These Gluten-Free Chocolate Lava-Cakes for 2 are a 15-minute dessert that feels SO fancy! They’re gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and better for you, too!
It’s an EXPLOSION of ooey-gooey fruity and RICH chocolate up in here today.
Real life talk: Why doesn’t every Monday start like this? Pretty sure that Monday would read a 20 on the 1-10 scale of least favorite to most favorite days of the week then. Friday? In the presence of melty chocolate strawberry bliss, that day would be SO 2017.
why you will LOVE this recipe
These little molten chocolate lava cakes are basically everything that your inner chocolate-covered soul could want out of life. They’re…
- Gluten-free, grain-free, and dairy-free.
- Nixing some of the coconut oil for lower-fat applesauce.
- Dense and RICH and deep on the outside with MELTY CHOCOLATE LAVA ON THE INSIDE.
- SWIMMING with chocolate strawberry YUMMINESS.
- The inside is indeed baked. But it’s got that FEELING of eating the cake batter STRAIGHT from the bowl. Just like Momma used to tell you NOT to do.
- Considering we have had a paleo chocolate lava cake recipe and low carb peanut butter chocolate lava cake recipe It’s no secret that I am a <3<3<3er of gluten free molten lava cake. They are the best of both worlds: chocolate cake and chocolate cake BATTER. You can even be crazy and make paleo PUMPKIN lava cakes!
- The beauty of these lava cakes is that they feel like a VRY VRY fancy dessert except you can ACTUALLY make them in your real person-dessert-eating-life. AND IN ONLY 20 MINUTES.
- Require you to under-bake them.
- REQUIRE you to eat them basically as soon as they come out of the oven.
INGREDIENTS
- 3 oz dairy-free dark chocolate, I used 72% cocoa
- 1 tbsp coconut oil + additional for the ramekins
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 3 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder + additional for the ramekins
- 4 tsp organic strawberry fruit spread
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Rub 2 Ramekins with coconut oil and sprinkle with cocoa powder so that the inside is fully covered. Set aside.
- In a large, microwave-safe bowl, melt the coconut oil and chocolate in the microwave using half power and microwaving for 30 seconds at a time. Stir after 30 seconds and repeat until the chocolate is smooth and melted.
- While the chocolate melts, beat together the egg, egg yolk, coconut sugar, applesauce, vanilla extract and salt, using an electric hand mixer, until the mixture lightens in color and the coconut sugar begins to break down, about 2 minutes.
- Pour the egg mixture into the chocolate/oil mixture, whisk by hand constantly until everything is well mixed and the chocolate begins to thicken. Gently fold in the cocoa powder and whisk until well incorporated.
- Divide the batter between the ramekins, filling just over half way up. Place 2 tsp of the fruit spread in the center of each ramekin and gently divide the remaining batter, so that the ramekins are just over 3/4 of the way full.
- Place in the preheated over and bake until the outside is set, but the center looks a slightly soft and under-cooked, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let stand one minute. Then, gently run a knife along the outside of the ramekin and place a plate upside down on top. Gently turn the plate/ramekin over and the cake will slide right out.
- DEVOUR immediately!
tips & tricks for making the perfect lava cake
- Eat these immediately! I can’t stress this enough. Not doing so means you miss out on all that lava goodness
- Be sure to GENTLY fold in the cocoa powder. If you are too aggressive with the process, your cakes will lose their lightness and turn out too dense.
- So we’re clear, you will need TWO eggs for this recipe, though you will only need the yolk of the second one.
FAQs
In the world of baking, folding means to gently mix two ingredients that are not meant to be fully mixed together, such as beaten egg whites and a heavier batter. The goal is to evenly distribute the lighter ingredient throughout the heavier one without deflating the air bubbles that have been incorporated into the lighter ingredient. Typically, a rubber spatula or a spoon is used to carefully cut down through the center of the mixture, scooping some of the heavier mixture up and over the lighter one. Then, you rotate the bowl and repeat until the ingredients are evenly combined.
