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/ Last Modified On January 15, 2023Gluten-Free Chocolate Lave Cakes that are dairy-free and vegan. You are going to love how easy this gluten-free lava cake recipe is!
If you like gluten-free chocolate desserts you're going to want to check out my gluten-free vegan chocolate ganache cake. My gluten-free vegan chocolate espresso donuts are equally scrumptious.
For more desserts check out my Gluten-Free Desserts section.
Gluten-Free Chocolate Lave Cake
A fudgy chocolate cake with a gooey center, these gluten-free chocolate lava cakes will wow any gluten-free chocolate lover.
I've had a couple of readers message me and ask for a simple gluten-free chocolate lave cake recipe. It's been on my list for a while now but it gave me the push I needed to finish the recipe. You should have most if not all of the ingredients for these lava cakes in your kitchen.
I've got a couple of options for this gluten-free lava cake recipe, so please make sure to read through the post so you know what has worked and what I recommend. I used Enjoy Life Foods Dark Morsels for these chocolate lava cakes. They are free of the top allergens and they are gluten-free and vegan. They are the star of this recipe.
Gluten-Free Lave Cake Recipe
First off, this is a vegan chocolate lava cake. That means no dairy and no eggs. If you can have dairy and/or eggs and you'd like to use them in this recipe please see the recipe card below. It will show you what substitutions you can use in this gluten free lave cake recipe.
Chocolate Lava Cakes are basically little cakes that have a chocolate center that spills out when you take a bite - like lava spilling from a volcano. They go by gluten-free chocolate lave cakes, gluten-free lave cakes, and sometimes gluten-free molten chocolate lave cakes.
I have two options for you, depending on how you like your gluten-free chocolate center:
- Make this recipe as is. The center will be soft and gooey, and remind you of cake batter. It's vegan (no eggs) so don't even fret about the center being soft. It's delish! If you use eggs, you'll be fine. The temperature of the center gets up high enough that it's safe to eat, even though its quite soft.
- If you like your gluten-free chocolate center a little smoother - add additional dark chocolate morsels to the center. You can press them in, and smooth the batter over the top.
I have made this gluten-free lava cake recipe BOTH WAYS. Why? Because half my family prefers the first option and half prefer the second and it only take a minute to press extra chocolate morsels into the center. I can't wait for you to try these vegan lava cakes!
How to make gluten-free chocolate lave cakes
- Grease eight 4-ounce ramekins and place them on a baking sheet OR dust 8 muffin pan wells with cocoa (to prevent sticking). I prefer to use silicone baking pans when I make gluten-free lava cakes because I find it easier to remove them.
- In a small mixing bowl, make your flax eggs by combining the ground flax seed meal and water. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes to thicken.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the chocolate morsels and oil to a separate medium sized microwaveable bowl. Microwave for 1 minute and then whisk until chocolate mixture is smooth.
- Add the melted chocolate mixture, applesauce, and flax eggs to the dry mix and stir until combined.
- Fill the ramekins or muffin wells ¾ of the way full.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes. The edges will be set but the center will still be soft and gooey. Remove the pan form the oven.
- Invert the gluten-free chocolate lava cakes onto a plate and serve warm.
This gluten-free chocolate lave cake recipe is super simple, right? See the recipe below for the complete list of ingredients and instructions.
Flour Blend
For this recipe I used Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. It has a combination of gluten-free flours and gluten-free starches. I've also tested this gluten-free chocolate lava cake recipe with Cup4Cup and gfJules flour. All made amazing lava cakes.
When working with or measuring gluten-free flour, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level. Do not scoop your measuring cup into the gluten-free flour. The best method really is to weigh the gluten-free flour but I don't have the ingredient weights for all my recipes yet.
What to serve with lava cakes
To keep these gluten-free lava cakes vegan you'll want to either dust the vegan lava cakes with a light coating of powdered sugar, serve them with vegan ice cream, or you can top them with a vegan whipped cream like coconut whipped cream. Otherwise, feel free to top them with YOUR FAVORITE toppings.
If you like gluten-free chocolate desserts you might also like these Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Mini Bundt Cakes.
Did you make this gluten-free lave cake recipe? Please leave a starred review and a comment below. It helps others see that this recipe is great.
Gluten-Free Lava Cake - Dairy-free and Vegan!
