This decadent {Gluten Free} Flourless Molten Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe has just a few simple ingredients but the rich molten chocolate lava center will wow everyone. Perfect with a scoop of ice cream on top!
There is something that is innately enticing about a flourless molten chocolate lava cake.
I still remember coming across a recipe for molten chocolate lava cake as a teen.
I just HAD to make it!
I can't remember if I actually made it, but I do remember being enamored at the idea of the molten chocolate lava center oozing out when I took my first bite.
This naturally gluten free, flourless molten chocolate lava cake is not a guilt free dessert, but it is more than worth it.
what ingredients do you need to make flourless lava cake?
A gluten free chocolate lava cake starts with very simple ingredients:
- Chocolate
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Butter
That is it!
Because this recipe has so few ingredients, the quality of the chocolate you use will make a difference.
If you can, avoid using something like chocolate chips and instead use a good bar of chocolate, chopped up.
How do you make the batter for chocolate lava cake?
The magic comes in the way you combine these simple four ingredients.
First you melt the chocolate and the butter together.
Then you separate the eggs.
Whip the egg whites first, with just a touch of sugar.
Then whip the egg yolks with some more sugar.
Fold the chocolate into the egg yolks.
Then fold the egg whites in.
Divide the batter between ramekins that have been buttered and dusted with sugar or cocoa powder, and then pop them in the oven.
To make it easier to remove the ramekins from the oven, I place them all on a cookie sheet before placing them in the oven.
How to bake gluten free lava cakes?
Baking lava cakes takes patience.
It is tricky to pull them out at just the right moment.
A minute too early, and too much of the cake will be molten.
A minute too late, and you won't get that satisfying chocolate lava ooze.
The good news is that it doesn't REALLY matter if you bake it a minute too long, or too short.
They still taste ah-MAZING!
Your lava cakes are just perfect when the edges are set, but the cake jiggles in the center if you give the ramekin a little shake.
How to serve chocolate lava cake?
while your molten chocolate cake is delicious just as it is, it is even better with a little garnish.
It is just perfect with a scoop of good vanilla bean ice cream on top.
You have the hot molten chocolate lava center, the cool and creamy ice cream and the warm and rich chocolate cake.
Together they combine in the ultimate chocolate dessert.
Or add a dollop of whipped cream instead.
Add some raspberries or strawberries for some contrast in flavors.
Or garnish with a sprig of mint, a dusting of cocoa powder, or some chocolate shavings.
You don't have to unmold your flourless chocolate lava cake either.
It is much easier to serve it while still in a ramekin because you don't have to worry about it falling apart when you unmold it but you still get that gooey molten chocolate lava sensation.
Can you make chocolate lava cakes ahead of time?
while you can't bake your chocolate lava cakes ahead of time, you can prepare the batter and fill your ramekins.
Cover your filled ramekins with plastic wrap and store in the fridge before baking.
Remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking to prevent the ceramic ramekins from cracking. Then place in the oven and bake as directed.
You may need to bake them for a minute or two longer, since the filling will still be chilled.
You can make your chocolate lava cake batter up to five days ahead of time, if stored properly in the fridge.
📖 Recipe
Flourless Molten Chocolate Lava Cake {Gluten Free}
decadent {Gluten Free} Flourless Molten Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe has just a few simple ingredients but the rich molten chocolate lava center will wow everyone. Perfect with a scoop of ice cream on top!
Ingredients
- 3 eggs, separated
- 6 Tablespoons butter
- 6 oz (approx 1 cup) semisweet, bittersweet, or dark chocolate
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- additional sugar or cocoa powder and butter for the ramekins
- Ice cream to serve, NOT optional 🙂
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Lightly butter 4 ramekins and dust the inside with sugar or cocoa powder.
- Melt the butter and chocolate. (I used a microwave safe bowl, heating for 30 seconds, and then 15 second intervals until it was melted. You could also use a double boiler.) Set aside, and cool to room temperature before using.
- Whip the egg whites with an electric hand mixer until very foamy. Gradually sprinkle in 2 Tablespoons of sugar, and continue to beat until they reach soft/medium peaks. Set aside.
- Whip the egg yolks with ¼ cup of sugar until pale yellow. When you rub a little of the mixture between your fingers you shouldn't feel any sugar crystals. Add the vanilla extract.
- Gently fold the cooled chocolate into the egg yolks.
- Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the rest of the mixture, ⅓ at a time.
- Divide the batter evenly between the ramekins.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes. You want the edges to look set but the center of the cake should move if you jiggle the ramekin.
- THEY WILL NOT LOOK DONE and a toothpick will not come out clean. That is ok. You want the molten lava center, right?
- The cake will continue to set a little after you remove it from the oven. If you plan to unmold your cakes, I suggest erring on the side of cooking them longer, it will make it easier to unmold them.
To Make your flourless chocolate lava cakes ahead of time
- To prepare your flourless molten chocolate lava cake ahead of time (like for a party or something)
- Prepare the batter, put it in the ramekins, and then cover them tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours.
- Remove the ramekins from the fridge AT LEAST an hour before you plan to bake them. (1-2 hours is ideal)
- Bake in a preheated oven for 15-18 minutes until they are done as described above.
Notes
I used sugar to dust the ramekins the first time I made them. I made them again and used cocoa powder. The pictures are from when I used sugar, but they would unmold just as well if you used cocoa powder and then it leaves a it looking more chocolatey.
These flourless molten chocolate lava cakes can easily be made dairy free by using a butter substitute (like Earth Balance or coconut oil) instead of the butter and using a dairy free chocolate (like Pascha or Enjoy Life.)
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1 gluten free chocolate lava cakeAmount Per Serving Calories 430Total Fat 30gSaturated Fat 17gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 208mgSodium 242mgCarbohydrates 33gFiber 1gSugar 31gProtein 7g
