Crockpot Chocolate Lava Cake

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Crockpot Lava Cake is a deliciously gooey, decadent cake made with homemade creamy pudding mix frosting topped with the perfect amount of chocolate chips. Trust me, if you’ve never baked anything in your Crockpot, you’re in for a real treat!

Folks, there isn’t much better than tossing this Slow Cooker Chocolate Lava Cake together and then smelling it allllllll afternoon while it cooks. Its rich chocolate aroma is so tantalizing, you’ll want to devour the whole darn thing as soon as it’s done baking. 

And if you like this then try Crockpot Bread Pudding or this easy Crockpot Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake.

If you’ve ever tried a Molten Chocolate Lava Cake at a restaurant and loved it, this Slow Cooker Lava Cake recipe will become a fast favorite. Baking in the crockpot is easy and fun, so you get an ultra moist, delightfully rich chocolate cake each and every time. #crockpotbaking

Why You’ll ♡ This

• Easy to bake in a crockpot- bake your dessert easily in a slow cooker.
• Chocolate aroma- Your house will smell like amazing chocolate all day while it bakes.
• Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate- Every chocolate lovers dream. 
• Perfect for gatherings- You can’t go wrong with this chocolate dessert for a crowd. 

What Is A Chocolate Lava Cake?

This also know as Molten Lava Cake is a delicious dessert that combines 2 other popular desserts: chocolate cake, and chocolate souffle. 

This Crockpot Dessert has a liquid “lava” chocolate sauce center, called moelleux which is where its name comes from. 

Ready to learn how easy it us to make this dessert? Then gather up these ingredients and I will show you……

How To Make Crockpot Lava Cake

Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

1. Spray a crockpot with cooking spray. 
2. In a mixing bowl, using a hand mixer or whisk, mix cake mix, water, oil, eggs, vanilla and coffee granules until all combined. 
3. Add cake batter into crockpot. 
4. In another mixing bowl, whisk together milk and pudding mix until combined. Let stand for a few minutes before pouring it over the cake batter. Make sure to NOT mix the layers together. 
5. Sprinkle the bag of chocolate chips on top. 
6. Cover and cook on High for 2 hours 45 minutes – 3 hours or until the top of the cake is puffed up and set. Timing will vary depending on the size and make of your slow cooker.
7. Once baked, serve the cake with cream, ice cream, etc. 

Recipe Tips

• The coffee granules enhance the chocolate flavor but are not a must-have ingredient
• Make sure that you don’t mix the layers before baking. 
• Watch the edges of the cake as it cooks, you want to make sure you don’t overbake the cake. 
• If your slow cooker tends to burn desserts, try lining the insert with parchment paper and then spray with cooking spray.
• I used Betty Crocker chocolate cake mix in this recipe.  
• The cooking time for your cake may vary depending on the size, make and model of your slow cooker. 

Delicious Recipe Variations

This dessert is so tasty already, but here are other variations you can try.

• Swap the water in the cake – use coffee or flavored cream instead of water in the cake for extra added flavor.  
• Swap out the coffee granules- try using espresso powder or other flavored coffee granules. 
• Add toppings – top with powdered sugar, caramel sauce, chopped nuts, or fresh berries.
• Add extra flavor. Orange zest makes a lovely addition to this.

Prep Ahead and Storage

Crockpot Chocolate Lava Cake is best served fresh from the oven (with a nice scoop of ice cream) but it can also be served at room temperature.

Prep Ahead – You can make the batter for the cake ahead of time and store it in the fridge. I don’t recommend making it more than 24 hours in advance. 

Store – Store baked cake in the fridge for a day or two in an airtight container. 

Freeze – If you want to freeze this cake try these tips: 

• Once the cake has baked and cooled, store in an airtight container or large ziplock bag. 
• If using a bag, label it and then lay flat in the freezer.
• Store in the freezer for 3 months.

Pro Tip: Once frozen, you need to thaw the cake in the fridge overnight and then reheat in the microwave when ready to enjoy. 

Reheat- You can make this dessert ahead of time and reheat them in the microwave, but just like many other baked desserts, this cake is best enjoyed right from the slow cooker, still warm. It’s just not the same reheated. 

FAQs

How Do You Know When A Chocolate Lava Cake Is Done?

Guys, you’ll know your cake is done when the edges are cooked all around and the middle has started to rise but isn’t too puffy. The center will be set upwards and should still be slightly soft but not jiggly. 

What Size Slow Cooker Should You Use? 

For this recipe, I used a 4-quart slow cooker. If you use a larger size, your baking time may change. Make sure to watch your cake as it cooks. 

What Kind Of Pudding Do You Use? 

In this dessert recipe, make sure to use instant pudding and pie filling mix and NOT the kind that you have to cook. 

More Crockpot Recipes

• Crockpot Bread Pudding.
• Crockpot Peanut Clusters.
• Slow Cooker Meatballs.
• Crockpot Breakfast Casserole.
• Easy Crockpot Chicken Fajitas.
• Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Pasta.

Tools Needed

• An awesome Crockpot.
• Measuring cups and spoons.
• A mixing spatula.
• Multi purpose mixing bowls.

Thank you for reading my Crockpot Lava Cake recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice and dream up affordable Air Fryer recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Southern Recipes and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.

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