This keto lava cake is incredibly decadent, chocolatey, rich, moist, and creamy. At only 4g net carbs you can serve it with your favorite low carb ice-cream! Make low carb lava cake that melts in your mouth in less than 20 minutes.
Having a sweet tooth on a keto diet is one of the main reasons why people give up and indulge in sugary processed foods. Cutting the sugar out of the diet doesn’t have to be boring and fad.
- Low Carb, Moist Keto Lava Cake
- What is Keto Lava Cake?
- Is Lava Cake Keto?
- Why is This Keto Lava Cake the Best Recipe?
- A Sugar-free, Grain-free Keto Lava Cake You Will Love
- Ingredients for Keto Lava Cake
- How to Make Keto Lava Cake?
- Tips For Making The Best Keto Lava Cake
- Toppings for Keto Chocolate Lava Cake
- Storing Ideas For This Keto Lava Cake
- Can you make Dairy Free Keto Lava Cake?
- Carbs in Low Carb Lava Cake
- How Many Servings are in this Keto Lava Cake?
- Looking for More Keto Chocolate Desserts? Try these:
- The Best Keto Lava Cake
Our brain is addicted to being fuelled by glucose, but by switching to the most stable fuel, ketones you will have energy all day long, and your cravings will go away.
Watch the video below to see how easy it is to make a delicious keto lava cake and surprise your guests with a sugar-free dessert!
Low Carb, Moist Keto Lava Cake
Dessert on the keto diet is definitely a good idea if we use the right kind of low-carb flours and keto-approved sweeteners.
My first dessert, I’ve ever made on my ketogenic journey was a one-minute chocolate mug cake brownie. I could eat it every day and still hit my macros perfectly.
After having such great success with a keto dessert, I wanted to move forward and bake a low carb dessert. I searched for desserts and found plenty of keto alternatives.
Some of my favorite desserts include chocolate of course, and you seem to resonate with me too. Have you tried my keto brownies with almond flour? They are one of the most loved desserts on this blog!
I’m experimenting with lots of flours lately: coconut flour, almond flour, flaxseed flour and I noticed they are very different and it is pretty difficult to substitute one for another in the low carb recipes.
What is Keto Lava Cake?
Keto Lava cake is a low-carb dessert made with cocoa powder instead of wheat flour and keto-approved sweetener instead of white sugar. It is tasty, moist, and tastes just like a classic lava cake.
Is Lava Cake Keto?
Regular lava cake is not keto because it’s made with wheat flour, sugar, and chocolate that’s super high in carbs.
Why is This Keto Lava Cake the Best Recipe?
- Ultra molten, rich and loaded with chocolate flavor.
- Only 4g net carbs per lava cake
- It’s completely grain-free and gluten-free + you can make it dairy-free.
- It takes less than 20 minutes to make from scratch.
A Sugar-free, Grain-free Keto Lava Cake You Will Love
The Keto Lava Cake will embrace your tastebuds. It’s a moist, sweet, fluffy, creamy, and warm lava cake.
This recipe doesn’t require any kind of low carb flours. You can serve it plain, straight out of the oven, or add a scoop of your favorite ice-cream.
Most ice cream on the market is 4g of carbs per huge scoop (make sure you read labels). The best option would be to make low carb ice cream at home. Here are some of my favorite keto ice cream brands!
Imagine the molten center of the lava cake and the melty vanilla ice cream joining together to bring you happiness.
Probably one of the best keto desserts you have ever eaten. It will definitely be loved by all the non-keto members of the family or friends. This keto lava cake satisfies a sweet tooth better than any other sweet dessert.
Ingredients for Keto Lava Cake
This delicious keto lava cake recipe calls for only 6 ingredients you may already have in your pantry. Here’s everything you’ll need to get started:
- Cocoa Powder – make sure that you use the best quality cocoa you can find. Cocoa powder is used both instead of flour, but it still adds intense chocolate flavor.
- Eggs – make sure that you use room-temperature eggs. We’ll use 2 whole eggs to make 2 servings.
- Heavy Cream – Keeps the center of the lava cake moist and soft on the exterior.
- Sweetener – I used erythritol for this recipe, but you can use your favorite low carb sweetener.
- Vanilla Extract – adds depth of flavor, and if you’re using a high-quality extract, this keto lava cake tastes incredible.
- Baking Powder – makes the keto lava cake super fluffy.
How to Make Keto Lava Cake?
