Air Fryer Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes

These Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes are filled with a delicious chocolate lava center. Bake them in the air fryer for a quick and easy dessert.

 

This post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclaimer here.

Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the 
recipe card at the bottom of the post. 
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.

I love baking small-batch desserts in my air fryer, like these air fryer brownies. Since the air fryer doesn’t need much of a preheat time, dessert in the air fryer can be made in about 10 minutes from start to finish. And don’t get me started on the fact that you don’t have to heat the entire house with the oven. Thank you, Air Fryer, for keeping me cool in the summer time.  

The beauty of these lava cakes is that they have a nice and gooey molten middle. They’re rich and full of yummy chocolate flavor. The key to a yummy molten lava cake is to slightly underbake them just a tad to let the middle stay molten. However, if you accidentally overbake them, they will still taste amazing.

Ingredients Needed

Ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions are on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Unsalted butter – A quick note about the butter: I used regular unsalted butter. Avoid using the fancy butter with higher butter-fat ratios.
• Semi-sweet chocolate bar – I buy a 4-ounce bar and break it into pieces.
• Eggs – 1 large egg and 1 egg yolk from a large egg
• Other Ingredients – White granulated sugar, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, and a pinch of salt.

How to make Molten Lava Cakes in the Air Fryer

First, grease 3 6-ounce ramekins and set aside. 

Then melt butter and a 4 oz chocolate bar in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments, stirring every 30 seconds until entirely melted. It usually takes about a 1-minute total before my chocolate and butter are melted and smooth. Set aside.  

Then, in a separate large bowl, beat 1 large egg, 1 egg yolk, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, and 3 Tablespoons sugar together until eggs are thoroughly beat. I use my electric beaters and beat the eggs.

Then add 3 Tablespoons flour and the chocolate mixture and stir until combined. Add the mixture into the ramekins, filling each one about halfway. 

Place in the air fryer basket and cook on 370 degrees Fahrenheit for 7-10 minutes.

Once done air frying, use a clean, thick dish towel to remove ramekins from the air fryer basket. Allow the cakes to cool in a ramekin for about 1 minute. Use a butter knife to loosen the cake from the ramekin and turn them over onto a plate. Serve with fresh whipped cream, ice cream, fresh berries, or top with powdered sugar and enjoy. 

And there you have it, delicious easy molten cake made right in your air fryer.

Tanya’s Top Tips:

• Different air fryer brands will bake these at different speeds, hence the 7-10 minute cook time. These should not take longer than 10 minutes to cook. A shorter cook time will cause a more runny molten, 10 minutes will make it more thick.
• Use a good quality chocolate bar for this recipe. I use semi-sweet chocolate.
• The ramekins are very hot after baking in the air fryer. I found a clean thick dish towel worked best for getting a grip on the ramekins and removing them from the air fryer.

Make Ahead and Storage Options

Make-Ahead: Preparing these Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes in advance is easy! Simply mix the batter and fill the ramekins, then cover them with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When you’re ready to bake, take the ramekins out and let them sit at room temperature for about 10–15 minutes. Then, bake as directed, adding a minute or two if needed to ensure they have that gooey center.

Storage: While these cakes are best enjoyed fresh from the oven, you can store any leftovers. Once cooled, cover the ramekins with plastic wrap or transfer the cakes to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Reheating: To reheat and keep the gooey center, warm the lava cake in the microwave for about 20–30 seconds on medium power. This should warm it through without cooking it further, helping to retain that molten texture.

Looking for more small batch quick dessert recipes for your air fryer? Try these out:

• S’mores
• Chocolate Brownies
• Cinnamon Sugared Pecans

This post was first published on February 4, 2020. It has been updated with additional information.