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This Healthy Red Velvet Protein Mug Cake is insanely delicious! It’s flavorful, fluffy, moist, and made even better with sweet and creamy frosting! And it only takes a minute in the microwave! It really is the dessert of your dreams. 😍

What’s better than a delicious, single-serving cake that takes just over a minute to make? There’s not much that I can think of! When that sweet tooth is roaring, sometimes we just need something quick, simple, and delicious that’s not a sleeve of Oreos or a pint of ice cream—and that’s exactly what this Healthy Red Velvet Protein Mug Cake is!
This Healthy Red Velvet Protein Mug Cake is insanely delicious. It has the same vanilla and chocolatey flavor of red velvet cake with the beautiful crimson red color. And it’s all done in the microwave! This mug cake is also fluffy, moist, and made even better with sweet and creamy frosting! It really is the dessert of your dreams!!!
Do you prefer room temperature cake or chilled cake?? I gotta say, I think this mug cake tastes best when chilled. Especially if kept it in the fridge for an hour or two before eating! It allows the flavors of the cake to come out more and makes it more moist! But then again, I also chose chilled desserts over room temperature desserts 99% of the time. 😂
Read on to see how easy it is to make this delicious treat. I give suggestions on what kind of frosting to use and what to top it with.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RED VELVET MUG CAKE
- Makes a single serving so you don’t have to worry about making a huge cake!
- Perfect size to curb that sweet tooth.
- So easy to make. Just one minute in the microwave.
- Packed with rich red velvet flavor and perfectly moist.
- Has frosting! DUH!
- A healthy, low-carb, low-fat, protein-packed dessert. Enjoy this cake with no guilt!

INGREDIENTS
- Protein powder – I used PEScience Gourmet Vanilla. A chocolate or vanilla would work here. If you want to use another brand, just make sure it is also a whey + casein blend that bakes well. Not all protein powders respond the same. For all PEScience products, you can use my affiliate code Laurenfitfoodie to save 10% off your purchase.
- Coconut flour – I used Viva Naturals coconut flour. Coconut flour is much more absorbent than other flours. Because of that, you can’t substitute another flour in equal amounts. If you need to use another flour, I recommend doubling or tripling the amount.
- Cocoa powder – I used Hershey’s.
- Baking powder – Fresh is best! (Opened with the last 3 months.)
- Sweetener – I used a little bit of Swerve granular sweetener. Any sweetener will work here!
- Unsweetened applesauce – Canned pumpkin would also work. Just note that it may slightly change the color.
- Milk – I used unsweetened almond. Any milk will work.
- Egg whites
- Red food coloring

HOW TO MAKE THIS RED VELVET MUG CAKE
You will just LOVE how easy this mug cake is to whip up!
- Mix the ingredients. First, whisk the dry ingredients to ensure there are no clumps. Then, add the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
- Microwave. Microwave for 1 minute to 1:30 seconds in 30 second intervals. If you want a gooey center, microwave for about 1 minute.
- Let cool and add frosting. Let your mug cake cool completely before adding frosting. To cool faster, transfer out of the hot bowl/mug and onto a plate. You can let the cake sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes or put it in the fridge or freezer to chill. I like to put cake in the freezer for 10 minutes (or fridge for an hour) to get it nice and chilled before adding the frosting.
FROSTING IDEAS
- Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting – I love this Betty Crocker Whipped Cream Cheese. It’s the easiest option because there is no mixing involved. The classic vanilla flavor is amazing, too! But you could literally do any flavor you wanted! French Vanilla, Chocolate, etc.
- Vanilla Greek Yogurt Frosting – a little bit sweeter than the cream cheese frostings, this sweet vanilla pairs heavenly on top of the richer flavors of the red velvet cake. The lowest fat option, and a good option when you only have yogurt on hand.
- Cream Cheese Frosting – a bit lighter and lower in calories than store bought cream cheese frosting, this cream cheese frosting brings the oh so classic, red velvet and cream cheese frosting combo we all love to LIFE– but in a healthier way!


OTHER TOPPING IDEAS
Frosting is the classic choice, but there are so many other delicious ways to top your red velvet cake! Here are some ideas:
- White chocolate or chocolate chips
- Nutella
- Nut butter
- Cool whip
- Ice cream

MORE MUG CAKES
WANT TO MAKE THIS RECIPE?
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Healthy Red Velvet Protein Mug Cake
Ingredients
Red Velvet Protein Mug Cake
- 2/3 scoop vanilla or chocolate protein powder 20g
- 1 Tbsp coconut flour 7g
- 1 Tbsp cocoa powder 5g
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Swerve granular sweetener or sweetener of choice
- 3 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce 45g
- 2 Tbsp almond milk 30g
- 1 Tbsp egg whites 15g
- 1/4 tsp red food coloring
Frosting option #1 – Store-bought
- 2 Tbsp Betty Crocker Whipped Frosting
Frosting option #2 – Vanilla Greek Yogurt Frosting
- 1/4 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt 60g
- 1.5 tsp Swerve granular sweetener or other sweetener of choice
- 1 tsp sugar-free Jello pudding mix– I used the white chocolate flavor to keep it more white– 3g
Frosting 3 – Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 Tbsp whipped cream cheese 21g
- 2 Tbsp plain nonfat Greek yogurt 30g
- 1.5 tsp Swerve granular sweetener or other sweetener of choice
- 1 tsp sugar-free Jello pudding mix– I used the white chocolate flavor to keep it more white– 3g
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Instructions
Red Velvet Mug Cake:
- In a microwave-safe bowl (I used a flat 16-oz ceramic dish), add the protein powder, coconut flour, cocoa flour, baking powder, and sweetener. Whisk until dry ingredients are mixed well and there are no clumps.
- Add the applesauce, almond milk, egg whites, and red food coloring. Stir until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.
- Microwave, in 30 second intervals, for 1 minute to 1 minute and 30 seconds, or until desired consistency. Make sure to watch! If you are using a taller mug or more narrow bowl, it is more likely to overflow. For a more gooey cake, microwave closer to a minute. For a cooked through cake, microwave closer to a minute and a half to 2 minutes.
- Take out and let cool completely. Place in the fridge for an hour or in the freezer for 10 minutes if you want the cake to be chilled (how I prefer it!) or enjoy at room temperature. Top with one of the frostings above, chocolate chips, or any other topping of your choice, if desired, and enjoy!
Frostings: For both of the homemade frostings, just combine ingredients! Store in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to thicken.- Allow cake to cool completely before adding.
Notes
Nutrition for frostings:
Frosting #1: see Betty Crocker nutrition label for how much you would want to add.2 Tbsp = 100 calories 14C | 5F | 0P Frosting #2 (yogurt): makes 4 Tbsp
adds 46 calories 4.6C | 0F | 6P Frosting #2 (cream cheese): makes 4 Tbsp
adds 78 calories 5.4C | 4.5F | 4P *Nutrition for frostings not included in nutritional information of mug cake so you can choose which you want to add on your own! To make this mnug cake dairy-free, omit the frosting and add a dairy-free topping of choice.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
