My Favorite Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes
Chocolate molten lava cakes have never been easier! The simple batter for these cakes can be made ahead of time to be baked whenever the craving hits.
You won’t believe how easy it is to make chocolate molten lava cakes at home!
The combination of light as air chocolate cake and decadent hot fudge pouring out from within is what dreams are made of (at least mine).
Molten Lava Cake Batter
This batter is really simple and can be made without a stand mixer, but it does rely on a few key steps:
- Don’t skimp on beating the eggs until very thick, creamy, foamy and light in color! This helps the chocolate batter bake up light and fluffy.
- For the melted chocolate, use a great-tasting chocolate and a chocolate that melts well. I almost always use Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips in this recipe. It’s perfect even for those that prefer a more semisweet chocolate vibe (it doesn’t make the lava cakes too dark and rich). Not all chocolate chips melt as well. I recommend using Ghiradelli or Guittard chocolate chips for melting with the butter in this recipe.
- After adding the flour, don’t over mix. Just give the batter some quick stirs until the flour is just combined.
The chocolate batter will be luscious and medium-thick but still pourable.
Small air bubbles throughout are fine!
Best Size Ramekins to Use
I make the lava cakes in 8-ounce ramekins {aff. link}.
You can also use 6-ounce ramekins {aff. link} (if so, you’ll likely get eight lava cakes out of the batch instead of six).
AND…maybe the best kept secret is that these simple, super inexpensive glass pyrex custard cups {aff. link} work great for these cakes, as well. That’s what my Aunt Marilyn (originator of this recipe) uses mostly.
I have also made the lava cakes in a standard muffin tin (only filling 10 of the cups, not all 12). The baking time is a few minutes less if using a muffin tin, and it is harder to turn them out and have them look pretty, but it definitely works in a pinch!
How to Grease the Ramekins
These chocolate molten lava cakes rely on a well-greased ramekin so that they pop out easily for plating and serving.
Yes, you can just dig into them right in the ramekin, but it’s fun and a bit more traditional to turn them out onto a plate to serve that way.
How To: Brush or rub butter liberally over the bottom and sides of each ramekin, paying close attention to the the crevices, especially where the sides and bottom meet. Then, sprinkle in cocoa powder evenly and tap out the excess. This seems to do the trick perfectly!
Fill each ramekin about 2/3 full with batter.
Bake just until the edges and top are set but there is still some jiggle to the center.
How to Turn out the Lava Cakes
Out of the oven, let the lava cakes sit for 2-3 minutes before loosening the edge with a thin knife.
*They can sit longer than that – just be aware that if they do, it’s likely that it’ll be harder to pop them out cleanly and cooling in the hot ramekin means the molten center may cook a bit more and not be quite as lava-y.
Place the serving plate over the top of the ramekin and tip so the plate is on the counter. Tap the plate and ramekin lightly so the cake slides out.
Use a hot pad to carefully lift the hot ramekin off the cake.
A Favorite Dessert
These chocolate molten lava cakes are so easy to make at home and are one of my favorite desserts EVER.
We serve them with ice cream and sometimes hot fudge sauce, but they are also delicious plain. Perfectly chocolatey and so rich and delicious, they are incredible.
Many of you have fallen in love with these at-home lava cakes, too!
Ashley writes: My 13 year old daughter made these today with just a little guidance from me. They were a huge hit. They are easy and we always have the ingredients on hand – this could be dangerous! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Brenda says: Super yummy! Big hit with my family ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Shelly says: These are SO GOOD!! I made these with my kids, and they thought the whole process was amazing!! We enjoyed them with some ice cream, and they are just so darn good! Thank you, Mel!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Doris writes: Made these exactly as directed in the recipe for dessert on Christmas day. Made the cakes early in the afternoon and baked them after dinner when we were opening presents. Everyone absolutely raved about them! Definitely a keeper! Thank you. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
One Year Ago: Whipped Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Two Years Ago: Sweet Baked Ham
Three Years Ago: Garlic and Herb Butter Spread
My Favorite Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup (170 g) chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (see note)
- 10 tablespoons salted butter
- Pinch of salt, about 1/8 teaspoon – use more if using unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 ½ cups (171 g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (71 g) all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375-400 degrees F (see note!).
