I’m in Valentine’s Day mode.
Fresh berries, red wine, an exorbitant amount of dark chocolate…
Really, I guess that’s my everyday mode. 🙂
But honestly what’s the point of waiting until February 14th? This quick chocolate lava cake is easy to make, secretly good for you, and deliciously rich.
To make it even more delicious, top it with my homemade Healthy Chocolate Sauce.
Upon breaking into the cake, you will find a gorgeous pink berry filling that pours out like molten lava.
It’s much too good to save for once a year.
Chocolate Lava Cake In A Mug
Adapted from the reader favorite “One Minute” Chocolate Mug Cake
- 3 tbsp spelt, all-purpose, or Bob’s gf flour
- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp dutch or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp sugar of choice or xylitol
- pinch stevia or 1 extra tbsp sugar of choice
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp milk of choice
- 2 1/2 tsp vegetable or coconut oil (Although I don’t personally like the cake when applesauce is subbed for the oil, many commenters do think it tastes good this way. Sub at your own risk.)
- 2 tbsp mashed raspberries or raspberry jam (If using the raspberries, feel free to mix in a little of your favorite sweetener.)
- small handful mini chocolate chips, optional
If using the oven, preheat to 350F. Grease a small dish or 1-cup ramekin. In a separate small bowl, combine first 6 ingredients and stir very well. Add the oil, vanilla, and milk and stir to form a batter. Spoon half the batter into the greased dish, spoon the raspberries and optional chocolate chips on top (only in the middle of the batter), then top off with remaining chocolate batter. Either microwave 30-40 seconds or bake 13-14 minutes. If you don’t want to eat it straight out of the dish, be sure to wait for it to cool before trying to remove the cake.
View Lava Cake Nutrition Facts
If desired, top with any of my 30+ Healthy Frosting Recipes.
becauseHeloves! says
6th February 2014 at 3:03 pmConsider my day made. This looks so good!
janae @ bring joy says
6th February 2014 at 3:35 pmI love your single serving recipes! If it’s not cookies, or something that can easily freeze, I don’t like to make too much, otherwise I end up eating half the pan. 🙂
D says
6th February 2014 at 4:57 pmWould chocolate syrup or chocolate spread (like nutella) work in the center as “lava” instead of berries?
Sarah Bishop says
11th October 2015 at 11:01 amI don’t know about chocolate syrup (if you’re talking about something like the Hersheys in a squeeze bottle,) since it might be too runny/thin. Nutella is close to the same consistency of jam, so I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Also, I was reading the comments and noticed that someone recommended melting chocolate chips or a chocolate bar and using that if you want a plain chocolate filling.
Anna says
3rd August 2016 at 11:59 pmI’m in Canada and I’m not certain about the availability of this where you are, but President’s Choice in the Super Store chain, makes a topping for ice cream called Old Fashioned Dark Chocolate in 355 ml jar.
It’s intended for dessert topping or on ice cream. It does have milk ingredients in it and they use corn syrup for sweetener, but it is very thick. I’m willing to bet that you could drop a spoonful into your mug cake and get a successful result. It must be heated in order for it to pour.
Jordan @ The Blonde Vegan says
6th February 2014 at 5:13 pmHoly yumminess, Katie. You had me at lava cake, but… gorgeous pink berry filling?! I’m all about it. Might just have to make this treat for my Valentine 🙂 xo
Vanessa K. says
6th February 2014 at 5:15 pmHi Katie – does the nutritional info include mashed raspberries or raspberry jam? Thanks!
Kelly @ hidden fruits and veggies says
6th February 2014 at 5:34 pmSounds so tasty filled with berries instead of just chocolate, like a normal lava cake.
Michelle says
6th February 2014 at 5:51 pmThis looks incredible!
Hollie says
6th February 2014 at 6:00 pmTrue story: Molten Lava Cake is one of my favorites.
Lindsey says
6th February 2014 at 6:37 pmLooks delish! I just made your Guinness brownies and they were a huge hit! Thanks 🙂
Liz @ Tip Top Shape says
6th February 2014 at 7:08 pmThis looks fantastic!!!
Jill says
6th February 2014 at 9:03 pmHi, Katie – why is the sugar content different in the two versions, also where does all that fiber come from?
