5-Minute Brownie in a Mug

There are plenty of days when we’re fired up and eager to begin a baking project. Unfortunately, those moments don’t always line up with when our chocolate cravings hit. More often than not, we start craving a warm, fudgy brownie right as we sit down to relax in front of the television, perfectly content to not move for the rest of the night.

Unfortunately, we can’t just snap our fingers and have a brownie appear. But this recipe gets us pretty close — you’ll have a brownie in your hands in less than five minutes.

This fudgy brownie recipe — made entirely out of pantry ingredients — is perfectly portioned to serve you and only you, which means you don’t have to worry about what to do with the rest of the pan. It also means fewer ingredients, so even if you’re down to the last few tablespoons of sugar or flour, you can still whip this up. I recommend making it in an 8-ounce ceramic mug, which will ensure it will cook evenly in the microwave.

If you don’t have cocoa powder, you can use 2/3 ounce (20 grams) unsweetened chocolate, and reduce the butter by two teaspoons. Melt it with the butter, then proceed with the recipe as directed. You could also use chocolate chips or a sweetened bar of chocolate, but you’ll want to use less brown sugar to keep the brownie from tasting overly sweet.

If you’re looking for a vegan treat, simply use dairy-free milk and melted coconut oil in place of butter. I enjoy mine with a little scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, as it melts into the warm brownie. Vegan ice cream would be equally as delicious.