Individual molten chocolate fondants with a light and spongey outer and a gooey soft centre. This delightful dessert is actually very simple to make and will be sure to impress your friends and family.

A crowd favourite commonly found on restaurant dessert menus. But, have you tried making Chocolate Fondants at home? Also known as molten lava cakes, these little beauties have a cakey outside with a warm gooey centre.
Easy to prepare, the secret lies in getting the bake time just right. Pair with vanilla ice cream for the ultimate dinner party finale.
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Ingredient notes:
- Dark chocolate - Make sure you choose a good quality dark chocolate for this recipe. At least 50% cocoa or higher. Avoid cooking or compound chocolate in this recipe as the flavour and texture won’t be as good.
- Caster sugar - finer than regular sugar so it will dissolve into the eggs more quickly, creating a light fluffy egg batter and a delicate final texture.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.
Step by step instructions:
Prepare 6 ramekins, 9cm in diameter. Grease well with butter and coat the insides with cocoa. Set in the fridge.
Preheat oven to 220°C fan bake.
Melt butter in a medium bowl, add the dark chocolate and stir to melt together. Microwave in short bursts for 10-15 seconds, stirring well each time until mixture is smooth.
In the bowl of a mixer, whisk the eggs, extra yolks, sugar and salt until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Fold the melted chocolate and egg mix together. Sift in the flour.
Fold mixture together and divide evenly into the 6 prepared ramekins. Refrigerate for 10 minutes before baking.
Bake for 7-10 minutes (bake time will vary from oven to oven!).
Allow to sit for 1 minute before carefully turning out onto a plate.
Dust the top with extra cocoa powder and serve immediately so the centre is molten and delicious.
Recipe FAQs:
I have not tried it myself but people do use muffin tins as a replacement for individual moulds, just ensure you cook one first to check the correct cooking time for your oven and tin size.
You have a few options:
1. Use a skewer to test, it should come out wet from the centre.
2. Bake 1 as a test pudding and time it, test it by turning it out and seeing how molten it is inside. If you want more gooey, cook a few minutes less, or more if it seems too raw.
3. Check out the photos for reference, the tops should be set but feel soft to touch in the centre, if they start to rise up in the middle creating cracks like a muffin they are over cooked.
Storage:
This dessert is best served straight from the oven but you could pre-make your mixture and have them sitting ready in the ramekins a day or 2 before. Just ensure you store them covered or in an airtight container in the fridge.
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Chocolate Fondants
Rich, chocolate fondants with a gooey chocolate centre.
Ingredients
- Butter to grease ramekins
- Cocoa powder
- 125g butter
- 175g dark chocolate
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- ⅓ cup caster sugar
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ cup plain flour
to Serve
- Vanilla ice cream
- Whipped cream
- Fresh berries or coulis
Instructions
- Prep 6 ramekins, 9cm in diameter. Grease well with butter and coat the insides with cocoa. Set in the fridge.
- Preheat oven to 220°C fan bake.
- Melt butter in a medium bowl, add the dark chocolate and stir to melt together. Microwave in short bursts for 10-15 seconds, stirring well each time until mixture is smooth.
- In the bowl of a mixer, whisk the eggs, extra yolks, sugar and salt until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Fold the melted chocolate and egg mix together. Sift in the flour.
- Fold mixture together and divide evenly into the 6 prepared ramekins. Refrigerate for 10 minutes before baking.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes (bake time will vary from oven to oven!).
- Allow to sit for 1 minute before carefully turning out onto a plate.
- Dust the top with extra cocoa powder and serve immediately so the centre is molten and delicious.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 492Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 186mgSodium: 223mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 3gSugar: 31gProtein: 6g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya
Emma Stark
Can you plse tell me what size ramekins you use for this, thks
VJ cooks
Hi Emma, these ramekins are 9cm in diameter.