Molten Lava Cookies
These Molten Lava Cookies bring back the best memories of a Molten Chocolate Lava Cake I used to get at one of my favorite restaurants growing up!
Birthdays, or any special occasion really, would make that perfect time for that cake, and I feel the same way about this year-round cookie recipe.
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Why You’re Gonna Love These Molten Lava Cookies
- The ooey-gooey lava filling! – Inside of each of these chocolate cookies is a center filled with melted chocolate that just oozes out with every bite. This ooey-gooey chocolate center is what gives these giant cookies their “molten lava” name! It’s like a cookie version of a lava cake.
- The rich chocolate flavor! – These cookies are filled with chocolate flavor! They are the peak of chocolate desserts. The cocoa powder combines with the hot fudgy center of the dough to make a truly decadent dessert.
- The moist and chewy texture! – Do you like cookies with a crunchy bite? The outside of this cookie will check that box! Do you prefer gooey fudge cookies? The lava effect in the middle of this cookie gives that moist texture. It’s the perfect recipe!
- The special factor! – Chocolate chip cookies are always a favorite, but if you want to take traditional cookies up a notch, this is the recipe for you! They’re the perfect way to end a special Valentine’s Day or date night.
Ingredients Needed For Delicious Chocolate Lava Cookies
- 1 Cup of Butter – Use unsalted butter, and make sure that it’s softened to room temperature. You can’t cream together butter and sugar if the butter is firm.
Quick Tip: If you forget to set your butter out, fill a measuring cup with boiling water, let it sit for 1 minute, then pour out the water and turn it over on the butter.
The residual heat from the glass of the measuring cup will soften that butter right up.
- 1 1/4 Cup of Brown Sugar – Brown sugar has a rich depth of flavor, and these molten lava cookies are all about richness. Either dark brown or light brown sugar will work.
- 1/2 Cup of White Sugar
- 2 Eggs – The eggs will make these cookies moist, as well as bind all of the other ingredients together. They’ll incorporate into the other wet ingredients more easily if you let them come up to room temperature first. Just set them out with the butter.
- 1 Tablespoon of Corn Syrup
- 2 Teaspoons of Vanilla Extract – This will add a certain level of depth to the sweetness.
- 2 1/2 Cups of Flour – For this recipe, use regular all-purpose flour.
- 1 Cup of Cocoa Powder – For the deepest, richest chocolate flavor, spring for Dutch Process Cocoa Powder. The difference is night and day! Regular cocoa powder will make delicious cookies as well – just sharing a way to take these cookies to the next level.
- 2 Teaspoons of Cornstarch – This helps give the dough a thick consistency that cooks into a chewy cookie.
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons of Baking Soda – This is the main leavening agent in this cookie recipe.
- 1 Teaspoon of Salt – If you use salted butter, you can omit salt as a separate ingredient.
- Hot Fudge Sauce – This sauce will serve the same purpose as the traditional chocolate ganache that fills the chocolate lava cake we all love.
- 1/4 Cup of Powdered Sugar – A dusting of powdered sugar on top of each cookie really sets this treat over the top.
How To Make This Chocolate Chip Lava Cookie Recipe
- Place the hot fudge sauce in the freezer. You want the sauce to be as cold as possible, so it doesn’t bake with the rest of the cookie, but rather simply thaws out!
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prep a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer (Handheld works, too!), cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Cream them until they are light and fluffy – not just until they are combined!
- Add the eggs one at a time to the creamed butter mixture, and then the corn syrup and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, using the paddle attachment of the mixer on low speed to fold the ingredients together until a thick dough forms.
- Using a 2-inch small cookie scoop, scoop balls of dough on to the cookie sheet. Space them 2 inches apart from each other.
- Press small wells into each cookie dough ball using the bake side of the cookie scoop.
- Take the hot fudge sauce from the freezer. Scoop out a teaspoon to place in the center of each well. This should fill the well about 3/4 of the way.
- Pinch the cookie dough up over the top of the filling. If you have any extra dough clinging to the mixing bowl, use it to fully seal the cookie closed.
- Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack.
Now to Top them Off
Sift powdered sugar over the top of each cookie, and enjoy them while they are still warm and gooey in the center from the hot fudge sauce.
You’ll need a glass of milk on hand, or perhaps a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Storing Leftover Molten Lava Cookies
One thing to keep in mind about these molten lava cookie recipe is that you’ll lose the lava effect once the cookies grow cold.
However, they’re still delicious and tasty!
You can place them in an airtight container and store them on the countertop for 3 days, or in the refrigerator for a week.
If you need to make these cookies ahead of time but want to maintain that lava center, don’t worry.
All you need to do it make up the dough balls, but then wait to bake them until it’s time to eat them.
Make the dough, fill them with the frozen hot fudge centers, close up the balls, and then set the dough balls on the cookie sheet and slide them in the freezer.
Once they have frozen, you can take them off of the baking sheet and store them in a Ziploc bag.
When it’s time to bake, simply place the frozen cookie balls on a fresh baking sheet and slide them in the oven.
Be sure to add 1-2 minutes to the bake time.
Molten Lava Cookies
These Molten Lava Cookies bring back the best memories of a Molten Lava Cake I used to get at one of my favorite restaurants growing up!
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Butter Unsalted, Softened
- 1 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 Cup White Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Tablespoon Corn Syrup
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 2 1/2 Cups Flour
- 1 Cup Cocoa Powder
- 2 Teaspoons Cornstarch
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- Hot Fudge Sauce
- 1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- Place the hot fudge sauce in the freezer. We need the sauce to be as cold as possible, so it doesn’t bake with the rest of the cookie, but rather simply thaws out!
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prep a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer (Handheld works, too!), cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Cream them until they are light and fluffy – not just until they are combined!
- Add the eggs one at a time to the creamed butter mixture, and then the corn syrup and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, using the paddle attachment of the mixer on low speed to fold the ingredients together until a thick dough forms.
- Using a 2-inch small cookie scoop, scoop balls of dough on to the cookie sheet. Space them 2 inches apart from each other.
- Press small wells into each cookie dough ball using the bake side of the cookie scoop.
- Take the hot fudge sauce from the freezer, and scoop out a teaspoon to place in the center of each well. This should fill the well about 3/4 of the way.
- Pinch the cookie dough up over the top of the filling. If you have any extra dough clinging to the mixing bowl, use it to fully seal the cookie closed.
- Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack.
- Sift powdered sugar over the top of each cookie, and enjoy them while they are still warm and gooey in the center from the hot fudge sauce! You’ll need a glass of milk on hand, or perhaps a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
