My favorite brownie in a mug recipe is perfect for when you are craving something sweet and chocolatey, but don’t have the time or patience to bake. It’s super simple and so good!
I’m such a fan of this microwave brownie made in a mug. It’s so much better than I thought it would be. It’s super chocolatey, rich, and fudgy. I love it. As a bonus, it takes about 5 minutes.
For my favorite baked brownies, see my fudgy brownie recipe or these one bowl brownies.
Key Ingredients
- The Mug: Use a microwave-safe coffee mug that holds at least 1 cup of liquid. I recommend using a ceramic mug that’s taller rather than wide, as this helps the brownie rise beautifully (like in our photos).
- Coconut Oil or Butter: I love melted coconut oil, but melted butter works really well. You can even use a fruity olive oil.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is my go-to, but a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend should work in this recipe.
- Cocoa Powder: Use your favorite unsweetened cocoa (natural or Dutch). I like to sift it with the flour to avoid lumps and get a smoother batter.
- Sugar: Brown sugar adds moisture and creates that perfect fudgy texture.
- Liquid: I love using coffee to enhance the chocolate flavor, but water or milk (dairy or non-dairy) works too.
- Egg: Adding an egg provides some structure, but you can omit it for an extra fudgy, dense brownie. If you leave out the egg, you’ll need to increase the liquid (tips are in the recipe).
- Vanilla and Salt: Don’t skip these! They make the brownie taste better.
How to Make a Brownie in a Mug
Making my mug brownie recipe only takes 5 minutes. You can mix everything in the mug itself, but mixing the batter in a bowl is a little better for making sure the batter is well blended.
I take the extra step of sifting my flour and cocoa powder together (it’s optional but removes any lumps in the cocoa). Then, I mix them into the remaining ingredients before pouring the batter into my mug.
When adding the brownie batter to the mug, try not to let the batter drip down the sides. If you do drip, wipe it clean before microwaving.
I cook the brownie in the microwave (without peeking) for 1 minute and 30 seconds. We’ve found any longer dries it out. You may find you need to tweak timing a little since all microwaves and mugs are going to be a little different.
You can serve the brownie immediately and eat straight from the mug (just be careful; it is very hot at first). Or, turn it upside down and place it onto a plate. The mug brownie is best when it’s warm and is absolutely amazing when topped with a bit of salt and ice cream!
Easy Brownie in a Mug
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
This brownie in a mug recipe makes one generous brownie. Adam and I often split one and enjoy it with a big scoop of ice cream. The egg gives the brownie more structure and lift, but leave it out if you prefer a fudgy, super moist brownie. Chocolate chips are optional but delicious.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
2 tablespoons (28g) coconut oil or butter, melted
¼ cup (32g) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (16g) unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup (50g) brown sugar
1 ½ tablespoons coffee or milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
Pinch fine sea salt
1 tablespoon chocolate chips, optional
Directions
1Whisk the melted coconut oil, brown sugar, coffee, egg, vanilla, and a small pinch of salt in a small bowl until blended.
2Sift in the flour and cocoa powder and whisk until combined. Stir in chocolate chips (optional).
3Carefully pour the batter into the mug. Clean any drips around the edges of the mug, then microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds to 1 minute and 45 seconds.
4Serve with a sprinkle of salt on top, if you like. Top with your favorite brownie toppings (ice cream is always a good choice).
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Eggless mug brownie: We enjoy the structure the egg provides, but if you’re looking for a fudgy, more molten brownie or don’t eat eggs, you can eliminate it from the recipe. Instead of an egg, increase the liquid to 4 tablespoons (coffee, water, or milk).
- A note about our microwave: It is a 1000-watt microwave. Consider reducing the cooking time or power setting if you have a more powerful microwave.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
My go to recipe for brownies. I undercook it so its saucy in the middle and I can dip the cooked parts in the gooy centre. For all my lactose free girlys, the coffee in it is legendary.
That sounds amazing, I love that gooey-center trick! The saucy middle really does make it feel extra indulgent. And yes, the coffee is such a game-changer for flavor. Thanks for sharing your lactose-free tip!
Its pretty good, but i had to put it in for an extra minute because it didnt seem to be properly cooked. its more like a pudding? Very moist. But tastes real good.
Hi Abbi, Thanks for trying it! It’s definitely on the fudgier side so that extra minute makes sense if your microwave runs cooler. Glad you enjoyed the flavor!
The best I’ve ever had! I left out the egg and went with the 4 tablespoons milk. I added a bit less sugar (my preference) and it was PERFECT. I added a dollop of ice cream and shared the brownie with my husband.
We are thrilled you loved it 🙂
I have tried microwave brownies for years. This is the best one. I added finely chopped pecans and it is yummy! My microwave is 1200W and I live at 5000 ft. I used a large FiestaWare mug and it is the perfect size.
Hi Caitlin, Let us know how you like the version without egg. Leaving it out does make the brownie a little more fudgy, so you might enjoy it a bit better! Happy cooking.
I made a few modifications to the recipe, namely adding peanut butter and I . I did the exact recipe. Didn’t have brown sugar or eggs or coconut oil. I added extra vanilla extract, an extra 1/2 tablespoon of milk, 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and it was amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
This was so perfect for my late-night brownie craving! I like fudge brownies so I opted to go egg-free, and even though I totally missed the part where I was supposed to add extra liquid this mug brownie did not disappoint. It was fudgy, chewy and a bit underdone and gooey in the middle which was oh-so satisfying. Thank you for this recipe, it’s definitely one I will make again.
Recipe looks delicious. Would this work with whole wheat pastry or oat flour??? Thanks so much.
