Sweet Treat Time: Chocolate Lava Cake

 It's easy to get into the habit of picking up a sweet treat when you are out running errands, but those bakery delights are sure to add up in cost. I will be sharing my tried-and-true recipes for homemade sweet treats to save you money whether you are budgeting or doing a no-spend challenge. Recipe up top, tips below.


This sweet treat is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, so it is perfect if you are someone with food allergies. This recipe is also very low in points on the Weight Watchers program.


Lava Cake Base Recipe

1 banana

1 egg

20g cocoa powder

20g sweetener (I use Swerve)

Splash or vanilla extract (optional)


Combine all ingredients in a mini blender until smooth. Pour into a greased ramekin and bake at 350 for 18 minutes. It will look underdone in the middle but will set as it cools into a chocolatey molten center!

Image of chocolate lava cake with chocolate chip topping in a white ramekin.
Molten lava cake topped with zero-sugar chocolate chips


Optional Enhancements:

  • Swap out the banana for half a cup of pumpkin puree.
  • Unsweetened applesauce does work in this recipe but you can taste a strong apple flavor. Chocolate/apple is not my favorite flavor combination so I cannot recommend it.
  • You can top the lava cake with chocolate chips if desired (as I did in my photo above). You can also press a piece of chocolate into the batter, if you like, and it will enhance the lava cake effect.

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