This gluten free chocolate lava cake is a decadent dessert that has moist chocolate cake and a warm, gooey center. It is one of those incredible, chocolaty cakes that is a chocolate lover's dream! This recipe slowly cooks over 2-2 ½ hours and is the best crock pot lava cake!
Jump to:
Are you looking for the ultimate chocolate cake? One you can make without a lot of work and fuss? You need this gluten free crock pot lava cake in your life. It is so easy to make, and everyone is going to devour it!
Serve this incredible crock pot lava cake warm, with a scoop of ice cream or a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Even after cooking this cake in a slow cooker, the exterior of the cake is crisp and tender, with a rich, chocolate flavor that complements the warm, melted center.
Why This Cake is Amazing:
- You make this incredible gluten free chocolate cake in your slow cooker.
- The chocolate flavors are over-the-top delicious!
- It is a great recipe to feed a crowd of chocoholics!
- You can use a mix or homemade cake batter. You can choose a mix that is dairy-free if you need a dairy-free dessert.
I made the lava cake. I used cooked butterscotch pudding instead of instant chocolate because it's what I had. The cake was amazing and a huge hit with my family."
Cristen P.
Ingredient Notes:
- Chocolate Cake Batter - You can use a boxed cake mix as I did. I used Betty Crocker's Gluten Free Devil's Food Cake Mix. You can also use my gluten free cake mix, or make my Gluten Free Devil's Food Cake recipe for the batter.
- Chocolate Pudding Mix - I used Jello Brand Instant Chocolate Pudding, the 3.9 oz box.
- Eggs - Use the amount required in the cake mix recipe.
- Oil or Butter - Again, follow the box directions.
- Chocolate Chips - Use dark chocolate, bittersweet, or milk chocolate chips.
Tips For Sucess:
- Cook this on low heat, the flavors mesh really well and the cake won't overcook.
- Always put a towel under the lid to absorb the condensation. Otherwise, it will drop onto the cake from the lid and make your cake soggy.
- Serve this cake warm, otherwise, you won't have the gooey chocolate that lava cake is famous for.
- Top this gluten free crock pot lava cake with whipped cream or vanilla and fresh strawberries!
This is the slow cooker I own. I bought it a couple of years ago, and it is still going strong! This Crock Pot can hold a whole 3-pound chicken and does a great job cooking!
- Holds a lot of food
- Easy cleanup
- Cooks evenly
- It doesn't have an auto-switch from high to low temp
Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:
Step 1: Prepare the cake batter in a large
Step 2: Spray the inside of your Crock Pot or slow cooker with non-stick oil, and then add the cake batter to the bowl.
Step 3: In a medium-sized bowl, add the pudding mix and milk. Whisk it into a batter and drop it by the spoonful over the batter in the slow cooker.
Step 4: Pour the bag of chocolate chips over the top of the batter.
Step 4: Place a kitchen towel over your slow cooker and put the lid over the towel. This is important because when you slow cook something, moisture builds up on the lid.
The towel will catch this liquid so it doesn't all fall on your cake. This is the best way to prevent a soggy cake when making it in the crock pot!
Step 5: Turn the slow cooker on low and cook the cake for 2 to 2 ½ hours. My slow cooker is a big oval and so the cake is more shallow than it would be if you are using a circular, deeper model slow cooker. This means your cooking time will vary depending on the shape of your slow cooker and how thick your cake is.
Step 6: Carefully remove the lid and towel. This is what your lava cake will look like when it is cooked.
Step 7: Serve this slow cooker gluten free lava cake warm while the chocolate is melted and gooey. It is best with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!
When the cake cools, the chocolate hardens.
If you love to use your slow cooker, I have some great gluten free slow cooker recipes for you to try!
Storage:
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To warm it back up, microwave it for 35 seconds. You can also freeze the leftovers in a freezer-safe container.
Recipe FAQ:
The molten middle of a lava cake is created by pouring a mixture of melted chocolate and butter into the center of the cake batter before baking. As the cake bakes, the chocolate mixture remains liquid, creating a molten center that flows out when the cake is cut open.
