What is a Peanut Butter Lava Cake?
Heaven, actually. It’s a delicious chocolate lava cake that is filled with peanut butter instead of chocolate. As someone who doesn’t love chocolate (but loves peanut butter), this is is pretty much my favorite idea for a dessert.
Also called Molten Lava Cake, this is made with honey (you could also use maple syrup), dark chocolate chips, and brown rice flour (making it gluten free). This recipe isn’t dairy free because of the butter and dark chocolate chips it includes.
I consider these clean eating lava cakes because there is no refined sugar added, only the sugar contained in the dark chocolate. Also, it has a limited amount of dairy and no gluten. Using organic peanut butter with no palm oil makes this a healthy dessert recipe that your entire family will love.
Here’s how to make peanut butter lava cakes in the Instant Pot:
I’ve got directions below for this lava cake in egg bite molds (or silicone molds). They make perfect-sized lava cakes in the Instant Pot. If you’re looking for a traditional Instant Pot chocolate lava cake recipe that is healthy, take a peek at this recipe. The cooking directions for my traditional recipe can also be used if you don’t have egg bite molds–just add peanut butter to the inside of those lava cakes and then follow the Instant Pot cooking times.
Making the perfect lava cake is all about timing. You want to make sure the cake is cooked, but the inside is not. And also, avoid the temptation to cut one open before serving because the filling will come out. I highly recommend making these before serving them to company to make sure your cooking times are perfect, as some Instant Pots cook differently.
Is this a Keto Peanut Butter Lava Cake?
I would not consider this keto. At 12 net grams of carbs per cake, this is a fairly low carb dessert but not a keto dessert.
Instant Pot Chocolate Peanut Butter Lava Cake Recipe
1) In a large bowl, add the butter and dark chocolate (you can use semi sweet if you’re not concerned about the extra sugar). Melt the butter and chocolate in the microwaves in 30 second ingredients, until the butter and chocolate are melted. About 1 minute.
2) Using a bowl whisk, mix together to butter and chocolate. Then add eggs, coconut milk, brown rice flour (you could also use whole wheat), salt, honey, baking powder, and cocoa powder (everything except the peanut butter). Mix the batter until smooth.
3) Grease each cup of your silicone egg bite mold. Once the cups are greases fill each cup half way with batter.
4) Add a tsp of peanut butter to the center of each cup, then fill the cups with the remaining batter. Each cup should be 3/4 of the way full.
5) Cover the silicone mold with foil and place the mold on a trivet. Love that trivet? You can find it on Amazon.com/shop/BeccaLudlum
6) Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of the Instant Pot insert. Use the handles of the trivet to lower the lava cakes into the Instant Pot.
7) Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Cook the cakes on high pressure using the manual button for 5 minutes. As soon as the Instant Pot beeps that the timer is done, manually release the pressure and remove the lava cakes from the Instant Pot.
8) While the cakes are still hot, remove the foil and run a spoon around the edge of each cup to loosen the cakes. Place a plate over the top of the lava cakes and then flip them upside down to remove the cakes. Sprinkle with powdered stevia (optional) and serve immediately with a side of coconut whipped cream and raspberries.
What should I serve with these Peanut Butter Lava Cakes?
As I mentioned above, I prefer to serve these with fruit and maybe coconut whipped cream. Some like to serve them with ice cream but unless I’m having a cheat day I try to stay away from ice cream and items with refined sugar in them.
Powdered Stevia gives these a nice sweet taste, as would some coconut palm sugar. If you want to step outside the box a little, I’d totally serve these with bananas! I think the chocolate, peanut butter, and banana combo would pretty pretty amazing.
Directions for making this Coconut Whipped Cream:
*Note: Stick your can of coconut cream in your fridge as soon as you get home from the store so you can use it for this whipped cream recipe!
1) Open the can of coconut cream and separate the milk from the cream. The cream should be hard and the milk watery.
2) Place the cream in a chilled bowl. Add the stevia.
3) Whip the coconut cream with a hand mixer for 1-2 minutes until the coconut cream is soft and has a whipped cream like texture.
4) Store in the fridge until ready to use, but the same day. It will not keep in the fridge for longer than a day.
I love this whipped cream dispenser for my homemade whipped cream–it’s so easy to use and I love the way it looks (especially when company comes over!). The presentation of a dessert isn’t super important to me, but I feel like this whipped cream dispenser is easy and fun to use. You could easily make raspberry whipped cream or any other flavor–key lime is so delicious.
A few tips for cooking these Peanut Butter Lava Cakes:
- As you can see in my picture above, it’s tricky to get them all to turn out perfect. Lots of spray oil helps (I usually use coconut oil spray), as does not waiting for them to cool before you remove them from the molds.
- I like to make these while we are eating dinner because of the struggles I’ve had with removing them from the egg bite molds. A broken chocolate cake looks much more beautiful when it’s right out of the pressure cooker and still warm.
Why aren’t my Lava Cakes cooked right?
If your Instant Pot lava cakes are too gooey or look as if they’re overcooked, it could be because of several reasons.
If your lava cakes are too gooey, you should cook them for a minute longer next time you make them. Right now, put the cakes back into the pot and close the lid for 1-2 minutes. Don’t turn the pot on–it should still come to pressure quickly and finish cooking your lava cakes.
If your lava cakes are overcooked, pull them out of the molds as soon as you can and eat them immediately. Five minutes in the pressure cooker was perfect for my cakes, so I don’t think you’ll have this problem. If this is an issue, reduce the cook time by one minute next time you make them.
