. I WILL USE BROWN SUGAR/SPLENDA BLEND AND 1 PKG. TRUVIA (STEVIA) AND UNSWEETEND ALMOND MILK, POSSIBLY THE CHOCOLATE FLAVOR. (IT IS SO-O-O- GOOD). tHEN THE CARB COUNT WILL BE UNDER 15 AND COUNT AS ONE CARB CHOICE AND BE PRACTICALLY SUGAR FREE! THANKS
Shirley Whitworth commented on Dec 03 11 at 10:03 pmI went by the recipe , But had to mic it for a little bit more time ! My husband & myself loved it ! We also added a scoop of Ice cream on top….Yum
anna commented on Dec 06 11 at 11:44 pmI ran out of flour making the nutella mug cake, so I was wondering if I could substitute flour with pancake mix. I have Bisquick in the cupboard. I know I should adjust some ingredients so, any help?
The Ms Fish commented on Dec 08 11 at 9:51 pmLove this recipe, made it more than once, although the second time I used flavored vodka in place of the milk/water/coffee and added caramels in the batter. Took a bit longer to cook, but was very moist and yummy! Burned my mouth trying to eat it right of the microwave!
underwater commented on Dec 11 11 at 7:35 amI’m going to use an egg instead of the oil. I just can’t see how a cake doesn’t need eggs… Let’s see how it turns out =)
Krissy - The Sugar Pixie commented on Dec 13 11 at 11:59 amI’ve made 2 mug cakes on my blog as well. My favorite substitution for the oil or butter is unsweetened applesauce. It makes the cakes so much more moist.
Spicy Chocolate Mug Cake
http://www.thesugarpixie.net/2010/11/25/spicy-chocolate-mug-cake/Five Minute Cake (similar to recipe above)
http://www.thesugarpixie.net/2010/06/21/five-minute-chocolate-cake/Love these other mug cake recipes!
JulieVR commented on Dec 13 11 at 1:27 pmHonest, it works. A whole egg in that quantity of ingredients could make it rubbery…
Dana Lynn commented on Dec 14 11 at 3:19 pmI have made this a few times now! It really hits the spot when you have a craving lol! I add chocolate chips to the top and let them melt then add whipped cream. OHHHHH YEAHHH :P Thank you so much for sharing :)
Lnz commented on Dec 20 11 at 8:00 pmI didn’t like it. There was a weird taste to it, and I followed the directions. I’m sad.
Skye commented on Dec 29 11 at 1:11 amI made mine exactly as the directions say. And i dont think is cooked right? It came oily and watery. Any help?
JB commented on Jan 12 12 at 1:44 amThis is crazy good!! My 8 yo just woke up with a bad dream (about math class:) so I pulled out this little secret weapon while we chatted. It came out perfect. He asked if I eat these all the time after the kids go to bed. Haha! We ended up fighting for the last bite. Dangerously yummy!!
Penelope commented on Jan 12 12 at 11:28 pmJust made it cause the PB choc cake one was rather disappointing.
I’m surprised this one turned out so well. I do not like the flavor of brown sugar with chocolate so I used white sugar and used butter instead of oil. Threw a few pecans in and poured a touch of maraschino cherry syrup on top. Really really good.
Samantha commented on Jan 13 12 at 7:46 pmI just made this, and it was AMAZING! I didn’t have unsweetened cocoa powder, so I used Cadbury hot cocoa mix and it was still so tasty! I couldn’t imagine how it could taste any better! Next time I’ll definitely try it with unsweetened cocoa mix!
Brandi commented on Jan 14 12 at 12:26 amMmmm…I’m eating this right now! How easy is this to make?!?! I followed the recipe and quantities, the only thing I changed was that I added a bit more salt and a splash of vanilla. I heated it for 30 sec. then 20, then 10….It was still gooey on top, but I like it that way! Not bad for a whip it together sort of thing!
Beth commented on Jan 15 12 at 10:20 pmJust made this and wow! I had to put some vanilla frozen yogurt on it because it is so rich! I may try to make it with melted butter next time. This fixed my chocolate craving!
