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This peppermint lava cake recipe gives a fun holiday twist on the classic mini chocolate cake with an ooey gooey center. So decadent and wonderful!
If you are a chocolate lover, this gluten free lava cake may become your favorite desserts. It’s rich and chocolatey, and just really simple and easy to make! And to put a bit of holiday spin on it, I added peppermint extract and topped it with crushed candy canes. I just love the molten liquid center that oozes out when you dig your spoon into it!
What is a Lava Cake?
A lava cake, for those of you who’ve never had it before, is a chocolate cake dessert that served in individual serving sizes. Also called molten lava cake, the name comes from the melted liquid-y center that you can enjoy when you dig into it. If you love a good fudgy chocolate, you’ll definitely enjoy this gluten free molten lava cake infused with peppermint.
Watch a Quick Video of This Recipe
Peppermint Lava Cake Recipe
This particular version of this decadent dessert is made with almond flour, so the end result is a gluten free and paleo chocolate lava cake that anyone can enjoy! It makes two ultra-rich cakes, so you might want to share one cake among 2 people. The ingredients come together quickly and you only have to bake for around 10 minutes!
Ingredients in Peppermint Gluten Free Chocolate Lava Cake
- chocolate chips: For dairy free and paleo chocolate chips, I recommend this brand.
- ghee: Coconut oil will also work for this recipe. If using ghee, you can make your own or this is my favorite brand to purchase.
- egg + egg yolk
- coconut sugar
- peppermint extract
- sea salt
- almond flour: Make sure to use blanched almond flour, and not almond meal.
An optional ingredient is crushed candy canes, for garnish. While I couldn’t find 100% paleo candy canes, these are the cleanest version I could find free of top 8 allergens and no artificial dyes.
How to Make Paleo Chocolate Lava Cake with Peppermint
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- The final texture gluten free molten lava cake is sticky and rich. To remove the cakes easily, line 2 ramekin bottoms with parchment paper. Coat the inside with cooking spray, then lightly dust with cocoa powder using a fine mesh strainer. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet.
- Melt together chocolate chips and ghee in a microwave or a double boiler until smooth. Set aside.
- Combine egg, egg yolk, coconut sugar, peppermint extract, and sea salt in a separate bowl. Use a whisk or a hand mixer to beat until frothy and light in color, and the coconut sugar is dissolved.
- Add in almond flour and melted chocolate mixture into the whipped eggs and fold until fully combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared ramekins, then bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges are set and the center is still jiggly.
- Cool for 1-2 minutes, then run a sharp knife along the edges of each cake. Gently flip the cakes to a plate.
- Optional: Garnish by sprinkling with cocoa powder and crushed candy canes. Enjoy while still warm!
Frequently Asked Questions
In the recipe, I use cocoa powder and crushed candy canes to top the cake. However, you can also top with coconut whipped cream, berries, dairy free ice cream, or my 4-ingredient salted caramel sauce!
It’s actually really easy to make a classic paleo molten lava cake without peppermint with recipe. Just swap out the peppermint extract with vanilla extract!
Lava cakes taste best fresh out of the oven when they are still warm. The center will firm up as it cools. If you do have leftovers and want to reheat it, you can microwave for 30-60 seconds until the center is gooey again. If you don’t have a microwave, you can heat in the oven for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.
Enjoyed this recipe? You might also like…
- Paleo Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache
- Fudgy Brownies with Crackly Tops (Paleo, Gluten Free)
- Flourless Brownie in a Mug (Paleo, Grain Free)
- Paleo Flourless Chocolate Cookies (Fudgy & Crispy)
- 2 Ingredient Chocolate Fudge (Paleo, Vegan, Keto)
Gluten Free & Paleo Peppermint Lava Cake
Video
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- Cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup ghee, or coconut oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- Pinch of sea salt
- 2 tbsp blanched almond flour
- Optional: crushed candy canes, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- This paleo lava cake can be sticky. To remove the cakes easily at the end, line the bottoms of 2 ramekins with parchment paper circles. Coat the inside with cooking spray, then lightly dust with cocoa powder using a fine mesh strainer. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet.
- Combine chocolate chips and ghee in a bowl and use a microwave or a double boiler to melt into a smooth mixture. Set aside.
- Add egg, egg yolk, coconut sugar, peppermint extract, and sea salt in a separate bowl. Use a whisk or a hand mixer to beat until frothy and light in color, and the coconut sugar is dissolved.
- Fold in almond flour and melted chocolate mixture into the whipped eggs until fully combined.
- Divide the batter into the prepared ramekins, then bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges are set and the center is still jiggly.
- Cool for 1-2 minutes, then loose the edges of the cake with sharp knife. Gently flip the cakes to a plate and remove the parchment paper.
- Optional: Garnish by sprinkling with cocoa powder and crushed candy canes. Enjoy while still warm!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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