Single Serve Protein Brownies

Craving something sweet and satisfying? This single serve protein brownie has a rich, fudgy texture (not cakey!) guaranteed to keep you full.

It’s ready in just 5 minutes using the microwave, making it great for an afternoon slump or post-workout snack. Best of all, it’s built-in portion control, no need to worry about eating a whole tray of brownies! Want more? Just double or triple the recipe and store extras right in the ramekin for easy grab-and-go treats.

Ingredients

• Banana – adds sweetness to the brownies (the riper the banana, the sweeter the brownie). You could also use pumpkin puree or applesauce.
• Chocolate protein powder (vegan) – this is what makes the recipe high in protein and also replaces the flour in a traditional brownie recipe.
• Ground flax – when mixed with water, this replaces the egg and helps give the brownies a firmer texture. You could also try ground chia seeds
• Nut butter of choice – I love to change this up, sometimes I use almond butter, other times tahini or peanut butter. If you want an even richer brownie, use coconut oil.
• Coconut sugar (optional) – I really like adding just a little coconut sugar, I find it gives the brownie better texture and adds a touch more sweetness. You could also use brown sugar.
• Cacao nibs or chocolate chips – for that extra chocolate flavor
• Baking powder – this will help the brownies rise just a bit when baking.

How to make protein brownies

Can I make these in the microwave?

Yes, simply microwave the ramekins 1 at a time for 2 minutes. Once done, allow them to coo before eating.

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.

How to serve protein brownies

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!

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.