Michelle says
7th February 2014 at 5:26 pmThe sugar content is higher for the cake without oil because applesauce is subbed in, which has (natural) sugar in it. Spelt flour is high in fiber.
Jess @ Keeping It Real Food says
6th February 2014 at 9:07 pmLove this idea! How do you think coconut flour would work in the batter?
Sarah says
6th February 2014 at 9:58 pmI just made this with coconut flour! I used only 1 1/2 tbsp of flour and I used 1/8 of baking soda instead (I’m trying to not eat grains for health reasons). I did everything else the same (included the oil). It may need less filling. I only used maybe 5-6 defrosted mixed berries and I just sort of pushed the dough around it. It may need to cook longer based on your microwave and the level of done-ness you want. It comes out so fluffy, like a soufflé!
Note: if you didn’t want to include the oil, you could try apple cause or mashed banana but ou may need to add more milk.
Joyce says
19th February 2014 at 1:47 amI made mine with oat flour and and it is the most decadent thing I have eaten in a long time. It was thick and moist…marvelous!!!
Michele says
20th February 2014 at 2:10 amMe too! I used oat flour and not much sugar – tiny bit of Xylitol – it was fabulous!
Alex says
6th February 2014 at 9:33 pmHi Katie,
I’m in love with your recipes, especially because I am allergic to wheat and lactose-intolerant so using spelt flour and almond milk are good for me! I’m newly sugar-free too (trying to kill the yeast!!) and I’m confused about the extra sweetener addition you have in a lot of recipes… Like usually it’s a set amount of sugar of choice then an extra hit of stevia (or more sweetener of choice). What would be your sugar to stevia substitution amount if stevia was the only sweetener? I’ve seen different amounts and I don’t want it to be too sweet!
Thanks and keep up the good work 🙂
Martina says
7th February 2014 at 10:25 amOh dear, I hope you haven’t been fed that myth about candida overgrowth and needing to cut out sugar (and perhaps yeast) to stop feeding it? It’s just not how stuff works – candida is commonly part of the normal mixture of bugs that live in us, but its numbers are mostly kept in check by the other organisms. It usually only infects locally (e.g diaper rash, vaginal thrush), but may cause widespread and serious disease in someone who is immunosuppressed, e.g. due to chemotherapy or HIV/AIDS. But “candida overgrowth” seems to be this crazy belief/diagnosis that the woo-meisters have, and the misinformation makes me ragey. A medical doctor with critical thinking skills would likely be much more helpful for you.
Joan says
16th February 2014 at 1:55 amSorry, Darling, sugar burns everything it touches, and CANCELS all HCL acid in the stomach, so critical for disinfecting and digesting. Indeed, cancer and candida do indeed tend to starve to death when you deny them sugar. Medical doctors are WONDERFUL for acute care, but only a fool goes to an MD for chronic care: MD’s receive zero training for healing, only surgery and drugs… and emergency care, which they’re great at. Learn more, please before misleading that poor lady. Respectfully submitted.
Martina says
8th June 2014 at 10:23 amJoan, I can see you feel strongly enough about this to use a very condescending tone, but you make some very bold claims that are often trotted out by the woo-peddlers, without any science to support them. Perhaps you could include the chemical equations for how sugar “cancels” hydrochloric acid in the stomach? And some citations on how the absence of sugar (what kind of carbohydrate are you actually referring to) “starves” cancer and candida “to death”? Does it have the same effect for all types of cancer – they’re not all the same, after all.
I’d like to suggest applying the same level of skepticism towards the alternative “medicine” practitioners that you do towards actual medical doctors. The sense of being able to thumb your nose at the medical establishment, and having some sort of secret “knowledge” they don’t must be enjoyable, but it is at the expense of facts, I’m afraid. I hope the myths they have sold you weren’t too expensive.
Alissa @ Eat Clean Beauty Queen says
6th February 2014 at 5:25 pmI LOVE how so many of your recipes are a single serving. I can’t be trusted with an entire pan of anything around the house. This is such a good way to satisfy your sweet tooth without killing your day!
