Olympic Chocolate Muffin Makeover – More Protein, Less Sugar

The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics were memorable for many reasons—stunning performances, world records, and of course, the food that fueled the athletes. Among the buzz in the Olympic Village was a particular treat that athletes couldn’t get enough of: the chocolate muffins. These fudgy, ooey-gooey delights quickly became a hot commodity, with athletes scooping them up for breakfast, snacks, and even post-workout recovery.

But these weren’t just any muffins; they were more like decadent, personal-sized cakes, rich in flavor but also rich in less desirable nutrients. The original recipe, while delicious, wasn’t exactly the healthiest option with its higher fat and sugar content. That’s why I took on the challenge to give these muffins a makeover—because champions deserve a treat that’s not only indulgent but also supports their health goals.

This revamped version of the viral chocolate muffins is gluten-free, has less fat, less sugar, and a significant boost of protein, making them an ideal snack for anyone leading an active lifestyle. These muffins are literally food for champions, whether you’re competing at an elite level or just trying to stay fit and healthy.

With my single-serve version of the viral Olympic muffin is made quickly in a mug, you won’t have to sacrifice flavor for nutrition. This chocolate mug protein muffin retains the glorious, rich goodness that made them a hit among the world’s top athletes, but with a cleaner ingredient list that aligns with your fitness goals. Enjoy this gluten-free chocolate mug muffin as a guilt-free as part of your balanced diet, knowing you’re fueling your body like a true champion.

VIRAL OLYMPIC CHOCOLATE MUFFIN MAKEOVER DETAILS & TIPS:

Macros: 234 cal, 14g net car (24g total carb), 10g fat, 20g protein – please not that nutrition details will change based on specific brands of ingredients used or substitutions made.

Mug: Please use a microwave-safe, 16-ounce mug or similar-sized bowl. Love this vintage-style, embossed glass mug that I used in the photo – it even has a bamboo lid and cute serving spoon.

Flour: I really love Peanut Flour Blend as an alternative flour for baking – it gives recipes a light texture when making gluten-free recipes. It also offers 10g protein per serving and has significantly less fat than almond flour. If you want to make a substitution, I’d suggest oat flour in a 1:1 swap.

Chocolaty Center: Look for a no-added-sugar chocolate hazelnut spread, there are several brands out there I love, like ChocZero and the Choco Hazel from Good Good . Depending on your tastes, you can use a dark, milk or white chocolate center. And, if you’d rather add some fruity goodness, substitute no-added-sugar fruit preserves.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. I earn a small commission on purchase, proceeds help offset operating costs for The Fit Fork. Thank you!

Makeover Olympic Village Chocolate Protein Muffin
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
2 mins
Total Time
7 mins
 
Makeover Olympic Village Chocolate Muffin, but better! 💪 These muffins went so viral, but – in reality they were more like a sugar-bomb cake. I worked the recipe over to have more protein, less fat, less sugar—made for champions. 🏅 Sized for one – you don’t even have to share!
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack, workout
Keyword: chocolate, cooking for one, high protein, muffin, mug cake, mug meal
Servings: 1 serving
Calories: 234 kcal
Ingredients
  • 3 tbsp peanut baking blend flour or can sub oat flour*
  • 2 tbsp chocolate whey protein powder
  • 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp sugar-free sweeter with 1:1 measure ratio or can swap another granualted sweetener or sugar*
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 Tbsp zero-fat Greek yogurt
  • 3 tbsp sugar free mini chocolate chips
  • 2 tsp sugar-free chocolate hazel nut spread
  • optional: sea salt flakes
Instructions
  1. In 16-oz microwave-safe mug, stir together peanut flour blend, whey protein, cocoa powder, stevia, and baking soda.
  2. Next, stir in almond milk and Greek yogurt, mixing just until a thick batter is formed. Stir in chocolate chips.
  3. Microwave on HIGH for 90 seconds (or until center mostly set). Microwave in 10-second increments if it doesn’t look set yet.
  4. Remove from microwave and mug muffin will sink down a bit, creating a small well in the center.
  5. Add the chocolate hazelnut spread to center indention. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of salt on top.
Recipe Notes

*ingredient swaps will change macros

 

Maple Banana Mug Muffin – Gluten-free, No Added Sugar

When you wake up more frazzled than fabulous, you can still make yourself an amazing warm breakfast in minutes and redirect the salvaged time toward getting your life in order for the day. Welcome to my recipe for Maple Banana Mug Muffin, a delicious “hug in a mug” that is designed to both fuel you up properly and minimize morning chaos.

This easy mug muffin cooks up in 1 minute and provides a warm, nourishing breakfast on your busiest days! Gluten-free.

So, don’t even thing about grabbing a bar or eating cereal out of the box– this two-minute mug muffin can be prepped and cooked before your coffee finishes brewing.

