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Easy Instant Pot Chocolate Lava Cake

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Molten Instant Pot Chocolate Lava Cake has a gooey chocolate center and a hint of coffee. With a short list of ingredients and short preparation time, this dessert is super quick and easy to make.  There’s no need to turn on your oven to get a delicious and decadent dessert when you have an Instant Pot!

Instant Pot chocolate lava cakes in white ramekins with powdered sugar on black background with black and white napkin - Paint the Kitchen Red
[Update: Since I first made this recipe, I’ve discovered that I don’t need to make the lava cakes in two separate batches.  I just stack the ramekins, staggered, with three on the bottom and one on top.  I’ve updated the printable recipe card, but not the step by step photos.]

Dessert in your Instant Pot? Yeeesss!  These molten Instant Pot chocolate lava cakes are such a wonderfully decadent treat!  We were in the mood for dessert and of course now that everything in my kitchen revolves around the Instant Pot, I just HAD to come up with an Instant Pot dessert.

I thought about making an Instant Pot cheesecake recipe because I know they turn out really well. But because I’m the only one in my family who loves cheesecake, I would probably end up eating it all.  Not cool.  So because everyone loves chocolate, I decided to try out this recipe which I normally make in the oven.

I actually prefer the Instant Pot version because I didn’t have to turn on the oven just to make 4 little ramekins. The centers of these molten Instant Pot chocolate lava cakes are soft and gooey (hence the name ‘lava cake’!)

This recipe uses instant coffee granules and I think it adds a nice counter-balance to the chocolate.  But I’m a coffee drinker and love to get my coffee fix!  My kids, on the other hand, are not coffee drinkers and they like these chocolate lava cakes without the coffee. If you don’t care for coffee either, you can easily leave it out.The list of ingredients is short and so is the time required for prep, so I would consider this an easy recipe! The only downside is that I make the molten lava cakes in two batches because I can only fit two ramekins in my Instant Pot.

I make a lot of curries and highly spiced dishes in the Instant Pot and one thing I’ve found is that the Instant Pot sealing ring retains the smell of whatever I cook. I’ve tried all kinds of tricks and they work okay but not perfectly. So I ordered a second Instant Pot silicone sealing ring from amazon that I use for desserts, oatmeal, etc. You might want to consider getting an extra one for  yourself if you plan on making desserts or anything that’s mild.

You’ll also need some oven-proof dessert cups. I use small 3 1/2 inch ramekins but you could also use glass Pyrex custard cups.  They’re a bit of a tighter fit, but you might already have them in your kitchen cabinet.  And one more thing – you’ve got to eat these chocolate lava cakes warm!

Note: I use 6 oz ramekins and a 6 quart Instant Pot Duo and Ultra for this recipe as written; if you’re using different size or type of containers or pressure cooker, your cooking time may need to change.

If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, please read the Instant Pot  DUO Beginner’s Quick Start Guide or the Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Quick Start Guide first and then come back here to learn how to make Instant Pot chocolate lava cake.

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Instant Pot Chocolate Lava Cake Ingredients

Instant Pot Chocolate Lava Cake Ingredients - all purpose flour, semi sweet chocolate, salt, powdered sugar, instant coffee, granulated sugar, eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, butter

 

Instant Pot Chocolate Lava Cake Step-by-Step InstructionsInstant Pot chocolate lava cake Instructions 1 collage - butter and chocolate in glass bowl, melted, flour added - Paint the Kitchen Red

  • In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, microwave butter and chocolate on medium heat for about 1 minute. Stir and repeat heating at 15-second intervals, until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
  • Stir in confectioner’s sugar.

 

Instant Pot chocolate lava cake Instructions 2 collage - eggs and coffee powder, whisked with whisk in bowl, flour added with whisk in bowl - Paint the Kitchen Red

  • Whisk in eggs, yolks, coffee and vanilla.
  • Stir in flour and salt.

