Make Gooey Chocolate Lava Cake in the Crockpot!
Turn a box of cake mix into a mouth-watering dessert with this easy chocolate lava cake made in your slow cooker.
Get your chocolate fix using your Crockpot!
Did you know you can make a delicious cake with very little effort right in your slow cooker? Try this amazing gooey chocolate lava cake recipe for your next gathering without ever turning on the oven! It takes just a few ingredients and is a cinch to put together.
The result is a slow cooker with warm gooey chocolate cake oozing with melted chocolate on top. The texture of the cake is light, fluffy, and truly irresistible. Scoop some into a bowl with vanilla ice cream for an over-the-top delicious dessert.
Slow Cooker Chocolate Lava Cake
yield: 12 SERVINGS
prep time: 15 MINUTES
cook time: 2 HOURS
total time: 2 HOURS 15 MINUTES
An easy, gooey chocolate cake to make in your slow cooker!
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 15.25 oz. box of chocolate cake mix
- 3 eggs
- 1 and 1/4 cups milk (I used 2%)
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
For the topping:
- 3.9 oz. size box of chocolate instant pudding (4 serving sized)
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
For serving:
- vanilla ice cream
Directions
1
To make the cake:
Beat together cake mix, oil, eggs, and milk with an electric mixer for a few minutes until the batter is smooth.
2
Spray slow cooker with nonstick spray so the cake won't stick. Pour mixture into the slow cooker and smooth over the bottom.
3
To make the topping:
Beat together the 2 cups milk and pudding and pour over the top in the slow cooker. Do not stir. Then sprinkle chocolate chips over top without stirring.
4
Cover and cook on high for around 2 hours, but start checking at 1 hour 45 minutes. You'll know when it is done when the outsides and top are set up like a sponge - the middle will be gooey.
5
Serve with vanilla ice cream if desired. Enjoy!
Additional Notes
(Adapted from Betty Crocker)
Tips for making the best slow cooker chocolate lava cake:
- Your cook time may vary a bit based on your slow cooker. I cooked mine on HIGH for around 2.5 hours in my Beautiful brand 8-court oval slow cooker and it worked well for me. When cooking on high, be sure to watch the cake so it doesn’t burn. I would start checking the slow cooker towards the end of cook time to make sure it isn’t burning. If you have a taller slow cooker, it may take longer.
- Feel free to try other cake and chip flavor combinations! Readers in the comments have stated that peanut butter chips or butterscotch chips are delicious. Another reader uses vanilla cake and banana-flavored pudding.
- If you are needing a gluten-free version, readers have reported back that gluten-free boxed cake mix works too!
- Don’t forget to spray the slow cooker with nonstick spray first. You could instead try using parchment paper or a slow cooker liner instead for easy clean-up.
Gooey chocolate cake heaven!
Get ready to enjoy some awesome hot lava cake that is so good and literally oozing with melted chocolate. My family really enjoyed this idea, and we’ve since taken this cake to a few potlucks with success as a fun and unique dessert!
W O W ! Thank you for this post. I am a chocolate lover. This is on my must make list.
I know definitely got to make this!!
Darn you! My diet started today
Moderation and/or cheat day!
You’re so right Nancy. We have to find what works for ourselves. I too have learned that I have to restrict fats, white flour, and sugar. The cake looks delish though!
Now I know what our family is having for Friday Fun Night this week!
Thanks for the great idea! I can’t wait to make it! How will I know when it is done?
Ohmygoodness this looks sooo good.
Can I use olive oil
I have subbed olive oil in cake/brownie mixes before and it was just fine.
Would it work with brownie mix instead of chocolate cake mix? Can’t wait to try this!
Original recipe is brownie mix (make it for cake like brownies)
And topping is just a cup of warm water & a cup of chocolate syrup mixed together. Pour on top of batter slowly & do not stir.
now my mouth is watering… 🙂
Nothing healthy about this and I love it 😄😊
😍😍😍😍
how is the clean up?
