Chocolate Lava Cookies

Are you or someone you know an unapologetic chocolate lover? If so, then these chocolate lava cookies are sure to please. Just like our favorite chocolate lava cake, these cookies are a decadently rich and fudgy dessert that has a surprise inside: a river of luxurious, warm dark chocolate ganache. They’re just as satisfying as their cake counterpart, but because they’re handheld, they’re easier to eat—and, therefore, they’re that much harder to resist.

If you’ve never made a stuffed cookie before, this chocolate cookie recipe is a great place to start. You begin by making a simple homemade chocolate ganache that’s partially frozen and shaped into balls. Then, you wrap the tender chocolate cookie dough around the ganache balls. After baking, the final cookies are supremely moist and indulgent with a puddle of molten chocolate waiting to escape inside. These molten chocolate lava cookies will quickly top your list of favorite chocolate desserts.

Ingredients for Chocolate Lava Cookies

• Cocoa powder: Cocoa powder flavors the cookie dough with an intense chocolate flavor. Adding a small amount to the ganache thickens the mixture and gives it some body.
• Heavy cream: Heavy cream helps ensure the chocolate ganache does not set completely solid at room temperature but remains soft and fudgy.
• Dark chocolate: Since the chocolate cookie dough is rather sweet, using dark chocolate for the molten lava center offers a nice balance. For a sweeter taste, consider using semisweet chocolate.
• Unsalted butter: Butter adds flavor, richness and moisture to the cookie dough. A small amount is also added to the fudge filling to give the “lava” a silkier, richer consistency.
• Granulated sugar: Granulated sugar adds moisture and contributes to the cookies’ moist and chewy texture.
• Eggs: Eggs provide structure and stability to a cookie as it bakes. Adding an extra egg yolk to the recipe incorporates additional fat, which helps keep these cookies extra soft and tender.
• Vanilla extract: Even though chocolate is the dominant flavor in these cookies, using a high-quality brand of vanilla helps give the cookies excellent added depth and complexity.
• All-purpose flour: When making cookies, make sure you’re measuring your flour accurately. Using too much or not enough flour can drastically change the taste, texture and consistency of the baked cookies.
• Espresso powder: Espresso powder is the secret to better chocolate desserts. Adding a small amount of espresso powder amplifies the flavor of the chocolate.
• Baking soda: Baking soda acts as a leavener, keeping the cookies light and airy.
• Salt: A few pinches of salt help balance the sweetness and enhance the flavors of the cookies.
• Confectioners’ sugar: A light dusting of confectioners’ sugar is the perfect sweet finish to these molten chocolate lava cookies.

Directions

Step 1: Make the ganache

Add the chopped chocolate and butter to a large heat-safe mixing bowl. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, warm the heavy cream until it begins to simmer. Whisk in the cocoa powder until dissolved, then pour the warm cocoa cream over the chopped chocolate and butter. Stir until the chocolate and butter are completely melted, smooth and glossy.

Editor’s Tip: If the ganache isn’t melting completely, one of our favorite ways to melt chocolate is using the microwave. Place the mixture in the microwave and warm in 30- to 60-second intervals at 50% power, stirring after each interval until smooth.

Step 2: Freeze the ganache

Cover the bowl with storage wrap and chill in the freezer for at least one hour or until firm yet scoopable.

Editor’s Tip: For quicker freezing, transfer the chocolate ganache to a shallow 9×9-inch dish and spread into an even layer that’s 1 to 2 inches thick. A thinner layer will set faster.

Step 3: Scoop and shape into balls

Remove the ganache from the freezer and line a sheet pan with parchment. Next, scoop and shape the chocolate mixture into tablespoon-sized balls. Arrange them on the parchment-lined sheet pan about 1/2 inch apart, and then return them to the freezer for at least 30 minutes or until firm.

Editor’s Tip: This process can be a bit messy—similar to rolling homemade chocolate truffles. We find that scooping the ganache into rough mounds onto the parchment and then quickly using your hands to shape and smooth the mounds into balls is the most efficient and mess-free way to work through this step.

Step 4: Mix the dry ingredients

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda and salt. Stir, then set aside.

