Low Carb, Molten Lava Cake!
I hold the record for the world’s largest sweet tooth. It’s been measured! I could eat sweets for every meal of the day and go to bed happy. So when I started eating keto, I obviously cut out sugar altogether and needless to say, I was irritable. But that was to be expected- sugar is highly addictive and when you take it away after so many years, you get withdrawal symptoms. As with all addictions, it takes time and effort to heal the body. After a few grueling days, maybe a week, the sugar cravings started going away. At the peak of my keto dieting, I never even thought about dessert. My body was running perfectly fine without that brownie for dessert daily.
Soon though, I began missing the intricate processes that made up baking, and the warm, delicate textures it brought about. I started to research some keto desserts and came across what seemed like plenty of options to choose from. After experimenting with some low carb dessert recipes and quite a few failures, I decided to instead start with what was already a hit: non-keto desserts (loved by all!). I took a few different non-keto recipes and simply tweaked them to reduce their carb count and ended up with something magical.
A gluten-free, keto dessert is born
It’s a lava cake! But that name doesn’t do it justice. It’s a warm, gooey, sweet, fluffy, molten cool lava cake. It’s insanely simple to make and only has 4g of net carbs for the entire little cake. 4G OF CARBS! Considering this unheard of number, I added a scoop of vanilla Breyer’s carb-smart ice cream (4g of carbs per ½ cup, which is about a large scoop – see nutrition label on the side) to create something like an icy cool lava cake. When you flip it onto a plate and crack it open, the slightly molten center and the melting ice cream underneath join together and create the king of keto desserts! The entire cake has a soft, fluffy and super moist texture- owing to the fact that it’s flourless and gluten-free. It will definitely satisfy anyone’s sweet tooth if it satisfied mine!
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You can also try these amazing mini-cake desserts:
Microwave mug cakes are all the rage right now, but we don’t own a microwave (voluntarily). We find that nuking your food dries it out completely and leaves parts of it uncooked. That being said though, many have microwaved their mug cakes and reported they’ve turned out delicious, so this isn’t something to worry about. If you have the chance though, try doing what we did- toaster oven baking it. We think it preserves the moisture better and bakes it more evenly for a better taste.
Check out the end of the recipe for some paleo substitutions and other delicious desserts!
| Servings: person |
- 2 tbps cocoa powder
- 1-2 tbsp So Nourished erythritol sweetener
- 1 medium egg
- 1 tbsp heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- Preheat your oven, if you're using one, to 350°F. Combine your erythritol and cocoa powder and whisk to remove any clumps. This’ll make the consistency of our cake much smoother.
- In a different bowl, beat your egg until a little fluffy. Since your lava cake is flourless, you need the aeration of the beaten egg to help coax the cake to rise.
- Then add your egg, heavy cream and vanilla extract to the erythritol and cocoa mixture. Add your salt and baking powder as well.
- Spray a little cooking oil into the mug, pour your batter in (ours are ceramic, you can also use ramekins) and put it to bake for about 10-15 minutes at 350° F. Do not overcook the cake or it will not flow lava! The top of the cake should be set but pretty jiggly.
- As an alternative, you can also microwave your mug cake for about a minute. All microwaves are different, so once the minute is up, check up on your cake and if it’s still not solid but jiggly on top, put it back in for 10 second intervals until done.
- Now it’s up to you how to enjoy it. You can eat your lava cake straight out of the mug (let it cool until you can touch the mug without burning yourself!) or top it off with ice cream, whipped cream, or all kinds of goodies. We decided to make it a molten lava cake. While still hot and in the mug, add a scoop of ice cream to the top. Then wedge a knife along the sides of the mug to help the cake unstick and place a plate onto the mug.
- Hold the plate and mug firmly together and flip it upside down so that the mug is now face down on the plate. Tap a few times on the bottom of the mug and the cake should slide off onto the plate without a problem.
- Now your ice cream is smooshed underneath the warm lava cake and will melt just a little. When you break into the lava cake, it warm insides and the ice cream should ooze out beautifully. Don’t delay, scoop it all up and eat it before someone gets to it first!