 

Instant Pot chocolate lava cake Instructions 3 collage - chocolate batter whisked in bowl, two ramekins with batter, instant pot with water and trivet - Paint the Kitchen Red

  • Grease the bottom and sides of four  6 oz. ramekins. Coat each with sugar.
  • Divide batter among the ramekins.
  • Pour 2 cups water into the Instant Pot’s main compartment (inner pot) and place trivet in water.

 

Instant Pot chocolate lava cake Instructions 4 collage - ramekins in trivet, close lid, pressure release valve to sealing and float valve down - Paint the Kitchen Red

  • Place 2 ramekins on the trivet.
  • Close the Instant Pot.
  • Make sure the steam release handle is in the ‘Sealing’ position.
  • [Update: you don’t have to make these lava cakes in two batches.  You can place three ramekins on the bottom layer and one on top of them, in the middle (staggered).]

 

Instant Pot chocolate lava cake Instructions 5 collage - instant pot panel with arrows pointing to manual, + and -, 9 minutes in LCD display - Paint the Kitchen Red

  • Press ‘Manual’ (or ‘Pressure Cook’) and ‘+’ or ‘-‘ until display reads ‘9’ (9 minutes).

 

Instant Pot Manual mode - Paint the Kitchen Red

  • Instant Pot display will change to ‘On’.
  • Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
  • The display will count down from 9 to 0; it will switch to ‘Keep Warm’ mode and display ‘L0:00’.

 

Instant Pot release steam and open - Paint the Kitchen Red

  • To open the Instant Pot, first move the steam release handle to ‘Venting’. I like to place a folded towel over the steam release handle and move it to the venting position.
  • When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
  • Press ‘Cancel’ and open the Instant Pot.

 

Instant Pot chocolate lava cake Instructions 6 collage - cooked lava cake in 2 ramekins, 4 cooked ramekins on a cooling rack - Paint the Kitchen Red

  • Open the Instant Pot.
  • Remove the ramekins carefully. I just lift the trivet to remove them.
  • Return the trivet to the Instant Pot and repeat process with remaining 2 ramekins. [If you are cooking them in two batches.]
  • Dust the Instant Pot chocolate lava cakes with powdered sugar.
  • Serve warm!

 

Instant Pot chocolate lava cake with powdered sugar and spoon scooping out gooey center in ramekin and two other ramekins in background with black and white napkin on black surface - Paint the Kitchen Red


Instant Pot chocolate lava cakes in ramekins sprinkled with powdered sugar - Paint the Kitchen Red

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Instant Pot Chocolate Lava Cake

Prep

Cook

Total

Yield 4

These molten Instant Pot Chocolate Lava Cakes have a gooey chocolate center and a hint of coffee; A delicious Instant Pot dessert that's super easy to make.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Grease the bottom and sides of four 6 oz ramekins. Coat each with sugar.
  2. Melt chocolate and butter: In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, microwave butter and chocolate for about 1 minute on medium power. Stir and repeat heating at 15-second intervals, until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
  3. Stir in confectioner's sugar.
  4. Whisk in eggs, yolks, coffee and vanilla.
  5. Stir in flour and salt.
  6. Divide batter among the ramekins.
  7. Pour 2 cups water into the Instant Pot’s main compartment (inner pot) and place trivet in water.
  8. Place 3 ramekins on the trivet and place 1 more on top of them, in the middle (staggered). Close the Instant Pot. Make sure the steam release handle is in the ‘Sealing’ position.
  9. Cook on 'Manual' (or 'Pressure Cook') for 9 minutes.
  10. Do a Quick Release of steam and open the Instant Pot.
  11. Use the trivet to remove the ramekins. Gently dab off any condensation from the surface of the cake.
  12. Dust the Insant Pot chocolate lava cakes with powdered sugar.
  13. Serve warm and enjoy!

Notes

  • If you have a larger Instant Pot, you might be able to fit all 4 ramekins in one layer.
  • I use 6 oz ceramic ramekins and a 6 quart Instant Pot Duo and Ultra for this recipe as written; if you're using different size or type of containers or pressure cooker, your cooking time may need to change.  