Gluten-Free Chocolate Lave Cakes that are dairy-free and vegan. You are going to love how easy this gluten-free lava cake recipe is!
Ingredients
- 4 flax eggs (¼ cup ground flaxseed meal + ¾ cup (6oz.) water, let sit for 10-15 minutes until thickened)
- 1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour blend (I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (or coconut sugar)
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup Enjoy Life Foods Dark Chocolate Morsels
- ¼ cup oil of choice (I use avocado oil)
- ½ cup apple sauce
- Optional: additional chocolate morsels for an extra chocolatey center
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease eight 4-ounce ramekins and place them on a baking sheet OR dust 8 muffin pan wells with cocoa (to prevent sticking). I prefer to use silicone baking pans when I make gluten-free lava cakes because I find it easier to remove them.
- In a small mixing bowl, make your flax eggs by combining the ground flax seed meal and water. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes to thicken.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the chocolate morsels and oil to a separate medium sized microwaveable bowl. Microwave for 1 minute and then whisk until mixture is smooth.
- Add the melted chocolate mixture, applesauce, and flax eggs to the dry mix and stir until combined.
- Fill the ramekins or muffin wells ¾ of the way full.
- Bake for 16 minutes. The edges will be set but the center will still be soft and gooey.
- Invert the gluten-free chocolate lava cakes onto a plate and serve warm.
Notes
- When working with or measuring gluten-free flour, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level. Do not scoop your measuring cup into the gluten-free flour.
- You can cut this recipe in half to make 4 gluten-free lava cakes instead of 8, if needed.
- You can use 4 eggs in this recipe in place of the flaxegg if you can eat eggs.
- Optional: for an extra chocolatey center press additional chocolate morsels into the center of the batter, and smooth the batter out on top. I like to use 5-8 chocolate morsels when I want more chocolate.
- For this recipe I used Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. I've also tested this gluten-free chocolate lava cake recipe with Cup4Cup and gfJules flour. All made amazing lava cakes.
- Substitute ½ cup of mashed banana or pear-sauce for the applesauce if you don't have applesauce on hand.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. They never cost you extra.
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Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Regular Size Morsels, Net Wt 9 OZ Per Package, Multi-Pack of 4 Packages. Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, and Soy-Free Chocolate Chips. 69% Cacao. Certified Gluten Free. Made In A Dedicated Nut And Gluten-Free Facility.
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Zilomax Superior Quality 12-Cup Silicone Mold – Non-Stick Muffin Pan Crafted of Thick, Solid Silicone. BPA-Free, Food-Grade Cupcake Pan | Dishwasher-Safe & Heat-resistant. Effortless Releas
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Bobs Red Mill, Baking Flour 1 To 1 Gluten Free, 22 Ounce
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1 lava cakeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 406Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 200mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 7gSugar: 18gProtein: 6g
Natalie
WOW this lava cake look absolutely mouthwatering and super delicious! Can't wait to try this recipe. I love that it's gluten and dairy free!
chrystal
Thank you for stopping by Natalie!
Sarah
I made these this weekend and put them in a muffin tin... it definitely made more than 8, and came out of the tin perfectly. But they weren’t lava at ALL! They were completely cooked through little chocolate cakes, I was so bummed. I even added the extra chocolate in the center. So I would suggest cooking less than 16 minutes if you’re using muffin tins.
chrystal
Thanks for sharing. It does sound like they were overcooked a tad. It could have been the muffin tin vs. ceramic ramekin. Definitely pull them out of the oven earlier next time.
Best,
Chrystal
Annabelle
Can i use eggs? ty!
Lindsay
we haven't made these with eggs, but I think you can, since the flax eggs are a replacement for the eggs traditionally used in lava cake. Enjoy!
Kelly
Hi,
Is there a homemade flour mix you could use instead of buying one that will work? ty
chrystal
Yes, you can use my homemade flour blend, or a similar blend.
Best,
Chrystal
Jason
I followed the recipe exactly except that I added extra chocolate morsels and it was still very thick and didn't turn out to be lava-like at all. Fantastic as a brownie though.
I will play with the recipe more next time and see if I can get it to work.
Angela
If I plan on making these ahead and bringing them to a party, do you recommend baking them just slightly and warming them at the other person’s house? Or putting the dough in the fridge and baking completely at their house?
Wendy Stoltz
Hi Angela,
I would make them at their house.