EVA says
6th February 2014 at 10:33 pmI was completely fooled when I first saw this, thinking it was a multiple-serving cake. NEIN, it’s a single-serve which makes this recipe 1000 times better! Unfortunately, I have to be on a low fat and low fiber diet, so I’ll have to ponder what to use as my filling instead of the raspberries.
Maybe chunkily-mashed bananas?
One can never tire of bananas.
Meghan Cunningham says
6th February 2014 at 11:16 pmHow did you know this is what I needed today!?
I love hot lava cake. I am going to try to fill mine with raspberries and hot chocolate butter!
Rebekah says
6th February 2014 at 11:18 pmLove it! But do you have to put raspberries in it?
Michelle says
7th February 2014 at 2:30 amHi, I hope you don’t mind me chiming in, but without the raspberries, this is really just Katie’s original chocolate mug cake, which she linked to in the recipe. So, basically the answer is no, you don’t have to put the raspberries in.
Steph says
6th February 2014 at 11:58 pmWow, that raspberry filling looks ridiculously awesome! Like a delicious volcano!!!
Katie says
7th February 2014 at 12:49 amJust made this – absolutely delicious! I usually don’t like the taste when I use applesauce instead of oil but I gave it a shot and it was fabulous:) Keep the single recipes coming, I love it!
Rebekah says
7th February 2014 at 1:58 amJust made this using raspberry jam! I completely forgot how good that combo can be! Like a giant viva-puff!!
Thalia says
7th February 2014 at 2:13 amYum! This looks delicious 😀 Would this recipe also work using all whole wheat flour instead of spelt or all-purpose?
Anna says
7th February 2014 at 2:36 amI personally don’t like the taste of baked goods with just whole wheat flour as I find them too dense. Maybe use white whole wheat or use a combo of flours?
Katie says
7th February 2014 at 3:14 amI actually like most mug cakes with whole wheat flour (or at least partial) better. I think it helps create the “cakey” texture as opposed to the sponge or rubber texture.
Emily J. says
7th February 2014 at 4:26 amI agree, it gives it a more”cakey” texture. I always make my mug and layer cakes with whole wheat flour.
Christy says
7th February 2014 at 1:19 pmI actually made this last night with whole wheat white flour and Splenda, and the taste was fine, except the bitterness of the flour needed a little more sugar. Otherwise, it was great!!
Charmee says
7th February 2014 at 2:31 amThis recipe is phenomenal. I have made and enjoyed quite a few of your desserts and breakfast foods but never been inspired to comment before. But this chocolate lava cake (I made it with blueberry dark chocolate filling) took my breath away.
Kimberly says
7th February 2014 at 2:44 amHOLY DELICIOUSNESS!
I just made this, but instead of making a raspberry filling, I made a chocolate filling by combining 2 tbsp cocoa powder with a splash of almond milk (I’d say about 2 tsp), microwaving it for a few seconds so they would mix together, and added sweetener to taste and mixed really well. It came out AMMMAAZING. Talk about “lava” cake, when I cut it open, beautiful chocolate poured out and it was so glorious ! So so ridiculously chocolatey.
Kimberly says
7th February 2014 at 2:46 amor maybe it was a little more than 2 tsp almond milk, I just kinda added until the desired “hot fudge” consistency was reached.
EVA says
7th February 2014 at 8:04 pmThanks for this! I commented earlier wanting a low fiber alternative, and I appreciate your recipe for an easy chocolate sauce. Now I just need to invest in that cocoa powder I’ve been saying I was going to get for months….
Katie says
7th February 2014 at 3:12 amI love your blog. I use your recipes all the time. 2 thoughts… 1. With this and other chocolate mug cakes I’ve subbed in brewed coffee for some or all of the milk. Brings out the chocolate more and less calories. 2. I also replace most of the oil with plain yogurt. I like it better than applesauce, but it’s still a little better than all oil.
Thanks again for all the recipes!
Amy says
7th February 2014 at 4:04 amIs this blog only for single and dieting folks? I have an army of kids to feed! Seriously, I would love to make these cakes for a birthday party, but it’s a lot of work measuring out 20 cakes and if I do the math, multiply each ingredient by 20 and mix it up together, who knows if the results will be the same? (I’ve done that in the past and results were not good.) You need a section for party foods.
