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    Home Β» Recipes

    Lava Cake Recipe (easy, vegan, gluten free)

    Published: Aug 22, 2022 Β· Modified: Nov 4, 2022 by Gaby Dimova Β· This post may contain affiliate links Β· 14 Comments

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    This delicious dessert is the best lava cake I've ever had, and one of the best recipes I've ever created! It's got a rich molten chocolate center in the middle and a soft and fluffy chocolate cake layer on the outside. It's the perfect dessert to prepare for romantic occasion like Valentine's Day, or a great recipe to bring your dinner party or special occasion to the next level!

    lava cake on a plate with a strawberry on top

    What you will need

    This molten lava cake recipe is actually a super easy recipe to create, even though it looks fancy. It is vegan, so you won't need any eggs, egg yolks or heavy cream. Instead it's made with pretty simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand, and it's actually relatively nutritious too!

    • oat flour- you call also use all purpose flour.
    • cacao powder- cocoa powder works too.
    • baking powder
    • dash of espresso powder
    • melted dark chocolate- you can use semisweet chocolate or bittersweet chocolate, depending on your taste preference.
    • peanut butter
    • coconut oil
    • maple syrup- brown sugar or another kind of sweetener will work as well.
    • dairy-free milk
    • vanilla
    • dash of salt
    • chocolate chips

    Toppings

    I topped my molten chocolate lava cakes with a dust of cacao powder and a strawberry, but it also taste incredible with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (use dairy-free if needed).

    You will also need

    • a small bowl- (I used 4 oz ramekins)
    • dessert plates or other another kind of small serving plate to serve the cakes on
    • some oven mitts while you're handling the hot cakes
    • a butter knife, so you can separate the sides of the cakes from the bowls
    • an air fryer- this recipe works best in the air fryer, but I will include oven directions as well at the bottom of the post, if you do not have an air fryer.
    • a mixing bowl- to mix the ingredients (a large bowl or a medium bowl will work). You won't need an electric mixer or any fancy mixing equipment.
    How to make a vegan lava cake recipe

    How to make the lava cake recipe

    In a bowl, add the oat flour, cacao, baking powder, espresso powder, melted chocolate, peanut butter, coconut oil, maple, milk, vanilla, and salt. Mix them well.

    flour being added to a sieve
    oat flour
    cacao powder being added to a sieve
    cacao
    baking powder being added to a sieve
    baking powder
    espresso powder being added to a bowl
    espresso powder
    melted chocolate being added to a bowl
    melted chocolate
    peanut butter being added to a bowl
    peanut butter
    coconut oil being added to a bowl
    coconut oil
    milk being added to a bowl
    dairy-free milk
    small whisk mixing ingredients
    mix the ingredients

    Generously grease two small ramekins with coconut oil. You want the ramekins very greased- this will allow the lava cakes to slide out of the dishes once they have baked.

    To further ensure that the cake doesn't stick to the ramekin, I dusted cacao powder around the edges and bottom of the dishes. You can also use powdered sugar or flour to do this. You can even use parchment paper to line the bottom of the ramekins.

    greasing a bowl with coconut oil
    grease with coconut oil
    dusting cacao on a bowl
    dust with cacao powder

    Divide the chocolate mixture into the two prepared ramekins, but only fill them each halfway.

    For the molten center:

    You can either place the semi-sweet chocolate chips in the middle of the batter, or you can do what I did, which was to melt the chocolate chips, then place the melted chocolate in two mini muffin cups or in a mini muffin pan and refrigerate them until the chocolate hardens and forms two mini chocolate cups.

    Place the chocolate cups or chocolate chips in the middle of the lava cakes, then top them with the remaining cake batter.

    Once the cake has cooked, the warm chocolate cups will melt and create the runny center.

    piping raw cake batter in a bowl
    pipe half of the cake batter
    adding chocolate to a dish
    add the chocolate
    piping batter to a bowl
    pipe the rest of the batter
    hands holding a bowl of cake batter
    add enough batter to almost the top of the ramekin

    Note: you can either melt the chocolate in the microwave or using the double boiler method.

    Place the ramekins in the air fryer for 6 minutes at 400F/ 200C. See bottom of the post for oven instructions.

    Allow the cake to cool off for 2-3 minutes at room temperature. Then gently slide a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen them.

    Place a dessert plate on top of the ramekin and holding both the plate and the ramekin, carefully flip them upside down.

    Gently lift up the ramekin to reveal the chocolate molten lava cakes underneath.

    Sprinkle more cacao on top of the molten chocolate cakes and top with berries, if you wish.