Surprisingly easy. I used Pam coconut oil spray! My he cake kind of pulls away from the edges. I’ve seen people use parchment paper for this as well.
Use a crockpot liner and the clean up will be a breeze.
This is a perfect life skill activity that I can do with my class. We make snacks on Fridays.
Anyone ever try applesauce to replace some of the oil in a recipe like this? I wonder if it would turn out the same?
I use applesauce to replace some of the oil in most recipes now. Equal parts applesauce and oil to match the amount called for is what I do. I’ve never tried a crockpot recipe like this before, but it works when I make cakes in the oven.
Make this all the time. Sometimes substitute peanut butter chips for the chocolate to give it a twist. And yes be sure to watch your crockpot because it will burn if you aren’t careful.
my 15 year old said “get on it” when she saw this post:)
A chocolate lover! You did a good job, Mom—she’s got her priorities straight! LOL
Hungry Girl has a recipe I’ve never tried for lighter cakes and brownies using a can of pureed pumpkin instead of the oil and eggs. Do you think that would work too? I saw the applesauce question so it’s along those lines too. Just wondering. Anybody know?
Can you post the link to that recipe? This looks really good but I need a lower calorie version.
Hi Pergo. I just found it on the Hungry Girl website. Seems soooo easy. Devil’s Food Cake mix and a can of pumpkin puree. She spoons it into muffins and bakes… That’s it… I want to try it, but as a single person, I don’t want to eat the whole thing…
Here’s the link you asked for:
https://www.hungry-girl.com/show/surprises-shockers-and-swaps-yum-yum-brownie-muffins-recipe
I have also heard of the black beans in brownies too… Haven’t tried that, but the pumpking and devil’s food mix is just TOO EASY not to try. Saw this on Dr. Oz too. I wish you could tell me how it is when you make it.
I have done the black beans in brownies! It works! Also prunes work great 🙂
I have done the pumpkin with this one and you can’t even tell it’s in there. You can do a batch and freeze the rest and take them out of the freezer one at a time when you feel like it. We do that with any of the batches of muffins or cakes we have….it has always been fine.
Pergo-HungryGirl.com has tons of recipes. (I get her email.) Some are complicated and some are soooo easy with the substitutions. Check it out. You’ll fall in love with it… I just get the email and it’s plenty of info for me. Enjoy.
I do the chocolate cake mix and can of pure pumpkin all the time! I divide it out into a muffin tin. I think it makes 12. You can freeze what you don’t eat. Warm them in the micro. when ready to use and top with cool whip (fat free) if you want…. amazing!!!
I use a can of pureed black beans instead of oil & water in my brownies. They are delicious! They become more fudgy and dense. Its the only way my family will eat brownies now.
I just used a spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin (no other ingredients) to make pumpkin spice mini muffins this past weekend and it worked great. I’m going to have to try it with chocolate now! Yummo!
When my boys (4 of them) we’re little I taught them how to cook making simple recipes. When they wanted cakes they used the 1 box cake mix & 1 can coke (no eggs, water or oil) recipe. I think their cake recipe substitute would work with this Lava Cake. I am going to try it.
Have you tried it? Did it work?
Omg! I wanna lick the picture, lol!
Yum!!!!
I think there’s a mistake in your recipe. You state that it serves 12…..I’m thinking this is a single serving where you just grab a spoon and go at it :p
Ha ha I know!
I totally agree!!!
don’t forget the half gallon of vanilla ice cream and quarter of caramel sauce
Oh, yeah! You and I would get along quite well! LOL
I was just thinking, is it wrong to eat the whole thing yourself? lol
Does it have to be sugar free mix like the picture ?
No just use what brand you like. Thanks!
Wonder if this would work with the gluten-free cake mix? Looks delish!
Yes I’ve read it does!
