Healthy Single-Serving Microwave Brownie

 
A year ago while still at my previous job, I drove home from work with intense stress-induced chocolate cravings at least one night each week. Those persistent desires demanded more than a kid-sized Starbucks hot chocolate or a small square of Hershey’s Special Dark. They required a thick slice of decadent chocolate cake, usually supplied by the Safeway bakery a quarter-mile away from our house.  

Once inside, I sped straight to the back of the store, bypassing the front of their cake display filled with cupcakes and cheesecakes to scour the back. I skipped past their square two-layer pieces; those tasted too milky and had slightly runny frosting. Instead, I scrutinized every single triangular slice of their tall six-layer dark chocolate cake, always selecting the biggest one practically bursting out of the seams of its plastic package.
 

 
I slowly savored two layers each night, nibbling at mouse-sized bites to make my chocolate therapy last as long as possible. By the time I swallowed the final morsel on the third day, I felt the stress melt away like the fudgy frosting on my tongue, and it motivated me to tackle another round of papers at work.

But then…
 

 
Then came the night that Safeway sold the last slice before I could claim it. Another customer walked out with my consolation cake, and I arrived home almost in tears. I had been depending on eating it all day! At the distraught look on my face, my guy asked what was wrong, and after I sniffled out a sad answer, he slipped his car keys into his pocket while I snuggled into a fuzzy blanket on the couch to watch reruns of “Top Chef.”
 

 
Right as the episode ended 45 minutes later, he pulled open the front door. Without telling me, he had driven to the opposite side of town to search the other Safeway’s cake selection, and after finding no six-layer slices, he then bravely stopped by the newly opened Whole Foods downtown. He jockeyed his way through the indecisive college kids wandering the store, patiently standing in the bakery line to order two gourmet chocolate cupcakes.

After offering him a few bites of each, I finished both cupcakes that night. Two chocolate cupcakes = two layers of chocolate cake, right?
 

 
Once I left that job to blog full-time, fewer days demand a stress-relief slice of six-layer chocolate cake. On the rare occasion my chocolate cravings spiral out of control, I usually bake a pan of my favorite fudgy chocolate brownies instead. And yet… That’s almost just as dangerous. With no self-control around chocolate, I’m always tempted to eat all 16 by myself, especially the four fudgiest ones in the center!

Because those brownies also require lots of cooling time, I decided to create a quicker recipe—preferably ready in under 10 minutes—with only one serving, making it impossible for me to overeat. And after a weekend of experimenting and rounds of testing, I finally perfected the dessert.
 

 
This Healthy Single-Serving Microwave Brownie packs a huge chocolate punch, full of incredible fudginess and irresistible decadence. Its smooth texture simply melted in my mouth, completely satisfying my dark chocolate cravings. Despite its deeply rich flavor, it’s still a low-fat and low-calorie treat!

You only need 5 ingredients (plus water) to make this easy dessert, and I guarantee you store most of them in your pantry right now! Cocoa powder, whole wheat flour, yogurt, agave, and vanilla. Containing only these few wholesome healthy ingredients, this healthy brownie is clean-eating friendly and completely guilt-free.
 

 
Most single-serving microwave mug cake or mug brownie recipes call for at least a tablespoon of butter and an egg yolk. (That’s around 160 calories and 16 grams of fat alone, not including any other ingredients.) My recipe requires neither, but it’s still just as rich and fudgy because I added a lot more liquid ingredients than dry. More liquid ingredients = moister and fudgier brownies.

Just like my healthy classic fudgy cocoa brownies, this brownie solely depends on cocoa powder for its decadent chocolate flavor. Other recipes require melting chocolate bars or chips, but not this one! That demands too much time for a quick brownie fix, and it also creates another dish to wash—no thank you! But because I added more cocoa powder than flour in this healthy treat, the rich chocolate flavor really shines.
 

 
Similar to my other brownie recipes, you’ll mix the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet ingredients in another, and combine them together before pouring into a ramekin. I do not advise mixing everything in the ramekin. Because this recipe contains very little fat, you’ll need to lightly mist the ramekin with nonstick cooking spray before adding in the batter to prevent the brownie from sticking.
 

 
To create extra fudgy brownies, I always bake them low and slow in the oven, so I applied a similar technique to the microwave. Cook the brownie batter at 40% power (low) for 2 minutes 15 seconds (slow-ish) to ensure it stays dense and moist. Do not microwave it on HIGH like with other mug recipes! The edges will overcook while the center stays raw.