    Slice into them to reveal the gooey center and enjoy! Bon appΓ©tit!

    revealing a lava cake
    gently lift the bowl to reveal the lava cake
    dusting cacao on a lava cake
    dust with cacao powder
    topping a lava cake with a strawberry
    add a strawberry

    Video

    If you would like more chocolate dessert recipes, you might like these other easy recipes:

    2 ingredient chocolate mousse

    healthy date "snickers"

    the gooey center of a lava cake

    Lava Cake Recipe (easy, vegan, gluten free)

    Gaby Dimova
    This absolutely delicious and beautiful chocolate lava cake recipe is also vegan, gluten free, and made with easy & nutritious ingredients.
    5 from 12 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 6 minutes mins
    Total Time 16 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 1 cake
    Calories 783 kcal

    Equipment

    • ramekin or oven safe bowl

    Ingredients
      

    • ΒΌ cup oat flour 24 grams
    • ΒΌ cup cacao powder
    • ΒΌ teaspoon baking powder
    • dash of espresso powder
    • ΒΌ cup melted dark chocolate
    • 3 tablespoon peanut butter
    • 3 tablespoon coconut oil
    • ΒΌ cup maple syrup
    • β…“ cup dairy-free milk
    • dash of vanilla
    • dash of salt
    • 4-6 tablespoon chocolate chips

    Instructions
     

    • In a medium bowl, add the oat flour, cacao, baking powder, espresso, melted chocolate, peanut butter, coconut oil, maple, milk, vanilla, and salt. Mix them well.
    • Generously grease two small ramekins with coconut oil. You want the ramekins very greased- this will allow the lava cake to slide out of the dish once it has cooked.
    • To further make sure that the cake doesn't stick to the ramekin, I dusted cacao powder around the edges and bottom of the dishes. You can also use powdered sugar or flour to do this. Or you can use parchment paper to line the bottom of the ramekins.
    • Divide the chocolate mixture into the two prepared ramekins, but only fill them each halfway.
    • You can either place the semi-sweet chocolate chips in the middle of the batter, or you can do what I did, which was to melt the chocolate chips, then place the melted chocolate in two mini muffin cups and refrigerate them until the chocolate hardens and forms two mini chocolate cups.
    • Place the chocolate cups or chocolate chips in the middle of the lava cakes, then top them with the remaining raw batter.
    • Note: you can either melt the chocolate in the microwave or using the double boiler method.
    • Once the cake has cooked, the warm chocolate cups will melt and create the runny center.
    • Place the ramekins in the air fryer for 6 minutes at 400*F/ 200*C.
    • Allow the cake to cool off for 2-3 minutes at room temperature. Then gently slide a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen them.
    • Place a dessert plate on top of the ramekin and holding both the plate and the ramekin, carefully flip them upside down.
    • Gently lift up the ramekin to reveal the chocolate molten lava cakes underneath.
    • Sprinkle more cacao on top of the molten chocolate cakes and top with berries, if you wish.
    • Slice into them to reveal the gooey, molten center!

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 783kcalCarbohydrates: 73gProtein: 13gFat: 54gSaturated Fat: 31gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 198mgPotassium: 711mgFiber: 9gSugar: 43gVitamin A: 189IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 191mgIron: 6mg
    Keyword gluten free lava cake, healthy lava cake recipe, lava cake, molten lava cake, vegan lava cake
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Making the lava cakes in the oven

    I think that the air fryer makes the perfect lava cakes, but if you don't have one, you can just as easily make this recipe in the oven. The only thing that will change is the bake time. The air fryer cooks things faster, so it takes less time, which is another reason why I love making the cakes in there.

    To make the lava cakes in the oven, place the ramekins full of raw cakes on a baking sheet or baking tray and bake them at 350*F/ 175*C for 12-15 minutes.

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    1. mae roel

      September 17, 2022 at 9:35 pm

      5 stars
      I loved this lava cake so much!! i couldnt believe it was vegan too

      Reply
      • Gaby Dimova

        September 29, 2022 at 10:59 pm

        so happy you liked it! πŸ™‚

        Reply
    2. Jen

      October 25, 2022 at 3:21 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely delish! Would I be able to use almond flour with this recipe?

      Reply
      • Gaby Dimova

        November 07, 2022 at 7:23 pm

        No unfortunately :/ almond flour is very different in the way that it bakes and I haven't tested this recipe with almond flour.

        Reply
    3. Helen

      February 05, 2023 at 12:19 pm

      Waaaaa! I don’t have an air fryer . . . How do you suggest I make this in the oven? Thanks so much!

      Reply
      • Helen

        February 05, 2023 at 1:28 pm

        Never mind! I saw and followed the *askteisk β€” thank you! Just made it and it’s out of this world delicious! YUM!!

        Reply
        • Gaby Dimova

          February 13, 2023 at 8:01 am

          So glad that you like it!! πŸ™‚ Thank you for trying my recipe!

          Reply
      • Maya

        February 18, 2023 at 6:17 am

        I'm excited to try this but I don't see the measurements πŸ₯Ί

        Reply
        • Maya

          February 18, 2023 at 6:22 am

          Found it 🀣

          Reply
          • Gaby Dimova

            March 12, 2023 at 10:42 pm

            YAY! glad you found them πŸ™‚

            Reply
    4. Anna G

      February 11, 2023 at 12:44 pm

      Can I use coconut flour instead of oat?

      Reply
      • Gaby Dimova

        February 13, 2023 at 8:01 am

        No, unfortunately coconut flour will not work in this recipe.

        Reply
    5. hihi

      March 20, 2023 at 3:48 pm

      the calories are for one or for all cakes?

      Reply
      • Gaby Dimova

        April 15, 2023 at 4:46 pm

        For one!

        Reply

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