To make this keto lava cake you have to follow just a few simple steps. Essentially, start by gathering all the ingredients needed, then:
- Mix the dry ingredients, then add the eggs, vanilla extract, and heavy cream. Once you have a smooth batter, grease some ramekins with butter.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or just until the top of the cake looks set.
- Remove from the oven and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream.
Tips For Making The Best Keto Lava Cake
- Bake the lava cake at a high temperature for a relatively short time.
- Serve the lava cake while it is still hot. Otherwise, the chocolate will harden inside.
- Use 6 ounce ramekins to make lava cake. If you don’t have any grease a few muffin pan cups and dust with cocoa powder to prevent the cakes from sticking.
- Add some instant coffee to the batter to enhance the chocolate flavor..
- Make sure that you don’t overcook the keto lava cake! Overbaking will result in a drier, crumblier texture rather than gooey, and moist.
If you make the recipe I would be delighted to see how your lava cake turned out!
Toppings for Keto Chocolate Lava Cake
Once the lava cake is warm and ready to enjoy, get creative and add your favorite toppings. Here are some of my favorites:
- keto ice cream
- fresh berries a cup of ice cream
- peanut butter
- whipped cream
- homemade keto caramel
Storing Ideas For This Keto Lava Cake
- Fridge: This dessert lThis dessert looks perfect when we still serve it warm, but you can store it in the fridge covered with plastic wrap for up to three days. Reheat in for a few seconds in the microwave before serving.
- Freezer: it is not recommended to freeze them because they will lose their texture.
Can you make Dairy Free Keto Lava Cake?
Yes, just use unsweetened canned coconut milk instead of heavy cream to make the best paleo lava cake.
Carbs in Low Carb Lava Cake
One lava cake has a total of 8g of carbs, but only 4g NET carbs.
- Calories: 192kcal
- Carbs: 8g
- Net Carbs: 4g
- Protein: 9g
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Fiber: 4g
To find out the NET carbs just subtract the fiber grams from the total carb count.
How Many Servings are in this Keto Lava Cake?
The recipe yields 2 servings. A serving is an entire lava cake.
Looking for More Keto Chocolate Desserts? Try these:
- Keto Peanut Butter Brownies
- Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
- Keto Chocolate Orange Cake
- Luscious Chocolate Avocado Mousse
- No-Bake Keto Chocolate Cheesecake
The Best Keto Lava Cake
Description
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 eggs
- 3 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 3 tbsp Sweetener erythritol
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F°/180°C. Grease 2 ramekins with butter and set aside.
- In a bowl combine the dry ingredients: cocoa powder, sweetener, baking powder.
- In a separate bowl beat well the eggs with a fork. Add the heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract and mix again.
- Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and combine together until you get a pourable consistency.
- Bake for 12 minutes or until the top is set but still moist.
- Turn out onto plates and serve hot!
Video
Notes
- Make sure you are using high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder.
- If you want to serve your lava cake on a plate, make sure you are greasing very well the ramekins.
- Try not to overbake the lava cake, to get the gooey pudding texture.
How do we calculate the nutrition info?
These nutrition facts listed are determined using nutrition information from the USDA Food Database. Our nutrition facts are accurate, but if you are using different products, please make your calculations. Net carb count is calculated by subtracting both fiber and sugar alcohols because they don’t raise blood sugar.
Instructions don't mention where you add the cream or vanilla. I assume you mix it with the eggs, but you might want to explicitly state this.
You are right! I omitted this step. Thank you so much for noticing.
It does mention in step three you mix the vanilla and cream with the eggs
Was probably changed when that comment was made.
Can this me done in microwave? Thank you
I guess you can microwave it for 60 seconds. The middle has to be moist when touched.
I just made in the microwave. Started with 90 seconds and then did 15 second intervals until it was cooked but still a bit gooey. It turned out great!
There's 12 carbs alone in the erythritol…i calculate 10 net carbs per ramekins. ??
Erythritol is a sugar alcohol that doesn’t cause blood sugar or insulin spikes. Deduct sugar alcohols from the total carbs.
What kind of ice cream did you top it with?
It's a homemade vanilla icecream recipe that I found on Pinterest.
The picture says 4g carbs but your nutritional facts say 8g. I’m assuming it is 8g per serving?
It's 8g total carbs and since there is 4g fiber, there are only 4g net carbs that are used.
Is it really supposed to have 1 tablespoon of vanilla? Mine turned out so bitter that I had to throw it out. Such a waste of of good vanilla.
