Low carb molten chocolate lava cake

Low carb molten chocolate lava cake

Dessert has never been more decadent. Imagine warm, melting, buttery chocolate headed your way. Now, make it happen with this simple low carb take on a lava cake.
October 21 2017 by , photo by , nutritional review by in Recipes, Dessert

Low carb molten chocolate lava cake

Dessert has never been more decadent. Imagine warm, melting, buttery chocolate headed your way. Now, make it happen with this simple low carb take on a lava cake.
USMetric
6 servingservings

Ingredients

  • 2¾ oz. 80 g dark chocolate with a minimum of 80% cocoa solids
  • 2¾ oz. 80 g butter
  • ¼ tsp ¼ tsp vanilla extract (optional)
  • 3 3 eggeggs
  • 1 tbsp 1 tbsp butter, for greasing the ramekins
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Instructions

Instructions are for 6 servings. Please modify as needed.

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and grease 6 small (approximately 3" or 7 cm diameter) ramekins with butter.
  2. Divide or chop the chocolate into smaller pieces. Put in a saucepan or the top part of a double boiler. Add butter and melt together on low heat.
  3. Add vanilla and stir until smooth. Turn off the heat and set aside. Allow the chocolate to cool, but not too much; you don't want it to harden.
  4. Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy and tripled in size — about 2-3 minutes.
  5. Pour in the chocolate batter. Mix gently with a whisk to combine until the batter is smooth, but ensure the mixture doesn't collapse too much.
  6. Pour the batter into the greased ramekins and place in the oven. Immediately lower the heat to 350°F (175°C).
  7. Set your timer for 7-9 minutes. The lava cake is done just as the surface begins to crack.
  8. Remove from the oven and serve lukewarm. A dollop of whipped cream or sour cream adds a delicious finishing touch.

Tip!

These cakes will continue to bake in the ramekins after you remove them from the oven. Keep the lava flowing by pulling them out a little early.

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What did you think? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!
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57 comments