Are these Lava Cakes ok to eat on the 21 Day Fix, Ultimate Portion Fix, 2B Mindset, or Weight Watchers?
One of these lava cakes are considered a treat swap on the 21 Day Fix and Ultimate Portion Fix. At just over 200 calories each, they’re slightly over what I’d like to see for a treat swap but if you’re not eating these three times a week you should be ok ;) Each cake (without toppings) is 8 Blue Plan Points, 8 Green Plan Points, 8 Purple Plan Points, and for 2B Mindset this is considered a silly carb for sure–track it and see.
Are you looking for more healthy recipes to make in your egg bite molds?
I’ve got several! You’ll love these silicone mold recipes:
- Egg Bites
- Mini Meatloaf
- Teriyaki Meatballs
- Key Lime Custard Bites
- Egg White Bites
- Lasagna Stacks
- Dairy Free Egg Bites
Peanut Butter Lava Cake Recipe in Egg Bite Molds
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp butter or ghee
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate pieces
- 2 eggs
- 4 tbsp coconut milk or almond milk
- 1/3 cup brown rice flour or whole wheat flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 7 tsp peanut butter 1 tsp per lava cake
Optional toppings:
- coconut whip cream
- Stevia powdered
- raspberries
Ingredients for coconut whipped cream:
- 1 can coconut milk canned, refrigerated so that it is cold
- 1 tsp Stevia optional
Instructions
Lava Cake Directions:
- In a large bowl add the butter and dark chocolate. Melt the butter and chocolate in the microwaves in 30 second increments, until the butter and chocolate are melted. About 1 minute.
- Mix together to butter and chocolate. Then add the remaining ingredients except the peanut butter. Mix the batter until smooth.
- Grease each cup of your silicone egg bite mold. Once the cups are greased, fill each cup half way with batter.
- Add a tsp of peanut butter to the center of each cup, then fill the cups with the remaining batter. Each cup should be 3/4 of the way full.
- Cover the silicone mold with foil and place the mold on a trivet.
- Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of the Instant Pot insert. Use the handles of the trivet to lower the lava cakes into the Instant Pot.
- Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Cook the cakes on high pressure using the manual button for 5 minutes. As soon as the Instant Pot beeps that the timer is done, manually release the pressure and remove the lava cakes from the Instant Pot.
- While the cakes are still hot, remove the foil and run a spoon around the edge of each cup to loosen the cakes. Place a plate over the top of the lava cakes and then carefully flip them upside down to remove the cakes. Sprinkle with powdered stevia (optional) and serve immediately with a side of coconut whipped cream and raspberries.
Coconut Whipped Cream Directions:
- Open the can of coconut cream and separate the milk from the cream. The cream should be hard and the milk watery.
- Place the cream in a chilled bowl. Add the stevia.
- Whip the coconut cream with a hand mixer for 1-2 minutes until the coconut cream is soft and has a whipped cream like texture.
- Store in the fridge until ready to use, but the same day. It will not keep in the fridge for longer than a day.
I am so in love with these cakes! Delicious!!!
is it 215 calories for one bite or two?
If you make 7 bites, it’s 215 for one.
I am in love with this recipe! Thank you for such an awesome (and healthy!) treat for my family.
I need to start making more desserts in my Instant Pot, and this looks like the perfect recipe to start with! Thanks so much for sharing!
Those look crazy delicious! Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi, my daughter has a peanut allergy. Do you think sun butter would work?
Thanks,
Kara
Yes!
Do you think almond milk would work instead of coconut?
Yes!
I just made this keto by using coconut flour, Lilly’s dark chocolate chips, sugar free all natural PB, as well as Walden farms maple syrup instead of honey. They came out AMAZZZZZZING
Did you use the same amount of coconut flour? I have whole wheat and Coconut(which I’d like to try) but I don’t have brown rice flour, I also have blanched super fine almond flour… I might just go ahead and try it, but if you see this please let me know ;) Thanks!
I’d use whole wheat in place of brown rice! :)
I went ahead and used the coconut flour, I used the same amount, and the batter seemed a little dry so I added an extra tbsp of coconut milk. I also used Erythritol instead of honey to make it less calorie dense. They turned out GREAT!! Thanks! Really enjoyed the little lava cakes.
Can I use whole wheat flour instead?
That should be fine!
How long and at what temp would they go in the oven?
I haven’t made these in the oven yet!
Did you eventually try them in the oven? I’d like to know too as I don’t own an Instant Pot.
I don’t have an Instant Pot. How long would I bake them in the oven, and at 350 degrees?
Hi Bonnie! I’ve never made these in the oven, but I’d test them at 350 degrees, checking after 10 minutes or so. I’d rely more on what the top looks like to see when they’re done instead of sticking a toothpick in them, as you want the center to be gooey :)
Love your recipes…
Thank you Carolyn! <3
Cooking these for 5 minutes did essentially nothing to mine… they were still completely gooey. I’m on my 4th repressurizing and recooking attempt… I did double the recipe and stacked two molds on top of each other, but I’m going on cooking these suckers for half an hour… did I do something wrong?
Cooking two trays instead of one can cause a bit of an issue. I think that’s it :-/ It takes a long time for two trays to cook through.
I don’t have some of these ingredients. Think I could use regular milk and flour?
Regular flour would be ok, I haven’t tried them with regular milk but I’d assume it’s ok too!