Crockpot Vegan Chocolate Lava Cake
Crockpot Vegan Lava Cake is rich, delicious, and super easy to make. It’s a chocolate lover’s dream come true offering a rich, gooey chocolate center that rivals traditional versions, without the need for dairy or eggs.
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. We even have a vanilla crockpot lava cake recipe as well!
We have lots of chocolate vegan desserts on this website including my no-bake chocolate vegan balls, these dairy-free chocolate oatmeal cookies, and our 5-minute chocolate vegan mug cake.
Reasons you will love this cake
- Rich and Decadent Flavor: This vegan chocolate crockpot lava cake offers a rich, indulgent flavor with a gooey molten center, satisfying your chocolate cravings without any dairy or eggs.
- Easy and Convenient Preparation: With the convenience of a crock pot, this lava cake requires minimal effort—just mix the ingredients, set it, and let the slow cooker do all the work, making it perfect for busy days or special occasions.
- Healthier Ingredients: Made with wholesome, plant-based ingredients, this dairy-free lava cake is a healthier alternative to traditional lava cakes, allowing you to enjoy a delicious dessert with less guilt.
- Perfect for Sharing: This cake is ideal for sharing at family gatherings or dinner parties, as it serves multiple people and can be customized with toppings like fresh fruit, nuts, or dairy-free ice cream.
Ingredients you will need
- Flour- Using whole wheat flour to make vegan chocolate crockpot cake adds a boost of fiber and nutrients, making the dessert more wholesome and filling compared to using refined white flour. Whole wheat flour also provides a slightly nutty flavor and denser texture, which complements the rich chocolate taste and creates a more satisfying, hearty cake.
- Cocoa powder- Provides a deep, rich chocolate flavor that is essential for creating a delicious and indulgent dessert.
- Plant milk- A dairy-free alternative that maintains the cake’s moisture and richness. It blends seamlessly with other ingredients, providing a creamy texture without compromising the vegan nature of the recipe. Plant milk, such as almond, oat, or soy, also contributes subtle flavors that complement the chocolate and ensure a delicious, vegan-friendly dessert.
- Applesauce- Used as a natural egg substitute, adding moisture and a slight sweetness while keeping the cake dairy-free and egg-free.
- Sugar- Adds a rich, caramel-like sweetness and depth of flavor. Its molasses content contributes to a moist, tender texture.
- Vegan chocolate chips- Creating extra pockets of rich, melty chocolate that enhance the cake’s flavor and texture.
Tips & Suggestions
- Make it gluten-free- This cake is not gluten-free, but this link to the Minimalist Baker will help adjust it for those who 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.
How to make dairy-free crockpot lava cake
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
STEP #1: 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.
STEP #2: In a separate bowl, whisk together plant milk, vanilla, and apple sauce.
I sometimes purchase unsweetened applesauce, but you can make homemade unsweetened applesauce if desired.
STEP #3: 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 to 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 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.
STEP #4: 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.
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!
STEP #5: Place the 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.
STEP #6: 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.
Get ready for a mountain of chocolate cake with rivers of ooey-gooey fudgy mess flowing down the sides! Check out my Crock Pot Vanilla Lava Cake too!
Crockpot setting options
If your crockpot doesn’t have a medium setting here are a couple of suggestions to choose from.
- Cook on high for the 1st hour, then low for the last 2 hours
- Cook on low for a longer time, perhaps 3-1/2 to 4 hours
*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.
Frequently Asked Questions
A 4-6 quart crockpot or slow cooker is perfect for holding this cake.
Yes. If you would like to make this recipe in the oven, this is the oven version of this same recipe. Easy Vegan Hot Fudge Cake.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. It freezes well for up to 3 months.
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!
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!
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Crockpot Chocolate Lava Cake
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
- 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.
- Storage- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. It freezes well for up to 3 months.
- Cook on high for the 1st hour, then low for the last 2 hours
- Cook on low for a longer time, perhaps 3-1/2 to 4 hours
Nutrition
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.
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!!
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.
I don’t have a crockpot can I used the oven instead?
Hi Louise- Yes, this is the same cake but baked instead of using a crockpot. https://eatplant-based.com/hot-fudge-cake-vegan-style/
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.
Hi Susan- Thank you for letting me know that the link is broken, and I have that fixed now. I have three different sizes of crockpots that I use. This is my amazon affiliate link to the one I recommend and use the most. https://amzn.to/3gnyDOp
@Terri Edwards, Thanks!
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.
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.
Hi Marie- YAY! I’m so glad that it turned out well for you, and using coconut sugar is a great sub idea.
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.
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.
If you double the recipe, can it be made in one crockpot? Or would you need to use 2 crockpots…
Hi Tessa- I have doubled this recipe before in my 8-quart crockpot without any problems.
I made this today, and it was so easy and delicious that I will definitely do it again. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Kathleen- Wonderful! This is probably my favorite chocolate cake because of the gooey sauce. Glad you liked it.
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!
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.
thank you!
Have you ever cooked this in an Insta Pot? If so, what are cooking times and temps?
Hi Julie- I haven’t made this in an InstantPot before but, if you give it a try, I would love to hear how it comes out.
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
Oh yes! Crockpot cakes are amazing. I hope you enjoy this one because it’s my favorite one. 🙂
Could I use cacao instead of the unsweetened cocoa?
Hi Roberta- Yes, I think using cacao would work just fine in this recipe. Let us know how it turns out!