Name: Chili's Hot Fudge Molten Lava Cake Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 16 min
Total time: 26 min
Ingredients: 15.25 ounces chocolate cake mix (we use milk chocolate); ¼ cup vegetable oil; 3.4 ounces instant chocolate pudding mix; 1 ¼ cups water; 11 ounces chocolate chips; ⅓ cup hot fudge (optional topping); 1 quart vanilla ice cream (optional topping); 1 cup whipped topping (optional topping); 12 maraschino cherries

Chili's Hot Fudge Molten Lava Cake Copycat is so delicious - it's the perfect gooey, chocolate dessert and tastes just like the restaurant.

Chili’s Hot Fudge Molten Lava Cake Recipe

This Hot Fudge Molten Lava Cake is a classic dessert at many restaurants (my favorite place to get it is Chili’s) and this recipe tastes almost identical to something you would order at a restaurant.

The cake is so moist and rich! A couple of years ago, my mom made about 500 of these little cakes to serve at our sister Elyse’s wedding reception.

Unfortunately, there was a huge snow storm that night and we had about 100 extra cakes, so we bagged them in Ziploc baggies and threw them in the freezer.

I think that we had molten lava cakes at every family function for the next year haha.

So if you have a holiday party coming up and need an amazing dessert, then look no further. These look and taste amazing- everyone will thank you.

And you can make the little cakes days in advance, throw them in your freezer, and thaw them out before you serve them.

Related Recipe: Try another one of our favorite Chili’s Copycat Recipes, Chili’s Copycat Skillet Queso!

Do I make the pudding then add it to the recipe?

For this recipe, it calls for pudding, but you simply just pour the pudding mix into the mixture. You do not make the pudding.

You will also need to make sure the pudding mixture is Instant Pudding Mix. It will not work with Cook and Serve pudding mix.

Could I make these in a muffin tin?

This recipe can definitely make this recipe in a muffin tin. We used a cake mold, but you could easily make these in a cupcake/muffin tin.

They will cook for less time, so watch them to make sure they’re not overcooked.

You could use a muffin liner, but I just sprayed my pan with non stick baking spray.

Watch how to make this Chili’s Molten Lava Cake, here:

Did you know we have a Youtube Channel? We have hundreds of simple and delicious recipes, your family is going to love. We take you through each recipe, step by step, and show you exactly how to make them.

This Chili’s Molten Lava Cake is so easy to make and only requires a few simple ingredients. Watch how easy it is to make, here:

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Looking for more cake recipes? here are a few of our favorites:

Chili’s Hot Fudge Molten Lava Cake Recipe

Now you can make this gooey, chocolate restaurant favorite right at home.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 16

Total Time 26

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Ingredients

▢ 15.25 ounces chocolate cake mix, we use milk chocolate
▢ ¼ cup vegetable oil
▢ 3.4 ounces instant chocolate pudding mix
▢ 1 ¼ cups water
▢ 11 ounces chocolate chips
▢ ⅓ cup hot fudge, optional topping
▢ 1 quart vanilla ice cream, optional topping
▢ 1 cup whipped topping, optional topping
▢ 12 maraschino cherries

Equipment

Bundt Pan (Mini Fluted)

Instructions

Spray your pan* with non-stick cooking spray**
Mix together cake mix, oil, pudding, and water. Add chocolate chips and gently stir with a spoon so that the chocolate chips don't get crushed.
Divide the batter into the 12 molds (or 20-24 if using a muffin tin pan).
Bake at 350 degrees for 16-18 minutes (don't over bake! You want these to be moist!).

For Serving

Top cake with generous spoonful of hot fudge.
Place scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
Drizzle more hot fudge on top of ice cream.
Top with whipped cream and a cherry.

Notes

*We use a Mini-Fluted Mold Pan (you can find one usually at Target or Bed, Bath, and Beyond). This recipe can make 12 cakes using a mini-fluted mold pan. You should be fine to use a regular sized muffin tin pan and make 20-24 smaller cakes. You might need to adjust the baking time and cut it down by a few minutes if you do use a smaller muffin tin pan.

**Baker’s Joy spray seems to work well for this recipe. If you use another kind of cooking spray, make sure you spray a lot so that these little cakes slide right out.

