Oh my. We’re doomed. My young friends Reilly and Alden just showed me how they make single serving brownies, in a mug, in a microwave. Takes 5 minutes.
We did experiment a bit. Turns out that you really should not use extra virgin olive oil for this recipe, it’s too strongly flavored. A neutral oil or melted butter work best.
A pinch of salt helps make the chocolate more chocolate-y. I’ve added some vanilla and a tiny bit of cinnamon; you could also add a speck of instant coffee to take it up a notch.
The brownie lacks for structure (no egg) but that’s okay because it’s contained by the mug. When it’s done, it’s HOT. Perfect for topping with a little vanilla ice cream or whipping cream.
The trick is getting the cooking time right for your microwave. Every microwave oven model is different.
One 1000 watt microwave we tested cooked these brownies in a mug perfectly at a minute 40 seconds. Our 1650 watt microwave cooked them in 1 min 10 seconds. So you may need to adjust the time to get the brownie to cook properly with your microwave.
Enjoy!
I made a quick little video to show how to make the mug brownie, check it out!
How to make the best mug brownie
Brownie in a Mug Recipe
- Prep time: 3 minutes
- Cook time: 2 minutes
- Yield: Makes one serving
Some mugs don’t microwave well because there is metal in their ceramic glaze. They’ll work but they may get very hot. Best to use a plain old everyday un-fancy mug. A regular 12 to 16 ounce mug will do fine.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup flour (30 g)
- 1/4 cup sugar (50 g)
- 2 Tbsp (13 g) cocoa (natural, unsweetened)
- Pinch of salt
- Tiny pinch of cinnamon
- 1/4 cup water (60 ml)
- 2 Tbsp canola oil, vegetable oil, or melted butter
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 small scoop of ice cream or 1 or 2 teaspoons heavy whipping cream to serve
Method
1 Add the dry ingredients to the mug and stir: Place flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, and cinnamon in a microwave safe ceramic mug. Stir with a fork or spoon to mix well and break up any clumps.
2 Add the wet ingredients and stir: Add the oil, water, and vanilla to the cup and stir until the mixture is smooth and there are no lumps.
3 Zap in microwave: Place in microwave and heat on high until the mixture is cooked through, about a 1 minute and 40 seconds for a 1000 watt microwave, or 1 minute 10 seconds on a 1650 watt microwave.
You may have to experiment and adjust the time for less or more powerful microwaves. If you don’t know the power level on your microwave, start with 60 seconds and increase until the brownie is done. It should still be moist when cooked through, not dry.
4 Top with ice cream! Let cool for a minute and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a teaspoon or two of whipping cream poured over.
