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Moist, rich, fudgy Gluten-Free Mug Brownie made with only 4 ingredients! This basic brownie recipe takes less than 5 minutes to make, and is an incredible vegan single-serve dessert. No eggs, dairy, baking powder, or baking soda required!
One evening, I had a massive craving for a rich, moist gooey brownie and was
1.) too anxious to wait an entire 40 to 50 minutes to bake a whole batch, and
2.) not interested in the mental and physical aftermath of eating half a 9” x 9” pan of brownies, because I could tell this was one of those moments I had zero ability to moderate.
SO I googled “mug brownie” and found Simply Recipe’s Brownie in a Mug.
And what happened next was beautiful.
I tweaked the recipe to make it gluten-free, refined sugar-free and guaranteed to be fudgy AF (i.e. I added more oil), and what resulted was the most glorious, sexy little brownie I’ve ever laid mouth on.
And I’ve made it multiple times since.
You only need 4 basic ingredients to make this mug brownie!
Ingredients for a Gluten-Free Mug Brownie:
Gluten-free flour blend: I recommend Bob’s Red Mill’s 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour or King Arthur’s Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour Blend. These will yield a nice and fluffy brownie with that chewy interior and crispy top and sides.
Cocoa powder: Use an unsweetened cocoa powder or raw cacao powder (I use raw cacao powder).
Coconut sugar: Lower on the glycemic index than cane sugar, coconut sugar has a nice caramel flavor and can be used as a 1:1 replacement for cane sugar. I love that it is less refined
Avocado oil: The moist, fudgy quality of this brownie comes from the fat content. You can use canola oil, coconut oil, or melted butter. You can also reduce the fat to 2 tablespoons (and add an extra tablespoon of water)
You will also add sea salt and water, but we won’t count those as actual ingredients 😉
Optional add-ins are ground cinnamon and pure vanilla extract. They certainly aren’t mandatory, but they add a nice little je ne sais quois to the adventure.
When all is said and done, this single-serve brownie recipe is dairy-free, refined sugar-free, gluten-free, and requires no eggs, baking soda or baking powder.
Here’s how to do it. Ready? It’s the least complicated thing you’ll do all day.
How to Make a Gluten-Free Mug Brownie:
Add the gluten-free flour, coconut sugar, cocoa powder and a pinch of sea salt to a microwave-safe mug and stir well to combine (note: you can also add a pinch of cinnamon and/or instant coffee granules here if desired).
Add the avocado oil and water and stir well until combined. Note: you can add ⅛ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract here if you’d like.
Microwave on high for 40 to 50 seconds, until the center has barely set up but still appears moist.
Add a scoop of ice cream and slip into the most amazing chocolatey bliss you’ve experienced. Savor every bite, meow!
I will warn you, this mug brownie is completely addictive. To the extent that when I was photographing it, I initially told myself I would save it for my partner, which turned into oh, I’ll just eat one bite, which turned into me eating the whole thing, save 1 bite for my partner.
So what I’m trying to say is, proceed with caution if caution is in your wheelhouse.
How to Bake a Mug Brownie in the Oven:
If you don’t own or use a microwave, no big deal! Simply bake at 350 degrees F for 12 to 18 minutes (depending on your preferred level of doneness). I recommend placing the mug on a baking sheet to keep it stable 🙂
But really, have your way with this thing. Life is too short to not.
More Single-Serve Dessert Recipes:
- Healthy Cinnamon Roll in a Mug
- Paleo Vanilla Mug Cake
- Paleo Banana Bread Mug Cake
- Paleo Chocolate Mug Cake
- Matcha Mug Cake (Gluten-Free)
- Banana Blended Baked Oats
My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!
If you make this recipe, please feel free to share a photo and tag me at @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!
Gluten-Free Mug Brownie
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 3 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 3 Tbsp avocado oil, or melted coconut oil
- 3 Tbsp water
Optional Additions:
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp chocolate chips
Instructions
- Add the gluten-free flour, coconut sugar, cocoa powder and a pinch of sea salt to a microwave-safe mug and stir well to combine (note: you can also add a pinch of cinnamon and/or instant coffee granules here if desired).
- Add the avocado oil and water and stir well until combined. Note: you can add ⅛ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract here if you’d like.
