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 Skinny 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 skinny brownie is clean-eating friendly and completely guilt-free.
Most microwave mug cake or mug brownie recipes call for both a tablespoon of butter and an egg yolk. That’s 157 calories and 16 grams of fat alone, not including the other ingredients—and it’s supposed to be a single serving! 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 ultimate healthy 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 skinny treat, the intense 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 lacks 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 Skinny Single-Serving Microwave Brownie too. That’s just 10 minutes to make a sinfully rich, secretly healthy dessert!
Ready to make your own?
And when you do, remember to snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking. I’d love to see your brownie!
| Skinny Single-Serving Microwave Brownie | | Print |
- 2 tbsp (10g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured correctly)
- 1 ½ tbsp (11g) whole wheat flour (measured correctly)
- 2 tbsp (30mL) water
- 1 tbsp (15g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp agave
- ⅛ tsp vanilla extract
- 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.
Regular or non-dairy yogurt may be substituted for the Greek yogurt.
Pure maple syrup or honey may be substituted for the agave.
Although the brownie may not appear to be full cooked, it will continue to bake through while it sits for the final 3 minutes. Even so, there are no eggs in this recipe, so there’s no salmonella to worry about!
Alternative 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, low fat, low calorie}
I know this is supposed to be dark chocolate (and I love that!), but mine turned out super bitter. Any idea why? Or how to make it less bitter?
I just realized I left out the vanilla on accident. Could that be why?
Omitting the vanilla would factor into it! If the brownie was very bitter, there was probably too much cocoa powder in it. Did you measure the cocoa powder as instructed by the link in the Ingredients list?
Hi. First of all thanks for sharing all these easy but gorgeous recipes.
Can I ask if you could give me the amount of the ingredients in grams? Because I think that for this small amount It is better not to try to solve it on myself. I am Italian and cup and tablespoon made me crazy xD
I just updated the recipe to include metric measurements. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the brownie Andrea!
Hi Amy, thank you for sharing your recipes! I’m Shirley from Costa Rica and I just made this brownie. I used granulated Splenda instead of agave, but my brownie was too bitter and didn’t grow at all.
Could I add some baking powder and reduce the amount of chocolate?
Thank you!
Hi Shirley! I really appreciate your interest in my recipe. You’re welcome to add additional Splenda to make the brownie sweeter. However, if the brownie was very bitter, it sounds like there was too much cocoa powder in the batter. It’s also really important to measure the cocoa powder correctly, as instructed by the link in the Ingredients list. You can also substitute a little more flour for some of the cocoa powder. The brownie isn’t supposed to rise at all; that’s what keeps it so rich and fudgy! 🙂
Well, I made this brownie tonight for after dinner dessert. I followed the recipe to the letter. I use a scale to weigh everything so I know my measurements were accurate. 2:15 minutes on 40% power, 3 minutes “rest”. It was rather thin but came out of the ramekin nicely. I wish I could add a pic to show you (I’m not an Instagram user) My only additions were I drizzled a dark chocolate ganache lightly over the top (I made cupcakes yesterday and had a bit left over) and a few pieces of fresh strawberry, because in my book, nothing goes better than strawberries and chocolate. I really wanted to love it, but as another baker said, it was a bit gummy and not at all fudgy. The ganache added some more chocolate flavor. I will not give up, however, I will attempt this again, maybe try to add some melted 56% cocoa in place of the cocoa powder. Nice concept though, just not thrilled with my execution 😉
I appreciate your thorough feedback Cindi! I’d still love to see your picture! You’re welcome to email me or post it on my blog’s Facebook page — whichever is easier for you. 🙂 It could very well be that your microwave cooks things slightly differently, and that’s why your brownie turned out with a gummy texture. If you’d prefer not to melt chocolate (that can get a little messy! 😉 ), you can add ¼ teaspoon of melted butter or coconut oil (or any oil!) to the batter, and that will really help prevent the gummy texture, too. I can’t wait to hear how the next one turns out!