Katherine says
10th February 2014 at 6:00 amEvery blogger has their own intended audience or usual “theme,” you can’t blame her for showing recipes that fit her lifestyle (and seem to please a lot of her readers.)
But, if you still want to try her recipes, you can try this: http://www.fruitfromwashington.com/Recipes/scale/recipeconversions.php
Amy says
10th February 2014 at 4:33 pmKatherine, thanks for your reply. And I wasn’t blaming her, just giving her feedback. I’m sure Chocolate-Covered-Katie can add a section for party foods to her blog with no problems, even if single cakes fit her lifestyle better. She didn’t get this popular for having no baking skills. But I was hoping she can think about a party section for the future, like when she gets married and has kids later on – I’m a fan even if I don’t give her drool. And I appreciate the calculator, even though I can do the math just fine and the math is not the problem… Like I said, I’ve done recipe conversions in the past, but the TASTE just doesn’t translate sometimes and I’m not sure why…?
Unofficial CCK Helper says
14th February 2014 at 2:04 amKatie posts many larger serving recipes on her blog as well. Try this one if you want a chocolate cake. You can easily put raspberry jam in the middle… or even on top! https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/06/18/cauliflower-chocolate-cake/
Amy says
14th February 2014 at 4:12 amThanks, I’ve made this one before -for Christmas. My kids, who are not accustomed to sweets on a regular basis thought it was great. But my husband and I tasted too much cauliflower… so I figured school kids who are used to Walmart cupcakes probably wouldn’t like it either.
I did end up multiplying the lava cake recipe by 12 and the results were so-so. I thought the cake tasted kind of chalky, but it could be due to the conversion or the fact that it’s mostly cocoa with no chocolate and I used 2/3 of a 12-oz. bag of mini chocolate chips… But again, my kids didn’t mind at all, especially when I “frosted” it with chocolate peanut butter. About half of their friends didn’t eat it however. They took one bite and passed. :-\
Katie’s giant cookie cake with beans is a winner/keeper though. I double the recipe with no problems and it’s agreeable even to the adults. 🙂
Kalista says
22nd June 2016 at 10:02 amI wish I’d read all reviews instead of just those on 1St pg. I multiplied too to make 4 mugs for hubby n kids but it ended up being rather rubbery or chalky as u say. I had such high hopes seeing that most reviewed theirs came out perfectly. Oh well, since it’s a quick microwave recipe, I’ll hv to retry this again individually. To anyone else trying, I think you need to indicate that it’s not recommended to multiply quantity unless I missed that advice somehow. Anyhow thank you for the recipe.
Kate says
7th February 2014 at 4:32 amOk this is getting a little bit ridiculous, a couple months ago i was starving and didnt have anything in the house except flour, canned pumpkin and the basics so i made pumpkin pancakes, when i sat down to devour them i found that you had JUST posted a oumpkin pancakes recipe. A couple weeks ago, i made banana chocolate swirl cookies (that kind of failed lol) and the next day you posted banana chocolate swirl bread. And i LITERALLY just finished eating my recently perfected mug cake recipe before checking your blog and seeing that you posted this. This is a little weird. Katie we have the same food driven – but its ok bc great mindscthink alike 🙂
Hayley in Training says
7th February 2014 at 6:36 amTHIS is going to be my Valentine’s Day dessert! Thank you so much for the idea and post!!
Matcha says
7th February 2014 at 9:00 amI love your healthy way to have chocolate, good idea, thanks so much. I can have more chocolate now. 🙂
Aspidistra says
7th February 2014 at 2:08 pmIf I wanted to bake this en masse (6-12 ramekins), should I change the baking time?
(Definitely loved the single serving I made)
Abbie @ Needs Salt says
7th February 2014 at 3:22 pmI totally agree with you, Katie – why wait until Valentine’s Day to indulge on chocolate? It’s just too good.
These lava cakes look so awesome! I need them in my life.
Pinning!
Laine says
7th February 2014 at 10:12 pmThis looks fabulous, thanks for sharing! I think the nutritional info might be a bit off…. 1.5 grams fat seems awfully low- 1 1/2 tsp coconut oil is nearly one TBSP which usually has 14 grams fat. Unless of course the nutritional info was meant for only a portion of the cake? Keep those amazing recipes coming!