What sweetener are you using? Some of them turn out so bitter when baking them. Or maybe you used a stronger vanilla extract and it may need less depending on the quality of the product. Always taste the batter and adjust the ingredients.
Patti, I am so sorry it didn't work out for you. I just finished making some for me and for my daughter who are on keto, and they were absolutely delicious. In my experience with baking, what makes things bitter based on all the ingredients listed would be the cocoa powder. If you did not use a high-quality cocoa powder, or if you accidentally use just a little too much, or if you used dark instead of the regular, that will definitely cause your recipe to be bitter.
I assumed that Tablespoon was a mistake. I put in 1 teaspoon Instead.
Did you put regular vanilla ice cream on top or a Keto Ice Cream? It looks divine!
It's a homemade low carb ice cream recipe I found on Pinterest. There are also a few low carb ice-creams you can find at the store, but you have to carefully read the ingredient lists to make sure they are keto friendly.
For the sweetener is it possible to replace with the organic stevia? And how much? TIA! Looks so yummmy!
Hello and thanks for your kind comment. I'm not sure about this because stevia sweetness differs from brand to brand. I am not a huge fan of how stevia tastes in baked goods.
Thanks for the idea♡♡
I hope you'll give it a try because it's a fantastic recipe!
could anyone please tell me how much fat is in this marvelous recipe. I have a hard time eating enough fat.. the carbs are listed but not the fat intake.. Thanks Debbie
Hello Debbie. Each serving has 15g fats. It's a great way to increase your fat intake.
How well can this be adapted to use muffin tins instead of a ramekin?
Hi Jill!
You can use the same batter. Spoon into the muffin pans, filling each cup about 2/3 full. You will have to cut the baking time in half.
This was super rich and delicious!! I had to remember to only eat half for my one serving! For those who got a bitter taste, try using 3 1/2 Tablespoons of Whole Earth brand (keto). I also cooked mine for about 18 minutes in my Breville at 350 set on the convection setting as well…I had a very slightly crispy top and as the cake started to settle, the middle thickened into a pudding…I made my own whip cream by using 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream and 1 tsp maple extract. Cravings vanquished – incredible!
Mighty good cake for sliced fresh strawberries! Topped with whipped cream of course. I bake at 400 for 9 minutes. Finishes setting up out of the oven. Perfect.
Kathy
May I ask which cocoa powder you used? I want to make sure I use a good one. 🙂
You can use one that has no sugar added. This https://amzn.to/2u2HrRO Viva Naturals cocoa powder is a good one.
I made this and it was delicious! My husband was very impressed he couldn’t believe it was sugar free and 4 grams or carbs. We had dessert first! Haha yum!
Wow! I am super happy you both loved my recipe! It's indeed an excellent keto dessert. Everyone in my family loves it too!
How do I print the recipe?
Hello Randy! There's a print button in the recipe card. Just scroll until you get to it. I guess you'll have to use a computer. Thanks for stopping by!
Someone has to tell me where I went wrong mine taste terrible. The only thing I'm thinking it could be is Stevia packets…. I reduced the vanilla from 1tbsp to one 1tsp and it was still VERY bitter. I have this twice and both times it was horrible. Once exactly by the directions and the other reducing vanilla…. Stevia can't be that bad with baking right? (New to Stevia/low cal sweetener)
Hello dear. I don't use stevia for baked goods. It gives them an extremely bitter taste, it tastes almost like metal. I am not a fan of stevia, I use erythritol instead. Monk fruit sweetener is also great for baked goods.
Loana, I only have Hershey's cocoa. Is that a sufficient choice for cocoa? Also, I only have Swerve sugar. Do you have any idea if that sugar supplement works well in baked goods? Thanks for your time,
Tina
Hello Tina. Swerve is perfect for as a low carb sweetener for baked goods. And the Hershey's cocoa is good as long is unsweetened (has no sugar added). If you try the keto lava cake, let me know how it turned out!
This was awesome!! I wasn’t sure when I read the ingredients. Definitely will make his again!
I just made this as a treat for my husband and I and I must say I was VERY skeptical but they were so yummy!! I used two tablespoons of monk fruit and a few drops of liquid stevia. I also only used one teaspoon of vanilla (because I totally read the recipe wrong ) and they were really good. Thank you!!
