This keto lava cake will blow your mind. Gooey warm chocolate cake with a center of molten peanut butter. You won’t believe it’s sugar free and only 4g net carbs per serving!
I am having such fun going back and tweaking old recipes like this one. This keto lava cake has always been one of my favorite desserts.
How can you go wrong with a warm peanut butter center oozing out all over you plate? That’s right, friend, you can’t. You simply can’t go wrong with this classic recipe.
Chocolate and peanut butter is ketolicious!
Have I ever mentioned how much I love chocolate and peanut butter together? Um, maybe just a few times.
You may have seen me mention it in my keto peanut butter cups. Or maybe I dropped a hint when I was waxing poetic about keto peanut butter pie.
It’s a little frightening, how much I love peanut butter and chocolate together. It’s a flavor combination that is never far from my mind, even when I am in the midst of creating another recipe altogether.
And I know I am not the only one who feels this way. Whenever I post a peanut butter and chocolate recipe, it gets a great deal of attention. In fact, my keto peanut butter bars went so viral, Facebook slapped a warning label on them. Weird but true!
Ingredients for peanut butter chocolate lava cakes
You only need a few simple ingredients to make these gorgeous keto lava cakes. Get your shopping list ready!
- Unsweetened chocolate: By unsweetened, I mean absolutely no sweetener at all. This should be 100% cacao chocolate and I urge you to purchase a quality brand like Ghirardelli or Guittard. Good quality makes a big difference!
- Butter: Melting butter with the chocolate gives the base for these decadent cakes.
- Sweetener: I prefer Swerve Granular in these cakes but they work with any erythritol based sweetener. I haven’t tried allulose in them but I imagine it too would work.
- Eggs: This keto lava cake recipe uses one whole egg and one egg yolk. The yolk provides extra richness and makes them even gooier.
- Almond flour: Classic lava cakes take only a little flour and in this case, we simply use 3 tablespoons.
- Vanilla extract: For flavor!
- Peanut butter: I recommend a good, creamy peanut butter like Justin’s, as you want it to ooze out when the cakes break open.
How to make keto lava cakes
The process is really quite simple and fun. Let’s review:
- Prep three ramekins. Grease them really well with a solid fat like butter or coconut oil. Then dust them lightly with cocoa powder. This allows the cakes to release more easily after baking.
- Melt the chocolate and the butter. I do this in the microwave but it can also be done on the stove. Whatever method you choose, be sure it’s gentle so you don’t seize the chocolate. I do 30 second increments in the microwave, stirring in between.
- Whisk in the sweetener, then the eggs. As long as you took care not to overheat the chocolate, adding the eggs to the warm mixture should be fine.
- Stir in the almond flour, vanilla, and salt.
- Spoon batter into the ramekins. You need about two thirds of the batter to cover the bottoms of the ramekins.
- Dollop in the peanut butter. Use about 2 to 3 teaspoons for each keto lava cake.
- Top with remaining cake batter. Be sure to cover the peanut butter completely!
- Bake. 10 to 12 minutes at 375F bakes the cake but leave the centers nice and gooey.
- Invert. Run a sharp knife around the outside of the cakes before flipping out onto a plate.
- Dig in! Grab a fork and enjoy these delicious keto lava cakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Almond butter works well, but you could also use the new super creamy sugar free chocolate hazelnut spread from ChocZero. Delicious!
I haven’t tried to make keto lava cakes without butter but I think dairy free substitutes would work just fine.
I recommend using ½ cup capacity ceramic ramekins. Any larger and the cake batter will be spread too thin.
I have only tried these keto lava cakes with Swerve but I think any erythritol based sweetener would work. Allulose may work as well, but I can’t guarantee that.
Keto Lava Cakes Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 oz unsweetened chocolate chopped
- 3 tablespoon Swerve Sweetener
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3 tablespoon almond flour
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- 2 tablespoon peanut butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F and grease 3 small ramekins. Dust the ramekins with cocoa powder and shake out the excess.
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter and chocolate together, whisking until smooth. Alternatively, you can melt it carefully in a pan over low heat.
- Add the sweetener and whisk until combined. Then add the egg and egg yolk and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the almond flour, vanilla extract, and salt until well combined.
- Divide about two thirds of the batter between the three ramekins, making sure to cover the bottoms.
- Divide the peanut butter between the ramekins, placing in the center of the batter. Cover with the remaining batter and spread to the edges.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges of the cakes are set but the center still jiggles slightly. Remove and let cool 5 to 10 minutes. Then run a sharp knife around the edges and flip out onto plates.
beth says
Can anyone else suggest a ramekin size? I’m running out of time to order from Amazon and am hoping to not have to tote three kids around to find ramekins 😉
beth says
Hubby has requested this for his birthday cake. what size ramkekin should I use? I need to buy some on amazon today and want to be sure before I order.
beth says
Looking at amazon options…would you suggest more like a 5 oz or an 8 oz ramekin?
Ruta says
Oh my goodness! That cake is heaven for any chocolate and peanut butter lover. Just look at that peanut butter in the middle!
Jen @ Savory Simple says
I’ve never met a chocolate peanut butter dessert I didn’t like! This looks divine.
Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie says
Yum! I have made a peanut butter molten chocolate cake before but I love that this is gluten free.
Sommer @ ASpicyPerspective says
Love this! Making these tonight!
Randy says
Just ate the ones I made tonight. The oil more or less reabsorbed into the cake and it had a nice gooy consistency. They were good :). But they were not very sweet at all. I used ghirardelli’s 100% cacao – could that be why? Is there another standard percentage I should be using in these recipies? Or is it just not meant not to be a very sweet dish?
Thanks again
Carolyn says
Hi Randy…2 questions. It’s not the ghirardelli because I use that too. So what kind of sweeteners and what kind of cocoa powder did you use?
randy says
Hi, thanks for your response.
I used Hershey’s natural unsweetened cocoa powder, Wholesome sweeteners “zero” brand granulated erythritol (I think it is a whole foods brand), and ez sweets liquid stevia (though I just noticed that the stevia – which I found at our central market – is actully labelled “stevia & monk fruit”). It says it substitutes for for sugar at 4 drops = 2tsp of sugar.
thanks again for your help, I’ve really been enjoying experimenting. I made your coconut flour pancakes and they turned out great.
One other question: I am not worried about gluten – only low carb. So, do you think it would be helpful in some recipes to add in vital wheat gluten, since it doesn’t add many carbs?
Carolyn says
Hi Randy,
I use Swerve and since it contains oligosaccharides, which are fibrous, the butter leaching out a bit in yours may be from using the Zero brand erythritol. I think the Swerve can help sop up the extra oils at times. Also, I have some of the EZSweetz stevia/monkfruit combo and I don’t think it’s sweet enough compared to the NuNaturals stevia I usually use.
As for adding in vital wheat gluten, it’s going to depend a lot on the recipe. My recipes are formulated to be without gluten at all so it’s not necessarily going to “help” anything. On occasion, it may help quickbreads or muffins rise a little better but that’s the only real benefit I can see to it.
randy says
I just made this and its just out of the oven. Followed the recipe exactly. When it was time to take it out of the oven, there was liquid (looked like butter or some other sort of oil) on top of the cake and bubbling around the sides of the ramikins (only partially covering the top of the cake). Is that normal? They are cooling now, so maybe this will not matter but I am curious whether to expect that.
Thanks
Carolyn says
I commented on your other question…but sometimes butter just leaches out, I don’t know why. It didn’t in mine both times I made them, but sometimes it just does. And then as you found, it absorbs back in. I can’t pinpoint the culprit but it usually works out alright in the end.
Kristina says
I think I may have to make this… right now!
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says
Ooey gooey deliciousness!! Nothing is better than PB and chocolate 🙂
Nadine says
Where do the 11.8 grams of carbs come from? And is stevia extract liquid or the powder?
Can’t wait to try these!!
Carolyn says
The majority of the total carbs come from the chocolate and cocoa, but then it has a lot of fiber too, so it cuts almost in half for Net carbs. I use NuNaturals liquid Stevia
Melanie says
Looks delish, and that ingredient list looks very do-able! Yay!
Aggie says
I’m totally with you on the peanut butter and chocolate obsession. Chocolate on it’s own, I can sorta pass up…but if PB is anywhere near it then better watch out. This ooey gooey cake is calling my name right now! 🙂
galatians 2:20 says
Thank you, I am not too fond of stevia, but I’m willing to try it, and I have learned to savour unsweetened food, just their natural tastes.
Carolyn says
Good for you! You may like this just with a bit of stevia and the peanut butter, then.
Joshua Hampton (Cooking Classes San Diego) says
I can’t un-see this cake. The picture is going to haunt me until I try making it for myself.
Carolyn says
haha…my mission is complete!
Regan @ Cabot Creamery says
Pass me a glass of milk. I’m ready to dig in on this one!
Mr. & Mrs. P says
What! This is up our alley!! Whipping these up soon
galatians2:20 says
What could you use if you don’t want to use any sugar alcohol, or artificial sweetener, or regular sugar, stevia is ok, ? just skip that ingredient?
Carolyn says
YOu can sweeten with just Stevia if you like, but I think you will find the final result quite bitter. I’d at least double the stevia too.
Sandy says
I cannot tolerate erythritol any longer. I now make this with coconut sugar. Delicious and still low carb!
MarciaH says
You could try lo han guo (or kuo). It’s monk fruit and it’s natural and very sweet. Or you could try an inulin-based sweetener like Just Like Sugar. I buy bulk lo han here: http://www.znaturalfoods.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=lo+han+guo&x=-628&y=-87
RavieNomNoms says
UM, this is amazing! I love peanut butter and chocolate together and that PB oozing out of there?! SAAAWWOOOONNN!
Stacy | Wicked Good Kitchen says
Saw peanut butter and chocolate and just had to run right over here! Fabulous and creative recipe, Carolyn. I’m drooling! You shouldn’t worry about the melting whipped cream. Peeps just loooove seeing ooey-gooey, drippy goodness! Cannot wait to make these…I share your PB & Chocolate passion. Thanks for sharing. Pinning!