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Gluten free Lava Cake

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gluten-free lava cakeAbout four and a half years ago I found out I was celiac. So the last time I had lava cake must have been five years ago. Have you ever had lava cake? We used to live in a town on the East Coast that had a Chart House Restaurant right on the water. The restaurant was on a dock, so when you looked out the windows from your table it was almost like being on a boat. Very fun. We went there to celebrate every special occasion. I would get the spinach salad to start, then usually a fish entree, and we always shared the lava cake for dessert. It was made to order, so it was best to tell the server half an hour before you planned on eating dessert. They brought it out hot from the oven, and when you put your fork into it, the middle oozed out.

Who knows, maybe their lava cake is flourless and gluten-free, but probably not. You could call them and ask if you have a Chart House near you. I bet most of the main menu is gluten-free, but again you would have to make sure.

Today for some reason I got it in my head that I wanted to make lava cake 😀 As luck would have it, it came out the way I wanted on the first try. I use Bob’s almond flour, as you may know, so it isn’t as finely ground, but we’re all fine with that. If you prefer a finer almond flour, I’m sure it would be even better.

Gluten free Lava Cake

gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, egg-free

Ingredients
3 bars of dark chocolate (Each is a 3.5 ounce bar: 2 bars to melt and 1 to break into pieces)
1/4 tsp liquid stevia
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut oil, liquified
3 cups almond meal flour
1/4 cup arrowroot flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder (see my Grain-free Baking Powder recipe)
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven at 400 degrees F.
  2. Place 2 bars of dark chocolate in a bowl over simmering water to melt.
  3. As the chocolate melts add the stevia, vanilla extract, and coconut oil. When the chocolate is melted turn off the heat.
  4. In a mixing bowl combine almond meal, arrowroot flour, baking soda, baking powder, coconut sugar, unsweetened applesauce.
  5. Pour chocolate mixture over flour mixture and beat with electric mixer.
  6. Grease oven-proof mugs or ramekins. Fill almost half way with the batter. Add two squares of dark chocolate (not melted) to each. Top with more batter.
  7. Bake for about 20 minutes.
  8. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then serve still warm. (The hotter it is, the more gooey it will be in the middle. The cooler it gets, the more cake-like it will become.)

Makes four to five lava cakes. Note: Lava cake is meant to be gooey in the middle.

Update: I just realized that this is a lot of lava cakes. After only being able to eat two today, I would suggest you make a half batch of this recipe, unless you’re having company 🙂

♥, Kelly

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Comments

  2. Oh my goodness, does this look heavenly! You are torturing us! My family has just started the GAPS diet, so no starches, baking soda or powder. We were already Grain free and sugar free, so that just leaves all of your delicious recipes to pine after. Unless…you start the GAPS diet too! Then you can make all your recipes GAP legal, lol. Pretty Please!

  6. My mother would make molten chocolate cakes every time a birthday rolled around and our family was together. Since becoming vegan, I have had to forgo these egg and butter-laden delicacies. Now I can bake my gooey chocolate cake and eat it too!!! This looks so tasty.

  9. oh, Kelly, how you inspire me…..this looks delish. You rock! Oh, and I wonder if the Chart House restaurant you went to as a kiddo was in Annapolis, or perhaps the eastern shore of MD? (I lived in Maryland during my teen years and my parental units still live there).

  11. OMG this sounds so delicious! I’ve been to the Chart House in Old Town Alexandria but never had this. Next time I go I must try! thanks for the recipe!

  13. Kelly those look great! We homeschool and this is the week we are doing our standardized testing, so the Lave Cake will be a fantastic treat for my kids’ hard work! Thanks for the great inspiration!

  14. There are so many desserts that I haven’t eaten in years because of one ingredient or another and now you are bringing those all back to me. Thank You! Thank You!
    You have become my favorite blogger.

  15. Oh, I haven’t had a lava cake since I went GF either! This looks delicious, and I definitely will be trying the recipe soon. Thanks for posting.

  17. My husband & I used to have the Chart House’s lava cake for our birthdays and/or anniversary…That was in our glutenous days.
    Thank you for your adaptation, hubby will be pleased ;).

  18. OK, I was going to ask you if you were from Annapolis, cause so am I! I wondered if you grew up near me. What HS did you go to? I went to SP. Grad in ’87. Did I know you? Or maybe you knew my mother. She taught at South High. Whew, that’s kinda freaky.

    Back on subject. YUM! We just might have to try this very soon.

  21. I’ve never actually had lava cake (I haven’t ordered desserts at restaurants in years since they almost always contain dairy – so frustrating, but probably good for my waistline 🙂

    But this looks amazing! I know my husband would love it if I could figure out the best sub for the almonds for him.

  22. Oh, heavenly, Kelly! This sounds much like molten chocolate cake (molten and lava go together, right?). Thanks so much for creating this recipe. Definitely a decadent treat to have on occasion!

    xo,
    Shirley

  23. Coconut sugar! I’ve never heard of that…it sounds awesome! This cake looks absolutely delicious…and sounds really easy to make…I’ve been dying for something rice and chocolaty…

  24. Hello, lovely blog, thank you for writing it.
    I’m local, Boulder area, and was wondering if you might have a referral for a good ND or Holistic Nutritionist in the area? I’m looking for one for my husband and myself. We both have food allergies/sensitivities.
    Thank you for your time and effort.
    Carey

  26. Thanks guys!

    Mars, I’m a ’96 grad.

    Carey, Yes, I use Mary Shakelton, ND 🙂

    Lassie, Yes, 1 tablespoon. But I would make half of the recipe. We have to share ours, two people per one cake, because they are so rich 🙂

  27. I think I saw a GF lava cake recipe for the first time a few weeks ago (and come to think of it, I don’t know where I found it…) but grain free, dairy free, and egg free? This is awesome!

  28. These are so good I made them 3 times this week! I subbed 2 eggs and some coconut milk for the applesauce. Made them for company tonight and got rave reviews and a “Honey, these don’t even have gluten in them.”

  29. I made these tonight and we loved them! I used Enjoy Life chocolate chips instead of the Chocolove bar because that is what I had on hand. I halved the recipe, gave one away, and still probably ate too much! My husband was so excited to have these. His all time favorite dessert was Chili’s molten lava cake. Now I can make this for him instead without all the bad stuff. Awesome! Thanks for sharing!

  30. This cake looks fantastic! Also, I adopted you for Adopt a Gluten=-Free Blogger in January – I cooked from your first cookbook as well as your blog for a couple of weeks so made several of your recipes and loved them all. Thank you so very much. Your recipes made January a very tasty month 🙂

  31. Made these this morning and they were a BIG hit with the kids (me too!)
    Thanks for a wonderful recipe!

  34. Kelly, I made these last night for a dinner party and they were absolutely amazing. They were spoon stopping : ) I am so excited to have a new recipe to use that is so so so good! Thank you!

  35. With every bite I had to convince myself it wasn’t bad for me! Unbelievable, truly the chocolate fix I need sometimes!

  36. Hi- I made this tonight- but used the recipe from your book. Why is this one so different in the amounts?? which do you recommend?? (same ingredients- different amounts)

    Thanks!

  37. hi- made this tonight, but used recipe from your cookbook. why is this the same, but has different amounts/measurings of the ingredients?? which is more ‘updated’?? thanks and YUM!