Courses Dessert

Cuisine Instant Pot

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 lava cake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 560

% Daily Value

Total Fat 36 g

55%

Saturated Fat 21 g

105%

Cholesterol 233 mg

78%

Sodium 80 mg

3%

Total Carbohydrates 58 g

19%

Dietary Fiber 2 g

8%

Sugars 49 g

Protein 7 g

14%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

I am not a certified nutritionist.  I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers.  If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons,  I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.

If you loved this recipe, please give it a 5 Star rating in the comment section below and/or share on social media using the social media share buttons at the top and bottom of this post. Thank you!

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Comments

  1. This was such a helpful posting. Thank you! I am a loyal fan of Paint the Kitchen Red. I especially dialed in to what you said about the coffee granules enhancing the flavor of chocolate, as Ina Garner, the Barefoot Contessa, recommends that bakers do so to enhance and deepen the chocolate. Like you, I am not coffee drinker, and since my mother is a loyal follower of Ina, as I am of you, she uses coffee granules in all her chocolate cakes and brownies.Though I seldom bake, I would argue as a non-coffee drinker that one can taste the coffee influence, and I don’t like it. Maybe that’s a good thing, as I can taste the coffee every time. In light of my sensitive taste buds, I am delighted by your comment that it can be left out. You really do cover all the bases! Thank you for offering alternatives. My taste buds are especially grateful.

    Reply

  3. These are so pretty! These would be perfect for a special Valentine’s Day dinner at home. You really can make anything in the Instant Pot, can’t you?

    Reply

  7. I LOVE that you included baking instructions, too, because this chocolate lava cake looks luscious, delicious, rich, fudgey and everything that dessert should be! This is the PERFECT Valentine’s Day dessert!! I can just imagine it topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream…

    Reply

  11. Have you ever tried stacking the ramekins and cooking all 4 at once? Do you think the time would change? Regardless, can’t wait to try!!

    Reply

    • I tried cooking all 4 at one time. They were delicious, but no lava! I find this surprising. You would think cooking more at once would require extra time. I guess we will just have to try it again with less time, Thank you for the delicious recipe!

      Reply

      • Hi Susan – did you increase cook time or leave it the same? Generally increasing quantity doesn’t require more time unless the size of the food is larger (e.g. larger piece of meat or container). One thing you might watch out for is over-melting the chocolate. Also using a different size of ramekin or custard cup can alter the results. I’m glad you like the recipe, though and thanks for your comment!

        Reply

  12. I made this tonight, and it came out very differently than expected. Instructions were followed to a tee, but there was no liquidy, lava center, and the texture was much more baked-egg firmness than a cake-y sponge.

    Any suggestions as to how it went wrong?

    Reply

    • My best advice would be to try it again, and cook for a shorter amount of time – I think you can reduce the time by 2 minutes to start. It’s hard to say what went wrong – could be the consistency of the batter, maybe a bit more flour than I used… Good luck and thanks for sharing.

      Reply

  15. I made these tonight and found that even after increasing the cook time to 11 minutes, the majority of the cake was still liquid rather than just the center. Next time I’ll try 13 minutes. It was still very good though.

    Reply

    • I’m not sure what happened Chris. Mine are solid on the outside at 7 minutes even. There can be variations due to measurement differences especially since these are such small cakes. Next time if that happens, you can just close it up again and cook for another couple of minutes. Glad it tasted good anyway – lava puddings, maybe 🙂

      Reply

  16. I love the idea of making these lava cakes in the instant pot! I haven’t purchased one yet, but each time I read another instant pot recipe, I get closer to taking the plunge. This looks so easy and man do those lava cakes look delicious!

    Reply

  17. These sound delicious but I have a Cuisinart electric pressure cooker. How do I set it up to make them? Thank you.

    Reply

    • You would just use the High Pressure setting. Since your Cuisinart PC might cook faster, try a shorter amount of time than in the recipe and if it’s under-cooked, do it for another few minutes. I hope that answers your question.

      Reply

  18. I will be making this but wanted you to know I love your detailed photos, not for me so much but for those who are new to the Instant Pot. Great job!