Nutrition

Calories: 425 kcal · Carbohydrates: 59 g · Protein: 5 g · Fat: 20 g · Saturated Fat: 11 g · Cholesterol: 35 mg · Sodium: 506 mg · Potassium: 320 mg · Fiber: 2 g · Sugar: 41 g · Vitamin A: 336 IU · Vitamin C: 1 mg · Calcium: 164 mg · Iron: 2 mg

Cuisine: American

Author: Camille Beckstrand

Course: Dessert

Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.

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Questions & Reviews

Impulsive Addict says:

I'm drooling! This looks amazing! It's fat free, right? ;)

Camille says:

@ Impulsive Addict- Of course! :) I'm pretty sure calories don't count during the holidays! Ha ha!

Lisa says:

That is a work of art.

edavis3 says:

when mixing the cake mix and pudding, do you actually MAKE the cake and instant pudding like the box says? or do you just mix the powder together??

Camille says:

Just mix the powders together! Disregard anything that it says on the cake mix box and the pudding box and just use the ingredients and directions from my recipe. :) They are yummy! Hope you like them!

Stephanie Hall says:

This looks so good! I need to try it. But I also have a question. I have been on your blog before and even read about you guys but this time I took a closer look and was wondering...Camille, were you at USU in the El Ed program graduating in 06? I think I was in the program with you!

Stephanie Hall says:

[email protected]

Bonnie and Trish @ Uncommon says:

oh my!! you girls do not help my diet! but, it is soooo yummy! ;) Bonnie @ Uncommon

jmmonroe says:

I make a version of this in my crockpot if interested in recipe email me and I will share it [email protected]

Blair says:

Found your site via pinterest. Had a pregnancy craving and this totally hit the spot. I made it using large muffin tins and baked for 17min at 350. It turned out perfect!! Thanks for sharing!

Alisa says:

I made these for Super Bowl Sunday. They were fabulous!! I used a cupcake pan and baked them for 13-14 minutes. They were perfect! So yummy that I made them again 2 days later. Thanks Ladies!

Wendi Weiks says:

Made these last nite and they were a hit!!! A question about reheating from frozen tho...what do you find works best?? Seems like microwave would be easy, but might burn the choc chips? Sounds like you all have reheated them a few times tho, so I'll trust your opinion, lol. Thanks!!

Flare says:

I was wondering if you have tried this with any other cake mix and pudding?

ashley says:

Hi, can you use this same recipe in a 13x9. How long would you cook it?

ashley says:

Oh and do you use milk chips or semi sweet? I read the milk choc. Cake mix but wondering about the chips. Thanks and looks delish.

Cyd says:

We are big milk chocolate chip fans, so that is what we used! :)

Cyd says:

We have not tried this recipe in a 9 x 13 inch pan.

Grace says:

Hi! Would love to know ...what is the best way to reheat these without drying out cake and burning chocolate chips? Thanks

Cyd says:

We just serve these at room temperature and add the ice cream and hot fudge. You could slowly microwave these at short intervals to heat up a little bit.

Linda says:

This looks so wonderfully decadent! I can hardly wait to bake them. What size bag of chocolate chips do you use? Thanks

Cyd says:

Just the regular 11.5 ounce Hershey's or Nestle milk chocolate chips.

Sarah Norbie says:

Any chance you have made this in a 8 inch pan? Or thoughts on that

Cyd says:

Hi Sarah. I'm the mom of the six sisters and made so many of these for my daughter's wedding. I have only made these in the little fluted mold pan, but I really think you could make it in a pan version. An 8 inch pan might be too small. Looking over the ingredients I think a 9 x 13 inch pan might be better. As far as the cooking time, you'll just have to watch closely. Be prepared to experiment with a batch or two to get it right. (sorry about that because the cost of ingredients add up!) I would love to hear how it all turns out if you try this in a pan. They are seriously so delicious. We have an updated picture that I will try and add to this post soon.

Aimee Armstrong says:

Do you make the pudding or just dump the powder in sorry I need detailed instructions help

Cyd says:

Just add in the dry pudding mix to the recipe.

Heather says:

The written recipe and the ingredients used in the video don’t match up....did you post the measurements for the video version somewhere else? I’d like to try that version!

