Easy Vegan Chocolate Lava Cake (Rich & Gooey!)

5 from 1 vote

Easy Vegan Chocolate Lava Cake (Rich & Gooey!)

Whenever I am craving something quick, warm, and chocolatey, I make this vegan chocolate lava cake. Cocoa powder, almond butter, and melted chocolate chips give these cakes a soft molten center with slightly firmer crispy edges. The best part is that they bake in just 20 minutes, which is why I make them so frequently.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: 30 Minutes or Less, Baking, Dessert

Cuisine: American, Vegan, vegetarian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 531kcal

Author: Anjali Shah

Equipment

Ingredients

For The Cake

6 tablespoons cocoa powder , plus extra for dusting
½ cup dairy free chocolate chips
½ teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 tablespoon tomato paste
6 tablespoons cashew milk , or other plant based milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional for extra gooey center (I liked it without, my kids liked it with)

2 teaspoons dairy free chocolate chips

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F / 220 C
Mix cocoa powder, chocolate chips, baking powder and salt in a bowl breaking up clumps.
Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
Prep your ramekins with a spray of oil, rub around to coat. Then dust each with a little cocoa powder.
Split the batter into the ramekins.
If you want an extra gooey center, add 1 teaspoon of chocolate chips in the middle of each ramekin and push down to cover them with batter.
Bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool a bit, but enjoy warm.

Notes

My #1 Secret Tip for this vegan chocolate lava cake recipe is to not overbake the cakes. The centers continue to set from residual heat once the ramekins leave the oven. I remove them while the middles still look slightly underdone, and that is what keeps the lava texture intact. If the tops look completely firm all the way through, the centers bake solid instead of molten.
Prepare ramekins properly: Greasing my ramekins thoroughly and then dusting them with cocoa powder ensures that the cakes release cleanly without sticking around the edges.
Use Dutch-processed cocoa: I use good quality dutch processed cocoa powder since it has a smoother, less acidic flavor, which blends seamlessly with the almond butter and maple syrup, while yielding a superior chocolate flavor.
Serve quickly: These taste best warm from the oven, and the centers stay molten for about 10 minutes before becoming noticeably firmer.
Choose chips carefully: For the molten center, I pick the highest cocoa percentage dairy-free chocolate chips I can find. A higher cocoa content means they melt at a lower temperature and stay liquid for longer once the cakes are out of the oven.
Almond butter consistency: I use a smooth, runny almond butter rather than a stiff or chunky one. Thick nut butter leaves streaks of uneven pockets in the batter, which affects texture and taste.

Nutrition