If you’re interested in making this cake paleo style, there are just a few things to change. First, use raw cocoa powder if not already, and substitute the erythritol for honey! And if your local store sells vanilla beans in their raw form (see pictured on bottom right of the mug) use those!
There’s also been some debate about whether or not you should eat dairy while on a paleo diet. I personally believe it’s fine if you buy organic, grass fed, etc. dairy. But if you’re being cautious, then use coconut milk instead of the heavy cream. Lastly, consider leaving out the baking powder as it has some corn starch it in and is not paleo friendly.
Loved this recipe? Let us know! Something didn’t quite turn out right? Ask us in the comments below or contact us– we respond to comments every day and would love to hear from you and help you out! And check out all our low carb desserts to learn to make more delicious and healthy meals that take no time to prepare!
NUTRITIONAL DISCLAIMER
The content on this website should not be taken as medical advice and you should ALWAYS consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. We provide nutritional data for our recipes as a courtesy to our readers. We use Total Keto Diet app software to calculate the nutrition and we remove fiber and sugar alcohols, like erythritol, from the total carbohydrate count to get to the net carb count, as they do not affect your blood glucose levels. You should independently calculate nutritional information on your own and not rely on our data. The website or content herein is not intended to cure, prevent, diagnose or treat any disease. This website shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on the Website or actions you take as a result. Any action you take is strictly at your own risk.
You’ll Love Our Dessert in Five Cookbook!
We believe that the key to success is simplicity and satisfaction with your diet. That’s why we created Dessert in Five – 30 low carb dessert recipes all using just 5 ingredients and 5 net carbs or fewer!
Enjoy strawberry cheesecakes, brownies, coconut cream pies, raspberry Danish cookies and much more every day of the month.
Dr. Rosmy Barrios, MD is an aesthetic medicine specialist whose work focuses on patients who are treated for obesity, metabolic syndrome, and other weight-related issues through nutritional analysis, keto diet programs, and supporting medications.
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Just made this recipe and it is soooo very yummy!!! I will definitely make this again and again! Thank you 🙂
Glad you liked it MaryEllen 🙂 it’s one of our favorite recipes!
I was going to ask what other sweetener you could use because I don’t have erythritol, but I saw you said you can use Splenda. Do I use the same amount as the erythritol?
If I remember correctly, Splenda is just as sweet as sugar while erythritol is only 70% as sweet as sugar. I’d use a bit less Splenda in this recipe but that will always depend on your sweetness preference.
We’ve become more sensitive to sweets so we tend to use less sweetener these days! Which is great!
Hello!
Thanks so much for this great recipe!
I do have one question though. What am I not understanding about the carbs? The ingredients call for 1-2 tablespoons erythritol. And the recipe says only 4g total carbs. Well I just bought a bag of erythritol and the serving size is 1 teaspoon with 4g carbs. SO if your recipe really needs 1-2 tablespoons then I’m SOL because that is 12-24g carbs. (1 table spoon=3teaspoons)
I’m pretty new to cooking so if someone could let me know what’s going on that would be fantastic! Thanks again!Ntah
Hi Nathan,
Erythritol is a sugar alcohol which does not get digested by our body and thus does not spike blood sugar, similarly to dietary fiber. If you see sugar alcohol or dietary fiber, you should subtract it from the total carbohydrates (to get net carbs). We always provide recipe macros in net carbs.
Perfect, thanks so much for the reply Rami! Great info from a thorough answer. Happy Holidays!
Glad to be of help. Happy holidays to you and yours! 🙂
This is awesome! Not only was this a great first keto dessert for me, but this is hands down the BEST mug cake I have ever had! I think flour is the culprit that makes others rubbery, overly sweet and hard to enjoy. I will be making this again! Thanks!
Wow, thank you so much for the compliment! We’re so happy you enjoyed!!!
Just made mine and it “fell”, is now about 1/2″ high. What did I do wrong?
