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Vegan Mug Brownie (Microwave Brownies)

Vegan mug brownie with strawberries are the perfect sweet treat! These easy vegan microwave brownies are super fudgy and rich but simple to make and only have a few ingredients!

You are going to love the chocolate and strawberry combination! These gluten free mug brownies can be made in the microwave or the oven depending on how much time you have!

Strawberry Brownies in a single serving ramekin
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Why you will love these individual brownies

  • An individual brownie is the perfect dessert or afternoon snack! These fudgy, rich brownies are a great snack or dessert and you get the entire brownie to yourself! No need to strategize who gets the end piece or the center, everyone can have their own individual brownie!
  • With only a few ingredients, these gluten free mug brownies are dairy free, grain free, vegan, and don’t require any special equipment to make! Perfect for anytime!
  • Make these single serve gluten free vegan brownies extra special, by serving them with a spoonful of walnut cashew coconut butter or peanut butter on top!
Ingredients for vegan mug brownies.

Ingredients

  • Water + ground flax – This replaces the eggs in traditional brownie recipes.
  • Applesauce – This helps to add moisture and a touch of sweetness to the brownies without overpowering the flavor
  • Maple Syrup – provides sweetness and helps keep the brownies rich and dense.
  • Cacao powder (or cocoa powder) – gives that deep chocolate flavor to the brownies
  • Baking Powder – to help give the brownies some lift during cooking
  • Peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter – this is the key to getting fudgy brownies out of the microwave.
  • Strawberries – optional but so good.
  • Cacao nibs or chocolate chips (optional) – this will take the brownies to the next level!

How to make these easy vegan brownies

Step 1: Start by mixing together the water, ground flax, applesauce, maple syrup and cacao powder. This will take a minute or so to fully combine, just keep mixing.

Step 2: Add the peanut butter to the mixture and stir well until fully combined. This will take 1-2 minutes.

Step 3: Add the chopped strawberries. You can also add in any other mix in’s (cacao nibs, chocolate chips, coconut flakes) you want now as well.

Step 4: Divide the brownie mixture between 2 ramekins. Microwave each brownie for 1:30 on high or bake in a 350F oven for 20 minutes.

Steps to make gluten free mug brownies.

If you love single serving desserts

Even though most of my recipes are packed with really healthy ingredients, I can quickly go overboard with servings, especially when it comes to sweets.  

I love single serving desserts, they help me control my portions while feeling fully satisfied by getting to eat “the whole thing”. I’m not really good at portion control when I’m staring down a plate of brownies.

If you are the same way, you might enjoy some of my other favorite single serve desserts including:

Spoonful of a chocolate brownie with strawberries

Common questions

How to make brownies without eggs

You can use ground flax seeds or chia seeds to help bind and set the batter to make brownies without eggs.

Can you use frozen strawberries

I suggest using fresh strawberries since frozen strawberries are often not as sweet as fresh strawberries and they tend to give off a lot of extra water when cooking.

If you want to use frozen strawberries, make sure they are defrosted first, and you might want to add a small sprinkle of coconut sugar to the strawberries to help sweeten them.

Other fruits that would be good in these brownies

  • Raspberries (fresh or frozen)
  • Sweet cherries (pitted or defrosted from frozen)

What other mix-in’s can you add

Square ramekin filled with a strawberry and chocolate brownie

What kind of ramekins to use

I have made this recipe using coffee mugs, regular bowls, glass ramekins, traditional ceramic ramekins and these fun square ramekins. When using traditional ramekins, the center of these really stays gooey and fudgy. The edges of the square ramekins can overcook in the oven but stay nice and gooey in the microwave. 

How to make a cakey single serve brownie

These gluten free microwave brownies are pretty fudgy and dense. If you love a brownie that has a more cake like flavor, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of gluten free flour to the mix before stirring. This will make the perfect mug cake brownie.

How to store single serve brownies

Fridge: This recipe makes 2 brownies, so if you are by yourself, make both and store the leftover in the fridge for up to 4 days. You will want to cover the ramekin/mug so the brownies don’t dry out.

Freezer: You could freeze these brownies in the ramekins or mugs but that means you won’t have your ramekin/mug for some time. If you are trying to freeze brownies for later, it’s probably best to make a big batch and freeze individual servings.

