Crockpot Lava Cake

Out of the desserts I've made, this lava cake in a crockpot is the simplest. It only requires 3 ingredients and takes 2 hours and 30 minutes in the slow cooker. The end result looks and tastes like a dessert from a fancy restaurant.

Chocolate cake mix, fudge frosting, and chocolate chips go into layers in a slow cooker. The result is a rich, gooey, molten chocolate cake that is served warm with vanilla ice cream. There is practically no skill required here.

The Five-Minute Prep That Looks Like Hours of Work

I decided to try this for the first time on a whim after seeing the idea going around and thought it wouldn't go wrong with three ingredients. It actually didn't go wrong.

Everything went perfectly. My family’s reactions while I was scooping this out made the five minutes of prep totally worth it. They thought I spent hours doing it. I let them think that.

What the Frosting Is Actually Doing in the Slow Cooker

The frosting is the key ingredient, but you aren't going to stir it in. Instead, drop spoonfuls of the frosting on the cake mix, and as the cake bakes, the frosting will melt and sink through the mix. It makes little pockets of gooey, chocolaty goodness which will make every bite unique!

Three ingredients and no special equipment? With your crockpot, a box of chocolate cake mix, a can of frosting, and a cup of chocolate chips, you've got all the ingredients you need. There is no stand mixer, no bain-marie, and no need to check a thermometer. Just put all the equipment inside the crockpot, put the lid on, and walk away.

Also saves oven space which is perfect for holiday meals when the oven is jam packed. While you focus on everything else, the dessert finishes cooking in the slow cooker.

Serves a crowd. You can make enough for 8–10 people with a 4–6 quart slow cooker. Adjust according to the size of your crockpot.

Three Ingredients — and Why the Frosting Is the Secret

Chocolate cake mix (1 box, plus eggs, oil, and water per the box)

All kinds of chocolate cake mixes work for this recipe – devil's food, dark chocolate, chocolate fudge, etc. Make your cake mix following the instructions on the package, and then add it to the crockpot.

My favorite is devil's food. It's more intense because it is darker and richer than regular chocolate. It enhances the flavor of the entire cake.

Fudge frosting (1 container, 16 oz.)

One standard can of store-bought fudge or chocolate frosting is what creates the molten center. You spoon it on top of the batter without stirring, and it melts down through the cake as it cooks.

Do not replace it with other kinds of frosting. Fudge frosting has a specific fat content that allows it to melt the right way and stay gooey. A lighter whipped frosting will simply vanish into the batter.

Semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 cup)

The last step is to sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the cake batter. As the cake bakes, the chips will meld into the batter. Each bite will have additional chocolate richness as the chips sink throughout the cake. We recommend using semi-sweet chocolate chips here. Milk chocolate chips would make the cake overly sweet.

If you want a more intense flavor and less sweetness, use dark chocolate chips.

How to Make Crockpot Lava Cake

Step 1: Spray and Pour in the Batter

Liberally mist your 4–6 quart crockpot with cooking spray — this cake is sticky, and you will regret not spraying enough. Make the chocolate cake mix as directed on the package (mix in eggs, and oil and water as instructed).

Evenly layer the batter in the slow cooker.

Step 2: Drop the Frosting on Top

Using a spoon or a similar utensil, add dollops of fudge icing all over the top of the batter every two inches or so. Do not mix. This is the number one rule of the entire recipe.

While baking, the frosting will melt and create pockets of goo throughout the cake. If you stir the frosting in, you’ll just get a chocolate cake with no molten lava effect.

Step 3: Sprinkle the Chocolate Chips

Evenly distribute 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips over the mixture. Close the lid. You've completed all the prep work. Now walk away, and do not lift the lid.

Step 4: Cook and Serve

Cook for 2 to 2½ hours on high. The edges should look set and slightly pull away from the walls of the crockpot, while the center remains soft and glossy. That's exactly how it should be.

Don't try to cook it longer to get a firmer center; if the center looks fully set, you've cooked it too long. It's best served warm straight from the crockpot with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Five Things That Keep This From Going Wrong

• Don’t stir the frosting in. The whole point of dropping the frosting on top in spoonfuls is that it sinks down through the batter as it cooks, creating pockets of gooey chocolate throughout. If you stir it in, you lose the molten effect.
• Watch your timing on the first batch. Different crockpots run at slightly different temperatures. The first time you make this, check it around the 2-hour mark. You’re looking for set edges and a center that’s soft but not liquid.
• Spray the crockpot well. This cake is sticky and gooey — a good coating of cooking spray makes cleanup much easier and prevents the bottom from sticking.
• Serve immediately. This is best served warm right out of the slow cooker. It can be kept on warm for a short time, but the molten texture is best fresh.
• Don’t lift the lid. Resist the urge to check on it during cooking. Every time you lift the lid, you lose heat and extend the cook time.

What to Scoop This Alongside

This dessert is all about contrast! The warm and gooey chocolate lava cake is paired with something cold and creamy (vanilla ice cream). The classic pairing of warm cake and melting ice cream is perfect!

