Crumbl Molten Lava Cookies

These Crumbl Molten Lava Cookies are a deep chocolate cookie with a gooey hot fudge center and dusted with powdered sugar. They are delicious decadent and are the perfect dessert recipe for all chocolate lovers! 

For more delicious copycat Crumbl recipes that feature a delicious chocolate cookie base, try my Crumbl Brownie Batter Cookies, Crumbl Hostess Cupcake Cookies, and Crumbl Chocolate Cake ft. Heath Cookies! 

Why This Recipe Works

• Packed with hot fudge. I definitely didn’t skimp on the hot fudge centers of these molten lava cookies! I wanted the centers to be ultra fudgy and gooey! When baked and enjoyed slightly warm or at room temperature, the hot fudge is warm and super yummy! 
• Deep chocolate cookie. This recipe uses Dutch process cocoa powder for a deep chocolate flavor and a deep color! 
• Dusted with powdered sugar. The finishing touches of the powdered sugar on top really makes these Crumbl molten lava cookies look just like mini molten lava cakes! 

Ingredient Notes

• Brown Sugar: I used light brown sugar, but you could use dark brown sugar if you wanted. The difference between light brown sugar and dark brown sugar is that dark has more molasses, making the flavor and color deeper. 
• Light Corn Syrup: The little bit of light corn syrup makes a world of difference in keeping the molten lava cookies soft. 
• Flour: Getting the flour-to-butter ratio is crucial in getting the proper cookie texture.
• Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder: You may be wondering if you can use unsweetened cocoa powder or natural cocoa powder. The answers to all your cocoa powder questions can be found at my Best Cocoa Powder for Baking guide. 
• Cornstarch: The cornstarch adheres to the liquid in the hot fudge cookies, helping retain moisture. This is what makes these cookies stay moist! 
• Baking Soda: If you’ve read my cocoa powder guide, you may be wondering why I chose baking soda here instead of baking powder since we are using Dutch process cocoa powder. When you understand the rules and roles of each ingredient, you can purposefully break the rules to get a desired result. Using baking soda will keep the cookies a bit denser and not as fluffy or cakey as you’d get with baking powder. 
• Hot Fudge Sauce: Be sure to chill the hot fudge sauce prior to using it in this Crumbl molten lava recipe. This will make scooping the fudge much easier. 
• Powdered Sugar: Dusting each molten lava cookie with powdered sugar makes them look just like a molten lava cake! 

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Portion and freeze the hot fudge. Using a 1 tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, portion the hot fudge and place on a wax paper-lined plate. Freeze for 10-20 minutes or until firm. 
2. Cream the wet ingredients. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the eggs, corn syrup, and vanilla extract then mix until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed so everything is incorporated. 
3. Add the dry ingredients. Add the flour, cocoa, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix until the dough comes together.
4. Portion into dough balls. Using a 1/4 cup, portion into round balls. Using a tablespoon, made and indentation in the center of each ball. 

5. Add the frozen hot fudge. Fill each cookie indentation with a ball of frozen hot fudge and pull the cookie dough around it until it is completely covered. 

6. Bake. Place 6 molten lava cookie dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Gently press down on each ball to create a thick disk. Bake in an oven preheated to 350°F for 10-11 or until the edges are set and the centers are no longer shiny. 

7. Let cool and dust with powdered sugar. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Recipe Tips

Freezing the hot fudge will help it not be so sticky, making it easier to stuff the cookies.

You can use homemade hot fudge sauce or store bought.

When combining the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, do not over mix. Over mixing at this stage will make the cookie dough tough, affecting the bake. 

For more information on the different types of cocoa powders, when to use them and why, read my post on the Best Cocoa Powder for Baking! 

Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing

Store the molten lava cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-6 days. 

When trying to figure out how to store Crumbl cookies, just ask yourself if any element of the cookie would need to be refrigerated.

After storing, microwave the hot fudge stuffed cookies for 10 seconds to get the hot fudge nice and gooey inside! 

If making ahead of time, you can freeze the hot fudge balls in advance, just remember to transfer them to an airtight container and store in the freezer.

You can make the cookie dough in advanced and let it chill in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Remove and let come to room temperature to portion into balls. 

To freeze, once the cookie dough is stuffed with the frozen hot fudge sauce, gently flatten into the thick disks. Then flash freeze on a baking sheet and transfer to an airtight container or Ziplock bag and freeze for 1-2 months. Remove and bake from frozen. You may need to add an additional minute or two onto the bake time. Just keep an eye on the cookies.

To freeze the cookies, let cool completely and wrap each cookie in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container or Ziplock bag in the freezer for 1-2 months. 

My post on Freezing Cookie Dough goes through everything you need to know about storing cookie dough, freezing cookie dough, and baking frozen cookie dough!

Recipe FAQs

More Crumbl Cookies

• Crumbl Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Crumbl Mint Brownie Cookies
• Crumbl Cosmic Brownie Cookies
• Crumbl Peppermint Bark Cookies
• Boston Cream Pie Cookies