In my slow cooker version, the chocolate chips and pudding mix are what create that gooey chocolate middle.
Yes, you can make this cake dairy-free by using a cake mix that has no dairy ingredients and uses oil in place of butter. When making the pudding batter, use plant-based milk. Lastly, use Enjoy Life or another dairy-free chocolate chip brand.
More Gluten Free Cake Recipes:
- The Best Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
- Gluten Free Coffee Cake
- Gluten Free Vanilla Layer Cake
- Easy Gluten Free Hummingbird Cake
📖 Recipe
Slow-Cooked Gluten Free Chocolate Lava Cake: A Sweet and Gooey Delight
Ingredients
Pudding Layer
- 3.9 ounce chocolate pudding mix Instant
- 2 cups milk
Cake Batter Layer
- 1 gluten free cake mix Use ingredients listed on the back of the box!
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup water
- 12 ounces chocolate chips bittersweet, dark, or milk chocolate
Instructions
- Spray a Crock Pot with non-stick oil. I like to use coconut oil.
- Add the gluten free cake mix to a large mixing bowl. Add the ingredients listed on the back of your box to make the cake batter. Note I used Betty Crocker Gluten Free Devil's Food Cake mix.
- Mix the cake batter and pour it into the slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker on Low Heat.
- In another mixing bowl, add the chocolate pudding and milk. Whisk to blend. Let it thicken for 5 minutes.
- Dump the pudding into the slow cooker by the spoonful. Be sure to drop it all over the top of the cake batter.
- Sprinkle the bag of chocolate chips over the top of the battters.
- Place a clean kitchen towel over the slow cooker and then put the lid on top. This towel will absorb the condensation so that it doesn't all fall into your cake.
- Cook on low heat for 2 to 2 ½ hours. The cooking time will vary by the size and depth of your Crock Pot.
- Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.
Notes
- There are many brands of gluten free cake mix. Use one of these and use the ingredients listed on the back of the mix, or use my Gluten Free Devil's Food Cake Batter recipe.
- If the cake is cooled, the molten chocolate will harden.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Warm it back up in the microwave oven for 35-40 seconds.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn't test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
If you love the recipes you find on my blog, I would love for you to sign up for my newsletter (and get my free gluten free lemon dessert e-cookbook!)
Joni Warder
I read it a five for the first one that I made. I use the same cake mix and everything. Second one I made I messed up and used to cook and serve pudding so that was a disaster. Third one I use the correct pudding, but used a gluten-free cake mix by King Arthur. Other than that I did exactly as specified. It still is way too runny. The cake mix just doesn’t seem to bake into a cake. How in the world could the first be so great and number two and three be a disaster? I’m not giving up.
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Joni, my guess is the amount of cake mix in the box is the culprit. I wonder how many ounces of dry ingredients the KA cake mix is compared to the Betty Crocker from the first try. If they are not the same, you will want to use less dry ingredients.
Pam Phelps
Water is listed under the cake batter ingredients, yet you say to add to the pudding. Milk is listed with the pudding layer ingredients. Is that in addition to the milk listed on the pudding package?
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Pam, some cake batter calls for water, and others milk...I was struggling to explain this easily. The Betty Crocker mix I used called for water. Just use whatever the box of cake mix you use says to use.
Christen
I used butterscotch pudding (it's what I had in my cupboard). This recipe was such a huge hit with my family, the kids can't wait for me to pick up another cake mix.
Sandi Gaertner
Thank you so much for coming back and letting us all know! I am a huge butterscotch fan, so you made my day letting me know it is yummy.
Angelina Steiner
Made this for the Super Bowl and it turned out amazing! Thank you for all your wonderful recipes, Sandi!
Sandi Gaertner
You are very welcome. I am so glad everyone loved this new cake recipe!
Marianne Peel
This is copied from step 4 in your recipe — 4. In another mixing bowl, add the chocolate pudding and water. Whisk to blend. Let it thicken for 5 minutes.
It should say chocolate pudding and milk not chocolate pudding and water. This is what Pam Phelps was trying to tell you in her comment on 2/14.
Sandi Gaertner
Oh, I see. I edited that to say milk. Thank you so much!