If the center still looks slightly underdone after microwaving, that’s okay! It will continue to cook through as it cools, resulting in a perfectly fudgy brownie. (And even if it doesn’t, it’s still safe because it has no eggs, so you can’t get salmonella!)
 

 
Look at that gorgeous fudginess! After only 5 minutes of measuring, 2+ minutes of cooking, and 3 minutes of cooling, you can savor a decadent Healthy Single-Serving Microwave Brownie too. That’s just 10 minutes to make a sinfully rich, secretly skinny dessert!
 

 
Ready to make your own? And when you do, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy single-serving brownie!

Healthy Single-Serving Microwave Brownie

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 1 brownie

This brownie is so rich and fudgy! It’ll satisfy any decadent dark chocolate cravings in a heartbeat. If preparing more than one, microwave the ramekins individually.

4.95 from 18 votes

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Ingredients 

• 2 tbsp (10g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
• 1 ½ tbsp (11g) whole wheat flour or gluten free* flour (measured like this)
• 2 tbsp (30mL) water
• 1 tbsp (15g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 2 tsp agave
• ⅛ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

• Lightly coat a 1-cup ramekin with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa and flour. In a separate bowl, stir together the water, yogurt, agave, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients into the wet, stirring just until incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the prepared ramekin, gently shaking back and forth until the top is smooth. Microwave at 40% POWER for 2 minutes and 15 seconds (2:15). Let the brownie sit for at least 3 minutes before eating.

Notes

IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s very important to measure the flour and cocoa powder correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That's the one I own and love!) Too much of either will make the brownie dry, and too much cocoa powder will make the brownie taste bitter. If your batter is too dry, add additional water (or any type of milk) ½ teaspoon at a time until the batter resembles the texture of thick muffin batter.

 

IMPORTANT MICROWAVE NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s very important to microwave the brownie on 40% power. This is set differently depending on the brand of microwave that you own. If microwaved on HIGH (full power) for a shorter time, the brownie will be gummy, and the top may be overdone while the insides stay raw.

 

Microwave times may vary, depending on the wattage of your microwave oven. I used a 1000-watt microwave. If using a 1100-watt microwave, I recommend using 20-30% power instead. The brownie will take longer to cook at 20-30% power. (I’m not sure how long since I don’t own one!)

 

Although the brownie may not appear to be full cooked after 2 minutes and 15 seconds, it will continue to bake through while it sits for the final 3 minutes.

 

FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the whole wheat flour. Oat flour (gluten free, if needed) may also be substituted, but be extra careful when measuring it because it tends to be more absorbent than wheat-based flours.

 

COCOA POWER NOTE: For the best flavor and texture, use regular unsweetened cocoa powder. I don’t recommend substituting Dutched or special dark cocoa powder. They have a different acidity level, which can affect the texture, and they also taste muted and bland compared to regular unsweetened cocoa powder when used in this recipe.

 

GREEK YOGURT ALTERNATIVES: Regular (non-Greek!) yogurt or non-dairy yogurt may be substituted for the Greek yogurt.

 

SWEETENER ALTERNATIVES: Pure maple syrup or honey may be substituted for the agave.

 

GLUTEN FREE OPTION: Substitute certified gluten free oat flour for the whole wheat flour. (Be extra careful when measuring it because it tends to be a bit more absorbent than wheat-based flour!) Many store-bought gluten free flour blends (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) should also work, if measured like this.

 

DAIRY FREE + VEGAN OPTION: Substitute non-dairy yogurt (ie soy-based, almond-based, etc) for the Greek yogurt.

 

ALTERNATIVE CONVENTIONAL BAKING METHOD: Bake in a conventional oven at 300°F for about 10 minutes. The center should still look slightly glossy and underdone, but it will continue to cook through as it cools.

 

{clean eating, egg free, low fat, low calorie, higher protein, gluten free option, dairy free option, vegan option}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  Healthy Single Serving Chocolate Mug Cake
♡  Healthy Single Serving Chocolate Chip Mug Cake
♡  Healthy Single Serving Snickerdoodle Mug Cake
♡  Healthy Single Serving Peanut Butter Mug Cake
♡  The Ultimate Healthy Flourless Chocolate Cake
♡  The Ultimate Healthy Chocolate Cupcakes
♡  Healthy One-Bowl Fudgy Chocolate Chip Brownies
♡  …and the rest of Amy’s healthy mug cake recipes and healthy brownie recipes!