  1. 1
    Lisa in California
    January 27 2017
    I am so grateful for all I have learned on this website for the last year. Being prone to higher blood sugar, I recently enrolled in "Diabetes Nutrition" with my healthcare provider (Kaiser). A registered dietician taught the class. She said some amazing things. The program promoted high carb, low fat, diet. They encourage a woman trying to lose weight to eat 30-45 grams of carbs per meal! (3 meals per day plus a snack). I try to stick with 30 per day. We were told that the body has to burn glucose, cannot use fat for fuel and would in fact burn muscle before ever burning fat for fuel. I do intermittent fasting every day but the dietician said any fasting was bad for us. At the end she asked if anyone had lost weight in the last year. I was the only one out of 50 people to raise my hand. I have lost 13# and kept it off on your LCHF ketogenic diet. I have 15# more to reach goal. My A1c is down from 6.3 to 5.7. Thank you, Diet Doctor. There is none like you!
    Reply: #25
  2. 2 comments removed
  3. 4
    Patricia
    February 16 2017
    I have made these several times. These are my absolute favorite. I definitely get more than 3 bites out of them! I use the 6 servings recipe and get 6 ramekins. I bake them; ( it took a little longer to get the middle done to where it wasn't liquid) and then wrap the extras up for a few nights of dessert! Just reheat in the oven for a few minutes to warm up.
  4. 1 comment removed
  5. 6
    Dom
    February 17 2017
    If you have troubles with the consistency you can try this trick. Pour part of the batter into ice cube forms and pop in the freezer until it's solid. Then pour the rest of the batter in ramekins and place the frozen cubes inside the batter. Now you can bake them longer so the outside is firm and crispy while the middle part will be runny. Hope this helps.
  6. 1 comment removed
  7. 8
    M
    February 24 2017
    Not bad at all. Still trying to get used to the no sugar thing and agree with Sam that a little sugar would be nice. I made the 6 serving recipe but put it into 4 ramekins. It was just the right size for an after dinner treat. I'd make them again but maybe add a couple of raspberries to the top.
  8. 9
    Marilyn
    February 27 2017
    These were absolutely wonderful! I used 70% dark chocolate and divided it into 4 ramekins. I experimented with baking one ramekin for 5 minutes, another one for 6 minutes, and rest for 2 minutes. The different baking times resulted in different amounts of liquid in the center. I found I liked it best at 5 minutes, which was almost all liquid. If you want less liquid, just bake it longer until it has the amount of liquid you want. When serving, I added a huge dollop of sour cream on top. One serving was big enough serving to satisfy. Totally sweet enough, and delicious!
  9. 2 comments removed
  10. 12
    Natalie
    March 6 2017
    I believe I left the chocolate to cool too long, it wasn't as liquid so it didn't fully mix with the egg. That left me with half a ramekin of cooked egg and a top half of butter and chocolate. I will definitely be experimenting with the recipe some more and see if I can fix my mistake.
    Reply: #36
  11. 13
    Lauren
    March 16 2017
    These are just great! I made two servings using - 20g of tescos 85% dark chocolate, 1 egg, 20g bertolli light butter and a dash of vanilla extract. Gas mark 4 for 6 mins.
    4.8g. Carbs per serving. 16.5g fat, 5.4 g protein total 197 calories
  12. 14
    Sarah
    March 18 2017
    I found they took longer than the stated time and needed a higher temperature. Keep experimenting, all ovens differ.
  13. 15
    Lynn
    April 3 2017
    I have made it several times. I just bake until it seems to have set. I keep the leftovers in the fridge and microwave. Hard to mess up.
  14. 16
    Kathryn
    May 12 2017
    It would be wonderful if there were a print option to print the TIP section.
  15. 1 comment removed
  16. 18
    Ana
    July 20 2017
    This is basically old school moelleux au chocolat, but without the nasty sugar. I grew up with this dessert so I figured out that it wouldn't taste as delightful without any sweeteners. I added a few tablespoons of erythritol and honestly it was the best thing I have had this entire month.
  17. 19
    l
    August 17 2017
    if you follow the recipe exactly, the whipped cream on top is almost essential so the cake won't taste too bitter. I added sugar ( < 1 tbsp) to the melted chocolate and butter until it was barely sweet
  18. 20
    Vilma
    September 22 2017
    Vilma
    I added 1/2 cup of cacao powder , and I used 4 ramekins
  19. 21
    Myriam
    September 30 2017
    I honestly have no idea how this could end up not working for someone. I am pretty inexperienced in the kitchen, followed these directions to the letter, and they came out perfect, as have all the diet doctor recipes I've tried so far (unlike many other Keto recipe sites!) They will be very dark-flavored so if you're not yet used to sugarless chocolate you may want to sprinkle a little coconut sugar on top.
  20. 22
    BANU
    October 8 2017
    Added some splenda and baked it for 10 minutes! It turned out super delicious!
  21. 23
    Diana
    October 20 2017
    Always put some kind of cream on lava cakes!
  22. 24
    Tina
    October 21 2017
    Try using a dark chocolate that is sweetened with Erythritol/Stevia. It will be less bitter.
  23. 25
    Reply to comment #1 by Lisa in California
    Prashant
    October 21 2017
    Lisa, well done. Awesome. What did your nutritionist and the healthcare provider say?

    I am so grateful for all I have learned on this website for the last year. Being prone to higher blood sugar, I recently enrolled in "Diabetes Nutrition" with my healthcare provider (Kaiser). A registered dietician taught the class. She said some amazing things. The program promoted high carb, low fat, diet. They encourage a woman trying to lose weight to eat 30-45 grams of carbs per meal! (3 meals per day plus a snack). I try to stick with 30 per day. We were told that the body has to burn glucose, cannot use fat for fuel and would in fact burn muscle before ever burning fat for fuel. I do intermittent fasting every day but the dietician said any fasting was bad for us. At the end she asked if anyone had lost weight in the last year. I was the only one out of 50 people to raise my hand. I have lost 13# and kept it off on your LCHF ketogenic diet. I have 15# more to reach goal. My A1c is down from 6.3 to 5.7. Thank you, Diet Doctor. There is none like you!

