Chili’s Molten Lava Cake (Copycat Recipe)

The first time I ordered Chili’s Molten Lava Cake, I was skeptical that a chain restaurant could deliver a decadent chocolate experience. But when I broke through that tender chocolate cake exterior and watched the rich, molten center flow onto my plate, I was instantly converted. That moment—when warm chocolate meets cold vanilla ice cream under a crisp chocolate shell – creates a multi-sensory dessert experience I’ve been trying to recreate at home ever since. After many delicious test batches, I’ve finally perfected this copycat recipe that rivals the restaurant’s original.

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What Makes This Molten Lava Cake So Special?

Unlike ordinary chocolate cake, Chili’s Molten Lava Cake delivers multiple chocolate experiences in a single dessert. The exterior is a perfectly baked chocolate cake with a tender crumb, while the interior contains a pocket of warm, flowing chocolate that creates the “lava” effect. Top it with cold vanilla ice cream and Magic Shell topping that hardens on contact, and you’ve got contrasting temperatures and textures that make every bite an adventure. Best of all, despite its impressive presentation, this restaurant-quality dessert is surprisingly achievable for home bakers.

Ingredients for Chilis Molten Lava Cake

To make Chilis Lava Cake, you’ll need:

• Unsalted butter – Creates richness in the cake and helps prevent sticking when used to grease the ramekins
• Cocoa powder – Used for dusting the ramekins to prevent sticking while adding additional chocolate flavor
• Baking chocolate – Provides the intense chocolate flavor and creates the molten center when properly baked
• Eggs – Add structure, moisture, and richness while helping the cake rise properly
• Sugar – Balances the bitterness of the chocolate and adds sweetness to the dessert
• Vanilla extract – Enhances the chocolate flavor with its aromatic qualities
• Salt – Intensifies the chocolate flavor by balancing sweetness
• All-purpose flour – Provides structure to the cake while allowing for the soft center to remain
• Vanilla ice cream – It creates temperature contrast and adds creamy sweetness that complements the warm cake
• Chocolate Magic Shell – Forms a crisp chocolate layer on top of the ice cream for textural contrast

Magic Shell is the brand name for an ice cream topping that forms a hard shell when it comes in contact with ice cream. You can find it in most supermarkets or purchase it online. If you prefer, try making it yourself with my Magic Shell recipe.

How to Make Chili’s Molten Lava Cake

Preparation of molten lava cake:

1. Grease the ramekins or other molds very well with butter. Do not use cooking spray. Dust the inside of the buttered molds with cocoa powder. This step is critical as it helps to prevent the cakes from sticking. Place the greased ramekins on a baking sheet.
2. Place the baking chocolate and remaining butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and heat for another 30 seconds. Continue until the chocolate melts fully. Watch it closely because overcooked chocolate has a burnt flavor.

3. Crack two eggs into another bowl. Separate two more eggs and add just the yolks to the bowl.
4. Whisk the sugar with the eggs until the sugar dissolves and the eggs become foamy. You can also do this with a mixer on low speed. 

5. Fold the melted chocolate into the egg mixture. 

6. Stir in the flour, salt, and vanilla extract.

7. Fill each of the greased molds 3/4 full with the cake batter.
8. Cover the ramekins with plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least 30 minutes and no more than four hours before baking. 

To bake Chili’s Molten Lava Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. When the oven is hot, remove the plastic wrap from the top of the ramekins and place them into the oven on the baking tray. 
3. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. This is the critical step. You don’t want overcooked molten chocolate cakes, so the centers set, but you need to bake them long enough for the outsides to harden. Perfecting the timing may take a batch or two, but it is worth the effort. 

To serve Chili’s Molten Cake:

1. Serve warm. If you are not having the cake a few minutes after baking, look below for hints on rewarming. 
2. Carefully run a thin, dull blade between the sides of the still-warm cake and the ramekin. 
3. Put a serving dish upside down on top of the ramekin and flip. Gently unmold the cake. 
4. Place a scoop of ice cream on top of the cake and cover the ice cream with the Magic chocolate shell garnish.
5. Serve immediately. Garnish with a sprig of mint if desired.

Special Equipment Needed 

To make this recipe, you need oven-safe cups, ramekins, or some other type of mold. Fluted individual brioche molds make a decorative but harder-to-remove cake. Reusable silicone cupcake liners can also work. 

Recommendations on Chocolate To Use 

Use quality 70% cacao baking chocolate for this recipe. Dark chocolate’s slight bitterness creates a much more sophisticated cake that is not overly sweet. Note that you can use 60% semi-sweet chocolate if you prefer the cake not to be as dark.

Do not use chocolate chips, as many manufacturers use additives to help them hold their shape when hot. That is the exact opposite of what you want to happen for this recipe. You want gooey, flowing chocolate in the center of the cake.

Lava Cake Topping Variations

Instead of the chocolate Magic shell, you can top it with other sauces:

• Chocolate Sauce
• Caramel Sauce
• Drizzle of fruit sauce such as raspberry or strawberry

Bump up the topping level with a dollop of vanilla ice cream you made too.

How to Store Chilis Lava Cake

Although it is best to serve the molten chocolate cake while still warm, you can allow it to cook thoroughly in the ramekin and then store it covered in the fridge for up to two days. Lava cakes stored this way will not have the same texture as fresh ones.

To freeze: Cool the lava cakes to room temperature. Wrap them with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil or place the plastic-wrapped cakes in a freezer bag. Please keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

How to Reheat Molten Chilis Cake  

The best way to reheat cooled lava cakes is in the oven:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Flip the refrigerated cakes in their molds upside down on a baking sheet. 
3. Reheat for about 10 minutes and serve as in the original recipe.

To reheat in the microwave oven:

1. Place the cake on a microwave-safe dish.
2. Cover it with a moist paper towel.
3. Heat at medium power for about 30 seconds, or until heated and the center is soft.

To reheat in an air fryer:

1. Line the air fryer basket with foil.
2. Place the cake on the foil.
3. Air fry at 350°F for about 5 minutes.

Love Chili’s Bar and Grill? Try These Copycat Recipes!

• Chili’s Baby Back Ribs
• Crispy Chicken Crispers
• Onion Petals
• Skillet Queso
• Southwest Eggrolls
• Southwest Chicken Soup

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• Chocolate Bundt Cake
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Check out more of my easy cake recipes and the best copycat Chili’s recipes on CopyKat!