- Grease the bottom and sides of six 6- or 8-ounce ramekins by brushing or spreading a thin layer of butter evenly over the bottom and sides of each ramekin, paying close attention to the the crevices, especially where the sides and bottom meet. Sprinkle in cocoa powder to coat evenly and tap out the excess.
- In a medium bowl, add the chocolate and butter and melt in 1-minute increments in the microwave, stirring in between, until melted and smooth (don't over heat). This can also be done in a saucepan on the stove.
- Off the heat, stir in the salt and vanilla. Let the mixture cool to room temperature (it can be slightly warm but not hot).
- In a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer or in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and egg yolks together until thick and light in color, 2-3 minutes (don't skimp this step!).
- Add the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Add the cooled, melted chocolate mixture and the flour and mix with a spoon or spatula just until combined and no streaks remain (don't overmix).
- Divide the batter evenly among the ramekins and place the ramekins on a large baking sheet with a couple inches between each dish.
- Bake for 12-13 minutes until the sides are set and the cakes feel soft when touched in the center. The timing is really important here and a lot will depend on if your oven bakes hot or cool. You want the cakes to bake long enough to form a crust around the molten filling without baking all the way through.
- Remove from the oven and let sit for 2-3 minutes. Run a small knife or metal spatula around the edges to loosen. Place a plate upside down on the ramekin, and holding onto both the plate and the ramekin, carefully flip so that the cake falls out onto the plate (tap very lightly on the bottom of the ramekin if the cake doesn't come out right away).
- Dust the cakes with powdered sugar or serve with whipped cream and strawberries or ice cream and hot fudge sauce (or a combination of all!).
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from a recipe that’s famous in my extended family from my cousin Camille, given to me (and served to me countless times) by my Aunt Marilyn
Recipe originally posted March 2016; updated January 2023 with new photos, recipe notes, etc.
117 Comments on “My Favorite Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes”
Oh my goodness, these are so good. There was five of us so we had to thumb wrestle for the last one. Grandma with arthritis won because she loves chocolate that much.
Hahaha, this made me laugh out loud.
Made these for Valentines Day and they were excellent. We had two leftover that had been baked, so I put them in the fridge and we ate them cold the next night. I am not sure which way I preferred them! The cold version was almost like a mousse in the center and it was amazing 🙂
My kids (ages 8, 6, and 3) helped me make these for our Valentine’s Day dinner. They were able to do it all with a little guidance from me, and they were so proud of the final result! We all loved them. Thanks Mel!
My daughter is making these tonight and says the giarhdelli chocolate bar she chopped up is 4 oz, so two of them are 8 oz, but when she weighed them on the kitchens scale they weighed many more than 170 grams. In fact the bar says it’s 4 oz but 113 grams. She wonders if she should go by the cup measurement or the grams measurement. Thanks!
1 cup of chopped chocolate will be right around 6 ounces or 170 grams. If she’s using a kitchen scale, definitely go with the gram weight measure and add 170 grams of chocolate.
I have made these before, but I don’t remember them being so simple. It could be dangerous to have such a quick yet decadent dessert be this easy to get on the table. We had cheese fondue for dinner and by the time it was cleaned up these were baked and ready to enjoy. The only time consuming part was removing them from the ramekins and serving them on plates. We had whole fresh strawberries on the side that my kids dunked into the molten lava like chocolate fondue. Yuuum!
Oh, LOVE the idea of the strawberries for dipping in that molten center!
Hi Mel! I made these for Valentine’s Day dessert and they were fabulous! I made 6 of them for the 3 of us so yay! 3 more for tonight 🙂
Have a great day!
Love hearing that! Thanks, Patricia!
Do the eggs in this recipe have time or temperature to bake, without being raw?
You can take the internal temperature of the molten lava cake to be sure – I haven’t ever done that so I’m not sure what the temperature is of the lava center.
Have you tried them in a pressure cooker? I’ve seen a few recipes for it but wonder if you need to modify anything the ingredients. Hoping to make them in the break room at work!
