Air fryer lava cake is a decadent chocolate dessert that’s easy to prepare and yet certain to be a fave!! Chocolate cake with a gooey center makes an elegant dessert to serve up for dinner parties and special occasions.
Next to ice cream, chocolate cake is my favorite dessert to eat!! And this one is over the top!! It’s so much fun to see everyone’s expression when they take that first bite and a flow of chocolate lava rushes forward onto the plate!
But what I love the most, is that air fryer lava cake is actually so easy to make!! It’s only 7 ingredients and takes 15 minutes from start to finish!
Chocolate Lava Cake in the Air Fryer
This was inspired by my air fryer chocolate cake on Kitchen Divas, and don’t forget that chocolate lava cake pairs well with a spiked dalgona coffee.
And if you love making desserts in the air fryer so you don’t need to turn on the oven, I highly recommend trying out this raspberry lemon cake or air fryer sugar cookies!
Ingredients
Chocolate lava cakes are made with only 7 easy ingredients available in most grocery stores.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Salted butter
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Cocoa powder
- White all purpose flour
- Powdered sugar
See the recipe card further down on the page for exact quantities for each ingredient.
Instructions
Air fryer lava cakes take only five minutes to mix up and get in the oven. Here’s how to make them!
Step 1: Melt Chocolate Chips and Butter
Combine the chocolate chips and butter in a medium bowl and microwave in 20 second intervals until the chocolate and butter have completely melted. Remove and stir after each interval.
Step 2: Mix the Batter
Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the chocolate and butter and whisk until fully combined.
Mix in the cocoa powder, flour, and powdered sugar and mix again until homogenous and no clumps of flour remain.
Step 3: Prep for the Oven
Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for five minutes.
Pour the batter into 2 or 3 4-inch ramekins until they are ⅔ of the way full.
Bake the lava cakes for 10 minutes using the bake function of the air fryer.
Hint: You may need to cook the cakes in batches depending on the size of your air fryer. I like to use this air fryer when making desserts without an oven.
Substitutions
Don’t have the correct ingredients on hand? Or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for you to change this air fryer lava cake recipe.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips – You can swap out with milk chocolate chips for a sweeter cake or a dark chocolate chips for a less sweet cake and more intense chocolate flavor.
- Salted butter – Use unsalted butter instead but add a pinch of salt to the batter when mixing it up.
- Vegan – Make the recipe dairy-free by exchanging the butter for coconut oil and using dark chocolate chips.
Variations
Want to personalize chocolate lava cake recipe? Here are some of my tried and true tips for changing up this recipe.
- Intense Chocolate – Use dark chocolate chips instead of semi sweet chocolate chips.
- Raspberry Chocolate – Replace the vanilla extract with raspberry extract. The combination of raspberry and chocolate is amazing!
- Mexican Chocolate – Add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and a dash of cayenne for a lava cake reminiscent of a Mexican hot chocolate.
If you love intense chocolate recipes like this, you may also enjoy this Hot Chocolate Ice Cream recipe.
Equipment
All it takes to make air fryer lava cakes is your favorite air fryer and a few other basic kitchen tools.
- Air Fryer
- 2-3 4 ounce ramekins
- Microwave safe bowl
- Mixing bowl
- Spatula or wooden spoon
- Measuring cup and spoons
- Whisk
Storage
Molten lava cakes are best eaten immediately after cooking. As they sit, the gooey chocolate center will firm up.
If you have extras, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. You can also freeze these cakes for up to three months.
To reheat, return the cakes to the air fryer or heat in a microwave until heated through and the chocolate is liquid again.
Tips
I’ve learned lots in making these chocolate lava cakes. Here are some of my top tips to help you get excellent results each time you make them.
- Do not fill up the ramekins all the way as they will overflow while in the air fryer.
- You can omit the cocoa powder if you would like, but it does boost the chocolate flavor of the dessert.
- This dish is best served immediately with ice cream or whipped cream and fresh berries!
More Chocolate Recipes
Do you like decadent chocolate desserts? Here some recipes you may also like to try:
FAQ
Do you have questions about making air fryer lava cakes? Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about making these chocolate lava cakes.
Lava cakes are best when served hot. If you do make them ahead, you will want to reheat them in a microwave, air fryer or oven for a few minutes to allow the chocolate to heat up and melt.
The air fryer is actually more like a convection oven than it is a fryer as it cooks by heat and air. The heated air circulates around the cakes in the air fryer so they do cook more quickly in the air fryer. You can cook these lava cakes in a regular oven as you would with any other cake. Set the oven temperature at 425° F and cook for 10-14 minutes or until the sides look like they are firm. The top of the lava cake should puff up and be set but remain soft.
After cooking the lava cakes, they can be stored in the freezer until you are ready to eat them. Take them out and allow them to thaw out completely, then reheat in the oven, air fryer or microwave until the chocolate center of the cakes soften and become melted.
Air Fryer Lava Cake
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Air Fryer Lava Cake
Equipment
- 2-3 4 ounce ramekins
- microwave safe bowl
- mixing bowl
- Spatula or wooden spoon
- Measuring cups and spoons
- whisk
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup salted butter
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- ¼ cup white flour
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Get out and measure your ingredients.
- In a medium bowl, combine the chocolate chips and butter.
- Microwave the two ingredients on 20 second intervals until the chocolate and butter have completely melted.
- Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until the eggs are fully incorporated.
- Add in the cocoa powder, flour, and powdered sugar.
- Mix again until homogenous and no clumps of flour remain.
- Pour the batter into 2-3 4-inch ramekins until they are ⅔ of the way full. It is important to not fill up the ramekins all the way. If you do then they will overflow while in the air fryer.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for five minutes and then bake the lava cakes for 10 minutes on the bake function.
- Serve immediately with berries, whipped cream or ice cream.
- Enjoy.
- Every bite!
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