So good!! I’ve only made half so I can have it with my coffee after lunch without having to feel guilty at all!!;)) Thank you Amy!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the brownie!! 🙂
This was super easy to make and turned out delicious. I substituted honey for the agave, used whole wheat pastry flour, and vanilla Greek yogurt just because that’s what I had on hand. The cooking time was perfect. I topped it with a small scoop of vanilla icecream and it was a great treat.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the brownie Jessica! Vanilla ice cream sounds like the perfect addition! 🙂
This recipe looks really good! Can I omit the vanilla and make it in a mug instead? 🙂 I am a total novice so how can you check if it’s done? thanks!
Thank you! You can definitely make it in a mug instead. I don’t recommend omitting the vanilla, if at all possible, because it gives the mug cake a full, rich flavor. (It’ll taste a little flat without it!) The brownie will be done when the edges look set but the center still looks glossy and slightly underdone. It’ll continue to cook through as it cools for those 3 minutes. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of it!
Sadly, much like another person, the brownie turned out gummy. I am unsure if it’s the microwave or the ingredient, either way, it turned out very dark on the top, very gummy even though I used the “soft” setting – and I also tried changing the time…
I might try it a third time but I am a little sad (to be honest, this is my first microwave baking since a few years now).
Also, I forgot to say but it tastes very bitter even though I added honey and vanilla extract.
You can’t taste the sweetness at all.
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Megumi! That does sound really disappointing. I haven’t heard of microwaves with a “soft” setting before, only different power levels. What other settings does your microwave have? And what amount of cooking time did you use the second time you tried the recipe? And how did you measure the cocoa powder? If the mug cake was that bitter where you couldn’t taste the honey, it sounds like there was too much in the batter. Did you use the measuring spoons to scoop the cocoa powder directly from the container? We’ll figure this out so your brownie turns out properly! 🙂
Oh, sorry. I wasn’t thinking straight when I translated it in English. It would be more appropriate to say it was on ‘low’ setting.
Basically, my microwave has these settings: ‘strong’, ‘medium’, ‘low’, ‘frozen’ and ‘simmer’. So, since you said 30 to 40%, I put it on low as medium felt more of a 60% ish setting.
The first time, I kept it on strong and put around 1.30 minute and the second time, I put it on low and checked several time around 1.30 ish, 1.45 ish and 2 ish. The mug just goes up and as soon as I open the door it flattens. Since it’s been forever since I made a mug cake, I felt like it shouldn’t flatten so I kept it going until 2.20.
When I ate it, it was very bitter and in term of texture, it was very gummy; Even when I threw it in the trash, it looked like some kind of jelly-ish chocolate dessert. For cleaning, just basically running hot water in the mug would slowly clean it but the texture won’t quite melt, going as a gooey thing in the sink.
I directly used a scale to be as close as possible to your recipe (it also has a liquid option so I even scaled the liquid – I am crazy but it felt like fun to actually use that option lol)
Also, I forgot to add, the first time, I did use water but the second time I replaced it by milk – (a suggestion by my mom for nutrition, not exactly gonna argue lol)
Would that also play a role in the cooking time?
I am totally spamming here with all my comments ^^; I apologize. But I really want to get it right because this brownie is just sounding so nice in term of ingredients (no egg sounds just awesome) and the fact it’s skinny makes me even happier.
So yes, I lowered the flour to 7 g and kept the rest about the same. The mixture was a lot more easy to whisk and the cooking time, lowered to 2 minutes on “low setting’.
The taste is a little better, more chocolate-y but still a little bitter (should I add more honey?)
For the texture however, it is still a little gummy-ish. At the lowest part, there are even still some liquid. – maybe I need to let it rest more?
The top of the mug is completely dark, even looking like an overbaked cake top. – maybe add a little layer of water on top?
Hopefully, you don’t mind me doing experimenting on your blog…
You don’t need to apologize for the number of comments you’re leaving Megumi!!! It’s actually VERY helpful to me — your descriptions are so useful in determining the sources of the issues you’re having! 🙂
To start, I’d recommend trying the “frozen” setting, rather than low. (Unless you already know that your “frozen” setting is more powerful than low, of course!) I’d also recommend measuring the liquid ingredients by volume, not by weight with your kitchen scale. Even though the scale reads “oz,” that’s for weight-based ounces, which are different than liquid ounces. (That can be very confusing, which is why I always put my weight measurements in grams and my liquid measurements in mL!)