  24. 26
    lona
    October 21 2017
    I would bake these in a water bath, as I do for pumpkin puddings (never make a pastry pie again) and baked egg custards.
  25. 27
    Birgit
    October 22 2017
    Perhaps I try this with 100% chocolate plus xylitol to make it very low carb. As even a 90% chocolate is a little sweet to me, it would be much less that 30g per 100.
  26. 28
    MIchelle
    October 23 2017
    I made 4 rather than 6 because that's how many ramekins I had. I added some liquid stevia to make it a bit sweeter and used only 75% chocolate. I wouldn't think the % of chocolate matters - the higher the % the less sugar there is. The trick is to really beat the eggs - time for 2-3 minutes as it says. Sometimes when you are mixing a minute seems like you've been doing it for an hour so use a clock to time how long. Great with whipped cream and strawberries.
  27. 29
    Michelle
    November 7 2017
    Nope. This is an undercooked chocolate omelette. Not for me.
    Reply: #30
  28. 30
    Reply to comment #29 by Michelle
    Michelle
    November 7 2017
    Wait, an undercooked chocolate frittata.
  29. 31
    Jon
    November 7 2017
    I scaled the recipe to 2 servings (using a single egg). I used 100% dark chocolate and added a tablespoon of erythritol to offset the bitterness of the chocolate - very tasty.
  30. 32
    Gee
    November 8 2017
    What is chocolate solid? Is this the same as baking chocolate?
  31. 33
    John
    November 27 2017
    Great recipe. Made the 4 serving size. Used part of a Lindt chocolate bar (85% cocoa solids) for the chocolate.
    Followed the directions, and they turned out really well.
    Nice to have a fancy dessert for special occasions.
  32. 34
    Tiffanee
    December 23 2017
    Tried them, LOVED THEM. just enough for a tasty dessert, definitely not the massive sugar indulgence I used to have before keto (and subsequently would suffer for hours from). After months of doing LCHF Keto style, my stomach has shrunk a lot and my portions are much better than they were. I know now that it doesn't take a huge platter of food or an entire soup bowl of dessert to be enough. These were a perfect portion. After cooled I dusted with just a touch of Swerve powdered version and they were so lovely.
  33. 35
    Marie
    February 4 2018
    These are wonderful BUT you must cook them longer than 7 minutes or they are too gooey. We cooked about 12-14 min and they came out more like cakes than lava centers but they were really good! If you want a little bit of sweetness to them, I supposed a little swerve or steevia would help. We didnt add it but I can see how you'd miss the sweet if you have a sweet tooth!
  34. 36
    Reply to comment #12 by Natalie
    Kathryn
    February 5 2018
    This is exactly what happened to me... The top layer was chocolate, and then the bottom layer was egg. I think maybe it happened because I beated the egg too long? I thought it was supposed to be fluffy, but maybe its just too thick to mix with the egg? I'm going to try again. I ate it anyway... still tasted good.
  35. 37
    Anastasia
    February 14 2018
    These were phenomenal! I used the 70% dark chocolate per the recipe and they were plenty sweet. Although I have been eating 90% dark for a few months now so I liked that they weren't overly sweet. Also used the 6 serving recipe but only had 4 ramekins, so the servings ended up perfectly sized. I played around and baked them for different times to see what texture would result. I found 7-8 minutes was perfect; still gooey on the inside but not underdone. (Longer than that results in a brownie or cake-like texture. Shorter than that is very soupy.) Served with a dollop of fresh homemade whipped cream and berries. My suggestion for those that found the egg and chocolate separated, would be to focus on steps 4 and 5. Really make sure the eggs are fluffy (beaten with a hand mixer for several minutes) and then ensure the chocolate batter is thoroughly mixed in with the eggs. I used a glass mixing bowl, so I could see the chocolate layer settling on the bottom before it was mixed thoroughly. The mixing took longer than I expected, but it turned out well in the end. Hope this helps. Enjoy!
  36. 38
    Christy
    March 20 2018
    This is a MUCH better recipe, IMO: (2 servings)

