During my second quarter of graduate school, I set my alarm for 5:30 am four days each week to squeeze in a short workout and shower before my 8 am class. When it ended, I munched on cereal as a mid-morning snack before heading off to other classes, seminars, teaching two undergraduate Organic Chemistry Lab courses, and grading lab reports.
By the time I arrived home in the evenings, I only had the energy to eat dinner, check emails, and collapse into bed! And I quickly realized that if I wanted to keep my eyes open during those monotonous afternoon seminars, I needed to start drinking caffeine… Thank goodness the Chemistry Department served coffee, tea, and cookies at the start of each one!
But on Fridays, my on-campus obligations ended mid-afternoon, so immediately afterward, I hopped on the bus that stopped a few blocks from my house and pulled open the front door while the sun still shone outside. I often called my mom, knowing she telecommuted on Fridays and ended her work day around the same time, before catching up on my overflowing email inbox.
I usually stayed home on Friday evenings, even though the rest of my first-year graduate class often frequented one of the popular bars in town for drinks and dancing, and settled back into the couch for one of my favorite routines. I turned on the TV to watch that week’s “Top Chef” episode that I had missed due to its mid-week late airtime, all while nibbling on a homemade fudgy brownie. (These were my favorite back then!)
Yet as the stress of the quarter increased during the following weeks, one brownie led to two… Then three… Then maybe a fourth (because they were healthy, after all!). Oops??
When I recently watched a few episodes of “Top Chef,” those Friday night brownie memories came flooding back… But instead of mixing up an entire pan, I opted for this Healthy Single-Serving Mocha Chocolate Chip Mug Cake! It’s just as rich and fudgy as a brownie, but it’s perfectly portioned and contains no butter, eggs, refined flour or sugar… And only 121 calories!
And the 6g+ of protein doesn’t hurt, either! ??
To make this healthier mug cake, you’ll start with white whole wheat flour (or my favorite gluten-free blend!) and cocoa powder. Although it sounds like an oxymoron, white whole wheat flour is actually made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat, whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. This gives white whole wheat flour a lighter taste and texture, similar to all-purpose flour, but it still has the same health benefits as regular whole wheat flour.
As for the second ingredient, just use regular ol’ unsweetened cocoa powder! You’re adding the same amount of cocoa powder as you are flour, so your mug cake will already taste really rich and chocolaty without Dutched or special dark. Just make sure you measure it correctly, using a kitchen scale (← that’s the one I own and love!) or this method, because too much cocoa powder will make your mug cake dry and bitter.
Instead of a full egg and tablespoon or two of butter like traditional recipes (yikes!!), you just need ¼ teaspoon of coconut oil (or butter, if you prefer!) and no eggs! That’s because your healthy mug cake gets the rest of its tender texture from Greek yogurt. It provides the same moisture as extra oil or butter for a fraction of the calories, and it gives your mug cake a protein boost, too!
You’ll skip the granulated sugar and sweeten your mug cake with one of my favorite ingredients: vanilla crème stevia. Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that’s clean eating friendly, and it’s highly concentrated. You just need ½ teaspoon for this entire mug cake! This is the kind I buy because I love its warm vanilla flavor and don’t notice any strange aftertaste like with some other stevia products. You can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, but I always buy mine online here because that’s the cheapest price I’ve found. (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
And now for my special trick to a perfectly tender mug cake… Rather than on high for 1 minute, you’ll microwave it on 30% power for a longer period of time. This method better simulates baking in a traditional oven, so instead of turning out tough or gummy, it turns out tender—and extra fudgy like a brownie, in this recipe!
