Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes {Paleo, Gluten Free}

These simple chocolate molten lava cakes taste rich and decadent with a gooey chocolate filling.  They’re made without flour or refined sugar but you would never guess!  It’s the perfect easy treat to make for Valentine’s Day or whenever you’re craving something ultra chocolatey.  Gluten free, grain free, and paleo friendly.

I’ve gotten many requests for a paleo version of classic, gooey rich chocolate molten lava cakes.

And now that we’re just a few days away from Valentine’s Day, it’s the perfect time to indulge!

It’s surprisingly easy to make these individual chocolate cakes paleo since there’s not much flour involved to begin with, and the cakes rely heavily on eggs to get their texture.

If you use a paleo friendly dark chocolate like Hu Kitchen or Eating Evolved you can make these decadent cakes fully paleo friendly.  Of course they’re still a major treat, but free of refined sugar, gluten, grains, and dairy.

What You Need to Make Paleo Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes

The ingredients are relatively simple and probably in your pantry already if you’ve made a few of my baking recipes.

A note on the ghee – while not technically dairy free, most of the dairy proteins have been removed, so I consider it to be paleo friendly.

If you are greatly sensitive to dairy and cannot have ghee, vegan butter can be used in its place.

Alternatively, if you don’t have ghee and prefer to use grass fed butter, this will work well too.

Here’s everything you’ll need to prepare the cakes:

• bittersweet or dark chocolate (use Hu Kitchen Chocolate Bars or Eating Evolved to keep it paleo)
• ghee, at room temperature 
• blanched almond flour
• tapioca or arrowroot flour 
• maple sugar, or coconut sugar
• fine sea salt
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature 
• 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature 
• cacao powder, for dusting the ramekins
• Toppings! (see below)

How to Make Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes

To prevent sticking, cut out four small circles of parchment paper to fit the bottoms of 4 6oz ramekins.  I like doing this for “insurance” so I know my cakes will not stick!  After lining the bottoms, spray the sides and bottom lightly with coconut oil spray or grease lightly with ghee, then dust with cocoa powder. 

Preheat your oven to 425°F.  Place the ghee into a medium microwaveable bowl, and add the chopped chocolate. Microwave on high in short 10-15 second increments, stirring vigorously between each one until melted and smooth.  

Whisk the flours, sugar, and salt together in a small bowl.  Whisk the eggs and egg yolks together until combined in another small bowl. Pour the flour mixture and eggs into the bowl of chocolate. Slowly stir everything together using a silicone spatula until a smooth batter forms.

Spoon the chocolate batter evenly into each prepared ramekin.

Place the ramekins onto a baking sheet and bake for 13 minutes, or until the cakes are set on the sides and still soft in the centers.

Allow the cakes to cool for in the ramekins for about 1 minute, then gently run a paring knife around the edges of each cake to loosen the sides if they appear stuck.  Place an upside down dessert plate on top of each one, and using an oven mitt, carefully flip them and slowly remove the ramekins. 

Toppings for These Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes

To keep things paleo, you can top these lava cakes with coconut whipped cream, berries, and my chocolate fudge sauce.

A scoop of coconut vanilla ice cream is also delicious (shown in the photos with chocolate sauce).

To keep it simple, dust a little organic powdered sugar or powdered monk fruit on top of the cakes and serve with raspberries.

I hope you’re ready for an easy decadent and gooey chocolate treat that’s sure to become a new favorite paleo dessert!

Gather your ingredients and preheat your oven because it’s time to bake – let’s go!

Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes {Paleo, Gluten Free}

Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes {Gluten Free, Paleo}

These simple chocolate molten lava cakes taste rich and decadent with a gooey chocolate filling.  They're made without flour or refined sugar but you would never guess!  It's the perfect easy treat to make for Valentine's Day or whenever you're craving something ultra chocolatey.  Gluten free, grain free, and paleo friendly.

Author: Michele Rosen

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 13 minutes

Course: baking, chocolate, Dessert

Cuisine: Chocolate, dessert, Gluten-free, Paleo

Keyword: baking, cake, chocolate, gluten free, paleo, Valentine's Day

Servings: 4 lava cakes

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4.41 from 27 votes

Ingredients

• 6 oz bittersweet or dark chocolate use Hu Kitchen Chocolate Bars or Eating Evolved to keep it paleo, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup ghee at room temperature (or vegan butter for a dairy-free version, if needed)
• 4 tablespoons blanched almond flour
• 1/2 cup maple sugar my preference for texture and flavor, or coconut sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 2 large egg yolks at room temperature
• cacao powder for dusting the ramekins
• Toppings coconut vanilla ice cream berries, and chocolate sauce, as desired

Instructions

1. To prevent sticking, cut out four small circles of parchment paper to fit the bottoms of 4 6oz ramekins. I like doing this for “insurance” that my cakes will not stick! After lining the bottoms, then spray the sides and bottom lightly with coconut oil spray or grease lightly with ghee, then dust with cocoa powder.
2. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Place the ghee into a medium microwaveable bowl, and add the chopped chocolate. Microwave on high in short 10-15 second increments, stirring well between each one until melted and smooth.
3. Whisk the flours, sugar, and salt together in a small bowl. Whisk the eggs and egg yolks together until combined in another small bowl. Pour the flour mixture and eggs into the bowl of chocolate. Slowly stir everything together using a silicone spatula until a smooth batter forms.
4. Spoon the chocolate batter evenly into each prepared ramekin.
5. Place the ramekins onto a baking sheet and bake for 13 minutes or until the cakes are set on the sides and still soft in the centers.
6. Allow the cakes to cool for in the ramekins for about 1 minute, then gently run a paring knife around the edges of each cake to loosen the sides if they appear stuck. Place an upside down dessert plate on top of each one, and using an oven mitt, carefully flip them and slowly remove the ramekins.
7. Add your toppings of choice and serve right away. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*Find my recipe for chocolate sauce here.

Nutrition

Calories: 588kcal

Carbohydrates: 45g

Protein: 8g

Fat: 43g

Saturated Fat: 23g

Trans Fat: 1g

Cholesterol: 244mg

Sodium: 122mg

Potassium: 328mg

Fiber: 4g

Sugar: 32g

Vitamin A: 269IU

Calcium: 89mg

Iron: 5mg

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Want More Paleo Chocolate Desserts?  Try One Of These!

Triple Chocolate Fudge Brownies {Vegan}

Paleo Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Chocolate Frosted Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate Frosted Chocolate Donuts

Double Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

Double Chocolate Paleo + Vegan Cheesecake

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