Low-Carb Keto Chocolate Mug Brownies are a death-by-chocolate decadent dessert for two or three people! These sugar-free chocolate mug cakes are deeply rich dark chocolate, perfect for the chocoholic!
Looking for the ultimate rich, sinfully dark chocolate experience to hijack all your senses?!
These Keto Chocolate Mug Brownies are 3000% just that! They are all things moist, fudgy and perfectly sweet with the richest deep dark chocolate flavor to drive your taste buds mad!
In fact, they are our new household favorite in the way of chocolate treats!
Chocolate is a big deal in my home, so while it took me six times to land on the perfect recipe I wanted to post, the entire process was a dream.
Just imagine the moistest, most dark chocolate fudgy explosion in your mouth, and you’ll have the gist of this recipe. It is essentially where dreams come to thrive.
Fair warning, these Keto Chocolate Mug Brownies are much more involved than the mug desserts I typically post. You do need a few separate bowls (instead of just stirring everything up in a mug), and some chocolate melting is involved. Plus, baking instead of the microwave. I know. Just let me lead you to success 😉
Quick side note: If you’re in the mood for something LIGHTNING quick, go make my Keto Mug Cake or Keto Mug Cookie and come back when you are prepared for something a little more involved.
Don’t worry…While there are extra steps involved, they are crazy easy to make and don’t require baking experience – the work it takes from zero to bliss is well-worth the effort!
Let’s dive in.
Ingredients for Keto Chocolate Mug Brownies:
Baker’s Chocolate: 100% baker’s chocolate is what gives these brownies that sinfully deep dark chocolate taste. Pick up baker’s chocolate from the baking aisle of the grocery store – I use Guittard 100% Baking Chocolate bars, which are nothing but ground up cocoa beans. The little box comes with three 2-ounce chocolate bars…I use all three for these mug brownies 😉
You can use whatever percentage chocolate bars you would like as long as you’re okay with the cakes not being keto. I know some of you will be tempted to use only cocoa powder instead of chocolate bars…I get it…I like keeping things simple, too. TRULY, you get a radically different, far more amazing result when you use the chocolate bars!
Avocado Oil: Used for fat content and to help melt the bakers chocolate, avocado oil helps bring richness to the brownies. You can absolutely use butter if you aren’t dairy-free. I have also tried the recipe using coconut oil and it is very tasty!
Eggs: Eggs not only make the brownies fluff up, but they also add richness and depth of flavor to the brownies. I haven’t tested the recipe without eggs yet, so I’m not sure if this recipe can easily be made vegan.
Almond Flour: Just a touch of almond flour helps bind the ingredients together and gives the brownies that brownie texture.
Cacao Powder: More chocolate? Don’t mind if we do! Cacao powder is used both as a flour and as a way of adding even more chocolate to the brownies. You can also use unsweetened cocoa powder if you don’t have raw cacao powder on hand.
Sugar-Free Sweetener: The sweet portion of these brownies! I only use a few tablespoons of sugar-free granulated sweetener (Truvia, Swerve and Lakanto are my favorites), but you can adjust the amount of sweetener according to your personal taste. My sweets tend to be less sweet, more rich, which is definitely the case with these brownies. If you’re accustomed to very sweet desserts, consider adding an additional 1 to 3 tablespoons of sweetener.
I have made these mug brownies both with sugar-free sweetener and also with raw cane sugar (not keto). I’ll be fully transparent when I say I prefer the version with cane sugar (as does my partner); however, if low-carb is your protocol, these beauties are still amazing when sugar-free!!
Baking powder & Sea Salt: Baking powder is used to leaven the brownies and sea salt brings out all the flavors!
For serving the mug cakes, you can whip up a homemade coconut milk whipped cream (or regular whipped cream), serve with ice cream, a sprinkle of sugar-free confectioners sugar, fresh fruit, etc.
How to Make Keto Chocolate Mug Brownies:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and oil (or spray) two or three mugs or ramekins with cooking oil.
Chop the bakers chocolate and palace it in a microwave-safe mixing bowl with the avocado oil. Swirl the bowl around until the chocolate is well-coated in oil. Microwave for 20-second increments, stirring very well between, until melted (about 50 to 60 seconds total). Be sure to keep a watchful eye on the chocolate, as it can burn if it goes too long in the microwave. You don’t want it to get too hot – just long enough to melt it to a creamy consistency.
Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk well. In a separate bowl, stir together the almond flour, cacao powder, sugar-free sweetener, baking powder, and sea salt.
Pour the beaten eggs into the mixing bowl with the melted chocolate and mix well. The mixture will likely appear grainy. Don’t worry, this is normal. Pour the almond flour mixture into the mixing bowl and stir until well-combined.
Divide the brownie batter among the mugs, then place the mugs on a baking sheet. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 8 to 12 minutes (8 for fudgier, gooier brownies). Note that the brownies will not look done…they will likely have oil pooling around the edges and look kind of funky. Don’t worry, it’s all a part of the process.
Allow the brownies to cool at least 5 minutes before serving. You can run a knife between the brownie and the mug to release it out onto a plate (as seen in the photos above) or serve as is in the mug/ramekin.
Can I Make This Recipe in a Microwave?:
I’m confident you can! I haven’t tested it in the microwave yet because I’ve been so pleased with the oven results. Based on prior experience with mug desserts, I would try microwaving for 1 to 1.5 minutes and go longer if necessary. If you try it, please feel free to report back with your microwave time!
Recipe Adaptations:
- Swap the avocado oil for butter or coconut oil.
- Use hazelnut flour instead of almond flour.
- Use sugar-free brown sugar, regular brown sugar, or cane sugar in place of sugar-free granulated sweetener.
Serve with choice of ice cream, whipped cream, fruit, sugar-free powdered sugar, etc.
The way I see it, these mug brownies are the perfect romantic dessert for two (or three ;). There won’t be a plethora of leftovers around to tempt you, yet it is still fancy enough for a special occasion.
Enjoy!
More Sugar-Free Dessert Recipes:
- Dairy-Free Keto Coffee Cake
- Keto Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Keto Chocolate Pie
- Dairy-Free Low-Carb Cheesecake
- Keto Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 6 ounces 100% chocolate bars, chopped
- 3 Tbsp avocado oil
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 3 Tbsp almond flour
- 1 Tbsp cacao powder
- ⅓ cup sugar-free granulated sweetener
- ½ tsp baking powder
- Pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and oil (or spray) two or three mugs or ramekins with cooking oil.
- Chop the bakers chocolate and place it in a microwave-safe mixing bowl with the avocado oil. Swirl the bowl around until the chocolate is well-coated in oil. Microwave for 20-second increments, stirring very well between, until melted (about 50 to 60 seconds total).
- Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk well. In a separate bowl, stir together the almond flour, cacao powder, sugar-free sweetener, baking powder, and sea salt. Pour the beaten eggs into the mixing bowl with the melted chocolate and mix well. The mixture will likely appear grainy. Don’t worry, this is normal.
- Pour the almond flour mixture into the mixing bowl and stir until well-combined. Divide the brownie batter among the mugs, then place the mugs on a baking sheet. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 8 to 12 minutes (8 for fudgier, gooier brownies). Note that the brownies will not look done...they will have oil around the edges and look kind of funky. Don’t worry, it’s all a part of the process.
- Allow the brownies to cool at least 5 minutes before serving. You can run a knife between the brownie and the mug to release it out onto a plate (as seen in the photos) or serve as is. Serve with choice of ice cream, whipped cream, fruit, sugar-free powdered sugar, etc.
Nutrition
Jeanne
Sunday 31st of January 2021
I follow and love your recipes, Julia! So anxious to try these brownies. <3 I read through the nutritional information and am just curious about where the 18g of carbohydrates are coming from. It seems high to me compared to some of your other chocolate goodies. Thank you for sharing your recipes!
Jeanne
Monday 1st of February 2021
Giving this recipe 10 Stars! Julia, I made these for dessert and served them warm. Honestly, they've got to rate a step above lava cakes! So creamy and decadent. I baked them in ramekins and we couldn't wait a second more, so dove right in. I used Ghiridelli 100% chocolate unsweetened bars. Heavenly! Many thanks for sharing this recipe. It's perfect as is and totally sinful! xoxo
Jeanne
Sunday 31st of January 2021
@Julia, Thank you so much for taking the time to explain how the net carbs work. I’ll definitely make them tomorrow and let you know how they turn out (...as soon as I can get myself down from Cloud 9)!!!
Julia
Sunday 31st of January 2021
Hi Jeanne!
It's all from the chocolate (and a small amount from the almond flour). It's all fiber, so it doesn't technically count toward your carb intake if you go off of the net carb method :D Hope you love these as much as we do!! xoxo