Mini Lava Cakes for Two
Make chocolate lava cakes for two with this simple recipe! This decadent small-scale dessert is such a treat. Gooey chocolate awaits.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 17, 2024
These lava cakes are rich and decadent, with cakey outsides and irresistibly gooey chocolate centers. They’re like a warm mug of hot chocolate in romantic dessert form.
These molten chocolate lava cakes look and taste impressive, but they’re pretty quick and easy to make. You don’t need any special equipment—no mixer, just a couple of bowls and a whisk. Unlike most lava cakes, you don’t even need ramekins to make this recipe. I scaled it down to fit perfectly in your muffin tin!
Known as moelleux au chocolat in France, lava cakes became popular in the United States when Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten started serving them in the 1990s. I’m excited to report that the ingredients are simple (you probably have them), and the muffin tin technique works like a charm.
This recipe yields two small lava cakes, perfect for two individual servings. They’re rich enough that you could also serve four people who are willing to share. I never manage to polish one off on my own.
You’ll find step-by-step photos and a detailed recipe below. Let’s make some lava cakes!
Molten Chocolate Lava Cake Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make lava cakes:
- Unsalted butter: For greasing the muffin tins, plus several tablespoons for melting.
- Quality chocolate or chocolate chips: Use bittersweet chocolate for more intense dark chocolate flavor, or semi-sweet chocolate for rich but somewhat more mild flavor. If using a chocolate bar, finely chop the chocolate before using (you’ll need a slightly heaping 1/3 cup). I’ve successfully used Guittard’s extra-dark chocolate chips (63 percent cacao content). Low-quality chocolate chips with additives may not work as well.
- Eggs: We’ll use one egg yolk and one full egg.
- Sugar: Two tablespoons of sugar is extremely low for a dessert and works beautifully. I tried making this recipe with natural sweeteners and it just doesn’t work as well.
- Vanilla Extract: Just a dash yields more complex flavor
- Flour: One teaspoon, can you believe it? You can use whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour or a gluten-free flour blend.
Watch How to Make Mini Lava Cakes
Lava Cake Serving Suggestions
For serving, I think these cakes are pretty with a light sprinkling of powdered sugar. For presentation bonus points, add a dollop of strawberry or vanilla ice cream and/or fresh berries.
For a special meal to accompany your lava cakes, check out my date night recipe roundup.
Chocolate Lava Cake FAQ
Can I make this recipe ahead of time? You can prepare the recipe through step 6 up to one day in advance. Refrigerate the tin in the meantime but let it warm to room temperature before baking.
Can I use ramekins instead? While this recipe was developed for a standard muffin tin, I believe you could bake the lava cakes in small, four-ounce ramekins (about three inches in diameter). I wouldn’t recommend using ramekins any larger than that.
Can I double or triple the recipe? Yes. A couple commenters reported success, but mentioned that their cakes needed an extra minute or two in the oven. Try to divide the batter as evenly as possible between the muffin cups. You won’t be able to flip individual servings onto their serving plates as you would if you were just making two. Perhaps try flipping them onto a cutting board or pan, and then carefully transferring them to serving plates with a metal spatula once they have cooled for a few more minutes.
What about the “uncooked” egg in the center of the cakes? Is it safe to eat? To my understanding, the interior of the lava cake reaches over 165 degrees Fahrenheit, which is a high enough temperature to eliminate any risks with the egg. You can verify with a thermometer if you wish.
What if my lava cakes don’t look done after 5 minutes? In my tests with my well-calibrated oven, five minutes was just right. If your oven runs cool, your cakes might need a little more time. Pay close attention to the visual cues provided within the recipe (bake until the cakes have risen from their cups but still jiggle in the center just a bit) and check out my step-by-step photos if you have any doubts.
Craving more chocolate treats?
- Amazing Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Fudge
- Coffee Chocolate Chip Blondies
- Dark Chocolate-Dipped Macaroons
- Favorite Hot Chocolate
Please let me know how your lava cakes turn out in the comments! I’m so eager to hear how this technique works for you.
Mini Lava Cakes for Two
Make chocolate lava cakes for two with this simple recipe! This decadent small-scale dessert is such a treat. No special equipment required, just a muffin tin. Recipe yields 2 small lava cakes, perfect for 2 people (or 4 people if you’re willing to share).