Substitutions

  • Ground flax + water: You could also use chia seeds for this. The flax replaces a single egg so if you are not vegan/egg free, you could use 1 egg in place of the flax + water.
  • Applesauce: I like using applesauce because it does not overpower the flavor of the brownies. You could also use mashed banana or mashed sweet potato in place of the applesauce. Just note that the banana may add a little banana flavor to the brownies.
  • Maple syrup: This makes the brownies sweet and fudgy. You could also use a low sugar monk fruit based syrup if you are trying to keep your carbs down. Other options are honey or date syrup. I tried this with coconut sugar and the brownies dried out and were crumbly so I don’t recommend that.
  • Cacao powder: I like cacao powder over cocoa powder because the cacao is less bitter. However if cocoa powder is all you have, you can use that in place of the cacao.
  • Baking powder: This is optional but if you have it on hand, it does help the brownies rise a bit while cooking.
  • Peanut butter: What makes these brownies thick and fudgy is the nut butter added. You could use peanut butter, tahini, sunflower seed butter, almond butter or cashew butter in this recipe and they will all work well.
  • Strawberries: Use fresh or frozen, be sure to cut them into small pieces to easily incorporate into the brownies. You could also use raspberries or sweet cherries in place of the strawberries. You can also omit the fruit completely and just make brownies without fruit.

If you love brownies, you should try

★ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
Square ramekin filled with single serve brownie with strawberries

Vegan Mug Brownies

$2.52 Recipe/$1.26 Serving
Gluten free mug brownies are so easy to make – only 7 ingredients and cook for 1:30 in the microwave! These single serve brownies are perfect for snacking or dessert and are so easy to make, all you need is a bowl and a spoon.
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Save Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: gluten free microwave brownie, microwave brownie, single serve vegan brownie, strawberry brownies, vegan mug brownie
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 7 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients

Instructions

  • To a mixing bowl combine the flax, water, applesauce, maple syrup, cacao powder and baking powder. Mix well to combine (1 minute)
  • Add the peanut butter to the mixture and stir well, it will be thick (1-2 minutes).
  • Stir in chopped strawberries.
  • Divide between 2 ramekins that have been sprayed with non-stick spray (avocado oil, olive oil).
  • Microwave each brownie on high for 1:30. Do not microwave them together.
  • Take out of microwave and allow to cool 2-3 minutes (or more) before diving in.

Notes

To make these in the oven: Bake the brownies in individual ramekins at 350F for 20 minutes. 
To make these peanut free, you could also use:
  • Sunflower seed butter
  • Tahini
  • Almond Butter
  • Cashew Butter
What other mix in’s could you add?
  • Chopped nuts
  • Chocolate chips
  • Cacao nibs
  • Toasted coconut flakes
Store leftover brownie in the fridge, covered for up to 4 days. 

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Calories
329
Fat
 
21
g
Carbohydrates
 
34
g
Fiber
 
8
g
Sugar
 
19
g
Protein
 
12
g
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.
DID YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE?Let others know by rating and leaving a comment below!

Recipe Rating




Adriane

Sunday 2nd of April 2023

Thank you for sharing, I love this recipe!!! I've modified it just a little by substituting a chopped apple for the apple sauce 💗💗💗

Brittanie @Simplistically Living

Monday 25th of May 2015

These look so good! Thanks for sharing at the #HomeMattersParty.

Tammy Doiel

Monday 25th of May 2015

These look so yummy! Thank you for linking up to the Bloggers Brags Pinterest Party. I am finally getting around to pinning your post to the Bloggers Brags Pinterest Board.

The Better Baker

Saturday 23rd of May 2015

WOWOWOW!!! I love everything about this delightful recipe...and I want to run to the kitchen to make it NOW. (Trust me..I'm not fighting that urge either!=) SO happy you shared with us at Weekend Potluck...and thanks for the link back at your party page too. Please come back and party with us again soon.

Sam

Monday 25th of May 2015

Oh yay! Strawberries are so sweet right now, perfect timing!!

Jaime

Saturday 23rd of May 2015

This looks delicious! I'm definitely a sweets kind of girl. Anything chocolate is my weakness. Add coffee to it, and we have a dangerous combination!

Sam

Monday 25th of May 2015

Oh yes coffee and chocolate - those are my two weaknesses as well!