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Gluten-Free Mug Brownie

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!

Gluten-Free Mug Brownie with coconut sugar - a single-serve brownie recipe made in the microwave

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.

Gluten-Free Mug Brownie with coconut sugar - a single-serve brownie recipe made in the microwave

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.

Gluten-Free Mug Brownie with coconut sugar - a single-serve brownie recipe made in the microwave

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).

How to make a single-serve gluten-free brownie in a mug
How to make a gluten-free, refined sugar free vegan single serve brownie in a mug

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.

How to make brownie in a mug - gluten-free refined sugar-free, dairy-free, vegan
How to make brownie in a mug - gluten-free refined sugar-free, dairy-free, vegan

Microwave on high for 40 to 50 seconds, until the center has barely set up but still appears moist.

How to make brownie in a mug - gluten-free refined sugar-free, dairy-free, vegan

Add a scoop of ice cream and slip into the most amazing chocolatey bliss you’ve experienced. Savor every bite, meow!

Dairy-Free Vegan Gluten-Free Mug Brownie - a single-serve dessert recipe requiring only 4 ingredients

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.

Mug Brownie - no eggs, dairy, baking soda, baking powder, or dairy.

So what I’m trying to say is, proceed with caution if caution is in your wheelhouse.

Gluten-Free Vegan Mug Brownie made refined sugar-free and dairy-free in 5 minutes using 4 ingredients

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:

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!

Top down close up photo of a mug brownie with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

Gluten-Free Mug Brownie

Yield: 1 mug brownie
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 1 minute
Total Time: 4 minutes

4-ingredient vegan gluten-free mug brownie requiring less than 5 minutes to make!

Ingredients

Optional Additions:

Instructions

  1. 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).

flour, cocoa powder, sea salt and cinnamon in a mug.

2. 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.

Hand stirring the wet ingredients into the brownie mix.

3. Microwave on high for 40 to 50 seconds, until the center has barely set up but still appears moist.

4. Add a scoop of ice cream and slip into the most amazing chocolatey bliss you’ve experienced. Savor every bite, meow!

Horizontal image of a mug of brownie and ice cream sitting on a wooden table.

Nutrition Information
Yield 1 Serving Size 1 mug brownie
Amount Per Serving Calories 622Total Fat 41gUnsaturated Fat 0gCarbohydrates 72gFiber 6gSugar 60gProtein 3g

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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!

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Jenny

Friday 22nd of October 2021

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!

Julia

Sunday 24th of October 2021

I'm so happy you and your toddler enjoy it! Thank you for the sweet note! xoxo

Jenny

Friday 22nd of October 2021

Oops! We’ll *be* making this many more times, not being

Hannah

Friday 25th of June 2021

Hi,

It looks amazing! Can I substitute buckwheat flour instead for this recipe?

Julia

Friday 25th of June 2021

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

Michetti

Monday 1st of March 2021

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.

Julia

Monday 1st of March 2021

Yeees! I'm so happy you like it! This is one of my favorite dessert recipes ;) xoxo

Patricia K Yulo

Saturday 7th of November 2020

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.

Julia

Saturday 7th of November 2020

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

Kathy

Thursday 14th of May 2020

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!!!!

Julia

Friday 15th of May 2020

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

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