Crockpot Lava Cake | Chocolate
Crockpot Lava Cake is rich, delicious, and super easy to make. It’s a chocolate lover’s dream come true!
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
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
*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:
- Hot Fudge Cake
- Best Chocolate Vegan Cupcakes
- No-Bake Chocolate Pie
- Heavenly Tootsie Rolls
- Glazed Carrot Cake
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!
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Crockpot Lava Cake | Chocolate
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.
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.
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…
Oh wow, I know I need to make this!! Thanks for the recipe. I feel my popularity as a baker rising already.
I hope your family elects you ‘Baker of the Year’! Enjoy! 🙂
Looks really good Terri, but I am a little confused. In step 2 it says to mix sugar with the other wet ingredients, but isn’t the sugar reserved for the sauce?
Vickie, thanks so much for catching that typo! I must have been on auto-pilot and looked right over that. You are right, the sugar is only added in the sauce, and I’ve edited to reflect that. Good catch!
I printed this earlier this am and just started looking at it and was going to let you know the same thing Terri.
I love your recipes and use them often!!! Thank you.
Thanks so much! 🙂
If my crockpot doesn’t have a medium setting what should I set it on? I have low and high.
I think I would try cooking on high for 1 hour and low for 2 hours. Just keep an eye on it.
What size CrockPot for the 8-serving recipe?
A 4-6 quart slow cooker will work just fine. If doubling the recipe, 6-8 quart would be best.
would this work with stevia instead of sugar?
I think Stevia would be a good option for a sweetener too.
Can I use my InstaPot ( slow cooker setting) ?
I’m sure you could use your InstaPot for this, just not sure about the setting or time. If you give it a try, I would love to know.
I made this last night for a friends birthday dinner. It was delicious and I loved the large amount of sauce that was in the bottom of the crockpot. I used an older small round crockpot that was a great size for the recipe. As you suggested in a previous question, I cooked it 1 hour on high and 2 on low. I think less time on low would be better as the cake part May have been slightly overdone. Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe. I will definitely make it again.
Carol, that’s wonderful to hear! I’m glad that it went over well for your friend’s birthday. Thank you SO much for taking the time to let us know!!
How long do we bake before adding the sauce?
No need to bake first. After pouring batter into crock pot, add the sauce right on top, then begin the cooking process.
Can we substitute wheat with almond flour?
haven’t used almond flour in this recipe before, and each recipe is a bit different. Generally, almond flour sometimes needs a little extra moisture added. I would love to know how it turns out and what tweaks you use if you give it a try.
Can I bake this is corning ware on low?
It can be baked in the oven. Here’s the oven version for this recipe. https://eatplant-based.com/hot-fudge-cake-vegan-style/
I made this for Valentine’s day dessert. My husband loves this kind of dessert with dairy free ice cream. It turned out very good! It only took bout 2.5 hours. So quick and easy. Will make again. Thanks!
That’s awesome to hear! Thanks so much for the great feedback!
This looks amazing!
Do you think this will work with a substitute sugar (coconut sugar, agave, maple syrup, silan). If so, any reccomendations of which one to you use would be great!
I think those other sugars would work just fine. Maple syrup might add a totally different flavor to the cake, so I think I would avoid that one.
Any chance this would work in an Instant Pot? When i got mine I ditched my slow cooker. Looks yummy-
I am sure it would work in an InstantPot, but I’m not sure of the setting or time. If you give it a try, please let us know. Thanks!
Also-if you want it GF, I’d suggest using any of the GF Cup for cup flours ( 1 to 1 Baking Flour Bob’s red mill https://www.amazon.com/Bobs-Red-Mill-Baking-Gluten/dp/B07FW7SCB2/ref=sr_1_14?keywords=gluten+free+flour&qid=1557409152&s=gateway&sr=8-14 ) So you don’t have to do it yourself if you are rushed as I often am. I’ve not made this but have good results using Pamela’s flours but usually I just grab whatever they have at Sprouts.
What did I do wrong???
I did not get any fudge sauce below …
I got a very moist chocolatey cake
It tasted okay but wasn”t at all what was described. It did not seem overcooked
Crockpot used has two high settings (4 & 6 hrs) & two low settings (8 & 10 hrs)
I did 35min on 4hr setting looked like cooking too fast shifted it to 6hr for the next 30 min then down to 8hr for an hour+
Please help would love this to turn out right
Please help
Hmmm, I really don’t know what might have gone wrong. Were all the ingredients used exactly as listed (without substitutions) and in the right measurements? Different crockpot settings vary, but that shouldn’t make a big difference. The only thing I can think of to suggest is to try it in the oven. This is a link to the oven-version of the same cake. A friend even videoed her process for making it that might be helpful for you. https://eatplant-based.com/hot-fudge-cake-vegan-style/