Single serve protein brownies are the perfect dessert or afternoon snack!
Made with bananas, protein powder and ground flax, these protein brownies are not just the perfect sweet pick me up, they are also filling and good for you! Naturally gluten free, dairy free and vegan, these brownies are quickly going to become one of your go-to desserts because they are easy to make and so delicious!
Why you will love these protein brownies
- Who doesn’t love a good brownie! The texture of these brownies are soft and chocolaty, these are not crumbly or cake-like. Personally, I love this texture and I think you will too!
- This single serve dessert has a great balance of carbs, protein, and fat to help you feel full and satisfied. These would be great to help you get through that 3pm afternoon slump or after a workout.
- Portion control! These single serve protein brownies are perfect for me – as I often want something sweet and if I make an entire tray of brownies, I will eat them all in one night! If you are like me, these are the perfect solution!
- You can even make these brownies in the microwave: Have a craving for something sweet and chocolatey right now? Great! Because there are limited ingredients, you can whip them up in 5 minutes from start to finish if you use the microwave!
- Easily double or triple the recipe for the week! You can make these brownies ahead of time for the week during your meal prep! Leftover brownies can be stored right in the ramekins you cook them in, just be sure to cover them with plastic wrap or put them in an airtight container so they don’t dry out.
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Ingredients
- bananas
- chocolate protein powder (vegan)
- ground flax
- water
- hemp hearts (optional)
- coconut oil or almond butter
- coconut sugar (optional)
- cacao nibs
- baking powder
How to make protein brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350F
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas and add the ground flax and water. Mix well
- To the banana and flax mixture, add the chocolate protein powder and stir well until fully incorporated.
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.
- Divide the mixture between two ramekins that have been sprayed with non-stick spray.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 350F
How to make microwave protein brownies
Follow the directions on how to make the brownie batter. Spray down your ramekins and divide the batter.
Instead of placing these in the oven, you will microwave the brownies 1 and a time for 2 minutes.
Once done, carefully remove the ramekins with a oven mitt (the ceramic gets hot). Allow to cool before eating.
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How to serve protein brownies
Naturally sweetened with banana there is no crazy sugar high to come down from or to keep you awake if you happen to indulge in a late night snack.
The best brownie toppings and mix-in’s:
- Add whipped cream or ice cream to the top!
- Break up the brownies and stir them into ice cream (make your own brownie bites ice cream) or stir them into yogurt for a fun way to change things up!
- Add fresh chopped strawberries, cherries, raspberries for a fun fruit topping.
- Top with chocolate chips, roasted coconut flakes or drizzle with nut butter for a super indulgent treat!
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Top tips
- When working with protein powder, the protein you use is important! Vegan protein powder cannot be easily replaced with whey protein. I cannot guarantee this recipe will work out with whey, as the whey can dry out recipes when cooking with it. I would look specifically for a recipe that uses whey for best results!
- Give these brownies time to cool down. I find that when baking with protein powder, the flavor is off and not as good when the brownies are still hot. As the brownies cool off, the flavor improves and when they are fully cooled, they taste the best! Also this will keep you from burning the roof of your mouth!
- Add chocolate chips for a gooey chocolate brownie! Take these brownies to the next level by adding some chocolate chips to the batter before baking.
Protein brownies common questions
How to make these without protein powder
If you would like to make these brownies and omit the protein, use the recipe for Single Serve Brownies with Strawberries instead and omit the strawberries. It does not use protein powder but is also single serve and can be made in the oven or microwave.
I tried to swap the protein powder for gluten free flour and the recipe came out like chocolate cake instead of a brownie. If you think chocolate cake sounds great, you can use 1/3 cup of gluten free flour for every scoop of protein powder.
What is the best protein powder for baking
I used Nuzest, which is a vegan plant based protein powder. This has become my go to since I found out that other vegan plant based proteins were testing high on heavy metals.
Vegan protein powder has a different consistency and absorbs liquid differently than these other protein powders and because of this is not easy to substitute.
