These Molten Lava Cookies have a crisp chocolate cookie on the outside and a gooey chocolate center inside. Chocolate lovers will love this recipe for Molten Lava Cookies. Chocolate cookie dough covers a hot fudge center and is rolled in sugar and baked to perfection!

Molten Lava Cookies on a plate

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MOLTEN LAVA COOKIES

You know I love Molten Lava Cakes so when I saw these Molten Lava Cookies, I knew I had to make them. I mean chocolate is my thing in all forms and all shapes.

I actually had my husband help me take the pics of these cookies because I wanted a picture of me holding the cookie with the gooey inside. I know taking pictures might sounds easy but there’s actually quite a lot that goes into it.

So imagine me holding a cookie with a chocolate center oozing out (time sensitive), trying to coach my husband through taking a picture with a huge DLSR camera and a tripod with a mind of its own. Point and shoot a picture, he can totally do that but I had some specific shots in mind and needed him to switch out lenses.

He looked like he was wrestling an alligator (the tripod) and it was kind of fun to see him struggle at something (he’s good at literally everything). I guess the comparison would be if he was trying to coach me through snapping a football in front of 70,000 people. He would probably find that pretty amusing.

Hopefully between the two of us, we got the shot that justifies how good these cookies are. I ended up taking a few stacked pictures. But can I say that my camera is covered in fudge!

These Molten Lava Cookies are from my friend Pip and Ebby’s new cookbook Cookie Remix. It has over 75 beautiful cookie recipes that are original, tasty, and easy! It was so hard to pick just one cookie to share!

Molten Lava Cookie dough with fudge in centerIn the center of the dough, place a spoonful of  hot fudge.

Molten Lava Cookie Dough

Roll them in sugar for a crunchy bite.
Molten Lava Cookies on a baking sheet

Those crinkles make me happy just looking at them.Molten Lava Cookies in a hand

The infamous shot!

Molten Lava Cookies on a plate

How to Make Molten Lava Cookies Successfully:

1) Chilling your hot fudge helps with covering it with the dough.

2) The center of the Molten Lava Cookie looks like this right out of the oven but will stiffen up a bit after cooling. Don’t worry, the soft center will still be there.

3) Chilling the dough before baking helps the cookies hold their shape.

OTHER CHOCOLATE RECIPES:

Molten Lava Cookies on a plate

Molten Lava Cookies

4.20 from 10 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients

  • 3/4 (1 1/2 sticks) cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar, (you will need more for rolling later)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla, extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed ((see note))
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 12 ounce jar hot fudge sundae topping ((chill in the fridge for easier scooping))

Instructions
 

  • Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or large bowl with hand mixer), cream the butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat until creamy.
  • In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Gradually add to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Flatten dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for 2 hours.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Remove chilled dough. Scoop out 2 tablespoons of dough and flatten into a disk using your fingers. Place about 1 teaspoon of hot fudge topping in the center and wrap the dough tightly around it forming a ball. Repeat with remaining dough.
  • Pour granulated sugar (about 1 cup) into a small bowl and roll balls in the sugar. Place 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheet (they will spread). Bake for 10-11 minutes or until cookies center is cooked through. Let cookies cool on baking sheet. If you serve right away the centers will be gooey but will harden up a bit when cooled.

Notes

Start with 2 cups of flour and add 2 tablespoons at a time if the dough is too soft. The dough will need to be sturdy enough to be handled. Source: Cookie Remix by Pip and Ebby (Megan Porta), Page Street Publishing Co. 2018; printed with permission from the author
Course: Dessert
Author: Christy Denney
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Christy Denney
Christy is the voice behind The Girl Who Who Ate Everything! She is no stranger to making meals that kids and adults will love. She grew up in Mesa, Arizona as the youngest of ten kids. She can always be found in her kitchen with music playing and cooking with her kids. She published her first cookbook in 2014. She loves party food that gets the conversations going!
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