The only way I can describe these delicious mounds of chocolate is by saying they are like having fudge, brownies, cake, and chocolate syrup all at once! Grain-free molten lava cakes are a family favorite in my house. But don’t worry, these chocolate cakes don’t put you on chocolate overload, and that’s coming from someone who can’t handle too much chocolate! Instead, they have just the right amount of sweetness to balance out the chocolate, and when topped with dairy-free ice cream…. nothing could be better than these grain-free molten lava cakes!
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Modern Pioneer Recipe
More than likely the early pioneers didn’t have the pleasures of enjoying a molten lava cake (although they did have some other tasty treats that I can’t wait to try and share with you!). However, since we are modern pioneers I think chocolate should probably be a staple in your pioneer kitchen.
Chocolate, in its raw state, is actually healthy for you, but I won’t go so far as to say these molten lava cakes are super healthy for you. They are healthier though, and I will go into more of those details later on.
To make these a modern pioneer recipe, I tried to keep the process simple, the ingredients wholesome, and the recipe allergy-friendly. I made my molten lava cakes in individual ramekins, but you can also try making them in individual, mini Dutch ovens or mini cast iron skillets. You will just have to watch the baking time since the cakes will cook faster in cast iron.
These grain-free molten lava cakes are super simple to make, use simple ingredients, and taste out of this world! Perfect for modern pioneers of all ages!
Looking for full size chocolate cake recipe that is also allergy-friendly? Check out this grain-free moist chocolate cake that certainly rivals these molten lava cakes in terms of chocolate goodness!
The Best Way to Serve Lave Cakes
I’ve made these grain-free molten lava cakes quite a few times and have come up with various ways of serving them.
Warm or Cooled? Of course, since they are lava cakes, the best way to enjoy the true consistency of a lava cake is when they come fresh out of the oven. However, I will mention that I have had these cakes cold before and they were just as tasty! For some reason I tend to be a ‘cold dessert’ kind of person, but I actually enjoy these lava cakes warm or cold.
In or Out? You also have the choice of serving these molten lava cakes right in their ramekins or removing them from the ramekins and serving them in a bowl or on a plate. The method of serving is totally up to you! For me, I am always considering presentation and am coming from a food photographer point of view. I removed my molten lava cakes from their ramekins for serving and photographing purposes.
If you do want to remove the cakes from the ramekins, I have a few tips for keeping them from becoming a gooey chocolate heap on your plate:
- #1. Rub coconut oil liberally on the sides of the ramekins when greasing them.
- #2. Cut out circles from parchment paper to fit in the bottoms’ of the ramekins.
- #3. Once the cakes have baked, gently run a knife around the edges and then use a fork to gently pull the cakes out of the ramekins.
- Note: Don’t forget to remove the parchment paper from the bottom of the cake before serving!
Lave Cake Toppings 101
One thing that I absolutely love about molten lava cakes is that they are basically like a glorified ice cream sundae! For those of you who are trying to keep your desserts as healthy as possible, you will want to skip this section. For any dessert lovers without restrictions, read on!
In my opinion, the essential topping for these molten lava cakes is of course ice cream. A warm, chocolate molten lava cake topped with cold, dairy-free ice cream makes for the best combination! The melted ice cream mixes right in with the chocolate lava… which pretty makes much makes these cakes irresistible.
Aside from dairy-free ice cream, there are a multitude of other topping options! Here are just a few that I like to use:
- dairy-free chocolate syrup
- organic, fresh raspberries
- organic, fresh strawberries
- Enjoy Life chocolate chips
- Enjoy Life mega chunks
- Lily’s Sweets chocolate chips
- homemade caramel sauce
- UnReal chocolate gems
- UnReal peanut butter cups, chopped
And if you love these rich chocolate cakes, then you will definitely want to give my two favorite brownie recipes a try! Check out these thick grain-free cake brownies or these fudgy, minty brownie bars!
Making it Healthy
Okay, after I’ve discussed all the ways these molten lava cakes seem unhealthy, let me go over what makes these cakes allergy-friendly and healthy.
To keep these grain-free molten lava cakes allergy-friendly I chose to use simple, raw ingredients. The only ingredient that I would not consider ‘raw’ are the chocolate chips. However, you can use homemade chocolate chips or choose chocolate chips from allergy-friendly brands like Enjoy Life or Lily’s Sweets.