I’d also recommend going back to the original amount of flour, now that you’re measuring the water/milk with measuring spoons instead of by weight. (Milk vs. water won’t make a difference in the cooking time!) The batter should be very thick, similar to muffin batter or “overly wet” cookie dough, rather than thin like traditional cake batters. You should have to spread it into the ramekin with a spatula. If it completely spreads on its own, it’s too thin!
The brownie is actually supposed to rise and fall during the cooking time! That’s normal! It’s due to the reduced power level of the microwave. 🙂 Since you kept cooking it until it flattened, it’s very likely that the brownie was overcooked (and that your “low” power setting is closer to 40-50% power, which would mean you’d need to cook it for less time!). If using the “low” setting, try for no more than 1 minute + 45 seconds. When it’s done cooking, the center should still look glossy and slightly underdone. (It shouldn’t look dark or overbaked!) It’ll continue to cook through while you let the brownie rest for 3 minutes.
Does all of that make sense? 🙂
Okay. So, I got very very very serious at this third try lol (I seriously doubt I ever got so serious about a cake unless it was for a special occasion)
So, I used the measuring spoon for the liquid and so on. I almost took a ramekin instead of a mug – because somehow it felt more serious like this lol and because I happened to have melted coconut oil before in it so it had remains (no need to oil it yay~)
I whisked everything (using a spoon to put a little of the dry stuff in the liquids) and did get a harder structure than my second time. The ‘frozen’ setting (not sure, maybe I should rename it ‘unfreeze’?) does feel less powerful than the low setting after using it.
I put it on 2 minutes at first, unsure as to how powerful it was. It did the job – but a huge part of the center wasn’t cooked (when I tilted it on the side, the liquid center was going to go sideways) and I let it rest.
After the long 3 minutes, it wasn’t done.
I put it back in the microwave for 20 seconds – the center is still liquid and if I tilt it, it moves. I let it rest again. The center still wasn’t looking uncooked.
I repeated it several times ^^;; (four times, maybe?)
Feeling like it might be TOO MUCH, I decided to taste it. When I touched the side, while looking very dark – slightly like it’s close to being overbaked, it felt soft but not hard as in dry. I am slightly worried it might turn out gummy. I used a spoon to taste it, it felt A LOT less the gummy stuff and felt closer to a chocolate mousse (but that might be due to the fact my ramekin is way too big). When I got close to the center, it was STILL liquid – overflowing to fill the hole left by my spoonful of side.
So I decided that maybe the 20 seconds just weren’t making it long enough. I did it against on 30 seconds. It didn’t do any good.
I repeated on 1 minute. >.<;;; – After the resting, it looks like ALMOST cooked. Just feels like a chocolate dip.
I repeated again… And I gave up. The middle shall remain a molten center chocolate dip for the slightly overcooked side. ^^ ;;;
I think I will try it again with low setting next time. And in a mug. (or a smaller ramekin)
(Unless the completely molten center is normal?)
Actually, the side feels a little gummier after all this micro-waving (I think I almost went through 5 to 6 minutes of actual microwave). So before, the cooking might have been just been too long – though I suspect the proportion might have been a little wrong. ( at least, the liquid does look like it was too much?)
My main question would be this: Is the center molten due to the fact my ramekin was way too big? (I am not sure if it is possible, but I really am no expert on the subject of microwave/baking) Or is the unfreeze setting inappropriate?
The molten center is not so bad, actually, since it cancels out the overly bitter side (so I am actually finishing this and the fact that the batter had no egg just makes my day – I really don’t like the taste of raw eggs).
Also, I am wondering if replacing flour by hazelnuts powder (or halving each) a bad idea.
Yes, the recipe is starting to look exactly and taste exactly like yours so I am starting to think of possible improvements to make it even more decadent (for my not-so-fat sisters).
Also, do you think it would be possible to just make a bottle with liquid and one bottle with the dry so you can just mix it up at work later on or would that probably be hard to manage?
You sound just like me when I’m recipe testing Megumi! (And that’s the biggest compliment I can give someone! 😉 ) How much liquid (in tablespoons) can your ramekin hold? That will give us an idea if it’s the correct size! If you have a ramekin that’s wider, that may be helpful in ensuring that the center isn’t molten. The center should be fudgy, not liquid!
