i have to start out by giving my husband credit for the idea of making mug brownie mix. one night as he was putting together a mug brownie for himself (a process which takes all of 5 minutes, start to eating brownie), he bemoaned that he wished it wasn’t so haaaard to make a mug brownie. after i finished laughing at consoling him, it occurred to me that others might also enjoy the opportunity to cut down the time that elapses between thinking “a brownie sure would be tasty right now” and sinking their spoon into a warm mug brownie.
a few simple tweaks were all it took to turn his standard mug brownie recipe into a ready to use mug brownie mix. since all of the dry ingredients are premixed and combined, all you need to do is melt a little bit of butter, then stir in the mix along with some water and a little bit of vanilla, if you’re feeling fancy. even my husband agreed that this was sufficiently simple.
while this recipe is equally delicious any day of the year (perhaps especially in the summer since it saves you from turning the oven on), since the holidays are here, i couldn’t help but think that mug brownie mix would make a great little holiday gift. you could either put single servings in little bags, tie them with ribbons, and present them in cute holiday mugs or you could make a bigger batch and put it in a cute jar, tied with ribbon or whatever it is that crafty people do.
i got carried away with myself and it wasn’t until i was trying to make some darling little holiday gift tags with the recipe instructions on the back and it wasn’t working that i remembered that i am not terribly crafty and this is why. i quickly abandoned any delusions of posting adorable little printable gift tags* for you and stuck to one of my strengths: taste testing. and i am happy to report much better outcomes in that area.
*people on pinterest who are not me have made some lovely gift tags and i saved a bunch of them to my “resources” board, if you’d like to pick up where i left off, you crafty person you.
ps – you may also enjoy:
chocolate chip cookie in a mug
caramel swirl brownies
chocolate chip cookies
did you make this recipe? i’d love to know what you think of it! leave a comment below and share a picture on instagram with the hashtag #tastyseasons.
mug brownie mix
Save to BigOven 
Ingredients
mug brownie mix
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (i use non-dutch processed)
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 4 tablespoons flour
mug brownie
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon mug brownie mix
- 2 tablespoons water
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
assemble the mug brownie mix
- combine dry mix ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine.
make the mug brownie
- put the butter in a microwave safe mug and microwave until it’s almost melted (about 30 seconds on full power, see notes). when the butter is nearly all melted, remove the mug from the microwave and stir until the rest of the butter melts (this helps prevent the butter from getting too hot and splattering all over the inside of the microwave).
- add the mix, water, and vanilla. stir until just combined.
- microwave until the brownie looks cooked on top in the center but is still gooey around the edges. in our microwave, we’ve settled on 75 seconds at high power. you may need to experiment a little bit to find the best length of time in your microwave (see notes). since there’s no raw egg, it’s really up to you and how gooey you like your brownies.
- let cool for a minute or two (see notes) then enjoy!
Notes
all times listed were tested in our old 900-watt microwave (for reference, that’s a bit less powerful than the recommended minimum of 1,000 watts but better than that terrible microwave in the corner of the kitchen that no one at work even goes near). we now have a new 1,100-watt microwave and find that 30 seconds to melt most of the butter and 60 seconds to cook the brownie is perfect. you may need more or less time, depending on how powerful your microwave is. it’s always better to start with the shorter amount of time, check the brownie, and keep cooking as needed since an overcooked mug brownie is much less yummy than an undercooked one.
as with all mug brownies, you’re going to want to let this molten confection cool for a minute or two so that you don’t completely burn your mouth but then you’ll want to enjoy the brownie while it is still warm. once it cools, it turns into a baked-good-that-was-microwaved-and-has-now-cooled-off. no bueno.
Nutrition Facts
mug brownie mix
Serves: 1
| Amount Per Serving: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 479 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 25 g. | 38.5% | |
| Saturated Fat 16 g. | 80% | |
| Trans Fat 0 g. | ||
| Cholesterol 61 mg. | 20.3% | |
| Sodium 167 mg. | 7% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 66 g. | 22% | |
| Dietary Fiber 4 g. | 16% | |
| Sugars 36 g. | ||
| Protein 5 g. | ||
| Vitamin A | Vitamin C | |
| Calcium | Iron | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
tasty seasons
I think I know what I’m doing this weekend!
yay! enjoy!
unbelievably easy, thanks for ALL the HOLIDAY RECIEPIES…
THEY ARE REALLY GOOD AND EASY, EVEN FOR A SINGLE GUY…
hi donald,
thanks, i’m glad you are enjoying the recipes! my husband loves this mug brownie – he’s memorized the recipe!
happy holidays!