PROTEIN CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKES FOR TWO

Nothing says love like chocolate cake. 

Every year, I try to make something special for a loved one at a special moment or at any moment, as I wish—and each year it has to top the year before. That's not always an easy task. As you may remember, sometime ago I served up protein truffles that rivaled the store-bought brand. Simply put, those truffles were amazing!

But this year I wanted to go above and beyond. I want to make something to melt my significant other's heart while setting my own heart on fire. 

The result: this lava cake recipe! It's a serious game-changer, and I doubt you've tasted anything like it before. It's just as delicious, gooey, and rich as regular lava cake, yet it's markedly lower in calories, higher in protein, gluten-free, and jam-packed with nutritional goodness. It's protein wizardry at its finest.

So, please, make this recipe and share it. Surprise your loved one with it. Blindfold them, bring them to a candlelit table, sit them down, and watch their eyes widen as you reveal this dessert dish. Or put it on a tray and enjoy the cakes in bed. Do what you please with them! Just be warned: Whoever you make them for will likely love you forever.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chocolate whey protein powder
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/4 cup oats (gluten-free or regular)
• 1 whole large egg
• 1/4 cup almond or coconut milk
• 2-3 tbsp crystallized coconut nectar or plain coconut sugar (I used 19 g)

Directions

1. Using a handheld blender or food processor, blend all ingredients together until you get a creamy batter.
2. Pour the mix into two silicone baking pods or regular souffle dishes. Just bear in mind that, if you're using souffle dishes, you'll have to butter them so the mix doesn't stick.
3. Bake at 356 F (180 C) for no more than 4 minutes. You want the top to be cooked but the center to be gooey, so check on you cakes after 3 minutes and assess accordingly.
4. As soon as they're ready, carefully remove them from the mold and turn them upside down on a plate.
5. Top with strawberries, cream, MCT powder, or just enjoy them solo!

Note: You can also just cook the mix inside silicone muffin tins! Obviously they won't look like lava cakes, but they'll be pretty delicious.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size: 1 cake
Recipe yields: 2 cakes

Amount per serving

Calories 357

Total Fat21 g

Total Carbs19 g

Protein23 g