    Reply

  20. Hi love his one! Am still getting used to my instant pot but have you made a vanilla sponge cake in yours? What’s the timing if you have made them? Would love to know your recipe for that one as well.

    Reply

  21. I made this recipe and mine turned out more gelatinous than cakelike. It still tasted good, bit there was no molten component. Any ideas what happened? Overstirred, too much liquid stirred in, didn’t cook long enough?

    Reply

    • Hi Vic, it’s possible you needed to cook it for longer and it was undercooked. That would be my first guess. If you are up for trying it again, increase the cooking time to 9 minutes and see how that works for you. Good luck!

      Reply

  22. I am giving my feedback after trying out this recipe. It’s just wonderful and I loved it. The chocolate cake is as yummy as it looks. I am glad I found this recipe. Thank you!

    Reply

  23. I cooked these today, following the recipe, they didnt turn out very good to tell the truth. Kind of gelatiny, rubbery, no molten center, no cake texture. I wonder what happened?

    Reply

    • Hi Mark, I’m so sorry it didn’t work out for you. So because of your comment, I made the lava cakes this morning – just to make sure I hadn’t made a mistake with the recipe. I made it in white ceramic ramekins and glass pyrex custard cups for 9 minutes. Both worked out about the same, with the ramekins being slightly more ‘done’. They all had the molten center. I was able to turn them onto a plate intact. The cake surrounding the molten part is not a ‘fluffy’ type of cake – it’s a bit dense because of pressure cooking. The filling is gooey and molten when the cake is hot. Once it cools down it does have a thick pudding consistency. It’s possibly matter of taste, but it could also be slight variations in quantity or specific brand of ingredients. I’m sorry I have no answer for you. Thanks for trying it out.

      Reply

  24. Followed recipe fairly closely, but not crazy OCD. 9 minutes. Perfectly molten in the middle. Outside was a little more spongy than I am used to for lava cake, but bang for the buck – it’s a no-brainer. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Hi Barbara. Hmmm. This is a recipe that confounds me. It works for me every time and there are many people who make it and get that molten lava center. Then there are some people for whom this recipe produces more of a fudgy cake like you say. I suspect it’s altitude or slight variations with different Instant Pots or pressure cookers. I’m glad the taste was good still! If you ever choose to make it again, can you try with 7 minutes and report back? Thanks for commenting!

      Reply

  26. Any idea if this would work with a non-dairy non-margarine substitute (like coconut oil)? If so, would you adjust anything else?

    Reply

    • Anuradha, They become more like a truffle or brownie upon cooling. I have made them and reheated them the next day in the microwave, and it’s still good. But I think they taste best right away. Thanks for you question!

      Reply

  28. This looks absolutely delicious! I need to make 8 of them, so I’m wondering if I put the first patch in a hot water bath, would they keep the original consistency until the others are done? Thanks in advance.

    Reply

  29. I tried this today in a 3 qt instant pot. I live in Manhattan. First try, my lava cakes turned out very spongy and solid. It’s like an overcooked brownie with a lot of bounce. This was using 8 minutes high pressure in three 3 oz ramekins.

    I tried a second batch with leftover batter and instead cooked it for 5 minutes. The outside skirts was again very spongy and solid. The inside however was decently molten but still a tad overcooked.

    So the issues I am getting with this recipe are:
    – texture is very spongy.
    – inside is getting overcooked in a 3oz ramekin.

    I think I might have to reduce the cooking time down to 4 minutes, and perhaps add 1 less tablespoon of flour and maybe 1 less egg yolk?

    Do you have any suggestions? I’m in the process of buying larger ramekins (4 oz), but I want to see if I can make this work with these 3 oz that I have.

    Reply

    • Victor – I’m sorry you had trouble with the recipe. I think the 3 quart is just fine for most recipes, but this recipe which does require some precision, the 3 quart may be overcooking the lava cakes because of the smaller size of the pot, plus the smaller size of the ramekin. FYI, the cake is actually more dense than if you baked in an oven. I think it wouldn’t hurt to try out the ideas you mentioned. Also, I wonder if refrigerating the batter for a bit might make a difference? Good luck.