Thank you! I will give it a try tomorrow 🙂
Turned out wonderful using Pamela’s Gluten free chocolate cake mix!!!! So good!!
Do you wait until the crock pot is hot?
Can you line a slow cooker with parchment paper?
I honestly would use the slow cooker bag as it burns
Yes it’s pretty common with baking bread in it also.
Do you have any slow cooker bread recipes that you’ve tried & that you would just love to share? 🙂 I would sure love to try some.
I made this Betty Crocker recipe this summer, it’s fabulous. I strongly suggest you use a Reynolds Slow Cooker liner bag. It does burn to the cooker – cooking spray was not enough.
We serve this a lot! Delish! But to add something extra just before serving we add: chocolate chips sprinkled on top, chopped nuts, mini marshmallows, then pour slightly warmed canned chocolate frosting all over top!! That’s a Chocolate Lava cake on steroids!! Lol
Wow! Ya that’s serious! Awesome…
I wanna lick the screen too..but gotta find a from scratch recipe for this because my daughter has soy allergies and most cake mixes has soybean oil in them. Great tip!
or just a thought I could maybe try some of the gluetin free chocolate cake mixes out this….hmmmm..warning…warning..serious danger ahead 😉
I wonder if the pudding would set with soy, almond or coconut milk. I can’t do dairy any more. I remember my mom buying the packages growing up in the store for chocolate and also for lemon ummmmmm both sooooooo gooooood.
My son is allergic to milk and soy so we have made pudding with almond and coconut milk. It is a little runnier than with cow’s milk, but it works.
I’ve been making a similar recipe for years, called Triple Chocolate Mess. The recipe I use calls for a paper towel under the crock pot lid to soak up moisture.
https://frugalfunlife.com/2014/02/23/triple-chocolate-mess-dessert-slow-cookercrock-pot-recipe/
Definitely a keeper!
Made this tonight. It was yummy. I used Pillsbury basic chocolate cake mix – I think next time I will use something more rich like devil’s food. Super easy!
What do I do with the left overs? Refrigerate or leave out? It’s really good!
Refrigerate then warm up in the microwave a few seconds. Yum
leftovers? you have left overs?! don’t tell my family or they’ll be right over! lol
Can u leave this on low over night in crock pot?
Will red velvet cake mix work? That’s my fave… Yummo
I want to do the chocolate lava cake but I only have oval 6.5slow cooker will that be to big and thank you
Hmm I’d try it but it may cook faster do watch it closer the first time to time it? Thanks
Should work great!
I have used several recipes for crock pot lava cake. This is a very good recipe that is a snap to put together!! 😀
Has anyone ever tried this recipe with chocolate fudge rather than chocolate pudding? I absolutely looooove the flavor of chocolate fudge in a lava cake.
This recipe is easy and it tastes delicious. Its more like 3 hours in the slow cooker in low.
I made this once and it was AMAZING! In fact, I’ll be making it again for the 4th of July.
My teenage daughter has been wanting to make a cake, but it has been so hot & I don’t want the house being even hotter by running the oven. She is happy I found this recipe & just put it in the slow cooker. We can’t wait! Thanks!
Line your crockpot with parchment paper prevent the edges from burning:)
Wow it looks so delicious. <
cake and lava are delicious, but way too much lava! Not sure if just reducing the milk in the pudding would help. Seemed like 2/3 lava and 1/3 cake.
I’m being thick here but what’s instant chocolate pudding??
So, I have a question…. is it possible to put candles in this cake for a birthday, or is it too gooey? I am baking this for a friend’s party, and it’s her son’s birthday.
Has anyone ever tried this w gluten free cake mix?
How long do you think a double batch would take to cook?
Made this today…very yummy…but took a lot longer than 2.5 hour….more like 5 hours on high…
What do I preheat the oven to?
Made this today absolutely delicious, you can use any type of chocolate cake mix and any type of chocolate pudding and or dark or milk chocolate chips!/Yum yum