Easy Vanilla Protein Mug Cake

You are going to love this vanilla protein mug cake! This single serving dessert is so delicious and made with protein powder, maple syrup and chocolate chips. It's so easy to make and is ready in less than 5 minutes! It is naturally gluten free, dairy free and high in protein.

Why you will love this recipe:

• It could not be easier to make! This single serving dessert takes less than 5 minutes to make.
• It tastes amazing! The flavours of vanilla and chocolate combine perfectly to give this vanilla mug cake the best taste.
• This is a high protein mug cake because it's made with protein powder and almond flour. It has 21 grams of protein per serving!
• You only need a few simple ingredients to make this homemade mug cake and I bet you already have them in your pantry!
• This healthy dessert is gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free, and paleo and I have included a no egg and vegan option too!
• This protein powder mug cake is made in one dish so the clean up is so simple, fast, and easy.
• It's made with no wheat flour, no banana, no butter, no milk, no powdered sugar, no oil, no baking powder, no baking soda, and no refined sugar. 
• This mug cake is cooked in a microwave so you don't need to heat up your house by turning on the oven, but if you don't have a microwave I have also included oven instructions too!
• You can eat this mug cake for dessert, as a snack or even for breakfast.

Taste and texture:

This healthy mug cake has the perfect cake-like texture and is not mushy or slimy. It has flavours of vanilla and chocolate and is perfectly sweet, but not too sweet.

Key ingredients and substitutions:

• Vanilla protein powder - vanilla protein powder adds a delicious vanilla flavour to this cake and also adds extra protein.
• Almond flour - almond flour is used to give this mug cake even more protein and keep it gluten free. I recommend using almond flour, not almond meal to make this treat as almond meal is too gritty and won't give you that perfect cake like texture. You can usually find almond flour in the organic or gluten free section or grocery stores, and it's also readily available online.
• Chocolate chips - is there any better combination than vanilla and chocolate? I don't think so! I recommend using dark chocolate chips for this mug cake, and if you want to keep it refined sugar free be sure to use chocolate chips or chocolate chunks sweetened with coconut sugar.

What is the best protein powder to use for this mug cake?

I used Nuzest Clean Lean Protein in Vanilla to make this mug cake. It is a plant based protein powder with minimal ingredients which is why I like it, but you can use other types of vanilla protein powder to make this mug cake including pea protein powder, hemp protein powder, casein protein powder and collagen peptides protein powder as well. I just don't recommend using whey protein powder as it tends to absorb more liquid and will make this cake too dry.

How to make:

Step one:

First, place all the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, into a large mug.

Step two:

Then stir the ingredients well until you have a smooth batter.

Step three:

Stir in half of the chocolate chips.

Step four:

Now put the mug in the microwave and heat it on high heat for 70-80 seconds, until the top is firm and the cake is cooked through.

Step five:

Then remove the mug from the microwave and top the cake with the remaining chocolate chips. Let it cool for a few minutes, then enjoy!

To make this mug cake in an oven:

If you don't want to use your microwave, or you don't have one, you can bake this cake in the oven instead. To do so, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then prepare the cake as you would for the microwave instructions, but pour the batter into an oven-safe ramekin instead of a mug. Then bake the cake for 10-14 minutes, or until it is just cooked in the centre. Let it cool for a few minutes, then enjoy!

Tips:

• Use a large, tall mug to make this cake to prevent any mess in your microwave.
• I recommend using full fat coconut milk to make this cake.
• This cake tastes best if you let it cool for a few minutes after cooking it - when you first take it out of the microwave it will be a little more slimy in texture, but if you let it cool for a few minutes it develops that perfect cake-like texture.
• Be sure to stir the batter well so there are no clumps remaining before you cook it.
• Don't overcook this cake - if you cook it too long it will turn out more dry and crumbly rather than moist and fudgy. 

Variations:

• You could add some nuts such as chopped pecans or walnuts to give this mug cake even more texture. 
• If you want to make this mug cake lower in calories, add fewer chocolate chips.
• To keep this mug cake gluten free be sure the protein powder you use is gluten free.
• To make this mug cake dairy free use a dairy free protein power and dairy free chocolate chips.
• To make this mug cake paleo, use a paleo safe protein powder and dairy free, soy free chocolate chips.

To make this mug cake vegan:

To make this mug cake vegan, use a vegan protein powder, vegan chocolate chips, and omit the egg and use extra milk or applesauce instead. I recommend starting with 1 tablespoon of milk or applesauce, and add more only if the batter is too thick. Texture wise, the cake won't rise quite as much without the egg, and it will be a little more moist and gooey than it is when made with an egg.

How to serve:

This mug cake is delicious served as is, but you could also top it with vanilla ice cream, chocolate ice cream, whipped cream, coconut whipped cream, vanilla yogurt, chocolate sauce or even more chocolate chips.

How to store:

This dessert is best served right away but you could cover it and store it in the fridge overnight. I don't recommend trying to freeze mug cake. 

Nutrition info:

One serving of this vanilla mug cake has approximately 604 calories with 57 grams of total carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 54 grams of net carbs, 21 grams of protein and 34 grams of fat. This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free, high in protein and can easily be made paleo and vegan. It is not low carb, low fat, low calorie, sugar free or keto.

Frequently asked questions:

Other recipes you will love:

• 3 ingredient chocolate mug cake
• Coffee cookies
• Chocolate coffee banana bread
• Chocolate almond butter bars
• Dairy free brownies with caramel
• Chocolate almond flour mug cake

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