Laine says
7th February 2014 at 10:13 pmEEek- never mind! I just realized the chart I was looking at was the oil-free version and the oil version is below……. embarrassed. Sorry!
Lucka says
7th February 2014 at 10:47 pmNow, this is funny, because I was just searching your site two days ago for healthy option of lava cake and now here it is. Made the not so healthy one yesterday, but really looking forward to try yours. Thank you.
Kayla says
8th February 2014 at 2:20 amOh my! This looks so delicious it’s hard to believe it’s healthy! I love it!
Angela says
8th February 2014 at 4:34 amI just whipped this up….Girl! This is AMAZING!!! I didn’t have raspberries so I subbed with Strawberry jam and dark chocolate chips…MERCY! So Good! Like I needed another easy, decadent chocolate recipe to whip at a moments notice for my ever so prevalent chocolate cravings. Thanks….thanks a lot!
Angela says
8th February 2014 at 4:34 amI just whipped this up….Girl! This is AMAZING!!! I didn’t have raspberries so I subbed with Strawberry jam and dark chocolate chips…MERCY! So Good! Like I needed another easy, decadent chocolate recipe to whip at a moments notice for my ever so prevalent chocolate cravings. Thanks….thanks a lot!
BakeMeABallerina says
8th February 2014 at 5:55 amThere are so many interesting recipes it’s hard to choose which to make next! I love the vast majority of your recipes but I would love it if readers could rate recipes to help give feedback to those selecting a recipe to make!
Robin says
8th February 2014 at 3:50 pmMade this in a mug last night and LOVED every bite! I used WW pastry flour, just .5tsp sweetener (coconut sugar), .75tbsp cocoa+1.5tsp raw cacao powder, and 2.5tsp unsw organic applesauce in place of the oil (I kept the milk amt. the same though). For the filling I mashed a few raspberries, dropped that in, and also chopped up and dropped in a square of Endangered Species espresso bean dark chocolate. Yuuum espresso raspberry mug cake. It took exactly 1 minute in my microwave and came out onto a place perfectly! I’m so excited to try other variations, especially a dollop of nut butter inside. Thanks!
Lisa @bitesforbabies says
9th February 2014 at 1:06 amYuuum! I just used up the last of my berries to make homemade chia berry jam…I wish I would have set some aside because I would have made this too! ;-0
Jeanette says
9th February 2014 at 9:28 amThis recipe brought me back to the Chocolate Mug Cake, which I just made. (An all time favourite, just like the deep dish cookie pie.)
I enjoyed every bite.
I couldn’t have imagined a chocolate cake so easy and yummy.
It was a delicious breakfast on a Sunday morning.
You made my day. Katie, you’re a genius.
Thank you for being you.
Nadia says
9th February 2014 at 7:25 pmAnyone have an idea how I would successfully use maple syrup as the sweetener in this recipe? Looks delicious.
Nadia says
15th February 2014 at 3:48 amI’ve used 1 tbsp and 1 tsp of maple syrup when making this recipe.
Ali says
10th February 2014 at 7:14 pmCould I use oat flour?
Amy says
11th February 2014 at 2:37 amThis looks amazing! How long will it keep and how should I store it?
2da4est says
12th February 2014 at 2:28 amLoved this! My better half needed something sweet tonight so I made this. A little early for V-day but that is okay.
What I would like to do is mix up the dry ingredients in a jar and then just have to add the wet and cook. I am going to try to figure this out, I just hope it works.
Truly loved this recipe.
Thanks.
E says
12th February 2014 at 7:09 amWow, looks delicious. Thanks for the recipe! (and the inspiration)
Mel @ a table prepared says
12th February 2014 at 4:04 amOooh I love any excuse to make something chocolate… and I love that it’s single serving. I don’t like sharing chocolate.
Shayna says
13th February 2014 at 1:01 amVery delicious but FYI that the microwaving does NOT work out how you’d expect 😛 Still delicious (obviously) but it doesn’t look right.
Will definitely try again. Perfect for a birthday cake for two 🙂
Emma says
13th February 2014 at 3:11 amWait, where’s the red wine? And how is this secretly healthy?
Elle says
13th February 2014 at 10:11 pmWill it be good-enough-for-guests if served at room temperature several hours after baking?