Callie commented on Jan 16 12 at 5:41 pmI made this with water and added a dash of instant expresso powder and it was perfect!
Megan commented on Jan 17 12 at 12:40 amI want to try this and add some fresh strawberries! It sounds decadent and college student friendly! Thankfully I am hitting the gym. :)
Amy commented on Jan 18 12 at 5:58 pmOk. I hate measuring and rarely stick to measuring even for baked goods. Here’s what I did. Grabbed an over-sized christmas mug. Had about 2 1/2 tbsp. of butter left of the stick. So, stuck that in the mug and microwaved for 30 sec. to melt the butter. Measured approx. 1/4 cup of brown sugar. (could use a tad more next time), mixed the sugar into the melted butter. Then measured out the coco. Next time I will use 1/2 as much. Stirred. There was still a bit of butter unclaimed by the sugar and coco. So, I added a tad bit more than 1/4 cup flour. I used fresh ground whole wheat which really changed the texture but upped the flavor. Stirred. It was a tad to thick. Added a shake of negmeg and cinn. and a splash of vanilla and a tiny bit of salt. Added a splash of milk, then another splash, till it seemed about right. Cooked for 66 seconds. Needed a bit more time, then cooked another 30 second, but first put mint choco chips on top. It was perfect.
Melissa commented on Jan 21 12 at 8:57 pmI just made this, and it is really yummy! I plopped a spoonful of raspberry jam on top for a little something extra :)
Hillary commented on Jan 21 12 at 10:37 pmI made it exactly as the recipe said and mine came out with a thick layer of boiling oil on top. It never really resembled a brownie. It tasted very floury and nothing like a brownie.
Laura commented on Jan 23 12 at 11:07 pmI tried this last week with a variation on the ingredients (I didn’t have everything lol) and it was terrible. The oil came to the top and left a really gross texture/flavor. This time I followed the directions to a T and it came out great! Perfectly gooey, like a good brownie should be. Thanks!
cindy commented on Jan 26 12 at 3:37 pmMade this with 2 tblsp of applesauce instead of oil and it turned out perfect. Cooked for 1 1/2 minutes. Wished I would have had ice cream. Great recipe!
rachiesmom2004 commented on Jan 26 12 at 11:25 pmI made this about four times, the first time just as the recipe calls and then altering it slightly each time. I think I have it just about perfect (for me anyway) this time: I lessened the cocoa powder to about 4 tsp, used powdered sugar instead of brown/white, used the melted butter suggestion and upped the milk to 1/4 cup. It didn’t come out like a brownie but more cake-like, but very light, fluffy and good. Now if I just had some vanilla bean ice cream for on top. :)
Sandy commented on Feb 01 12 at 4:13 pmI made this today and it turned out great. I used milk and Hersheys cocoa and vegetable oil. I had tried some of the chocolate mug cakes that called for egg and this one was much better. Great for a quick chocolate fix!
Reba commented on Feb 01 12 at 7:32 pmThis is perfect when you have a chocolate craving, or for when you can’t make whole pans of brownies because you are on a diet/exercise regimen (like me)! I used butter instead of oil and it turned out gooey and delicious after 1.5 minutes! My dog was going crazy just smelling it (poor baby, has a sweet tooth like his mom. ‘Do NOT feed dog chocolate no matter how cute he is!’ I constantly have to remind myself of that :))
HR commented on Feb 05 12 at 1:36 amTried this with the modified measurements provided by RACHIESMOM2004 COMMENTED ON JAN 26 12 . Turned out great!!
Here are my final measurements if anyone wants to try it out:
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup icing / powdered sugar
4 Tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch salt
2 Tbsp MARGARINE
1/4 cup milk
1/2 Tsp instant coffee powder
In my microwave I just had to keep it for 1 minute 15 seconds.
For most people not getting the required results I highly suspect its because of differently powered microwaves – keep trying it out at different settings coz its worth it!
P.S: To those complaining about how fattening this is – umm ..which brownie isnt???
marbhatnagar commented on Feb 20 12 at 9:25 pmI am tossing this one, sorry!
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