Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Lava Cake

Name: Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Lava Cake
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons cocoa powder (, plus extra for dusting); ½ cup dairy free chocolate chips; ½ teaspoon baking powder; 1/8 teaspoon sea salt; ¼ cup maple syrup; 1 tablespoon almond butter; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 6 tablespoons cashew milk (, or other plant based milk); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 teaspoons dairy free chocolate chips

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This cozy sweet goodness in a molten chocolate lava cake form will blow your mind. You’ll have no idea it’s vegan and gluten-free!

Cut open chocolate lava cake on a black plate with raspberries

I am a good mix of wholesome veggie filled meals and sweet indulgent tasting desserts. And while this recipe may not exactly be considered health food, it’s still made with plant-based whole food ingredients!

A classic fancy pants restaurant dessert that you can enjoy in your own home in not so fancy pants! Cuddle up on the couch in your PJs and indulge, or share after a homemade romantic candlelit dinner, whatever floats your boat!

Ingredients

Ooey gooey rich and decadent cake without dairy or gluten? You betcha! Here’s what you’ll need:

Cocoa powder
Dairy free chocolate chips
Baking powder
Sea salt
Maple syrup
Almond butter
Tomato paste (yep, don’t knock it till you try it!)
Cashew milk
Vanilla extract

Bowls filled with ingredients to make a vegan chocolate lava cake

I you’re a little skeptical on the tomato paste addition, I get it. But I promise it makes the chocolate even more rich and delicious! I use it in my vegan chocolate ice cream recipe, chocolate oat smoothie, hot chocolate and my chocolate mug cake recipes with big success!

How To Make Lava Cake

Making your own vegan lava cake at home is more simple than you may think. Here’s what you’ll need to do:

Mix ingredients in a bowl.
Prep the ramekins and put in the batter.
Bake.
Enjoy!

Serving suggestions

Dress up your dessert with any of these finishing touches:

Dust with powdered sugar
Add a dollop of Vegan Whipped Cream
Make it a la mode with a scoop of vegan ice cream
Serve with fresh berries

Tips and tricks

While this recipe for lava cake is on the more simple side, there’s still a few key things to keep in mind:

For a more traditional approach flip the cakes onto a plate, but you can also serve directly in the ramekin if you prefer.
Make sure you prep the ramekins well to ensure the cakes don’t stick by coating well with oil and dusting with cocoa powder.
This recipe works best in ramekins, but if you don’t have them you can use muffin tins.
Serving the lava cake immediately will ensure that the center is still melted. If you let it cool too long the center will still be soft and gooey but not as melted.
To prep these ahead of time, mix the batter and fill the ramekins, cover, and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake. Let them start to come to room temperature, add the chocolate chips and bake.
You can also bake them and let cool. Simply reheat before serving in the oven or microwave to re-melt the center. (This may result in loosing the molten lava center but it will still taste fabulous!)
If you want a more melted chocolate center, after you fill the ramekins with batter, add extra chocolate chips and push those into the center of the batter.
If you end up with leftovers, wrap them well in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
For the best texture you need accuracy with the dry ingredients. Which is why I include precise weights. If you don’t have a scale, then you can purchase this fairly inexpensive one.
If you prefer to measure, then measure the cocoa by scooping your measuring cup into the flour versus spooning it into it. This is how I measured when getting my weights.

Common Questions

How long can I keep molten lava cake?

Three days is pretty much the max for storing baked lava cakes. After that it will dry out and the quality won’t be as good.

Is Lava Cake just undercooked cake?

Nope! The molten lava center is created by melted chocolate. The edges are still crisp and cake like.

Can you reheat a lava cake?

Yes you can! The quickest way is microwaving it for about 30 seconds, but you can also reheat in the oven.

How do you remove a lava cake from a ramekin?

The key to this is your preparation. Make sure the ramekins are coated well in oil along with a dusting of cocoa powder. If they don’t slide out easily, gently run a butter knife around the edges to loosen the cake from the sides of the ramekin.

More Vegan Desserts

To keep your sweet tooth satisfied, try out these other delectable whole food dessert recipes: