Crockpot Lava Cake | Chocolate

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Crockpot Lava Cake is rich, delicious, and super easy to make. It’s a chocolate lover’s dream come true!

chocolate cake slice in white dish topped with strawberrie slices with glass milk and blueberries in background

Did you know that you can make a cake in your crockpot? There are few desserts easier than a slow cooker cake, and this chocolatey wonder is one of the best I’ve ever made.

You’ll love this choco lava cake because it’s…

  • Surprisingly simple
  • Ooey-gooey
  • Warm
  • Chocolatey
  • Amazingly delicious
slice of crockpot chocolate cake halfway eaten in white dish with messy fork

Vegan crockpot lava cake made easy and healthy

Crockpot lava dump cakes were all the rage back in the ’90s. That’s because after mixing a few ingredients in a bowl, you simply dump them into a crockpot, set the cooking temperature, and walk away.

With very little prep work required, they are so simple and fun to make. This is a great opportunity to get the kids involved or any other reluctant cook in the house.

Usually, crockpot lava cakes are made with very unhealthy boxes of cake mix. Then you have to add eggs, butter, and milk that are loaded with saturated fat. Thankfully, this vegan cake recipe is a much healthier version!

The best part is that it’s oil-free, dairy-free, and only has 143 calories and 1 fat gram per serving!

Get ready for a mountain of chocolate cake with rivers of ooey-gooey fudgy mess flowing down the sides!

slice of chocolate slow cooker cake in pink serving plate with fork

How to make crockpot chocolate lava cake from scratch

The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.

Making a crockpot cake from scratch is so simple and requires only about 15 minutes of prep time.

Place flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/4 cup cocoa powder in a large bowl and whisk together. Believe it or not, there is absolutely no sugar–or any sweetener for that matter–added to the cake batter.

stainless mixing bowl with flour and cocoa powder with whisk

In a separate bowl, whisk together plant milk, vanilla, and apple sauce. I always purchase unsweetened applesauce, but you can make it homemade if desired.

silver mixing bowl with applesauce, almond milk, and vanilla and bottle of vanilla in background

Making your own applesauce

Often I get messages from people who live in countries other than the United States saying that they don’t have apple sauce where they live and asking if they can make their own. The answer is YES!

Making your own applesauce is actually the best way to ensure you are familiar with all the ingredients. To make two cups of applesauce, simply:

  • Core, peel, and slice four apples
  • Steam the slices in a covered pot with enough water to nearly cover the apples for 5-7 minutes or until tender.
  • Turn the apples into a sauce by pureeing with an immersion blender or a high-speed blender.

You will only need 1/2 cup of the applesauce for this recipe, so you can save the rest to snack on or add to other recipes like my Banana Oatmeal Pancakes.

Next, pour the wet batter mixture into the flour mixture and whisk together well. Keep in mind that if you taste the batter, it won’t be great because there is no sweetener in it yet. That’s added in the fudge sauce coming up.

crockpot with choco cake batter inside

Pour the batter into a 4-6 quart crockpot or slow cooker and set it to medium heat. You will notice in my photos that I lined my crockpot with white parchment paper that is usually used to prevent sticking. You don’t need to do this. I only used the parchment paper for these photos because my crockpot is black and made it difficult to see the batter.

One addition I like to make at this point is to sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of non-dairy chocolate chips over the top of the batter. This is of course optional.

Making Fudge frosting

Mix the three ingredients for the fudge sauce--cocoa, hot water, and sugar. This is where the sweetness comes in and, believe it or not, the sugar in this simple sauce is enough to sweeten the entire cake. Make sure your water is very hot to dissolve the sugar.

slow cooker with choco cake batter and frosting

Pour the frosting sauce into the crockpot over the cake batter. It will look very watery, but the sauce will thicken up into fudgy heaven!

Place slow-cooker lid on top and allow the cake to cook on medium for approximately 3 hours. Crockpot temperatures vary, so check after 2 hours to see how it’s coming along. You want it to be firm but still moist on the top.

crockpot with cooked choco lava cake sprinkled with vegan chocolate chips

Crockpot setting options

If your crockpot doesn’t have a medium setting here are a couple of suggestions to choose from:

  • Cook on high the 1st hour, then low the last 2 hours
  • Cook on low for a longer time, perhaps 3-1/2 to 4 hours

When a spoon is used to cut into the top, the hot fudge sauce on the bottom will be ready to spoon over each serving.

crockpot filled with choco lava cake and large spoon

Tips for making a crockpot lava cake

  • Make it gluten-free- This cake is not gluten-free, but this link to the Minimalist Baker will help adjust it for those that want to give it a try.
  • Increasing servings- The basic cake recipe serves about 8 people, so if you are making this for a crowd, I suggest making a double-batch.
  • Oven cooking option- If you would like to make this recipe in the oven, this article will help- Easy Vegan Hot Fudge Cake.
slice of chocolate crockpot lava cake topped with strawberry slices

*Recipe originally published September 2018.

Recipe adapted from President of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Dr. Neal Barnard, in his book, Breaking the Food Seduction.

Check out another newer slow cooker recipe called Crock Pot Vanilla Lava Cake

Other great dessert recipes:

For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!

slice of chocolate crockpot lava cake topped with strawberry slices
4.43 from 47 votes

Crockpot Lava Cake | Chocolate

Crockpot lava cake is rich, delicious, and super easy to make. It's a chocolate lover's dream come true!
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 3 hours
Total: 3 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients 

  • 1.25 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (divide in half)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup plant milk such as almond or soy
  • 1/2 cup apple sauce
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar or date sugar (use 1 cup if you like it sweeter)
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 1-2 tablespoons non-dairy chocolate chips optional

Instructions

  • Place flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/4 cup cocoa powder (save the other half for the frosting) in a large bowl and whisk together. Believe it or not, there is absolutely no sugar–or any sweetener for that matter–added to the cake batter.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together plant milk, vanilla, and apple sauce. I always purchase unsweetened applesauce, but you can make it homemade if desired. I've included instructions on how to make your own in the article above.
  • Next, pour the wet batter mixture into the flour mixture and whisk together well. Keep in mind that if you taste the batter, it won’t be great because there is no sweetener in it yet. That’s added in the fudge sauce coming up.
  • Pour the batter into a 4-6 quart crockpot or slow cooker and set it to medium heat. You will notice in my photos above that I lined my crockpot with white parchment paper that is usually used to prevent sticking. You don't need to do this. I only used the parchment paper for these photos because my crockpot is black and made it difficult to see the batter.
  • One addition I like to make at this point is to sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of non-dairy chocolate chips over the top of the batter. This is of course optional.

Making the frosting

  • Mix the three ingredients for the fudge sauce--1/4 cup cocoa, hot water, and sugar. This is where the sweetness comes in and, believe it or not, the sugar in this simple sauce is enough to sweeten the entire cake. Make sure your water is very hot to dissolve the sugar.
  • Pour the frosting sauce into the crockpot over the cake batter. It will look very watery, but the sauce will thicken up into fudgy heaven!
  • Place slow-cooker lid on top and allow the cake to cook on medium for approximately 3 hours. Crockpot temperatures vary, so check after 2 hours to see how it’s coming along. You want it to be firm but still moist on the top.
  • For those with crockpots that don't have a medium setting, I've included other setting options and times in the article above.
  • When a spoon is used to cut into the top, the hot fudge sauce on the bottom will be ready to spoon over each serving.

Video

Notes

Detailed instructions, in-process photos, and my personal helpful tips can be found in the article above.
Tips for making a crockpot lava cake
  • Make it gluten-free- This cake is not gluten-free, but this link to the Minimalist Baker will help adjust it for those that want to give it a try.
  • Increasing servings- The basic cake recipe serves about 8 people, so if you are making this for a crowd, I suggest making a double-batch.
  • Oven cooking option- If you would like to make this recipe in the oven, this article will help- Easy Vegan Hot Fudge Cake.

Nutrition

Calories: 143kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 3.6g | Fat: 1.2g | Sodium: 96mg | Fiber: 2.4g | Sugar: 27g

Disclaimer

To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.

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About Terri Edwards

Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy.  I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…

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56 Comments

  1. I had absolutely no idea you could bake cakes in a crock pot?! That’s a massive exciting revelation to me! I can’t wait to try this delicious recipe, I’m such a chocoholic x

  2. hi there! I really want to make this, but it is only myself and my son who would eat this… how well does this store, and how would you do that? thank you!

    1. Hi Jennifer- This actually keeps well in an airtight container (to hold in the moisture) in the refrigerator. Just reheat in the microwave. Honestly, I kind of like it chilled straight out of the refrigerator too. Hope you both enjoy it.

  3. I made this today, and it was so easy and delicious that I will definitely do it again. Thanks for the recipe.

  4. Thank you for the recipe! Do you think either erythritol or xylitol would work well in the frosting? I’m also curious what setting to use on the intapot, but I see others have asked as well and no answer has shown up yet but I figured I would write anyway in case someone had done so and shared their results with you off-thread.

    1. Hi Amelia- I think either one of those sweeteners would work fine in this cake. So far, I haven’t made this in my InstantPot, so I can’t say for sure what the setting and time would be. Hopefully, someone will give it a try soon and let us know what worked for them. As soon as I hear from anyone, I’ll be sure to include it in the recipe instructions.

  5. We loved it! I made it in my Instant Pot on low for 4 hours. Turned out perfect, could have even cooked for just 3 1/2 hours perhaps.
    Really good & easy to make. For sugar I used coconut sugar. Definitely making again.

  6. I made this today and followed your instructions to the letter. I don’t have a medium setting on my crockpot, so I followed your suggestion high for 1 hour and low for 2. I should have checked it before the last hour, it was super dry…no liquid at all. I made a quick chocolate sauce and poured over it for some liquid. The cake was delicious. Next time I think I’ll try low for the whole time and see if that helps.

  7. I was wondering what slow cooker you have? The Amazon link to the slow cooker goes to a missing page. I need to update my Crock Pot. It is 41 years old and I think a new one is in order.

  8. I have followed the recipe twice… I doubled it today but thought that the 2 cups of hot water was way too much as it almost covered the cake batter. I remade the frosting and cut the water down to 1 cup and it seemed better. Can you comment? Thanks, wonderful vegan cake!!

    1. John- Did you take a look at the in-process photos in the post? There’s one that shows where I have the frosting water poured over the batter before cooking. It definitely covers the cake batter, and that’s the way we like it. It causes a more fudgy cake. I’m so glad that you like the cake, and feel free to adjust it any way that you like. We just enjoy the ooey-gooey topping.

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