It all comes down to taste. The higher the percentage of cocoa, the more intense and bitter the chocolate flavor will be. This can be beneficial if you want a rich, dark chocolate flavor in your baked goods, but it can also be overwhelming if you’re not careful. Chocolate that is higher in cocoa is also better for you.
They are similar but not the same. Both are made from fruit, sugar, and pectin, and go well with toast, but fruit spread is typically made with whole or pieces of fruit, while jam is made from fruit puree. Think of it like the difference between smooth and chunky peanut butter. Additionally, fruit spread is usually made with less sugar than jam, which gives it a slightly tart flavor. So, when baking, you substitute one for the other if you’re in a jam (sorry!) but ideally, you would use what the recipe tells you.
how to store lava cake
Well, hopefully, you don’t. This is one dessert you need to eat right away. BUT if you happen to have made too many, you store it in the refrigerator to prevent the chocolate and filling from spoiling. The cake will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. When you’re ready to serve the cake again, you can warm it up in the microwave or in the oven. Be sure to check the cake carefully and make sure it’s heated through before serving. You can also serve the cake cold, straight from the refrigerator.
Ingredients
- 3 Oz Dairy Free Dark Chocolate, I used 72% Cocoa
- 1 Tbsp Coconut oil + additional for the ramekins
- 1 Large egg
- 1 Egg yolk
- 1/4 Cup Coconut sugar
- 3 Tbsp Unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 tsp Vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 2 Tbsp Cocoa powder + additional for the ramekins
- 4 tsp Organic Strawberry fruit spread
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Rub 2 Ramekins with coconut oil and sprinkle with cocoa powder so that the inside is fully covered. Set aside.
- In a large, microwave-safe bowl, melt the coconut oil and chocolate in the microwave using half power and microwaving for 30 seconds at a time. Stir after 30 seconds and repeat until the chocolate is smooth and melted.
- While the chocolate melts, beat together the egg, egg yolk, coconut sugar, applesauce, vanilla extract and salt, using an electric hand mixer, until the the mixture lightens in color and the coconut sugar begins to break down, about 2 minutes.
- Pour the egg mixture into the chocolate/oil mixture, whisk by hand constantly until everything is well mixed and the chocolate begins to thicken. Gently fold in the cocoa powder and whisk until well incorporated.
- Divide the batter between the ramekins, filling just over half way up. Place 2 tsp of the fruit spread in the center of each ramekin and gently divide the remaining batter, so that the ramekins are just over 3/4 of the way full.
- Place in the preheated over and bake until the outside is set, but the center looks a slightly soft and under-cooked, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let stand one minute. Then, gently run a knife along the outside of the ramekin and place a place upside down on top. Gently turn the plate/ramekin over and the cake will slide right out.
- DEVOUR immediately!
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
FOR THIS RECIPE, I RECOMMEND:
WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS PER SERVING: SMART POINTS: 12 POINTS+:7 . OLD POINTS: 5
(per 1 cake)
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Brenda @ a farmgirl's dabbles says
This is gorgeous. And I love the strawberry centers, rather than the usual all-chocolate!
Taylor Kiser says
Thanks!
Amy says
YUM! What size ramekins are you using?
Taylor Kiser says
5 ounces! 🙂
Dan says
Hi Taylor, its Dan again.
Would you mind comverting this recipe for use in a standard oven, not a microwave as I wrote to you just a few minutes ago.
Thank you
Dan
Taylor Kiser says
Hi Dan!
I hope you understand that I already spend 80+ hours a week creating recipes and working on the blog, and don’t have time to adapt them all. I am sure you could try cooking this mug cake in the oven at 350 degrees, I just can’t tell you for how long. I would recommend to just watch it and test it every so often until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. I hope that helps!
Natalie says
Can any of this be made beforehand? Maybe a day or two in advance?
Taylor Kiser says
Unfortunately, no – you have to bake and eat right away to get the lava effect. Sorry!