    4 tbsp cocoa powder
    2 eggs
    3 tbsp heavy whipping cream
    3 tbsp sweetener (erythritol) (I used Swerve)
    1 tbsp vanilla extract
    1/2 tsp baking powder

    Preheat oven to 350F°.
    In a bowl combine the dry ingredients: cocoa powder, sweetener, baking powder.
    In a separate bowl beat well the eggs with a fork. Add the heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract and mix again.
    Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and combine together until you get a pourable consistency.
    Grease 2 ramekins with some butter.
    Bake for 12 minutes or until the top is set but still moist. (I baked nine and by the times the ramekins were cool enough to handle, they were perfectly melty inside)
    Try not to over bake.
    Turn out onto plates and serve hot!

    I served with whipped cream and fresh raspberries. From low carb spark, all credit to them!

    Reply: #59
  37. 39
    Melissa
    April 8 2018
    I’ve made these several times now. Whipped cream on top is a must. Changes the flavor from super bitter to delicious! Also I use my mixer on low and mix the chocolate and eggs together so they are good and combined. One of our favorite desserts.
  38. 1 comment removed
  39. 41
    Hollie
    August 26 2018
    I made it exactly to the recipe but put it in 1 large oven proof bowl and baked for 9 mins it was delicious, me and my four friends loved it
  40. 42
    alyson
    September 2 2018
    I used Lindt 85% choc, half a bar. I cooked them as directed, for 5 minutes, still very runny. Tried 7 minutes, still very runny. Went up to 10 minutes, they were cooked but maybe too long, they shrank after cooling. The taste was lovely warm. Not sure what they will be like warmed up or cold.
  41. 43
    Rose M.
    December 11 2018
    I made these exactly like the recipe. Baked them for 8 minutes. I don’t have ramekins, so I baked them in a muffin pan. I made 6 and served with 1tablespoon of whip cream! My husband and I thought they were very good. Definitely took care of the sweet tooth craving.
  42. 1 comment removed
  43. 45
    Shaun
    April 28 2019
    I made 4 of these and what a result so nice like a naughty treat! But still within the diet my diet plan , great advice for recipes on here thanks !!
    best result 7mins .
  44. 1 comment removed
  45. 47
    Amanda
    January 23 2020
    Made this tonight and it worked quite well. I think it might be better with unsalted butter, but I still liked it a lot. I baked the recipe for 6 in 4 ramekins (all I had) and did them for 8.5 minutes. Huge difference depending on the type of ramekin used. The glass ones I have gave quite firm product, where as the ceramic ones were much more liquid at the end. I think a tsp or so of Swerve in the chocolate mix would be good. I used 70% dark chocolate.
  46. 48
    megan.alan
    March 1 2020
    I did in 4 ramekins and baked for 9 mins and they were great - served with cream. I would add a little bit of sweetner next time to counteract bitterness - will definitely make again cos kids lived them too
  47. 49
    Jaxson
    April 8 2020
    Loved them! At first we made 4 serves in 4 ramekins with 90% chocolate (I've never had much dark chocolate in my life, 90% was all my shops had available at the time and I had no idea of the taste difference) - so the first lot was quite bitter, and we added a bit of sugar to the second lot to counteract that.

    We just made our third lot then - this time with 70% choc, and using 2 ramekins for the 4 serves instead of 2 (we found that 4 ramekins made them a little bit too small). They were divine! I'm really happy with how they turned out, and can't wait to make them more regularly from now on.

    We put these large portions on for about 6 minutes, but they were still quite runny inside - next time we'll be opting for 7 or 8 minutes to make them a bit more cake, instead of pudding. Still, great recipe!

  48. 50
    Amanda
    June 9 2020
    This looks soooo delicious! Anyone know if cacao powder can be used in lieu of solid dark chocolate. It’s all I have and will try this recipe with it to see. Here’s hoping it works because my mouth is watering Thank you for this recipe
    Reply: #51
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