Step 5: Beat the wet ingredients and combine

Next, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy, two to three minutes. Next, add the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition until evenly combined. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined and no dry patches of flour remain. Cover and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

Step 6: Stuff the dough with fudge

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 15x10x1-inch sheet pan with parchment. Remove the fudge balls from the freezer. Scoop 2 tablespoons of dough, shape it into a ball, then flatten it into a disk. Place one fudge ball into the center of the dough, and then bring up the edges of the dough to completely encase the fudge in the middle. Pinch and smooth any seams to prevent leakage.

Step 7: Bake

Arrange the balls 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet pan. (Do not place more than six cookies on a pan.) Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cookies are set on the edges and nearly set in the center.

Remove and let cool for five minutes on the pan, then move to a wire rack and dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar. Serve warm to enjoy the molten chocolate lava center.

Chocolate Lava Cookie Variations

• Add chopped nuts: If you enjoy a little crunch in your cookies, consider adding up to 3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts to the ganache before freezing.
• Incorporate peanut butter or caramel: For a fun flavor twist, stir up to 1/4 cup peanut butter into the ganache before freezing. For a cookie with a chocolate caramel kiss in the middle, shape the fudge balls around unwrapped soft caramel candies before freezing them and stuffing them into the cookie dough.
• Try a Nutella filling: Looking for a shortcut? Spread a 1- to 2-inch layer of Nutella into a shallow glass dish. Freeze until semi-solid, and then scoop and shape into 1-inch balls. Arrange on a parchment-lined sheet pan and freeze until set. Then, wrap the Nutella balls in the dough and bake as directed.

How to Store Chocolate Lava Cookies

For the best taste and to preserve freshness, don’t make any cookie storage mistakes. Let the cookies cool completely, then store the molten chocolate lava cookies in an airtight food storage container.

How long do chocolate lava cookies last?

Chocolate lava cookies will stay fresh for up to one week at room temperature.

Can you freeze chocolate lava cookies?

Yes! You can freeze the cookies before or after baking. Frozen balls of stuffed dough can be stored in an airtight food storage container separated by layers of parchment for up to three months. Bake from frozen, or thaw overnight in the refrigerator first.

Likewise, baked chocolate lava cookies may be stored frozen in an airtight food storage container for up to three months. Enjoy straight from the freezer (think: frozen chocolate fudge Pop-Tarts, only one hundred times better), or defrost at room temperature until fully thawed.

Can you reheat chocolate lava cookies?

Yes! The molten chocolate center of these cookies is what makes them so special. Once they’ve cooled, you can reheat the cookies on a microwave-safe plate for 15 to 30 seconds until warm to the touch.

Can you make chocolate lava cookies ahead?

Once formed, the ganache balls may be stored in the freezer or refrigerator until you’re ready to fill and bake the cookies. Likewise, the dough may also be refrigerated for up to 24 hours after mixing but before stuffing the cookies with fudge and baking.

Chocolate Lava Cookie Tips

Why did my chocolate lava cookies fall apart?

Chocolate lava cookies may be difficult to stuff and shape if you do not measure ingredients correctly. For example, adding too much flour or cocoa powder can make the dough dry and crumbly, which can cause the cookies to fall apart.

How do you prevent the chocolate from oozing out of the cookies while they bake?

When making a stuffed dessert, it’s important to carefully shape the dough around whatever filling is going into the center. For the best results, make sure the filling is frozen before stuffing and baking. Additionally, ensure that any cracks or seams in your dough have been smoothed over to guarantee that the filling remains encased in the dough as it bakes in the oven.

Rationing is also important when stuffing cookies. If you use too much filling or not enough dough, the filling will not have enough space to melt and expand as the cookies bake. This can cause the filling to create a fissure in the cookie and leak out during baking.

How do you serve molten chocolate lava cookies?

These lava cookies are best enjoyed warm no matter what, but you can dip, drizzle and decorate these chocolate lava cookies in so many ways to make them your own. Before serving, add a drizzle of caramel sauce, additional ganache, or a dollop of whipped cream or chocolate frosting. A small scoop of vanilla ice cream or a spoonful of strawberry sauce also pairs well with these decadent, fudge-filled cookies.