Ready for dessert? ??? And when you make your own, 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 mug cake and feature it in my Sunday Spotlight series!
| Healthy Single-Serving Mocha Chocolate Chip Mug Cake | Print |
- 2 tbsp (15g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 2 tbsp (10g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- ⅛ tsp baking powder
- 1/16 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted
- 1 tbsp (15g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 5 tsp nonfat milk
- generous ¼ tsp instant coffee crystals
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp vanilla crème stevia, or adjusted to taste
- 1 tsp miniature chocolate chips, divided
- Lightly coat a 1-cup ramekin with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together the butter, Greek yogurt, and milk.* Stir in the instant coffee until fully dissolved. Stir in the vanilla extract and vanilla crème stevia. Gradually mix in the flour mixture, about 1 tablespoon at a time, until just incorporated. Fold in ¾ teaspoon of chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter into the prepared ramekin, and gently press the remaining chocolate chips on top. Microwave on 30% POWER for 2 minutes 45 seconds (2:45). Let the mug cake cool for at least 2 minutes to allow the center to finish cooking through.
Whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.
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 mug cake dry (and too much cocoa powder will make the mug cake taste bitter). If your batter is too dry, add additional milk ½ teaspoon at a time until the batter resembles the texture of thick muffin batter.
Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.
I highly recommend using the vanilla crème stevia! It’s one of my favorite sweeteners, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine too. (I always buy it online here because that’s the cheapest price I’ve found!) Other sweeteners may be substituted in place of the vanilla crème stevia, but you may need to adjust the amount of flour or milk depending on the type of sweetener that you use. You’ll need the equivalent of 2-3 tablespoons of granulated sugar.
As written, this mug cake tastes similar to 72% dark chocolate. For a sweeter taste, increase the amount of vanilla crème stevia by up to an additional ¼ teaspoon.
For a stronger coffee taste, increase the instant coffee to ½ teaspoon. Do not substitute regular coffee grounds because they won’t dissolve and will remain grainy. Do not substitute brewed coffee because its flavor isn’t strong enough.
If the Greek yogurt and milk are cold, they will immediately re-solidify the melted butter or coconut oil. If this happens, microwave on HIGH for 6-8 seconds or until the butter re-melts; then proceed with the rest of the instructions.
It’s VERY important to microwave the mug cake on 30% 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 cake 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.
To bake the mug cake in a regular oven, bake at 350°F until the top feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. I haven’t cooked the mug cake this way myself and can’t guarantee how long it will take, but check for doneness after about 10-12 minutes to start.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, lower sugar, higher protein}
View Nutrition Information
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♥ Fudgy Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies
♥ Fudgy Mocha Brownies with Coffee Drizzle
♥ Mocha Chocolate Chip Scones
♥ Fudgy Peppermint Mocha Cookies
♥ Dark Chocolate Peppermint Mocha Truffles
♥ Healthy Single-Serving Triple Chocolate Mug Cake
♥ Healthy Single-Serving Chocolate Chip Mug Cake
♥ …and the rest of Amy’s healthy mug cakes!
This looks so yummy.
I love making mug cakes as they are so easy for one person! x
Izzy |https://pinchofdelight.wordpress.com
Thanks Izzy! I’m the exact same way when it comes to mug cakes! 🙂
I really like that you’re using stevia in recipes. We are trying to reduce our added sugar consumption, but still like some sweetness. Refuse to use Splenda and the like because of the possible complications and data that’s coming out.
I’d love to hear what you think of this mug cake if you try it Laurie! 🙂 I’d also be interested in seeing that data that’s coming out about Splenda. I haven’t heard of any new scientific studies, and as an ex-chemist, I find that sort of thing fascinating. Would you send any links my way that you come across? Thanks! 🙂
I love how you’ve made a mug cake with greek yogurt and stevia:)
Thanks Maria! I’d love to hear what you think if you try it. 🙂
I liked the recipe, but I had trouble with the consistency. It was kind of gel like? I also wanted to point out that the first time I made this, I missed putting in the cocoa powder because you missed it in the written instructions!
Thanks for catching that bit about the instructions Allyson! All fixed. 🙂 It sounds like your microwave doesn’t cook things the same way mine does. Check to see if it’s the same wattage (that’s included in the Notes section), and if it isn’t, you’ll need to adjust the power level or the baking time to compensate. Alternatively, you can bake it in a regular oven — or a convection-style toaster oven!
Great, I’ll have to try it again! Thanks!
My pleasure, Allyson! 🙂