My husband, “this is the best dessert that I have ever had at home.” So decadent, so satisfying. My 7 and 5 year olds made this today with minimal help from me. We used a silicone mold with 6 heart shaped cups (5 oz each) and kept the batter in the fridge for a few hours until dinner time. Since the molds were smaller but the batter was cold we kept the cooking time. They didn’t come out whole but no problem since they were covered with ice cream. Thanks Mel!!
These are so delicious and my kids loved them! I just was wondering if I can make the batter and refrigerate in a bowl and then put it in the ramekins just before cooking? I’m making a big batch that I need to transport the batter and it would be easier to do in one big bowl.
The only trouble I see with that is that the batter will firm up after being refrigerated making it harder to scoop into the ramekins.
Hi Mel- we made this for valentines dinner last night and it’s the second time I tried the recipe and second time they were totally liquid inside 🙁
I was reading the reviews to figure out why and I saw one comment that said 6oz of chocolate. I used 8oz – a cup. Was that wrong ? Could that be why they didn’t set at all? Thanks!!
Hi Lucy – that might be part of the issue. One cup of chocolate is 6 ounces (by weight) – not 8 ounces. So decreasing the chocolate might help. Also, you may need to add another 1-2 minutes of baking time – that should help, too!
Hi Mel!
Wondering if these need to be served right away, or if they should set up for awhile? I’d like them to have that delicious, gooey center, but I am planning to make them for a catered dinner and won’t be able to bake at the last second.
Thanks!
Hi Rachel, they are best served within 10 minutes of baking, in my opinion. However, we often refrigerate the baked leftover cakes and warm them up slightly before serving and that works pretty well (take care not to warm them up too long or the gooey center will bake)
Um. I just have to get out of this recipe. Baked for 17 minutes and poured solid sides and cake batter onto plates. Mostly cake batter.
It was delicious, in the remaining cups after about 20 minutes.
Could you show nutritional Info..I’m doing keto thanks
I have made these once and am getting ready to make them again. I just noticed the recipe doesn’t say when to add the flour (I just watched the video to figure it out), but thought you should know. Can’t wait to devour one tomorrow! 🙂 They’re the best!
Oops, it does say when to add. I missed it reading through the first time!
Can you freeze the unsalted dough in the ramekins?
I haven’t tried freezing them unbaked – but you could experiment!
Now i see that the recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar or 6 ounces- that would be 12 ounces. The measurements are a problem for this recipe.
The measurements are not a problem. I can help explain. The ounces given in the recipe refer to the weight of the ingredient, not the volume. So even though a cup is 8 ounces in volume, different ingredients will have varying weights. For instance, one cup of powdered sugar weighs 4 ounces (the volume of the cup will always be 8 ounces). Does that help?
Recipe calls for 1 cup of chocolate and then says 6 ounces. A cup is 8 ounces. This is confusing. Not sure what to do as I’m trying to make it now.
I made these in glass dishes (couldn’t find the right size ramekins), I baked them for 13 minutes and it was very underbaked (although still Really tasty). My question is: do I need to bake them for longer in glass or do I adjust adjust temperature?
A few extra minutes should do the trick!
Before I want to make them, I only have milk chocolate which is very sweet and I don’t know how to alter the sugar so that the cakes aren’t super sweet. Can you help me with the amount of sugar needed for sweet milk chocolate?
The color and taste and texture of the cakes will be much less chocolatey (and much lighter in color) using milk chocolate. Is there any way to get your hands on semisweet or bittersweet chocolate? It’s the best kind to use in this recipe.
These are amazing! My daughter saw a recipe for it from our air fryer booklet but then I saw your IG video and your recipes never disappoint. Thanks for taking time to make the video. It made it less daunting and I referred back to it when I got nervous. Haha. Thanks again for sharing such great recipes!
I’m so glad you tried them!
I’ve always been intimidated by lava cakes, but this was not hard at all! My 8 year old daughter helped me make these for our Fancy Family Valentine’s dinner dessert and they were divine, oh my word, we loved them! We made them earlier in the day and put them in the oven after dinner. I did not have ramekins, but did have those small, clear pyrex bowls, and they worked perfect. When my daughter took her first bite and the chocolate oozed out she yelled, “MOM! We did it! We made chocolate lava!!! AHH!” She was so proud of us. : ) Thank you for another great recipe!