Cyd says:

The Molten Lava cake in the video is a different recipe and makes 4 cakes. The one on this post uses a cake mix and the cake part is loaded with chocolate chips. It makes a lot more. We love them both. Here is the recipe for the Molten Lava cakes in the video. https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/copycat-chilis-molten-lava-cake-recipe/

RoMi says:

SO you don't use eggs for the lava cake made with boxed cake mix

Join The Discussion

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Impulsive Addict says:

I'm drooling! This looks amazing! It's fat free, right? ;)
Camille says:

@ Impulsive Addict- Of course! :) I'm pretty sure calories don't count during the holidays! Ha ha!
Lisa says:

That is a work of art.
edavis3 says:

when mixing the cake mix and pudding, do you actually MAKE the cake and instant pudding like the box says? or do you just mix the powder together??
Camille says:

Just mix the powders together! Disregard anything that it says on the cake mix box and the pudding box and just use the ingredients and directions from my recipe. :) They are yummy! Hope you like them!
Stephanie Hall says:

This looks so good! I need to try it. But I also have a question. I have been on your blog before and even read about you guys but this time I took a closer look and was wondering...Camille, were you at USU in the El Ed program graduating in 06? I think I was in the program with you!
Stephanie Hall says:

[email protected]
Bonnie and Trish @ Uncommon says:

oh my!! you girls do not help my diet! but, it is soooo yummy! ;) Bonnie @ Uncommon
jmmonroe says:

I make a version of this in my crockpot if interested in recipe email me and I will share it [email protected]
Blair says:

Found your site via pinterest. Had a pregnancy craving and this totally hit the spot. I made it using large muffin tins and baked for 17min at 350. It turned out perfect!! Thanks for sharing!
Alisa says:

I made these for Super Bowl Sunday. They were fabulous!! I used a cupcake pan and baked them for 13-14 minutes. They were perfect! So yummy that I made them again 2 days later. Thanks Ladies!
Wendi Weiks says:

Made these last nite and they were a hit!!! A question about reheating from frozen tho...what do you find works best?? Seems like microwave would be easy, but might burn the choc chips? Sounds like you all have reheated them a few times tho, so I'll trust your opinion, lol. Thanks!!
Flare says:

I was wondering if you have tried this with any other cake mix and pudding?
ashley says:

Hi, can you use this same recipe in a 13x9. How long would you cook it?
ashley says:

Oh and do you use milk chips or semi sweet? I read the milk choc. Cake mix but wondering about the chips. Thanks and looks delish.
Cyd says:

We are big milk chocolate chip fans, so that is what we used! :)
Cyd says:

We have not tried this recipe in a 9 x 13 inch pan.
Grace says:

Hi! Would love to know ...what is the best way to reheat these without drying out cake and burning chocolate chips? Thanks
Cyd says:

We just serve these at room temperature and add the ice cream and hot fudge. You could slowly microwave these at short intervals to heat up a little bit.
Linda says:

This looks so wonderfully decadent! I can hardly wait to bake them. What size bag of chocolate chips do you use? Thanks
Cyd says:

Just the regular 11.5 ounce Hershey's or Nestle milk chocolate chips.
Sarah Norbie says:

Any chance you have made this in a 8 inch pan? Or thoughts on that
Cyd says:

Hi Sarah. I'm the mom of the six sisters and made so many of these for my daughter's wedding. I have only made these in the little fluted mold pan, but I really think you could make it in a pan version. An 8 inch pan might be too small. Looking over the ingredients I think a 9 x 13 inch pan might be better. As far as the cooking time, you'll just have to watch closely. Be prepared to experiment with a batch or two to get it right. (sorry about that because the cost of ingredients add up!) I would love to hear how it all turns out if you try this in a pan. They are seriously so delicious. We have an updated picture that I will try and add to this post soon.
Aimee Armstrong says:

Do you make the pudding or just dump the powder in sorry I need detailed instructions help
Cyd says:

Just add in the dry pudding mix to the recipe.
Heather says:

The written recipe and the ingredients used in the video don’t match up....did you post the measurements for the video version somewhere else? I’d like to try that version!
Cyd says:

The Molten Lava cake in the video is a different recipe and makes 4 cakes. The one on this post uses a cake mix and the cake part is loaded with chocolate chips. It makes a lot more. We love them both. Here is the recipe for the Molten Lava cakes in the video. https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/copycat-chilis-molten-lava-cake-recipe/
RoMi says:

SO you don't use eggs for the lava cake made with boxed cake mix