Ingredients

• 1 cup (120g) almond flour, finely ground (not almond meal, please!)
• ½ cup (50g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
• ½ cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional, but highly recommended)
• ½ cup (120ml) whole milk or dairy-free milk of choice.
• 6 ounces (170g) good quality dark chocolate, chopped (at least 70% cacao)
• Optional: Additional dark chocolate squares for the molten center
• Optional: Powdered sugar or chocolate shavings for garnish

Instructions

1. Prep Time, Let's Get Organized: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease six standard-size ramekins (they're the perfect individual portion size!) and lightly dust them with cocoa powder. This ensures those lava cakes pop out beautifully later. If you don't have ramekins, a muffin tin lined with cupcake wrappers can also work!
2. Whisk the Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together that almond flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Make sure you get everything combined evenly – no one wants a bite of pure baking soda. Set this bowl aside for later. It's kind of like a "waiting in the wings" moment.
3. Melt the Chocolate & Butter: Grab a heat-safe bowl and combine your chopped dark chocolate and melted butter. You can either melt this in the microwave in 20 seconds intervals, stirring in between, or over a double boiler if you're feeling fancy. This will become the rich, dreamy base for our decadent cakes. Stir until everything is smooth and glossy – the kind of luxurious you'll simply love.
4. Combine the Wet Ingredients: In a separate, large mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, egg yolks and vanilla extract. Get that all nice and incorporated– no need to overbeat it, just until all the sugars are combined.
5. Add the Espresso Magic (if you're using it!): Stir in that instant espresso powder with the milk and whisk it in to the wet ingredients. The coffee brings out the deep complexity of the dark chocolate, and it's just a magical combination.
6. Blend it all together: Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the egg and sugar mixture and whisk until everything is fully combined– it should smell incredibly delicious at this stage.
7. Slowly Add the Dry to Wet: Gently add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix on low speed using a stand mixer or by hand (carefully to avoid the flour cloud!) until just combined. Be careful not to over mix. You can even use a hand mixer if you prefer. It's very important to not over mix when baking with gluten-free flour.
8. Fill the Ramekins: Evenly divide the batter between the prepared ramekins. If you're adding the extra square of dark chocolate, just press it into the center of the batter at this stage.
9. Bake to Googy Perfection: Bake in the preheated oven for 14–18 minutes. The edges should be set, but the centers will still look slightly soft and gooey – exactly what we want. The baking time can change depending on how hot your oven, so its better to keep an eye at it than sticking to the exact minutes.
10. Cool and Invert: Let the lava cakes cool in the ramekins for a few minutes before carefully running a knife around the edges and inverting them onto a plate. If you put it on a wire rack instead of on the plate they get a little soggy because hot, moist air can not escape.
11. Garnish and Enjoy: Dust with a little powdered sugar or top with chocolate shavings if you're feeling fancy. Serve immediately while they're still warm for that amazing molten lava effect. Don't wait too long, these babies are best enjoyed right away.

Recipe Card

Rich Chocolate Espresso Lava Cakes (Gluten-Free)

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 14-18 minutes
Total Time: 34-38 minutes
Yields: 6 individual cakes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (120g) almond flour
• ½ cup (50g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
• ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
• ½ cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
• ½ cup (120ml) whole milk or dairy-free milk
• 6 ounces (170g) good quality dark chocolate, chopped
• Optional: Dark chocolate squares for molten centre, powdered sugar/chocolate shavings for garnish

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease and cocoa dust six ramekins.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Melt chocolate and butter until smooth.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, yolks and vanilla.
5. Stir espresso (if using) with milk and whisk into the egg mixture.
6. Pour melted chocolate into the egg mixture and whisk to combine.
7. Gently mix the dry and wet ingredients until just combined.
8. Divide the batter among ramekins. Add dark chocolate squares, if using.
9. Bake for 14-18 minutes, centers will be soft.
10. Cool briefly, invert onto a plate, and serve warm.