Your “frozen” setting sounds slightly lower than my microwave’s 30% power, whereas your “low” setting sounds higher. Let’s stick with the “frozen” setting for now to help avoid overcooking and gummy textures! Try 2 minutes + 45 seconds, without stopping the microwave or checking on it. If the center is still very liquidy, not mostly firm and somewhat glossy, then immediately microwave it for an additional 20-25 seconds.
The other option is to use slightly less liquid. Instead of 2 tablespoons of milk/water, try 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons. If all of the dry ingredients haven’t been incorporated after thoroughly stirring everything together, then slowly add an additional ¼ teaspoon of liquid until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated.
If you’re just trying to make one mug cake at work, then a bottle of liquid and a separate bottle of dry should be fine! 🙂
Haha, thank you. I guess I am getting overboard with my “serious mode” lol. I just thought that giving as much details as possible is important to get a good experience out of it. If I don’t master some recipes perfectly, I don’t think I could try becoming a master microwaving baker, do I? xD (I am somehow having a mind about one day trying a lemon/mint cake maybe).
Either way, new attempt today!
Out of curiosity I used the scale to see how much the quantity you wrote weighted and it didn’t quite turn out the same as you. Your 10 g and 11 g became 12 on my scale, so I guess my first attempt is explained with this lol.
Either way, I don’t have a 5 seconds option so I put it on 2:40 on frozen. The middle was still too liquid so I put 30 seconds again, then on 20 again. The middle isn’t quite cooked but I left it to rest because I didn’t want to overcook.
Even worse, the side of it isn’t completely cooked either. It’s not a complete circle… part of the circle remains as liquid as the center… a sort of incomplete cooked external circle haha.
If I just taste that “external circle” we’re basically back to the gummy bitter thing. Not TOO gummy yet, And that center is completely liquid.
I guess I will try without so much liquid next time. But I fear it might become too hard to whisk.
As for the ramekin, the one I used last time was big enough…. to be my rice bowl. ^^; (I really didn’t want to use teaspoons to test it because it would definitely take forever lol) I used a smaller one I have. It’s about 1 cm smaller in diameter and a lot less tall.
I fear I put too much vanilla by mistake in the brownie, but I really can’t stomach the brownie of this time.
—
This failure was very annoying to me. So I immediately restarted it.
I made the batter this time, as you said, with less liquid, but as expected, it was not enough for the dry to mix with it. I didn’t really wanted to add more milk so I added more yogurt instead – because yeah, it’s less liquid and more liquid at the same time. It was about 1 and a half teaspoon. Then I put it back in the microwave for 2 minutes first – only the edge was a little dark. So I immediately put it back for 40 seconds, without letting it rest at all.
After the 40 seconds, the center was still liquid, so I put it back for 30 seconds on frozen. The middle was still liquid so I touched the edge to check it wouldn’t be gummy like the first time. It went down easily when I pushed so I put it back for 20 seconds.
The center remains liquid after all this….so I let it rest, fearing the overcooking.
After a little, the center’s edge is hardening, when I lightly touched the middle – it follows my finger upward when I take it off, forming a small peak.
After using my spoon for tasting, back to point zero, the center is molten / completely liquid and the edge is overcooked.
I think I will try again with the low setting, because two failures on one night is a little too much for me.
I am ensure if it’s a problem of the microwave or the setting, but I will not falter and shall not rest until I succeed (or I run out of cacao powder).
I’m SO impressed by your determination Megumi!! You’re truly a scientist at heart. 😉 What’s the brand and exact model of your microwave? Do you have a link to it that I could look at? With how many difficulties you’re having — always gummy and overdone around the outside, yet with a liquid middle — that really makes me think it’s the microwave that’s causing the issues, rather than you or your scale! 🙂 Also, would you want to try baking one in the oven? That would also tell us whether the issue is your microwave!
Hi Amy,
I just made your microwave brownie last night. Besides making my house smell amazing, it was delicious, too! However, in the instructions, I believe the grams for 1 T. Greek yogurt should read 15g instead of 8g.
Thank you for an amazing website 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed the brownie Connie! And thanks for catching that typo — all fixed! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you try next!
If you use natural yogurt remember to reduce the liquid slightly to compensate for the water in the yogurt.Also, you can taste the batter since it’s egg-less and adjust the sweetener accordingly.
Thanks for sharing!