Easy 3 ingredient protein powder mug cake recipe in the microwave! This protein mug cake with no flour and no banana is a simple, protein-packed dessert or post-workout snack that’s ready in 2 minutes!
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And for more goodies, try my Protein Baked Oats for One, my Vegan Pumpkin Smoothie, and my 40 Biscoff Recipes You Need to Try!
3 Ingredient Protein Powder Mug Cake - Microwave Recipe
You'll only need three ingredients for this easy protein mug cake: no flour and no banana, only protein powder, egg, and baking powder! That's all you'll need! It's like a higher protein version of my Hot Chocolate Mug Cake, and it's even easier than my Apple Mug Cake recipe! If you like, you can add in a few optional ingredients to boost the sweetness and chocolatey goodness.
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Can I have a protein shake for dessert?
This 3 ingredient protein powder mug cake is the best of both worlds! It gives you all the protein of a shake or smoothie, but with a light cake texture that you'll love! Because it's mostly protein, it's definitely got a denser, spongier texture than most cakes, but it's still such a delicious indulgence that you can feel great about!
Protein Mug Cake Ingredients
See below in the recipe card for the full ingredients and quantities, but here's a look at the basic ingredients you'll need:
- protein powder - use your favorite brand of protein powder for this recipe -- any flavor you like! I used chocolate protein powder. It's important to pick a protein powder that has a flavor that you enjoy, since it's the main ingredient in this easy protein mug cake!
- egg - we'll add a large egg to give this protein mug cake more richness and a bit of a lift. Your egg should ideally be room temperature before adding it in to this healthy mug cake recipe.
- baking powder - helps to provide a bit more lift to our mug cake!
- water - add in a few splashes of water (or unsweetened almond milk, oat milk, or other non-dairy milk) to thin out the batter.
- sweetener - this is optional, but you can add in a bit of sweetener to taste. It can be white sugar, maple syrup, coconut sugar, or any no calorie sweetener you like!
- cocoa powder - optional, to feed your chocolate cravings and add a more fluffy texture. And for an even more chocolatey treat, try my Mini Chocolate Cake, my Chocolate Blueberry Cake, or my Pinecone Brownie Recipe!
- vanilla extract - optional, to deepen the vanilla flavor in this delicious mug cake!
Equipment
This recipe is incredibly simple, so you won't need a lot of special tools to make this protein mug cake: microwave-safe mug or ramekin to make sure the cake will fit after it rises in the microwave.
I also like to use a mini whisk to help whip up the batter. But if you don't have one a fork will do just fine. If you like, you can mix the batter in a mixing bowl, but I usually just whip it all up directly in the mug.
How do you bake with protein powder?
This three ingredient protein mug cake is as easy as mixing in the mug and popping in the microwave! Here are the steps for this recipe:
Whisk together dry ingredients in your mug.
Stir in egg until smooth.
Add water to thin out to consistency of wet batter.
Microwave, then add chocolate chips if you like and enjoy warm!
Hint: Watch your mug cake as it cooks in the microwave, checking it after 30 seconds so that it doesn't overcook and create a rubbery texture!
Variations
This three ingredient protein mug cake recipe is so easy to switch up according to your preference!
- Change the flavor - use any flavor of protein powder you like to give this easy protein mug cake a vanilla, caramel, strawberry, or cinnamon flavor!
- Add ins - add semisweet or white chocolate chips, fresh or freeze-dried berries, or a dollop of peanut butter!
- À la Mode - add vanilla ice cream or my Amarena Cherry Chocolate Sauce on top to really feed your sweet tooth!
- Birthday Cake - use vanilla protein powder and add sprinkles and whipped cream.
See my Mango Kale Smoothie with Collagen for another high protein sweet treat full of fruit flavors, or try this Ninja Creami Protein Ice Cream for another easy high-protein recipe!
Storage
You most likely won't need to store this single serving dessert, but you can store it in the mug in the fridge, covered tightly with plastic wrap.
Frequently Asked Questions
In this mug cake, we're substituting water for milk to thin out the consistency of the batter. You can also use any dairy milk or plant milk that you like!
This three ingredient protein mug cake recipe has 197 calories and 4 net carbs per serving, excluding any toppings or add-ins. See the recipe card below for full nutritional information.
Top tip
Be sure to use a protein powder that has a flavor you love! Since this protein powder mug cake is made with just protein powder and a few other ingredients, it makes up most of the flavors in the recipe.
If you try this recipe, I would love it if you could leave a star review rating and comment below! It’s so wonderful hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to share your creations with me by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram!
📖 Recipe
Equipment you may need
- 16 oz mug microwave safe
Ingredients
- 1 scoop protein powder - chocolate, vanilla, or any flavor you like
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder - optional
- 1-2 teaspoon sweetener of your choice - optional; if you want it a bit sweeter
- 1 large egg
- 1-2 tablespoon water - to loosen consistency; you can also use the milk of your choice instead of water
- Toppings of your choice
Instructions
- In a microwave safe mug, whisk together protein powder and baking powder. Stir in cocoa powder and sweetener, if using.1 scoop protein powder, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder, 1-2 teaspoon sweetener of your choice
- Stir in egg until mixture is smooth.1 large egg
- Add water as needed to thin out consistency and stir to combine.1-2 tablespoon water
- Microwave on high for 30-40 seconds, adding time in 5-second increments until top of cake is mostly dry.
- Add toppings and enjoy warm.Toppings of your choice
Video
Nutrition
Last Updated on March 29, 2025 by Chenée Lewis
Linda says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Chenée Lewis says
Great to hear it!
Sherie Otteson says
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Chenée Lewis says
You're welcome! Glad you liked it!
Brendan says
It tried to kill me, it’s so dry. Why did I waste my protein on this?
Dodie Singer says
great protein recipe, yummy
Chenée Lewis says
Thank you Dodie!
Kait says
This was fantastic!! I used 3 tablespoons of egg whites, omitted the cocoa powder for PB Fit. So good! The texture is perfect. Thank you!
Chenée Lewis says
So glad you liked it! And the PB fit added even more protein!
TKP says
Just the recipe I was looking for, thank you! The taste and texture may not be for everyone, but for the health-conscious types, this recipe is an awesome indulgence. Like you indicated, the protein powder we choose makes a big difference - I use the Designer Whey brand that is just mildly sweetened with stevia and it is far less sweet than other brands on the market, so I added another tsp of granulated stevia sugar-substitute to the dry mix and the cake turned out perfect.
Chenée Lewis says
I'm so glad you liked it! And yes -- I've had varying results depending on the flavor of the protein powder.
Tara says
Not bad, I used a chocolate protein powder and added some extra cocoa and coconut sugar and some almond butter powder. After cooking I added 1 tbsp vegan mini chocolate chips. I would definitely make again. It’s nice to try something other than a boring protein shake. Thanks for the recipe
Chenée Lewis says
You're welcome! I'm glad the additions you made worked out too!
sonia says
Thank you so much for uploading this recipe! It works great with my gold standard protein powder! I make it so often, thank you 🙂
Chenée Lewis says
I'm so glad to hear that! 🙂
Alex says
Came out perfect after about a minute in the microwave!
Chenée Lewis says
That's great to hear! Thanks for trying it out!
mary says
What measurement is your scooper of Protein Powder. My 1 scoop is 35g and the mixture is too dry