I have not tested this recipe with any other types of protein powder (egg, whey, collagen). If you want to use collagen, I would follow the recipe for these single serve brownies and add 1-2 scoops of collagen to the batter before baking instead.
How to store protein brownies
These can store these brownies in the fridge for about 4 days after baking. They are not easy to get out of the ramekins without breaking up, so I would advise storing them in the ramekins and covering the ramekins in plastic wrap.
You can freeze the brownies for up to 2 months. Again, they are tough to get out of the ramekins without breaking them up. Since they need to be stored in the ramekins and you will probably want your ramekins back before that, I do not recommend freezing them.
Substitutions
- Bananas: You could also use 1/2 cup of applesauce or pumpkin puree. However these will not be as sweet so you may want to also add 1 tablespoon of maple syrup to the batter as well if you use applesauce or pumpkin puree.
- Vegan protein powder: As mentioned above, when I tested this recipe using gluten free flour for the protein powder, it created a cake instead of a brownie. If you want a single serve chocolate cake, use 1/3 cup of gluten free flour in place of each scoop of protein. Otherwise follow this recipe for gluten free single serve brownies instead.
- Ground flax: The flax helps to bind the recipe and acts like an egg. You could also use chia seeds in place of the flax.
- Hemp hearts (optional): Hemp hearts are a great way to add more protein and healthy fats. If you don’t have hemp hearts, you could add chopped pecans, walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds or omit them completely.
- Coconut oil (or almond butter): This helps to add some richness to the brownies and give them that gooey center you are looking for. You could also use tahini, sunflower seed butter, peanut butter or cashew butter in place of the coconut oil or almond butter.
- Coconut sugar: This helps to add a touch of added sweetness and compliments the cacao really well. You could also use brown sugar, maple sugar or maple syrup in place of the coconut sugar or omit it completely.
- Cacao nibs (optional): If you have never tried cacao nibs, they are crushed parts of the dried cacao bean. They are crunchy and add an additional pop of cacao flavor. Note: they are unsweetened and a bit bitter. You could also use chocolate chips or chocolate chunks in place of cacao nibs.
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Single Serve Protein Brownies
These single serve brownies are the perfect dessert or afternoon snack! Gluten free, vegan, packed with protein and so simple to make!
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Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients
- 2 medium bananas, mashed
- 2 servings chocolate vegan protein powder - Nuzest
- 2 tbs ground flax
- 6 tbsp water
- 3 tbsp hemp hearts
- 1 tsp coconut oil or almond butter
- 1/2 tbsp coconut sugar - optional
- 2 tbsp cacao nibs
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas and add the ground flax and water. Mix well
- To the banana and flax mixture, add the chocolate protein powder and stir well until fully incorporated.
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.
- Divide the mixture between two ramekins that have been sprayed with non-stick spray.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 350F
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Calories
386
Fat
17
g
Carbohydrates
36
g
Fiber
7
g
Sugar
16
g
Protein
27
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!
masala girl
Monday 11th of January 2016
these look awesome! i've actually never heard of that protein. how does it compare to other vegan ones you've tried?
Alexus
Thursday 12th of November 2015
can the hemp hearts be omitted?
Sam
Sunday 22nd of November 2015
Yes the hemp hearts can be omitted, they are included to up the protein and the omega-3's!! Enjoy!
Emily @ Sweets and Beets
Tuesday 24th of February 2015
Omg ! Totally making these. I already have all the ingredients!
Sam
Tuesday 24th of February 2015
Yay so glad you found the recipe!! Enjoy them :) they are really good for breakfast too... just sayin :)
Donella Crigger
Tuesday 17th of February 2015
These look absolutely amazing! Thanks for sharing them and your fabulous Red Velvet Oreo Cookies with us at the Get Your Shine on Party!
Sam
Tuesday 17th of February 2015
Donella, thanks so much for hosting!! Can't wait to link up again :)
Julia
Monday 16th of February 2015
These look great, how big is your scoop of protein powder? mine seems huge not sure if I need to do two of them. Thanks
Sam
Monday 16th of February 2015
Hey Julia, my scoops are very large too! I used a scoop that was 38 grams. I hope this helps.