Even though chocolate lava cakes look super fancy, they are easier to make than you think! Just a handful of ingredients are all you need to make this impressive decadent dessert, and being flourless means you can enjoy this if you're gluten-free!

I used to assume that chocolate lava cakes were difficult to make.

I would happily enjoy them at a restaurant where someone else made them for me, but trying to make it at home seemed like it might be too much work.

Boy, was I ever wrong.

AND I discovered that traditionally, lava cakes do not use much flour at all...which only made me determined to figure out how to make them gluten-free!

Ingredients

You can't have chocolate lava cakes without chocolate! In this case, I am use chocolate bars. You could use chocolate chips, but I find that chocolate bars melt faster and create a smoother texture.

Then you need butter, an egg, an egg yolk, some sugar, a pinch of salt, almond flour, and coconut flour. Don't forget a bit of cocoa powder for dusting the baking dishes.

Dark or Light Chocolate?

I have used either 60% or 72% bittersweet dark chocolate for this recipe, both yielding delicious results. Keep in mind that different brands of the same percentage can taste different, so I would suggest using a dark chocolate that you like, opting to go slightly more bitter in taste because there is already sugar in the recipe. I would not recommend using milk chocolate because it will be too sweet.

Preparing the Baking Dishes

I use 3-inch tart dishes to make my lava cakes, keeping the servings small since the dessert is so rich. Generously grease the tart dishes with softened butter and then dust with cocoa powder so that the cakes release easily.

A pink brush spreading butter on a fluted grey dish.

Brown cocoa being sprinkled on grey fluted baking dishes.

Can you dust the dishes with almond flour or coconut flour?

Yes, almond flour or coconut flour will also work. However, because they have not been blended into the cake batter, their light color will show when you unmold the cakes. If you plan to cover the cakes with icing sugar or ice cream, then it won't matter!

What about using ramekins?

Ceramic straight-sided ramekins are often used for lava cake recipes and they can certainly be used for this recipe as well. If using ramekins, I would use a small 4-ounce size ramekins to keep the cakes small. Because ceramic ramekins are thicker than the dishes I use for this recipe, the cakes may take longer to bake. (See the Recipe Notes below for more details using ramekins.)

How To Make the Cake Batter

The chocolate gets melted with some butter, and if you aren't familiar with melting chocolate, this is the perfect time to read my post on How To Melt Chocolate! My method of melting chocolate doesn't involve the stove, a double boiler or microwave, doesn't require constant watching, and most importantly, it's EASY.

A white round bowl containing brown chocolate squares and yellow butter.

A round white bowl containing melted brown chocolate and a whisk.

In another bowl, combine the egg, egg yolk, sugar, almond flour, and coconut flour and whisk until the mixture is thick.

A glass bowl containing two egg yolks and yellow flours.

A whisk beating a thick yellow mixture in a glass bowl.

Add the luscious melted chocolate and butter to the egg mixture and stir well using a rubber spatula until you have a cohesive batter.

Brown melted chocolate being poured into a glass bowl containing yellow liquid.

A round glass bowl containing thick brown batter and a red rubber spatula.

Ready to Bake

Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared dishes and place them on a baking sheet for easier transferring in and out of the oven.

A spoon scooping thick brown batter into a fluted dish.

Five fluted dishes containing thick brown batter.

Bake for 4-5 minutes to keep the chocolate inside soft and flowy when you dig into it! The edges should look crusty and the center should look slightly wet and uncooked.

A toothpick loosening the edges of a chocolate lava cake in a round fluted dish.

Let the cakes cool for a minute, loosen the edges by running a toothpick around the outside of the cake and then invert onto your serving plates.

How To Serve the Lava Cakes

Serve them immediately after getting them on your serving dishes so that the soft chocolate inside is warm.

White icing sugar being sprinkled over a chocolate lava cake on a black dish.

Top them with icing sugar, a generous scoop of your favorite flavored ice cream or a dollop of fresh whipped cream. Drizzle melted chocolate over the whole thing or add a dusting of cocoa.

Pair it with a hot beverage like English Tea Latte, Ginger Milk Tea Latte, or Poached Pear Ginger Tea and you've got a winning combination.

Looking for More Chocolate Desserts?

I've got you covered! Check out these chocolate treats...all delicious and all gluten-free!

Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cookies
Decadent Flourless Chocolate Cake
Fabulously Fudgy Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownies
Flourless Chocolate Swirl Blondies
Chewy Chocolate Mochi Bread
Flourless Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins

A dark dish containing a chocolate lava cake, a scoop of white ice cream, and a sliced red strawberry.

This lava cake recipe is so easy, there is no reason for you to not make them and deny yourself this decadent chocolate treat! They're also impressive once plated, looking like they required way more effort to make than is true! Add on the undetectable bonus that they are gluten- and grain-free and making this dessert is a no brainer!

~ Lisa.

Flourless Chocolate Lava Cakes