Hi Kali, Whole wheat pastry flour should work without any issues. I’m not 100% sure about the oat flour, though. In my experience, oat flour makes baked goods extra moist/tender so you might find that it’s a great alternative. I’d just need to test it out myself before being able to answer the question fully. If you do try it, let us know how it goes 🙂
Me and my mom were just looking for an easy chocolate recipe.we tried this and it turned out to be absolutely amazing!Thank you Adam and Joanne!
Used the eggless recipe for the more fudgey brownie and it was absolutely delicious!!
Just wondering, I only have self-raising flour, no all-purpose/plain flour, will the recipe still work (just rise more?)
Hi Jane, We’ve never tried self-raising flour in place of the all-purpose. You can try it, but yes, I’d expect that the brownie might rise a little more and be more cake-like in texture.
I made this but substituted ingredients to make healthier. It was delicious. I use quest protein powder,coconut sugar, egg whites,almond milk,vanilla & cocoa powder. I left out the oil or butter. Loved it. Next time I will add more liquids. I tried this with coffee it also was great.
This was amazing:)
one of the best “mug” desserts ive ever found! followed the advice of not using the egg, definitely made it so much fudgier! i also have (annoyingly) bland cocoa powder so i chopped up like, a tiny bit of baking chocolate, just one square, and melted it with the coconut oil, and it really made it perfect! thanks for sharing!
This was absolutely delightful!!! I took the advise of sifting, I used an egg, and just kind of eye balled all the other ingredients to your measurements. HOLY COW! I could eat this every day– wishing I had a scoop of vanilla ice cream on hand though… next time!
I truly love it. I made it just a few moments ago as a quick after dinner dessert and it turned out amazing!, I expected it to be like the other mug cakes I’ve tried but this one is truly one to remember. It was soft and flavourful. I substituted for a non-egg version as we don’t eat egg and added extra milk (instead of coffee) which I think made it softer. I definitely recommend this to anyone especially because this is better than all real brownie attempts I’ve made due to its ease. In fact, I’m going to make this as a surprise for my brother tomorrow.
I made it it was rich and lovely. Will definitely make it again soon.
This is amazing dessert quick and easy to make. Thank you for sharing this brownie in a mug recipe with us.
It WAS SWAGALIOUS
Delicious! I microwaved this for 80 seconds. My microwave is kind of weird though. The top of the brownie was cooked perfectly, but there was still raw batter at the bottom of the mug. Next time I will try a skinnier mug. Five stars!
Wow, I’m pregnant and this was just what I was craving last night. For a microwave brownie, it was perfect. Like a cross between a brownie and a molten chocolate cake. I only made few substitutions. Milk instead of coffee. And honey instead of brown sugar. I halved the honey (because it usually tastes sweeter than sugar) and it was still more than sweet enough. I also used whole wheat flour but the texture was perfect- probably since I had extra moisture from the honey.I made two, one for me and one for my husband but next time we will share. I probably shouldn’t have eaten the whole thing myself!Five stars!
I did the fudgy version of this (eliminating the egg) and its soooooo good in the matter of fact Im eating it right now
Thankyou very much for sharing this
Hi Jenny, We really do prefer to mix separately and then add to the mug (I know, I know .. I wish it all came together in the mug, too). Mug cakes can be tricky — just a few seconds of overcooking and it starts to go downhill. Lots of our readers have had success with removing the egg (we share how in the notes section of the recipe). This makes softer brownie. Hope that helps!
I made this tonight but I didn’t have any eggs 🙁 So I ended up adding a tablespoon more of coffee so the mixture wasn’t so dry. It was amazing and I’m pretty sure the added coffee gave it a richer taste ??
The best mug cake I’ve ever tried!!!! So happy to find your channel <3 I try to make my first mug cake without changing the recipe and it did turn great! The today is the second time (too addicted…lol) I used a regular wheat flour and no egg. I added more milk to (about a teaspoon) so the batter would be more easy to mix and smooth. It turned so great!! Very delicious recipe!! Thank you!
I loved it. I made it with rye flour, no eggs, added a bit of honey, and it came out great. I will try it with flaxseed meal and see how it will turn out!
Thanks for this great recipe, super easy and very quick to cook it. ?❤️
Please let us know how the flaxseed version worked out…
Yummiest
Best mug brownie recipe I have tried by far! I didn’t add an egg instead I used 4 tbsp of milk for the liquid and it came out so moist and gooey!
I tried the version with eggs and I was quite disappointed. It came out with a rubbery texture and lacked the “fudginess” that I like. But I got the idea of cooking it an extra 30 seconds and I added frosting on top making a decadent chocolate cake…10/10 recommend this cake that I had made, but maybe not the brownies.
Delicious! I wanted something quick and a small portion so I’m not tempted to eat it tomorrow. Made this – super quick! Topped with whipped cream and a drizzle of butterscotch, chocolate sauce, and a dash of sea salt. Whoa! Awesome guys!
This was delicious! Made the eggless version. Came out gooey and delicious! Thanks for the recipe!!!
This tasted great but lacked that uwey gewey texture
Hi Matt, getting a texture similar to regular baked brownies is tough. We have found that removing the egg from our mug brownie recipe, it makes a fudgier brownie than with it. Next time, eliminate the egg from the recipe to see if that gets closer to a texture you are happy with. Hope that helps!
Hi Megan, So sorry the brownie didn’t work as expected.
Hi, was excited to try however mine didn’t even rise to halfway up my mug….
Kimberly, It’s possible the mug was larger than what we used. Also, the brownie does eventually fall once you take it out of the microwave.
Which microwave mode is best for baking brownie in a mug and do we need to preheat it?
You do not need to preheat the mug/microwave. We do not choose a specific setting for the microwave.
I tried but mine came out really dry , guess its coz i used normal cooking oil :/