- Microwave on high for 40 to 50 seconds, until the center has barely set up but still appears moist.
- Add a scoop of ice cream and slip into the most amazing chocolatey bliss you’ve experienced. Savor every bite, meow!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
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This was nice and fudgy. I did reduce the sugar a bit, added in the cinnamon and vanilla.
Now the portion is huge, I’d say this can serve 2 so I’d probably cut it in half next time. My husband doesn’t like chocolate (red flag, I know), so I have no one to share it with.
LOL re: red flag 😉 I’m thrilled you enjoy the mug brownie, and I fully support making a smaller version. Just remember to microwave it for less time so that it doesn’t overcook! Thanks so much for swinging back around to share your feedback!
4 ingredients ?
Made with Bobs Red Mill GF 1-1, regular sugar, cacao powder, and added in the vanilla and Trader Joe’s DF chocolate chips. It’s the best mug cake/brownie that we’ve had so far!
With GF baking… flour and sugar types can really matter. We will still try it exactly as written but this is already the best we’ve had.
Aww I love hearing that, Lauren! Thanks so much for the sweet note! I do have a recipe for a full batch of gluten-free brownies if you’re interested – https://www.theroastedroot.net/the-best-gluten-free-brownies/ I’m absolutely obsessed with them!
I was very skeptical when I saw the texture of the final mixture, but trusted the process and it’s actually soooo good. I added some chocolate chunks and it really added so much to it, loved the melty goodness of the warm chocolate.
I’m happy you had faith in the process and that the brownie turned out well for you! Thanks so much for the sweet note, Hannah!
This recipe works with an allulose-monkfruit blend for the sugar; I just tried it! Divine!
Sounds marvelous! Thank you for sharing, Teresa! xo
So good! I halfed the sugar and was still sweet with the vanilla! Will be saving this
Love that, Ciara! This is super helpful to others who want to make the recipe with less sugar – thanks so much for sharing your feedback! xo
I made this last night when I had a huge craving for something chocolatey and sweet. It did not disappoint!! I even made another one after lunch today to share with my toddler. I’m sure we’ll being making this many MANY more times haha!
Oops! We’ll *be* making this many more times, not being
I’m so happy you and your toddler enjoy it! Thank you for the sweet note! xoxo
Hi,
It looks amazing! Can I substitute buckwheat flour instead for this recipe?
Hi Hannah!
I’ve never tested the recipe using buckwheat flour, but I imagine it will work! I’m not sure if it has the same absorbency as GF AP flour, so you may need to use slightly more flour to get it to the right consistency. Either way, it should be delicious 🙂 Enjoy! xoxox
Omg I am burning my mouth it is so good I cannot stop! I used Pamela’s GF baking and pancake mix and dark chocolate cocoa powder. It’s so light and airy yet powerful brownie flavor. Wow.
Yeees! I’m so happy you like it! This is one of my favorite dessert recipes 😉 xoxo
Could you possibly make this recipe with almond flour? I’m new to the trying to eat healthy while skipping flour and sugar in my diet thing. Also, I wish that you included nutritional information.
Hi Patricia!
I haven’t tested the mug brownie recipe using almond flour yet, but I’m betting it will work great! My recommendation would be try try 3 Tbsp almond flour + 1 Tbsp tapioca flour – the tapioca flour will help bind everything together. Let me know how it turns out!
As an alternative, you can try my Paleo Chocolate Mug Cake Enjoy! xo
I hate when people ask if you can substitute ingredients but I’m going to swallow and be one of those people for a second. Forgive me. Is there any Paleo friendly flour I might use? That’s all. K. Now I’m done. They look absolutely delicious!!!!
LOL no worries at all, Kathy! So I haven’t tested this recipe with any other flour yet, but I’m willing to bet it will work with either Bob’s Red Mill’s Paleo Baking Flour or King Arthur’s Paleo Baking Flour without having to make any other changes to the recipe. Now if you’re fine with a cake-like texture and you eat eggs, you can make my Paleo Chocolate Mug Cake, which uses almond flour. Hope this helps!! If you make it using a Paleo Baking Flour, let me know pleeeeease!! xoxoxo
@Kathy, I used coconut flour and it was delicious
I love hearing that! I hadn’t tried it with coconut flour so that’s great to know it works!