Name: 5 Ingredient Keto Lava Cake (Low Carb)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 9 min
Total time: 14 min
Ingredients: 2 oz unsweetened chocolate ((55g), at least 85% cocoa solids ); 1 tbsp super-fine almond flour (***see notes); 2 oz butter (unsalted, plus more for greasing ramekins); 2 eggs; 3.5 tbsp powdered sweetener (or more, depending on the chocolate you use - see notes)

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This keto lava cake has a deliciously decadent gooey molten chocolate centre. A quick keto dessert with only 5 ingredients! This easy recipe is is gluten free, low carb and sugar free and contains only 2.8g net carbs per portion.

A chocolate lava cake with a gooey molten centre on a plate

Who doesn't like a chocolate lava cake? Especially when it's a totally guilt-free, sugar free keto lava cake?

But first things first.

What is a chocolate lava cake?

Glad you asked. It's a single serve chocolate cake that is under-baked so the inside stays uncooked, molten and soft. You eat it warm and straight from the oven. It's wonderful with a scoop of sugar free vanilla ice cream, but equally good all on its own.

Is molten chocolate cake safe to eat?

In the UK it's safe to eat raw eggs that are produced under the Lion code of Practice. However, in some countries you still need to worry about salmonella in raw eggs. But there is no need to worry about this cake: The bacteria is killed instantly at temperatures over 160F / 70C. Which means the hot gooey centre is perfectly safe to eat!

Sugar free chocolate lava cake batter in a ramekin

5 Ingredients for Keto Lava Cake

The best things in life are simple. And this low carb lava cake is one of them! In fact, you only need 5 ingredients for this easy sugar free dessert. Let me go into more detail:

1. Chocolate.

Get the best you can afford, with a high cocoa solids content. 90% is great, or go the whole 9 yards and get 100% unsweetened chocolate.

This is a generously sized dessert and if you're interested in keeping a low carb count, this will make a difference. It will also affect the taste - a cheap choccie full of vegetable oils just won't make you swoon.

I used 100% unsweetened chocolate, so added 3 ½ tablespoon sweetener. If you use 90% chocolate, 2 tablespoon sweetener works well. Adjust accordingly if your chocolate already contains sweetener. If you're in the US, Lily's sugar free chocolate is always a good option.

2 baked lava cakes in ramekins after baking

2. Butter.

Organic, grass-fed is what we're looking for here. I love the buttery taste of this dessert. But if that's not your kind of thing, you can sub with virgin coconut oil.

3. Almond flour.

The almond flour for your gluten free lava cake should be super-fine. Almond meal or ground almonds are too coarse and will alter the texture (would still work though).

4. Eggs.

Beat them till they're FLUFFY!

taking a spoonful from a lava cake showing the gooey inside

5. Sweetener.

Make sure you choose powdered sweetener and not granulated. Stevia drops would work in this recipe too. Definitely taste your batter and adjust the sweetener according to the type of chocolate you're using. I've given my measurements in the notes. As we all have a different perception of what the perfect sweetness is, do whatever rocks your boat here.

Low Carb Lava Cake Variations

Simply adjust the baking time depending on how runny you would like the centre of the Keto lava cake. Here are your options:

Molten lava cake - 9 minutes: This is the texture I aimed for. After 9 minutes, the cake will be set at the top and on the sides and bottom, but the inside will be molten chocolate batter. When you cut it with a spoon, the gooey enter oozes out.

When you gently shake the ramekin you'll see the insides jiggle!

Note - in traditional ceramic ramekins the lava cake may take an additional minute as they have thicker walls than the metal ones I used.

Moist and gooey lava cake - 11-12 minutes: If you don't like the idea of a soft, runny centre, simply keep the lava cake in the oven for a further 2 minutes. After 12 minutes you have a moist keto chocolate cake that is fully cooked through.

A low carb chocolate lava cake with a gooey molten centre decorated with pomegranate seeds

BAKER'S TOP TIPS for keto lava cake:

If you want to invert your lava cakes onto a plate, grease your ramekins REALLY WELL! If you are only after the taste, there's no stress - just serve in the ramekins.