Thanks!
sharon says
14th February 2014 at 7:43 pmHow did I live without this site? As a single-nester I usually just do without rather than make a whole pie or cake. This is very helpful. Thanks so much.
Cheryl says
15th February 2014 at 2:32 pmMade this last night and it was GREAT! I used frozen raspberries which still worked out well. I also used chocolate raspberry stevia which was also delicious. It was a rich chocolate but not overly sweet which I like. Would make it again. The single serving idea works all well too.
Nell says
16th February 2014 at 1:04 amDelicious as chocolate is, so sad to see people buying wallpaper glue (flour + water) and believing that adding chocolate, eggs, and sugar somehow turns wallpaper glue into something else. EVERY cause of unnatural death, combined, and you still don’t come close to the number of humans sicked and killed by eating flour. Delicious, but sad… my peers look my parents, no kidding. Haters, go crazy, or save your life by eating foods, not non-foods. If you think you love your children when you give them a cupcake, think again.
Joan says
16th February 2014 at 1:52 amHealthy cake? Isn’t that oxymoronic? Nothing healthy about flour. Looks tasty, but….
Isabel says
17th February 2014 at 7:20 pmuh no it isn’t oxymoronic, her whole website it dedicated to healthy desserts and yeah cake is one of them. As she says in the recipe you can use flour substitutes including gluten free kinds. Besides, healthier than most cake recipes or store-bought cakes.
Tina says
16th February 2014 at 1:52 ammy favorite one so far!!!!!!! BIG hit!
Danielle says
16th February 2014 at 8:55 pmI have tried many of your recipes, but I’ve gotta say this one is by far the most addictive! Omg! It tastes just like PF Chang’s Great Wall of Chocolate… only better. Love this!!
Isabel says
17th February 2014 at 7:17 pmI LOVED this. I almost wanted it to be not single serving it was so goooood.
Lynda says
18th February 2014 at 4:53 amI don’t understand how there can only be 2.2g of sugar when there are 2 tsp of sugar in the recipe, plus the berries and chocolate chips? Is the nutrition breakdown for the whole cake, or a serving of it?
Joyce says
19th February 2014 at 1:16 amI must say THANK YOU!!! I made this today and it is the most delicious thing I have had in a LONG time. So decadent you cant tell its sugar free and healthy. I did substitute oat flour as I didn’t have anything else. I am a diabetic that has been strictly following my diabetic diet for the past 7 months and have dropped 70 pounds. This is the first chocolate I have had since July. THANKS SO MUCH!!
Jen says
20th February 2014 at 4:04 amJust made this tonight and it was delicious! However, your Points Plus values are way off. I made it exactly as your recipe, with the oil, and with 1 tbs of jam in the center. I plugged all the ingredients into my recipe builder (I triple checked the amounts), and this cake is 9 points! Sort of blew my day as I only had 5 points left 🙁 But it was worth it, so yummy! However, you might want to edit the nutrition info so that weight watchers readers know how to allocate their points correctly. Love your blog, btw! 🙂
Unofficial CCK Helper says
25th February 2014 at 4:42 pmIt depends on what specific ingredients you use. I calculated it WITH the oil and with raspberries and got 5 points like Katie did.
Marguerite says
21st February 2014 at 4:03 pmNow that you talk about your imaginary friend I can see where I will need one. Is it ever too late?
Amanda says
22nd February 2014 at 12:51 amHi Katie,
Are you sure about the nutritional facts? I just calculated the calories of all the ingredients WITHOUT the raspberry filling (but with a tbsp of chocolate chips) and it came out to 286. And that’s without 1/2 tsp of oil. How did you arrive at your total?
Unofficial CCK Helper says
28th February 2014 at 5:33 pmRead Katie’s Recipe FAQ page located at the top of the blog for more on nutrition facts. Her calculations are correct on this one.
Amanda says
28th February 2014 at 10:30 pmI did read the FAQ and I did not use an online calculator, I calculated it right from the packages of the ingredients. If there’s something that Katie has done differently (other than the applesauce/oil sub) from what is literally, factually in the recipe I’d be curious to know. And if she does something differently, I think it should be listed at the bottom of each recipe!