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the tin
- Cocoa powder or additional flour, for dusting the tin
- ⅓ cup quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips or 2 ounces chocolate, chopped into small pieces
- 2 large eggs (we’ll use 1 yolk and 1 full egg)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon flour (whole wheat, all purpose or gluten-free flour blend)
- Suggested garnishes: Powdered sugar, strawberry or vanilla ice cream, fresh sliced strawberries or whole raspberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, assuming you will be baking these lava cakes right away (see notes for make-ahead option).
- Prepare your muffin tin by heavily buttering only two of the cups (one on the center outside edge, the other on the opposite). See photos for reference and be sure to coat them well. Then sprinkle some cocoa powder into the buttered cups. Turn and tap the tin over the sink to lightly coat the insides of the cups with the powder. Set the tin aside.
- Place the butter in a medium heat-safe mixing bowl and melt it in the microwave (alternately, gently melt it over low heat on the stove and then remove it from the heat). Add the chocolate to the bowl and stir until melted (if the chocolate won’t melt on its own, gently warm the mixture in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, or over very low heat on the stovetop). Set aside.
- Crack one egg and pour the egg white into a bowl for later use* or discard it. Pour the yolk into another medium-to-large mixing bowl. Crack the second egg into the yolk bowl (both the white and the yolk). Add the sugar, vanilla and salt. Beat the mixture with a whisk until foamy and pale, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Pour the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture. Add the flour. Whisk until the mixture is fully combined.
- Divide the mixture between the two prepared muffin cups. You can fill them all the way to the top (you should have just enough mixture to fill them, but if you have extra, discard it).
- Bake for 5 minutes, until the cakes have risen from their cups but still jiggle in the center just a bit. Place the muffin tin on a heat-safe surface and let the cakes cool for 1 minute.
- In the meantime, find two dessert plates or appetizer plates with raised rims. Here’s the slightly tricky part—place the plates upside down over each of the cakes. While wearing oven mitts, securely grab both plates and the tin itself with both hands. Flip the whole thing and place the plate sides down on the counter. Gently lift up the tin and the lava cakes should release without trouble.
- Garnish as desired (if using powdered sugar, place a small spoonful in a fine-mesh sieve and sprinkle the sieve over the plates). Serve at once! Leftover cakes will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for a few days (the texture will change, but should still be delightful).
Notes
Recipe adapted from Georges Vongerichten’s Molten Chocolate Cake recipe, via Mark Bittman in The New York Times, with reference to Yossy Arefi’s Chocolate Lava Cake for Two.
Make it ahead: You can prepare the recipe through step 6 up to one day in advance. Refrigerate the tin in the meantime but let it warm to room temperature before baking.
Make it gluten free: Simply use a gluten-free flour blend. I successfully used Bob’s Red Mill.
Baking time note: If you are using whole wheat or all-purpose flour (not gluten-free) and prefer an even gooier cake, you could likely get by with 4 minutes 30 seconds baking time. The cakes will be a little more delicate, though, so I’d suggest trying this only after successfully baking with the 5-minute method.
Special diet note: I don’t believe this recipe can be made vegan or egg-free, as the eggs provide the structure to this soufflé-like dessert. You could possibly make the recipe dairy-free by using dairy-free butter, such as Miyoko’s Creamery, and dairy-free chips, such as Enjoy Life, but I haven’t verified.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Hii Kate and cookie,
I am from India. I love your mini lava recipe. I don’t have the convection oven, it is just microwave one. So can you tell how to make it in microwave.
Hi, Sorry to disappoint, but I don’t have microwave instructions.
Hi Kate! I am obsessed with all of your recipes, in your book and on your blog, but this one was particularly delightful. So much fun to make and more fun to eat. I’m always amazed at how you take complex sounding foods and break them down into easy to make healthy deliciousness. Who ever thought I’d make a lava cake?? Well I just did, and I enjoyed the heck out of it!
Thank you, Shani! I love you are enjoying my recipes in my cookbook and blog. I love when I can create recipes like these for all to enjoy!
Could I add some rum to these cakes?