For the other ingredients, I kept them as raw as possible. Using cacao powder instead of cocoa powder is using chocolate in its unrefined form. Virgin coconut oil is better than heat-processed coconut oil. Pure maple syrup makes these molten lava cakes naturally sweetened, aside from the chocolate chips. And the list could go on, but I’ll let you check out the rest of the ingredients when you make the recipe.
These grain-free molten lava cakes are:
- gluten-free
- grain-free
- dairy-free
- corn free
- tree nut free
- naturally sweetened
- refined sugar free (use Lily’s Sweets chocolate chips or homemade chocolate chips)
One thing that these molten lava cakes are not free of is eggs. I have not tried making these with an egg substitute or replacement. The eggs do help keep the cakes stay together, give them some rise as well, and aid in the molten lava texture, so I don’t recommend leaving them out.
Looking for more chocolate-based, allergy friendly desserts? Make sure you check out this amazing Dairy-free Chocolate Pudding Pie or these allergy friendly Grain-free Chocolate Mint Cookies!
Lava Cake Recipe Tips
I mentioned earlier that I wanted to keep this recipe simple and easy. These molten lava cakes are actually really easy to make. Anna and I can whip up two batches in no time at all and the cakes bake while we eat dinner. Then, when we are done eating, the cakes are done baking and we get to have a delicious, warm dessert to share with out family!
This is always a go to recipe when company is over and we want to ‘wow!’ them with a healthy dessert. Here are a few tips to ensure your lava cakes turn out fantastic!
- Don’t Over Bake– Beware of over cooking! I know the cakes will look undercooked, but that’s where the lava comes from and if you overcook the cakes they will be denser and lack fudginess. Still tasty, but not lava-like.
- Room Temp. Ingredients– Make sure your eggs are room temperature so that they combine better with the warm, melted chocolate mixture.
- Not Hot Chocolate– Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil together until they are just melted and combined, don’t let the mixture get too hot. You can do this in the microwave in short intervals or on the stovetop (my preferred method).
- Beat or Stir?- I have skipped the ‘beating for 4 minutes’ multiple times and haven’t been able to tell the difference. You can vigorously hand mix all the ingredients instead.
- Recipe Substitutes– You can substitute honey for the maple syrup as well as cocoa powder for the cacao powder.
Grain-free molten lava cakes have a rich, chocolate flavor and a gooey, fudgy texture that is absolutely amazing! Serve them with dairy-free ice cream and you won’t be able to find a chocolate cake that compares. Whether you’re a die hard chocolate fan or not, these molten lava cakes will be a favorite for all modern pioneers!
Grain-free Molten Lava Cakes (dairy-free)
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup allergy-friendly chocolate chips
- 3 T. coconut oil
- 2 free-range, organic eggs
- 2 T. pure maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
- 1 T. coconut flour
- 1 T. cacao powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Oil three or four ramekins with butter or coconut oil. Sprinkle a little bit of cacao powder in them.
- Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a small sauce pan over low heat. Stir the mixture occasionally to make sure it doesn’t burn.
- In a medium size mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. Blend with a hand mixer on medium to high speed for 4 minutes.
- Gently stir in the melted chocolate mixture, then add the coconut flour and cacao powder. Fold the flour into the batter.
- Divide into three or four ramekins. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. The key is not to over bake this dessert. The center should look very gooey when you remove them from the oven.
- Enjoy these molten lava cakes served warm with your favorite toppings!
Where to Find the Ingredients:
- Enjoy Life semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Lily’s Sweets chocolate chips
- Simply Organic pure vanilla extract
- Redmond real salt
- Anthony’s organic coconut flour
- Nutiva organic coconut oil
- Navitas organic cacao powder
- Supplies: 4 oz. ramekins
Grain-free molten lava cakes are delicious, simple, and allergy friendly! They are the perfect modern pioneer dessert that will satisfy your sweet tooth without any guilt. I love enjoying a warm, fudgy molten lava cake topped with my favorite dairy-free ice cream (NadaMoo!) and maybe a few extras like dairy-free chocolate syrup or fresh raspberries. You can’t go wrong with these delicious cakes!
We share new modern pioneer recipes every week in our newsletter as well as tips on how to live more sustainably. Becoming a modern pioneer has been fun, rewarding, and totally worth it, and we have just begun our pioneer homestead journey! Come along with us as we become modern pioneers!
by Alexa
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