      Reply

  30. Followed the recipe and added 50% more to get six servings, without the coffee, using an 8qt IP., four on the bottom and two on top. It came out a little soupier than I like. Next timewould add an additional minute to the pressure cooking time. Thanks for an amazing treat.

    Reply

  31. Where would I find the trivet you used? The one that came with my instant pot doesn’t have long handles like that. Thanks!!

    Reply

  32. Made this tonight. Came out perfectly, but didn’t really have much chocolate flavor. I think I’ll try it with dark chocolate next time and see how it goes. Otherwise, comments ranged from “eggy” to “floury”. Go figure. 🙂

    Reply

    • Hi Sher – I do use dark chocolate at times and it’s quite rich – I use Ghirardelli brand. Some people have had issues with them over or under cooking so you at least had that problem covered 🙂 Thanks for sharing.

      Reply

  33. I was very excited to try this recipe – unfortunately, like a few others posted, I did not get the molten center! It did taste good, however.

    Reply

    • When it comes to this recipe, I think there are individual differences: whether it’s ingredient brand, measurement of flour, altitude, or type of Instant Pot. I would suggest that if you wanted to try it again, reduce the cooking time by a minute. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

      Reply

    • Hi Michelle, thanks for your question. I’m sorry, but I’ve never tried ‘baking’ in the pressure cooker with almond flour. I’m not sure whether you can do a 1 to 1 substitution. Would love it if you can let me know if you try it out.

      Reply

  35. I find that measuring flour by the gram can be more precise, maybe eliminating that as a factor for a denser middle of the cake. Would you mind providing us with a gram measurement next time you make yours? Thank you!

    Reply

    • Hi Angelica, I have a trivet with handles which was shipped with my Instant Pot and I usually have no trouble removing it from the Instant Pot if I wait a minute or two after opening. If you have silicone gloves, those could help remove the individual ramekin. There are also canning jar lifters (just search for those words on amazon). Thanks for your question.

      Reply

    • Cathy – thanks for your question. I suppose you could, but you’d have to change the cooking time since the cake will be so much bigger – rough guesstimate would be 30 minutes, but I really don’t know. And you probably wouldn’t want a lava cake consistency, since that would be a mess – you’d get more of a brownie cake.

      Reply

  40. So, I made this tonight exactly as written, except I used four 7 1/2 oz. ramekins, instead of the 6 oz. (It’s what I have). I have a 6 qt. Instant Pot Ultra. Three on tbe bottom and one on top. Well….they turned out perfect!!! Wish I could post a picture! Thanks for the delicious recipe. Will definitely make again!

    Reply

  41. I made them tonight. 6 oz ramekins, 3 on the bottom and one on top. 9 minutes high pressure with a quick release. Mine were not gooey in the middle, more spongy and moist. The taste was fine so not a total loss. Will try 7 minutes the next time.

    Reply

  42. 1st time it came out perfect, 2nd time, no lava… trying again tonight. Regardless, it’s very tasty and really easy!

    Reply

    • Hi Cindy – I sometimes suspect that it could be overheating of the chocolate. Do you think that could have been the reason i.e. microwaved the chocolate a bit too long? Best thing to do is to microwave and stir in phases until just about completely melted and then let melt in the residual heat, stirring. Might be worth a try. I also think that the measurement of ingredients is particularly important in this recipe since the quantity of flour is so small. Thank you for the comment!

      Reply

  43. Help… this is my third go. First time I made it, was perfect second and third time, no lava… what am I doing wrong

    Reply

    • Cindy – did you see the reply above? If you’ve considered all those things, I would suggest cooking it for less time next time you try it, maybe a minute or even two minutes less. Did you change the brand of any of the ingredients or the container size after the first try?

      Reply

  44. I was wondering if it would work to use the egg bite molds in lieu of ramekins? Just trying to get most bang for my buck when it comes to IP accessories 🙂

    Reply

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