Continue reading

Low Carb Peanut Butter Mug Cake – 3 Ingredients!

Mornings are hard, mug cakes are easy. And, my 3 Ingredient Nut Butter Mug Cake can is so ridiculously easy. It’s satisfying snack for evaaaryone, but if you are specifically following a low-carb, keto, gluten-free, diary-free and/or sugar free diet, this one is for YOU! Almond Joy Sheet Pan Pancake - gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, keto, low carb

Whip up a low carb mug cake, start to finish, in under 2 minutes . . . then sit back, enjoy and put your to-do list on hold for just a bit.  Read on to get the nut butter mug cake recipe:  Continue reading

DIY Paleo Protein Baking & Pancake Mix with Recipe Ideas

Baking mixes are extremely convenient to have on hand for the making of no-brainer breakfasts, snacks and treats. But, gluten-free/or and Paleo-friendly baking mixes are either hard to find or too expensive for my budget. Paleo Protein Baking and Pancake Mix

After some experimenting around, I came up with an easy no-grain, no-gluten, low-carb option to store-bought that . . . err, let’s you have your cake and eat it too! Read on to get all the details on my Paleo Protein Baking and Pancake Mix, how-to make it, and a few easy recipes ideas! Continue reading

Blueberry Pecan Oat Mug Muffin – Master Mix Recipe

Blueberry Pecan Oat Protein Mug Muffin -- food prep the master mix and have breakfast read in less than 2 minutes.I’m on this mug muffin kick lately. I have a zillion iterations, from Lemon Raspberry Protein Muffin Mug to this Blueberry Pecan Oat Protein Mug Muffin that I’m sharing today. I usually mix up this protein-packed breakfast scoop by scoop in the morning, but I love this one so much that I big-batched it! Meal prep, y’all – I can’t believe I’m so organized. Haha.

Blueberry Pecan Oat Protein Mug Muffin -- food prep the master mix and have breakfast read in less than 2 minutes.

Love Grown FoodsSo, come morning, when I’m not feeling human, all that’s left to be done with my breakfast is add two liquid ingredient (egg white and almond milk) to my mix and stick in the microwave. I tried to use an egg white powder in the mix to make even more convenient, but I didn’t like that so much – plus, how is cartoned egg-white not convenient?! Other things to love  about this Blueberry Pecan Oat Mug Muffin recipe in addition to the homey taste is the wholesome nutrition – it’s gluten-free, sugar-free, low-cal and packed with protein (32 grams protein and about 240 total calories per serving).

When I say that this is a Master Mix Recipe, it means you can swap out the blueberries and pecans for the other dehydrated fruit and nuts of your choosing — bananas & peanut, pineapple & macadamia nut, raspberries & almond are just some ideas!

Blueberry Pecan Oat Protein Mug Muffin Nutrition Label

I ran the nutritional info for you tracker types!

Instead measuring out the oats, chia seeds and pecans separately, I like to just use Love Grown Foods Super Oats with Chia & Nuts – that stuff ROCKS my world.

 

Here’s a run down on most of the products I used in this recipe:

What is your go-to easy meal in the morning? If you were swapping out the fruit and nuts, what would you choose? Please share in the comments — XOXO, Jennifer 

Blueberry Pecan Oat Mug Muffin - Master Mix Recipe
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 35 mins
 
Whip up a big batch of this yummy protein-packed mug muffin mix and enjoy a quick, easy and healthy breakfast all week. Microwaves in less than two minutes!
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
Master Mix
  • 1 1/2 cup non-whey vanilla protein powder
  • 1/2 cup gluten free baking mix
  • 1/2 cup gluten free oats*
  • 2 tbsp chia seeds
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped pecans*
  • 1/4 cup stevia with 1/2 cup stevia to 1 cup sugar ratio
  • 1/2 cup dehydrated blueberries can sub regular dried
Wet Ingredients for Cooking:
  • 2 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk parceled out 5 tablespoons per serving
  • 1 1/4 cup egg white parceled out 3 tablespoons per serving
Instructions
  1. To make master mix, add protein powder, baking mix, oats, chia seed, pecans, stevia and dehydrated blueberries to large mason jar or storage container and shake to blend.
  2. To prepare individual serving, add approximately ½ cup mix into large mug or microwave-safe bowl. Stir in 3 tablespoons of egg white and 5 tablespoons of almond milk. Microwave on high for between 1 and 2 minutes – exact time will vary by microwave strength (the magic time at my house is 90 seconds). Mug cake will rise dramatically while cooking and then settle back down and is “done” when no longer wet and has consistency of a bread pudding.
Recipe Notes

*In lieu of these three ingredients, you can swap out with just a little skosh more than 1 ¼ cup of Love Grown Food Super Oats with Chia & Nuts