This is amazing! Thanks for letting me know, Jennifer!
I haven’t made these (yet) but did make a red velvet variation from a recipe I found elsewhere for Christmas dinner. They cakes were amazingly delicious, and by doing most of the preparation earlier, quick to finish and serve warm. I’ll add this one to my recipe files too.
How full do you fill each ramekin? I have 2 different sets of ramekins and a muffin pan and none of them hold 6 ounces.
I fill them about 2/3 full.
Made these exactly as directed in the recipe for dessert on Christmas day. Made the cakes early in the afternoon and baked them after dinner when we were opening presents. Everyone absolutely raved about them! Definitely a keeper! Thank you.
As I was making my Christmas shopping list I checked to see if I had ever commented on this recipe-I could not believe I had not bc these lava cakes have been our Christmas Eve dessert since the recipe came out in 2016. They are so easy to make (and can be made ahead of time), they make a beautiful presentation, and are hands down the most delectable dessert of all times. I bought the ramekins on amazon for super cheap, and I use them dozens of other times during the year for all sorts of random things.
I’m so happy to hear that, Gilliane! They are our go-to dessert on Christmas Eve too (these and creme brulee).
I need to make these gluten free. Would the flour amount be the same with gulten free flour. I gave 5 stars because the ingredients & end result look very tasty.
I haven’t tried the with gluten free flour, but I *think* they would convert pretty well to gluten free using the same amount of gluten free flour.
After a cold, cloudy, windy night at the kids’ soccer practice, this was perfect for my warm, gooey, chocolate desires. I love that when I’m in the mood for any specific dessert, I can just search Mel’s Kitchen Cafe and find a reliable, tried and true delicious recipe!
Thank you, Kim!
Mel!!! I wanted to make a decadent dessert as we enjoyed a nice Valentine’s dinner at home with our best friends & their little girl. These were perfect! I am more of a vanilla gal (don’t hate, lol) but even I thought these were insanely delicious!!! I served them with powdered sugar & fresh raspberries – so easy & so good!
Can I make these the night before, keep them in the fridge, and then reheat them the next day?
Thanks in advance!
Do you mean bake them and then refrigerate? yes, I think so although on reheating, it’ll be tricky not to overcook that middle. You can make the batter and keep it for several days in the fridge and then bake as needed.
Hi Mel. I want to give this a try – because it’s chocolate cake and that’s all I need!!! I see that it makes six cakes. There are only three of us in our family. Will these keep for very long? Can I cut the recipe in half? Is it okay if we all just eat two???? 🙂 Let me know your thoughts. Thanks!!!
Haha, I definitely support eating two (although that might cause a stomach ache!)…but you can cut the recipe in half…or the unbaked batter keeps several days in the fridge.
Sounds great! Thanks Mel!!
I was looking for a simple molten cake dessert that I could make tonight, so when I came across yours, I knew I had to give it a shot. Thankfully we had all the ingredients on hand. Within 30 minutes, I had one of the best desserts I’ve ever made in front of my family. We are not fans of store bought desserts, but we do love Chili’s molten cake, so I was a little nervous that my teenagers wouldn’t care for it. Nope! They told me this was better than Chili’s. My husband shared his with our 15 month old and he literally screamed when they finished theirs.
Haha! Love that last line! So happy this was a hit with the family!
These are SO GOOD!! I made these with my kids, and they thought the whole process was amazing!! We enjoyed them with some ice cream, and they are just so darn good! Thank you, Mel!!!
I must be doing something wrong! I remember making these when your first posted it and they didn’t ooze in the middle. I tried again yesterday and did the same thing. Now looking at the pictures I’m wondering if I didn’t fill them enough because they did not fluff over the top of the ramekins. Also, I’m wondering about when you mix in the flour? You pour into a liquid and just stir with a wooden spoon…mine has little flour pebbles in the cooked cake. With that being said…they are still yummy but I really want to get that middle how they should be and not cooked through!
