December 14, 2025

Vegan Molten Chocolate Lava Cookies

There’s not much better than a tender chocolate cookie- unless we could somehow add more chocolate… That’s the general idea behind these chocolate lava cookies, which are filled with a creamy, silky ganache center. They are solid at room temperature, but with just 10 seconds in the microwave the ganache inside is transformed into a reserve of molten chocolate lava. In case you needed a little more cocoa, we’ve topped our cookies with crunchy, bitter cocoa nibs. So weather your caroling out in the snow, or curled up by the fire, these beautiful vegan triple chocolate cookies will help keep you cozy and festive.

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A Holiday Cookie for 2025

We are finally reaching the end of 2025, and despite the year we’ve had I’m feeling festive. Gifts are handmade, and cheer comes from the little things- listening to carols on the radio, the promise of seeing family, and enjoying the lights being strung around the neighborhood. Really, it’s what the holiday season should feel like. But I’ve been making a vegan holiday cookie recipe every year since 2017, and I knew right away that this year needed to be chocolate. For a lot of reasons. Chocolate is what many of us go to when we’ve had a crappy day. Selfishly, chocolate is my favorite sweet. Chocolate is what warms you up after a dementor attack (sorry for the Harry Potter reference, #translivesmatter), and hot chocolate is what warms you up after a freezing day of sledding. Chocolate isn’t grown in the United States, and without international trade and immigration we wouldn’t have it. And just like these cookies, I feel that the current US social climate is about 10 seconds in the microwave away from a total meltdown. With the struggle over healthcare, rising food costs, soaring billionaire wealth, increasing disregard for climate change and the future of the planet, the demonization of federal workers, trans people, immigrants, and basically any minority, along with the surge of AI into every crevasse of our lives, it’s hard to believe it’s only been a year since I made my last holiday cookie recipe. Of course, a chocolate cookie won’t make any of this better, but still it is needed. I hope that you and your family are still finding holiday cheer in the little things, are safe and healthy, and that chocolate cookies won’t be needed in 2026.

Looking for Holiday Cookies? Try one of these!

Craving Cocoa? Try one of these Chocolate Recipes!

Vegan Chocolate Lava Cookies Tips and Tricks

If you do not have plant-based cream (we used the Country Crock brand), you may use 1/4 cup coconut oil melted with 1/2 cup of plant-based milk as an alternative.
In order to have a chance at wrapping the cookie dough around the chocolate ganache centers, it is necessary that the ganache truffles have fully cooled in the fridge. Otherwise you’ll have a sticky, chocolaty mess on your hands (literally).
While these cookies can be made all in one day, they are well suited to be a two day process. This allows you to make your ganache on the first day, and let it cool in the fridge overnight before cookie making the next day.
This cookie dough recipe comes together easily in one bowl- I recommend using your stand mixer if you have one, but a hand mixer or a lot of elbow grease can also get it done.
The optional garnish on these cookies are cocoa nibs, which although I listed as optional are highly recommended. They are pressed on top of the cookies before baking, and once cooled add a bit of bitterness and crunch to each bite of chocolaty goodness. Plus, they look pretty!
After the cookies come out of the oven they will be pretty delicate for a long time- hours, likely- until the ganache centers firm up. Make sure you handle them delicately until they’ve fully cooled and solidified, transferring them with a wide spatula, or they’ll break open on you.
These cookies are solid at room temperature, with a creamy, silky, ganache center. If microwaved for about 10 seconds, the center turns into a runny chocolate “lava” ganache. I honestly really enjoy these cookies both ways, but the room temperature ones are certainly a bit tidier.
My original version of these cookies actually included a single teaspoon of ketchup to get a deeper, umami flavor in the cookies. It’s just a subtle background not and I promise, it doesn’t taste like tomatoes! In the end I omitted it from the final recipe, as I didn’t feel like it made enough difference to be worth the extra ingredient but feel free to give it a shot and let me know!

Vegan Molten Chocolate Lava Cookies

Yield: 13 cookies

Ingredients

For the Ganache Centers

8 oz. vegan chocolate
3/4 cup plant-based cream (see notes for alternative)
Cocoa powder, for dusting

For the Cookies

1/2 cup vegan butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. plant-based milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
pinch of salt
1/3 cup cocoa nibs (optional, for the tops)

Instructions

Start with the Ganache Centers. Finely chop or grate the chocolate the chocolate and place in a large, heat-safe bowl. Add the plant-based cream to a small saucepan, and heat, stirring it often, until it is just about to boil. Remove from the heat before it boils, although you should have some steam. Pour it over the chocolate and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
After waiting for the chocolate to melt, use a silicone spatula to stir the mixture well until the cream and chocolate are all combined and silky. Give it a few minutes and you’ll get there. Place it in the fridge to harden, at least 2 hours, but ideally longer.
Once the chocolate is set, get ready to roll the center of your cookies. Prepare a small bowl with cocoa powder and place to the side. Use a small cookie scoop (about 1 1/2 Tbsp) to scoop out pieces of chocolate. Place the truffle in the cocoa powder, and toss to coat. Repeat until all the ganache is used up. Place in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 30 more minutes to cool.
Now move on to the cookies. Preheat the oven to 350F (175C), line a baking tray with parchment paper, and set aside. Combine the vegan butter and vegan sugar in a stand mixer or large bowl, and beat until fluffy, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Add your plant-based milk and vanilla, and mix to incorporate. Finally add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix until a thick, dark batter has formed.
Take your ganache centers from the fridge. If you are using cocoa nibs, place some in a shallow bowl and set aside. Scoop out about 2 Tbsp. of cookie batter (I used that same small cookie scoop, but over-filled) and flatten into a thin circle in the palm of your hand. Place a ganache ball in the center of it, and bring the sides of the cookie up to completely enclose the center in cookie. Flatten your cookie somewhat into a hockey-puck shape. If using nibs, gently press the top of your cookie into them and lift away, placing nib side up on the cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining cookies, leaving at least 2 inches of room between them, and working in batches as needed. Bake for 11-13 minutes, until the cookies have flattened a little. Remove from the oven, but do not move the cookies from the pan right away as they are very delicate at this stage. After 5 minutes, use a spatula to transfer to a cooling rack (make sure you are supporting the bottom, as the centers of your cookies will still be molten and very delicate. Allow to cool fully before handling, and then store in an air-tight container.
For chocolaty cookies with a creamy ganache center, enjoy at room temperature. For cookies with a molten chocolate lava center, microwave for about 10 seconds, then enjoy and have napkins handy.

Notes

If you do not have plant-based cream, you may use 1/4 cup coconut oil melted with 1/2 cup of plant-based milk as an alternative.

https://veryveganval.com/2025/12/14/vegan-molten-chocolate-lava-cookies/

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