My ramekins measured 2 inch at the bottom and 3 at the top. If you want to make 1 larger portion, you might need to increase the time in the oven by 2-3 minutes.

Do not over-bake! The top needs to be set, but jiggly. My first round of cakes baked for 12 minutes and they were firm in the middle. Don't deprive yourself of that gooey centre 🙂

But even more importantly, don't be afraid to take this cake out of the oven when it's still super-jiggly.

It'll keep on cooking and firming up in the hot ramekin so serve it as soon as you can touch it with your hands to turn it out onto a plate.

Eat these cakes straight out of the oven! If you leave them in the ramekins for long, they will continue to cook and set more than you might like.

This keto lava cake is delicious enough, gooey enough and wonderfully chocolatey enough to create a romantic moment any day of the year. I imagine it would be great with a scoop of sugar-free low carb ice cream.

How to store keto lava cake

Chocolate lava cake with a molten centre should be eaten hot and straight from the oven.

It is possible to prepare the batter ahead and store it in the fridge overnight. Be sure to bring it back to room temperature before you bake it.

Another option would be to bake the cakes for 11-12 minutes until you have a fudgy keto chocolate cake. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Check out these chocolate keto dessert recipes:

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Recipe

5 Ingredient Keto Lava Cake (Low Carb)

Katrin Nürnberger

from Sugar Free Londoner

This keto lava cake is pure sugar free chocolate heaven! It's really quick and easy to make. Enjoy it straight from the oven and swoon over that how gooey centre! Your friends and family won't believe this delicious cake is low carb and sugar free.

4.96 from 74 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 9

Total Time 14

Course Dessert

Cuisine British

Servings

Calories 460 kcal

Note: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.

Ingredients

▢ 2 oz unsweetened chocolate (55g), at least 85% cocoa solids
▢ 1 tablespoon super-fine almond flour ***see notes
▢ 2 oz butter unsalted, plus more for greasing ramekins
▢ 2 eggs
▢ 3.5 tablespoon powdered sweetener or more, depending on the chocolate you use - see notes

Instructions

Heat oven to 175 Celsius/350 Fahrenheit.
Grease 2 ramekins with butter.
Melt the chocolate and butter and stir to combine.
Beat your eggs well - best with a mixer.
Add to the chocolate/butter mix together with almond flour and sweetener and stir. You'll get a dough-like consistency that is pourable.
Pour into 2 ramekins.
Bake 9 minutes until the top is set but still jiggly. Do not over-bake!
Turnout onto plates and serve with a dusting of powdered sweetener and pomegranate seeds or a couple of raspberries. A mint leaf would round off the look nicely!

Video

Notes

Net carbs: 2.8g per portion.

If you're using coarse almond flour or ground almonds, increase the amount to 1 ½ tbsp.

Chocolate: Use the best quality you can get hold of, with a cocoa solids amount of at least 85%. I used 100% unsweetened chocolate, so added 3 ½ tablespoon sweetener.

If you use 90% chocolate, 2 tablespoon sweetener works well. If your chocolate already contains sweetener, adjust accordingly. If you're in the US, Lily's is always a good option.

The nutrition info is calculated using unsweetened chocolate. If you used 90% chocolate, the amount of net carbs increases to 4.7 per portion

If you want to turn your cakes out, grease your ramekins REALLY WELL! If you are only after the taste, there's no stress - just serve in the ramekins.

My ramekins measured 2 inch at the bottom and 3 at the top. If you want to make 1 larger portion, you might need to increase the time in the oven by 2-3 minutes.

Do not over-bake! The top needs to be set, but jiggly. My first round of cakes baked for 12 minutes and they were firm in the middle. Don't deprive yourself of that gooey centre 🙂

These cakes are best eaten straight out of the oven! If you leave them in the ramekins for long, they will continue to cook and set more than you might like.

Nutrition

Calories: 460kcalTotal Carbohydrates: 3.4gProtein: 11.7gFat: 43.6gSaturated Fat: 24.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 9.8gCholesterol: 246mgSodium: 74mgPotassium: 111mgFiber: 0.6gSugar: 0.4g

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Keto Chocolate Lava Cake - only 5 ingredients!

What is a chocolate lava cake?

Is molten chocolate cake safe to eat?