What size and shape are the ramekins you are using, Karen?
Hi i just want to ask, if i already baked it and i have to serve this for the next 2 days how do i store it? And can i just microwave it if i need to serve it?
I’ve never made them that far in advance, so I’m not totally sure how they’ll reheat, but I would store them in the refrigerator and then reheat on low (you don’t want it to cook the molten middle) when ready to serve.
Is powdered sugar the same as caster sugar?
I’m not sure – powdered sugar is also called confectioner’s sugar.
Caster sugar is superfine sugar, also sold as Baker’s Sugar.
For our yearly “candlelit dinner” on the night before the First Day of School, my kids requested your Garlic Alfredo sauce, which we served with pasta and shrimp, and chocolate cake with strawberry fool for dessert. I had never made chocolate lava cake, and since my Kindergartner son loves volcanoes, I thought I would give these a try. They turned out SO wonderful! I made them with my Pampered Chef 1-cup storage bowls this morning, and I took them out of the fridge and popped them in the oven for 13 minutes. Perfect. Also, to note, I did not want to spend an arm and a leg on dessert, so I took a risk and used Aldi brand semisweet chocolate chips. You know what? They melted just fine, and the dessert turned out great. If I were serving for company, I might splurge on some Ghiradelli, but maybe not after tasting the Aldi results. Thank you for all of your inspiration, as always!
Well, I love this for so many reasons (most of all the tradition of your candlelit dinner before the first day of school!) – thanks for adding your feedback on this recipe, Melanie! So happy they worked out! These cakes really are one of my favorite desserts in the history of ever.
I second the glass pyrex cups! They are my favorite. I have a recipe I love for chocolate molten cake that is almost identical. I use Ghirardelli bitter-sweet chocolate which turns out amazing. Instead of spaying my cups, I grease them with butter and then use granulated sugar to coat the butter. It works great! Love all your recipes!
What would the baking time be if I cut the recipe in half to make three 6-oz ramekins?
Thanks!
It would be about the same, I think.
This looks amazing!!! Will certainly be trying this out this week! Thank you for sharing.
I finally made these for my son’s birthday. Everyone loved them. I was worried that I would overfill the ramekins and they wouldn’t turn out and had quite a lot of batter left over. Can you tell me how full you fill yours? The video didn’t show it very clearly when I watched it. Your website is my go to if I ever want to try a new recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Marilyn – I fill my ramekins about 1/2 to 2/3 full (a lot will depend on how tall the sides are).
Made these last night. They were just as easy to make and as delicious as you said they would be! I have some left over batter that I am really looking forward to using up today!
Can you bake these a couple of hours before using? Do I need to warm back up?
Love your recipes, Mel!
Yes, I think that could work, although I prefer baking them right before we want to eat them (just make sure not to overbake if doing it earlier so there’s still a gooey middle).
Can I use a 6″ round circular baking dish and just scoop out portions?
Could definitely try (haven’t tried it myself…)
How would you bake and freeze this ? Would it be possible?
I’m honestly not sure, Tiffanie. I’m worried the center won’t stay warm and molteny gooey once thawed.
My 13 year old daughter made these today with just a little guidance from me. They were a huge hit. They are easy and we always have the ingredients on hand – this could be dangerous!
Super yummy! Big hit with my family
I Was wondering wether we should give more or less baking time and can we use coco powder instead of chocalate or nutella if so then how much in quantity
Guittard brands of chocolate are also one of my favorite. And I will try this recipe with this chocolate.
I have 6 oz Bakers chocolate in bars, but it does not equal 1 cup. How are you measuring the cup of chocolate? Is it chopped, melted, or? Could I use a milk chocolate bar to top up?
The 6 ounces is usually chopped (similar to the consistency of chocolate chips). If it’s 6 ounces in weight, you should be fine.
Made it, this was fantastic. You were correct in saying that 6oz of chocolate would work, regardless of the measurement, which for Baker’s Chocolate was 1 cup slivered. The ramekin size I own made 8, with the batter refridgerated and cooking for 12 minutes, they turned out perfect. Thank you for your prompt response to my question and thank you for sharing this recipe!