Whipped cream is lighter than ice cream and pairs perfectly. Fresh raspberries or strawberries cut through the richness beautifully. A drizzle of caramel right over the top — chocolate and caramel together? Enough said.

How Long It Keeps and the Best Way to Reheat It

Storing leftovers: You can refrigerate the insert of the crockpot (or transfer to another container) for up to 3 days. Once cooled, the cake will be much firmer.

Reheating: 30-60 seconds in the microwave will warm the portions and “gooey” center. Although the “gooey” centers may not come back, they still taste amazing. Serve with a fresh scoop of ice cream.

Make it party friendly: After you are done cooking, you can set it to warm and it will keep the food warm for 30–45 minutes. You can serve it straight from the crockpot. Guests will be able to help themselves.

Can You Make This Ahead?

Though it can be assembled the night before, it is best served fresh and warm. Simply pour in the batter, drop the frosting, toss in the chips, cover it and refrigerate the whole insert.

In the morning (or afternoon), put the insert back in the slow cooker and set it to high for 2½ hours (you'll need to add some extra time since you're starting cold). This makes holiday meals so much easier to time!

Four Flavor Directions Worth Trying

Different cake mixes can be used for unique flavor combinations. Devil's food cake mix is the richest and most chocolatey option. For an even more intense chocolate flavor, use dark chocolate cake mix. Alternatively, you can use a vanilla or yellow cake mix and add chocolate frosting and chocolate chips for a different flavor combination.

Varieties of frosting: The original is chocolate fudge frosting. For a more tangy cheesecake-like swirl try cream cheese frosting. Caramel frosting, particularly when paired with dark chocolate chips, adds a turtle cake effect.

Varied Mix-in Techniques: For added texture, use 1 cup of diced walnuts or pecans alongside the chocolate chips. Adding 1 tsp of espresso powder to the batter helps intensify the flavor of chocolate even more.

Peanut butter version: use chocolate cake mix, drop spoonfuls of peanut butter frosting, and peanut butter chips instead of chocolate chips. An excellent completely different direction.

What to Reach For at the Store

With three ingredients, each one matters. Two that are worth choosing on purpose:

They taste good! Even when they melt in the cake, you can still taste them all. If you want to buy chocolate chips from a grocery store, I recommend Ghirardelli Semi Sweet. They taste better and melt better than store brand chocolate chips. Their dark chocolate chips are also good if you want a more intense chocolate flavor.

Always pick a Devil's Food cake mix over a plain chocolate cake mix. Devil's Food cake mixes have a richer, darker chocolate taste and have a more moist crumb — which makes them a better base for this recipe. You can use both Betty Crocker Devil's Food and Duncan Hines Devil's Food. Regardless of which you choose, make sure you prepare the mix according to the directions on the box before you pour it into the crockpot.

Crockpot Lava Cake FAQ

How do I know when it’s done?

The edges will appear to be set and will be slightly pulling away from the sides of the crockpot. The center will be soft and glossy, not liquid — think of set pudding, not of raw batter.

Removing a toothpick from the center of the slow cooker insert should reveal no liquid batter, but rather moist, fudgy bits of brownie. If there are still liquid parts in the pan, wait another 20-30 minutes to check again, even after 2 hours.

Can I use a smaller crockpot?

A crockpot that is 4 quarts or more is most suited for this. If you use a smaller slow cooker, your batter will be thicker and may require a longer cooking time. If you use a larger crockpot (7+ quarts), your batter will be spread thinner and will cook faster, so make sure to check it at 90 minutes or you will overcook it.

Can I make this without a crockpot?

That's a different recipe that takes more exact timing and technique. However, this recipe is designed specifically for the slow cooker's moist heat environment, so attempting to replicate it in a standard baking dish wouldn't give you the same result.

My lava cake overcooked — how do I prevent it?

Each crockpot cooks a little bit differently. If yours cooks a little hotter than most, start checking at 1 hour and 45 minutes. The center should look a little soft and underdone. Don’t worry, it will firm up as you scoop it.

After doing this one time in your crockpot, you'll know exactly where your sweet spot is. Don't open the lid while it's cooking or you'll lose heat and throw off the cooking time.

Can I double this recipe?

If your slow cooker is large (6-8 quarts), then yes. Double all the ingredients and increase the cooking time by 30-45 minutes. Check if it is done at 3 hours because the thicker batter takes longer to set in the middle.

Other Slow Cooker Desserts Worth Making

Crock Pot Chocolate Peanut Clusters are a super easy treat to make for any occasion. All you have to do is throw chocolate and peanuts in your slow cooker and let it do the work for you. Don't worry about spending all day in the kitchen, these take almost no hands-on time!

Chocolate Scotcheroos are delicious and do not require a lot of time to prepare (no baking involved!) They are also a crowd pleaser and tend to go quickly (probably quicker than anything else in my kitchen). They are a combination of chocolate, butterscotch, and peanut butter with rice krispies – all in one bar.

If you prepare this crockpot lava cake, please comment below and tell me how it went.