I haven’t tried it and adding an ingredient won’t necessarily guarantee results. Sorry!
I made these today for Father’s Day. They were delicious. They were a bit messy to get out of the tins, but I think that is because I didn’t grease them well enough. I also doubled the recipe to ensure I served 4 people, and the cakes took an extra minute in the oven because of that. I can also verify a good non-dairy butter works well for anyone avoiding dairy! Thanks Kate! I will be making these again soon.
Great idea for father’s day! Thank you for sharing. I’m sorry they struggled to come out of the pan.
HI I am trying this for a school project hopefully it works
I see that you have not used any baking powder or soda in this recipe. It’s been more than 8 minutes in the oven and it’s still runny. Any suggestion as what could have gone wrong?
Hi, This didn’t require any as the eggs were sufficient and it’s to be more of custard like texture. Were you certain you added the correct amounts? Was your oven set to temperature?
Yay! I made them and they were delish! The only thing I doubled the recipe and had to cook them for about 7 minutes.
Thank you for sharing, McKenzie!
There isn’t any baking powder in this recipe, is that correct?
Correct! I hope you try it and enjoy it.
Very nice recipe!! Thanks for sharing. I love all your recipes.
Tastes great, however when i picked up the tin it was all liquid and the cake was stuck to the inside of the muffin tin… not sure what i did wrong. Buttered up the tin real well and even cooked over 5 minutes at 450, any advice?
Hi Jake, it sounds like it needed more time. Sometimes ovens can vary. Let me know if you try it again. I’m sorry it didn’t turn out this time.
Made these tonight for me n mml. Soooooo good. Thanks for the go to recipe for decadent dessert
You’re welcome!
THESE ARE AMAZINGGGG!!! I did have to bake for an additional two minutes, but it was worth the (small) wait- these are the best lava cakes I’ve ever made at home :)) Thank you!
I LOVE these. Prob top 3 fav desserts ever. I was wondering- can I use almond flour as a gf flour sub? I wanted to make for my mom who is gluten free just not sure if it’ll work with the gooey situation.
Thanks!
Hi! Almond flour isn’t a great substitute. But, I did have a good result with Bob’s Red Mill GF flour.
5 stars!!! For how quick it comes together with the most basic of ingredients AND for how delicious it is!!! My only problem was I had enough batter for 3 cups on my muffin tin. Dunno if maybe my eggs are larger than normal, my chickens do lay a variety of sizes. I didn’t have a third cup prepped so tried to make-do after two were full, and the third one stuck a little. But now I know!! Will definitely be making this often, perfect busy-day-but-need-dessert recipe, thank you!!
Thank you, Hope for your review! It could have been egg size or pan size. But, more to eat!
Thanks so much! Perfect for a special New Years Eve dessert for 2!
Absolutely delectable!
P.s. I used 1/2 semi sweet chocolate and 1/2 dark chocolate chipits
Served with fresh whipped cream and berries. I wish I took a photo:(
Love this recipe so easy and perfect for 2 people.
I did cook mine for an extra minute sometimes ovens vary, but it was delicious. Yum yum.
Thank you for this recipe I will be making it again
I’m happy to hear it, Karen!
I made it for my husband and kids tonight and it went over quite well! (I’m on tube feeding, and so sad not to get to try this!) Made for really pretty pictures, too! I made it in heart shaped silicone molds, and used semi-sweet chocolate chips in the recipe. Nicely done!
Thank you, Justice! I’m happy you enjoyed this recipe.
I tried making these tonight for Valentine’s Day – unfortunately with disastrous results. The double flip on the plate is much harder than you think! They didn’t come out of the pan easily so ended up all over the counter. Lol. My husband and I grabbed spoons and ate what we could salvage. Very yummy but a big mess. Will try again and bake in ramekins. .
Hi Julia, I’m sorry to hear that. Did you grease the pan well? How long did you bake it for.
DELICIOUS!! I’ve always assumed making lava cakes was hard, but this recipe proved me wrong. They were fast and easy to make (although I need to work on my flipping game – one flipped perfectly, the other got a little messy). I’d make these again in a heartbeat!
Great to hear, Ami! Thank you for sharing.