I just made this and it was phenomenal. I calculated macros for my particular ingredients used and it came out to be 1.2g net carbs per serving. I ended up serving it with a small scoop of no sugar added vanilla ice cream and drizzling with some all-natural peanut butter. My husband gobbled it up in no time. I would recommend this recipe to anyone!
Oh, thank you, Kristen, for such a great feedback. I so happy both you and your husband liked the recipe!
Quick question, before I make this, are you using the words cocoa powder and cacao powder interchangeably? I have both, which one should I be using? Thanks so much!
I am using cocoa powder in all my recipes 🙂
How many calories is in the entire cake?? Thanks!
My new favorite cake recipe. Was a little surprised that there is no flour in it. I microwaved it for 60 seconds like stated in a previous comment. It puffed up and was so moist, chocolately and sweet. I added a few sugar free chocolate chips on top. Delicious! Next time I will try to bake it. Definitely a keeper for recipes . Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for the review. I'm thrilled you liked the recipe!
Hello, I would like to make these for a Christmas party THIS Tuesday! My question is….can I make the batter ahead and put in ramekins (or mason jars?) and store in fridge the evening before and then bring to room temp (or not?) and bake on Tuesday??
I haven't tried making the batter ahead for the keto lava cake. I guess it should work though. It takes like 5 minutes to combine all the ingredients. If you try it let me know how it turned out 🙂
I tried this recipe. The text is very good, but next time i would def add at least 1/4 teaspoon od salt. The taste was a little flat tasting. The touch of salt will make it perfect! Thanks for the recipe!
This was amazing! It has satisfied my sweet craving. This will always be my go-to dessert.
This lava cake is to die for! I ended up cooking an additional 6 minutes but 5 probably would have been best. This is the easiest recipe ever! Tonight I’ve added Saigon cinnamon to the mix and sprinkled with chopped pecans before baking. It’s in the oven now. It’s gonna be fantastic! Hubby loves it too!
This recipe is so so so fantastic! This is going to make keto so much easier!
I’ve tried a few desserts and nothing has come close to this good. It tastes like the real thing!
*Note:
I did use 1 tbs Vanilla & Swerve sugar.
Thank You
That’s fantastic, Cassandra!!
I’ve made this a few times. I use half the sweetener called for, When I pull it out, I break off just a small piece of 70% dark cocoa bar, & stick it in the warm center. It melts & adds that little touch of sweetness. Delicious!
Can you use Stevia sweetened cocoa? And not use added sweetener?
You can give it a try. I am curious if it gives a bitter taste. Let me know how it turned out and if that worked fine, what brand of stevia-sweetened cocoa you’ve used.
I really think the taste of this is delicious. I had some issues with the baking time, though. I used glass Pampered Chef bowls as the baking vessels (two of them). I think after 20 min, I took them out and didn’t think they were set. I ended up putting them 5 more min and just ate it as is. I used a teaspoon of high quality vanilla, 1 tbsp erythritol and 2 tbsp of monk fruit sweetener- I like the two and didn’t know which I wanted to use. It’s very reminiscent of a good dark chocolate. It just never really set the way I wanted it to. I’ll definitely keep trying to tweak the recipe.
Also, in Carb Manager, I listed all ingredients used and called it two servings since it was in the two dishes. Honestly, with the two sweeteners that don’t impact blood sugar, I can totally eat both servings and stay under my macros!!! This is wonderful. Thank you for the recipe!
Amazing! So happy to find a quick easy dessert that I can enjoy. My nonketo boyfriend even likes it!
I did change the sweetener and use half monk fruit the second time I made it and I found it made it a little less bitter.
Thanks for the yummy recipe!
I noticed that there’s not any Almond or Coconut flour in this recipe. Is it flour free, or just a type O’? I’ve never made a cake recipe without some type of flour. I always substitute Almond and/or Coconut flour for all purpose flour in my recipes calling for regular flour . I’m excited to try your recipe! Thanks for sharing it with us. Debbe’
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us, keep it up.
This is BY FAR the best keto dessert I’ve EVER made!! (and I’ve made a lot of them) The baked part was great, the molten middle was like warm pudding. Ate it with a small scoop of keto ice cream. I probably needed to bake it a little longer…. but even though it was mostly molten it was still delicious. Also… I used 2 tbsp lankanto monk fruit sweetener and 5 drops of glycerite … it was perfect
I just made this and my husband and I really enjoyed it. I used 1Tb granular erythrytol and 2Tbs powdered Swerve. No cooling effect or bitterness. Delicious! Thank you!