Hmm, I’m not sure what could have happened. The lava cake does deflate a little, as most desserts do, but it shouldn’t fall that much! Did you use a medium egg and whisk it well before adding it to the batter? And added only 1/4 tsp of baking powder? It may also be the difference in oven or microwave strengths. Those are all different and may be the cause of this issue.
I tried it out and it was delicious! Thank you so much, i loved it. Definetly making this more often!!
You’re very welcome 🙂 enjoy!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! This lava cake is sinfully delicious. My boyfriend says it tastes just like the full sugar cake. Being on a strict low carb diet can be difficult, so finding something like this helps us stick to it. Again, thank you!
So glad you liked it, Liz! The key is finding ways to fit your favorite foods into your diet without setting your progress back.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I rank joint Number One with you for the World’s Sweetest Tooth. Seriously. I can eat ludicrous amounts of sugar and not be fazed at all. I have no “off switch”. Basically, I am a typical sugar addict, and it can control my life. It’s amazing that I don’t weigh more than I do, though I am without argument well over what I should be – and where I want to be.
Absolutely amazing, perfect, delicious, nailed it, unbelievable SCORE! I owe you SO big-time! I have been dreading the winter months, where ALL I want to do is sit in the house in front the TV after I am done at work and it’s cold and dark outside, and cuddle up with a blanket and my dog, and eat sugar. THAT is what I do, and that is how I have 35 lbs that I do not want and do not need! I do just fine with my keto sensible eating in lighter, warmer months but invariably blow it horribly in late October and that goes on until February. It’s like fighting a tiger. I know what is happening, I don’t want it to, I don’t like it, but I can’t stop it. This recipe is perfect. Along with the keto peanut butter cookies I make and enjoy, I really think I will make it, now I do not have to relapse on eight pounds of chocolate, a few cheesecakes and a jar of peanut butter. You’re the best. I mean it! I’m so happy!
Winter is a hard time for sugar addicts! I understand 🙂 I’m really glad you enjoy this lava cake as much as we do. It’s really helped us through those late night sugar cravings in the beginning of our diets. Hope you continue to enjoy it! 🙂
This cake was delicious. It came out perfect. I split it into 2 ramekins and topped it off with a freezer bag vanilla ice cream. Thank you for the recipe. Loved it!!
Glad you liked it as much as we did 🙂
This looks delicious! I wanted to make this cake but I only have xylitol. Do you know how much I should use? Like 1/2 Tbsp? Thanks!
I would try 1 tbsp and see how you like it!
Okay thank you very much! Definetly trying out some other stuff you made too!
We hope you love it all! Tag us in some pictures if you do 🙂
My husband and I have enjoyed this few times….now making it a third time and going to have some halo top ice cream with it. Thank you!
Made it today. Came out great. Love it. Thanks.
Omg I just used stevia in this reciepe DONT DO IT. EWWWWW!! Please help with the sweetener every time I use stevia my recipes suck!!! Am I doing something wrong. (Desperate here)
Are you using stevia extract? If so, you’ll need to use much less of it. It is a lot sweeter than erythritol and should be used sparingly.
what can you use instead of erythritol?
Xylitol would be a good substitution. Or if you prefer, Splenda. You can even use stevia but it is much sweeter than those sweeteners, depending on the type of stevia you have!
Just made this, and I over-baked it in my convection oven, Set timer for 12 minutes and this was too long! Will use more sweetener and maybe a tad more cream next time. Thanx for the recipe.
Try baking it for even less than! Lava cakes are generally a tad undercooked to help the lava flow 🙂
Hi, this looks promising..I want to make this asap..What can I use instead of heavy cream,apart from coconut milk?Thank you..
You can probably use almond milk or even water!
Cashew milk is great as well. It’s thick and creamy!
I use Equal and Splenda instead of Erythritol and I bake the cake a little longer so it is chocolate cake–it is delicious
This has literally saved my keto.
Anyway…did you ever drizzle some natural peanut butter over this before you bake it? IT SAUCES ON THE BOTTOM.
Just saying.
Good tip! Peanut butter makes everything better!