Hi there! Per your post, for Valentine’s Day I made the lava cakes and the mushroom risotto. First time making either recipe and both turned out wonderfully. I was especially surprised by the lava cakes because it was so simple. The fam loved both. Thank you for these recipes!
That sounds like a delicious combination! Thank you for sharing, Emily.
Wow – I had such huge hopes for this recipe (particularly given its provenance!) but I’m afraid it was an epic fail. I let them go to 8 minutes but they still came out as a runny mess when turned upside down – only about 1/8 of it had set. Disappointing but still tasted nice with ice cream – chocolate in any form wins! :D
Next time I might try it with a tablespoon of flour instead of a teaspoon and see if that has better results for me.
Hi Kim, I’m sorry to hear that. Sounds like they needed more cooking time. Are you baking at an elevation?
Hi Kate,
Thanks for coming back to me (really gracious of you!). To answer your question, no – I’m very much at sea level here in Sydney Australia :D
I made the your mini cakes twice and both times they came out great. I used silicone cupcake cups and there was no need to butter them. Doubled the recipe and friends raved and wanted the recipe. I cooked them slightly longer than recommended as wanted them to be more solid and served them with French vanilla ice cream.. A perfect dessert..Thank you!
Hooray! I’m glad you loved these cakes. I appreciate you sharing, Ramie.
This is INCREDIBLE. I used to have chocolate lava cake maybe once a year at most and it was my most favorite dessert. Since discovering your recipe in mid-January, my husband and I have made these like 5 times haha. Because we eat it with vanilla ice cream, I reduced the sugar to 1tbsp. and use bittersweet chocolate. This is so much better than any I’ve had at restaurants. Even without the reduced sugar (the first two times I made it, I made it exactly according to your recipe), it’s not incredibly sweet like I’ve had at restaurants. This is so so good. THANK YOU for this recipe.
Hooray! I’m excited you love it and have made it so many times since then. You’re welcome, Natalya.
I made these lava cakes for my friends tonight (after serving them your fabulous vegetable lasagne), and they loved them. The instructions are so clear and spot on. They came out great. My friends let my try a bite and we all loved that these are not overly sweet. The chocolate really speaks and what is better than that. Thank you for another great recipe! Next time I’ll make 4!
Wonderful, Lieke! Thanks for sharing you and your friends enjoyed these.
This was my first lava cake and it as scrumptious!!! I cooked it longer and added pecans to give it crunch. Easy to make, especially since we have most of the ingredients in the cabinet. Will be a future staple in our home. Thanks for sharing.
I’m glad you hear that, Kierra!
What size Ramakin’s do you use?
Standard size is around 6 oz. I hope you try it!
Hi, I’d love to make this, but I’m wondering if it would work with cupcake liners? Would I cook it at the same temp and time or would things need to be adjusted? If so please do tell me if you know any suggestions?
I’m not sure since I didn’t try it that way. I find it this specific recipe works great as written. Just make sure your tin is floured enough.
It was a delicious recipe but the cook time was pretty far off. It may have been user error but we used ramekins that were the same size as recommended and I ended up having one come out really soupy. The other was put back in the oven and cooked in 1 minute increments for about 4 more minutes. Other than that we loved it was delicious and fluffy when it came out right.
Thank you for sharing, Tyler! I appreciate your review
Used this recipe for a quick (surprise) birthday treat request at a cafe in western KS. This will become a regular item to keep on hand! Thanks Cookie&Kate! Also thanks to Stuart for the comment about freezing for future use.
You’re welcome, Rhian! I appreciate your comment and review.
I love these so much but am now at high altitude (5000 feet) baking is different here—any sense of what I might need to do differently? Thx so much.
Hi! I wish I could help, but I don’t have much experience cooking in elevation.
I made these today for my toddler’s 2nd birthday. I used 2 small teddy bear shaped tins and it came out delightful!! My baby broke the bear in half and devoured the head I had to grab the other half to prevent her from eating too much chocolate. She didn’t want to let go. It was so good. I’ll be making these for friends and family and for myself for a quick treat. It is such an easy and quick recipe and yet so luxury. Thank you for sharing with us, the internet people.
How fun! I love this idea for a birthday, Enga. I appreciate you sharing.