Your platform is not posting my comment as entered, seems not to recognize symbols. What I said was Baker’s Chocolate was less than 1 cup cubed and greater than 1 cup slivered, but using 6 oz worked great! Thanks again!
What kind of melting chocolate do you recommend for this recipe? Any brands that are your favorite?
I love the Ghirardelli or Guittard brands of chocolate.
Have you ever made in mini quiche dish and served with out removing from dish? I have a large amount of these, I am thinking they are not deep enough?
I haven’t made them in a mini quiche dish, but sometimes we serve them right out of the ramekins, so I think that part of the idea would be just fine. I think you could definitely make them in a more shallow dish, you’ll just want to cut down the baking time so they are still a little soft in the middle.
Hi there, so far I have made two of your recipes and my family loves it. I was just wondering if we can make this with those silicone muffin/cupcake moulds. Then it would be easy to get the lava cake out nicely. Do you think it is possible? Or do we have to use the ceramic ramekins? Please advise! Thank you!
Hi Amber – I haven’t tried it, but I think using the silicone muffin molds would work quite well and you’d probably get even more out of the batch.
How many ramekins does this recipe make (6 oz and 8 oz)?
About six 6-ounce ramekins
I’m shocked there are so few comments on this recipe! I made these for Christmas and they were amazing. So simple/easy to make them ahead and then pop them in the oven. I’ll definitely be making these again :).
So happy you loved them, Amy! They are a huge family favorite around here too!
can I freeze these after baking, ( possibly a little less baking time) if yes please let me know
I haven’t tried freezing them, but you could certainly test it out!
Molten chocolate lava cake one of the best deserts in healthiest and delicious way. everyone loves too and thanks to you for making this website i am in touch with you.keep posting
Sounds delicious! Mmmmmm, that looks EXTREMELY tasty.
Yum, yum, yum. Have to take dessert to a backyard get together. Gonna make this!
Yum, yum, yum. Have to take dessert to a backyard get together. Gonna make this!
So I’m hoping to make this for my family tomorrow, but it would be easier if it were more or less baked through for my two and four year olds. Any tips on how much longer they might need to be baked?
Fun fact: I put two cakes in for five minutes, then put the rest in for maybe 12.5 minutes more, and the two I cooked five minutes extra were still a little gooey in the middle. I’ve tried several lava cake recipes and this was by far my most triumphant success.
Sorry I didn’t get to this in time, Diane – I had company in town for the weekend and life was a bit crazy. I read your follow up comment though and am so happy they worked out!
This looks and sounds incredible, yum!
xx Kelly
Sparkles and Shoes
Yum! You are completely right, any day is good for a chocolate cake day!! These are going on the menu this week. Thanks!
Yummy! And I love that these can be mixed ahead of time! You are speaking my chocolate language for sure!
Do you have to refrigerate make a head batter. If so do you have to bring to room temperature before baking
Yes, you should refrigerate – I don’t let it come to room temperature. I just add another 30 seconds to a minute of baking time.
I never knew these were so easy. I always assumed the filling was different than the cake batter and therefore they were all super complicated. Thanks for clearing that up! This could be dangerous!!!!! 🙂 luckily i dont have any baking chips on hand or i might have just made these for breakfast! I will make them tho…they look divine!!!!
Thank you for your blo. It is my favorite!
When you use the larger dishes, do you consider them multiple servings instead of a single serve?
The 8-ounce ramekins? No, usually my husband claims those ones. The cakes aren’t overly large so even the 8-ounce ramekin is an individual serving (for an adult, might be too big for a child).
Please tell us more about the strawberry whipped cream?
I was planning on posting these for Valentine’s Day – so I just whipped up a little cream with a couple tablespoons of cream cheese (to make it thicker) and added powdered sugar for sweetness and a handful of freeze-dried strawberries. It really was just thrown together but was super delicious.
I loved your chocolate molten lower-fat fudge cakes, but I haven’t made them in a while. This sounds like a more decadent version, yum. I am loving that pink/strawberry? whipped cream you piped around the cake–looks so delicious!