I had to try this recipe after failing at a crockpot version. They turned out beautifully! The only thing I found was the taste was a bit more bitter than I expected, however, looking back at the chocolate I had used, was Unsweet chocolate Whoops! Nonetheless, even though it was a slight too bitter, it was super delicious and I devoured the two in minutes. Will definitely try again with semisweet chocolate next time
Just made this dairy free! :)
A reminder to those who are doubling the recipe: Remember all of your eggs
Just made for my husband for Valentine’s Day. He loves chocolate lava cake. What took me so long to try these? They were perfect. Will definitely make again. So easy too!
I’m so glad you did! Thank you for sharing, Hilarie.
Made these for Valentines Day dessert, wonderful! Served with fresh raspberries and whipped cream. Mine needed two extra minutes cook time and were still very runny in the middle. Guess I need to check the temp of my oven! Another wonderful recipe, Kate.
I love that! Thank you for sharing, Jamie.
First time trying was not sure what to expect, the lava cake leaked while I turned it so I suspect it could of baked a few more minutes. I would half the sugar to 1 tablespoon though. It was still great and would try it again as I’m a big fan of chocolate…..especially dark chocolate. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Mari!
They seem to still burst even after leaving them in for 7 minutes, twice. Not sure what I am doing wrong they are delicious though!
I made this tonight and my hubby and I both thought it was super good. I used silicone cucake holders and made 4 small cakes. Next time I’ll make sure I’ve got vanilla ice cream to accompany it!
Sounds delicious, Shoukje!
Had saved this forever ago and just made tonight for my husband’s birthday—a huge success. So easy, so decadent, literally restaurant-quality results! I love that I can always trust your recipes and thoughtful tips. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Sara! I’m glad you loved it.
Love love loved it! Made it for Mother’s Day for my mother in law, husband, and girls. I just doubled the recipe. Served it with some ice cream and was great!! Plates empty with this dish! Next time I’ll add some fresh fruit and some mint leaves for decorations to be fancy! Easy delicious dessert!
Great to hear it, Megan! Thank you for your review.
I love this blog!
Thank you, Paul!
Made this for our anniversary tonight….loved it!
I love to hear that, Sarah! Thank you for sharing.
I owe you a lot of gratitude for this recipe. I’m a private chef in northern Arizona, and I’ve used it dozens of times now to make show-stopping lava cakes for private parties.
I mostly cook on-site at vacation rentals, so there have been times when an oven couldn’t reach the right temperature, and I’ve had to put it under a broiler or heat it on a grill, cross my fingers, and trust the visual cues and my chef-senses, but I’ve had a lot of satisfied customers.
I routinely make a 5x recipe and a full muffin-tin of 12 cakes, and I generally cook it for about 7 minutes. I’ve substituted numerous GF flours (especially various 1-to-1 mixes, but also pure almond and pure sorghum), and had consistent success.
Thank you again, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you sharing your ideas and knowledge.
Thank you for sharing! I’m happy to hear you are enjoying my recipes and sharing them with your clients.
Hi, seeing that a lot of people had trouble getting them out of the tin even after buttering – wondering if maybe Pam spray would work to make it easier to release the lava cakes? Or will that mess it up?
I don’t suggest using Pam. Make sure you grease well.
I can’t wait to try this recipe! And I bought your book recently…I want to make everything!
This is a FANTASTIC recipe indeed. Used 2 ramequins (6,5 inches in diameter), cooked for 7 to 8 min because the top kept too shiny until then. It was just perfection. My husband asked if he could get a second one (he previously ate half of the bowl of Torn olives with celery and parmesan) – you bet it was the best Valentine´s menu!!!
Thank you for sharing, Nathalie! Thank you for your review.
Wow! This worked beautifully. Wonderful Valentine’s Day dessert. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Michele!
Just made this and so elegant and delicious!
Thank you for making an intimidating recipe easy!!!
I’m excited you loved it, Beth!
Kate,
I made the Lava cakes for Valentine’s Day for my husband and daughter’s and it came out perfectly. I love making desserts but unfortunately I’m not always successful. This was soooo good, very easy to prepare and bake. Can’t thank you enough for your recipes. I love them all.
L. Casper
My new fav for easy, quick and mouth watering dessert. Love them with vanilla ice cream!