Whether you're looking for a quick dessert to spoil the family, or a tasty after-dinner treat for your dinner guests, look no further than these microwave chocolate pots. They are an indulgent chocolate pudding with a soft squidgy centre yet they take only 30 seconds to cook in the microwave.
This recipe for microwave chocolate pots is based on my one-cup chocolate cake recipe which I posted as a bonus recipe in this post for a black forest trifle.
I've scaled the recipe down to make individual chocolate pots, and added a teaspoon of hazelnut Nutella which forms a delicious squidgy centre to the cake, almost like a chocolate lava cake.
The recipe itself is super easy - if you make it once, you'll remember it forever. All it takes is one tablespoon of each of the ingredients plus an extra tablespoon of water.
And you don't even need a mixing bowl or a wooden spoon. I mixed the ingredients directly into individual ramekins, using the handle of a tablespoon to stir them!
Then it's into the microwave for 30 seconds and your chocolate pots are ready to serve. You can't get quicker than that!
And what you end up with is an indulgent chocolate pudding with a light-as-a-feather chocolate sponge cake and a deliciously gooey centre. Yummy!
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Ingredients
These are the ingredients you will need.
- Self-raising flour - if you only have plain or alll-purpose flour, add ⅛ teaspoon or 2 pinches of baking powder to help the cake rise.
- Cocoa powder - this is unsweetened cocoa powder. In the UK you can buy 'drinking chocolate' which is sweetened. I wouldn't advise using that as it will make the cake too sweet.
- Brown sugar - this adds an additional caramel taste. I used dark brown sugar but you could use Demarara or even white granulated sugar.
- Oil - I used sunflower oil - canola makes a good substitute but I wouldn't use olive oil as the flavour is too strong.
- Water - if you prefer using milk you can do so. It will give a slightly creamier taste.
- Nutella - this is for the gooey centre of the cake. You could use Biscoff spread instead, or a teaspoon of caramel condensed milk or dulce de leche for even more indulgence.
You can find the exact ingredient measurements on the printable recipe card at the end of this post. However, to make it easy for you to remember the recipe you will need one level tablespoon of everything except for the water (which is 2 tablespoons) and the Nutella, which is one heaped teaspoon.
Instructions
I'm showing you the instructions for making one chocolate pot. If you want to make a few of them, my top tip would be to line up all your pots, measure the ingredients into each one, stir until there are no lumps and then microwave them individually.
Step 1: Measure all the ingredients into your container.
Step 2: Use the handle of a tablespoon to mix the ingredients until they are well combined and form a smooth batter.
Step 3: Add a teaspoon of your chosen filling (Nutella, Biscoff etc). Do not mix.
Step 4: Microwave on full power for 30 seconds. I have a 900-watt microwave - the time for different wattage microwaves will vary by a few seconds.
Tips for a perfect outcome
Here are my top tips to ensure your microwave chocolate pots turn out perfectly every time.
- When adding the ingredients to your baking dishes, add the water and oil before adding the dry ingredients. This will ensure that the dry ingredients get fully incorporated and don't stick to the bottom of the dish.
- I use the handle of a tablespoon to mix the ingredients because it is nice and thin and fits easily into the container.
- When adding the Nutella or Biscoff, you don't need to cover it with the batter. Just dollop it in the middle of the pudding. The cake will rise and cover it as it cooks.
- Different microwaves cook at different times. for a 900-watt microwave, 30 to 35 seconds is sufficient. A lower-wattage microwave will take a few seconds longer and a higher-wattage microwave will take a few seconds less. Set your microwave for a shorter time - you can always put the chocolate pot back for another few seconds.
- The cake will be cooked when it is no longer wet on top.
Serving suggestions
You can serve these chocolate pots plain or make a quick custard to pour into the ramekin on top of the cake. Tip - use shop-bought custard powder and follow the instructions on the container, or simply buy a carton of ready-made custard. (This is supposed to be a quick and easy dessert 🙂 ).
If you're serving them to dinner guests, why not top them with a strawberry or a dollop of whipped double cream (or both)?
Equipment
In the UK we can buy ready-made desserts made by Gui, which come in small individual glass containers. These are the ideal size to use for this recipe. If you don't have these you can use small ramekins. The cake mixture itself is about half a cup (120 ml) in volume so ensure your container is around 1 cup in size to allow for the cake to rise.
If you have some small coffee mugs you could even use those for making the cake.
Storage
I haven't tried freezing these chocolate pots because they are so quick to make - so I can't advise on this.
If you want to get ahead and prepare the chocolate pots in advance you can do this the day before you intend to bake them and store them in the refrigerator with a covering of cling film. Remove the cling film and pop them into the microwave just before you are ready to serve them.
Note - if you do make the chocolate pots in advance and cook them straight from the refrigerator you may need to add a few seconds to the cooking time to allow for the cold temperature.
FAQ
Yes, this recipe can be doubled. I doubled the ingredients to make the pudding in the small blue and white cup shown in the pictures. The cooking time was 55 seconds in the microwave on full power.
Yes, if you want to make a batch of these chocolate pots, measure the ingredients by tablespoon into a mixing bowl and use a balloon whisk or hand-mixer to combine. Divide the mixture equally between your ramekins and add the Nutella or Biscoff.
Save for later
If you want to make these microwave chocolate pots why not save the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click on the image below.
Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.
Related recipes
Visit my cakes, biscuits and dessert recipes page for more delicious and easy desserts. Here are a few you might enjoy:
📋The recipe
30-second microwave chocolate pots
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- 1 small ramekin approx 175 ml or ¾ cup in size
- 1 spoon for mixing
- 1 Microwave this recipe was made and tested in a 900-watt recipe.
- 1 set measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 1 tablespoon sunflower or canola oil
- 1 tablespoon self-raising flour or use plain flour with ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon Nutella or Biscoff spread
Instructions
- Measure all the ingredients except the Nutella into a small ramekin in the order listed.2 tablespoons cold water, 1 tablespoon sunflower or canola oil, 1 tablespoon self-raising flour, 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- Use the handle of a tablespoon to mix the ingredients until they are well combined and form a smooth batter.
- Add a teaspoon of your chosen filling to the centre of the batter. Do not mix.1 teaspoon Nutella or Biscoff spread
- Microwave on full power for 30 seconds. I have a 900-watt microwave - the time for different wattage microwaves will vary by a few seconds.
- Serve plain, or decorate with whipped cream and/or strawberries. This dessert can be eaten either hot or cold.
Notes
- When adding the ingredients to your baking dishes, add the water and oil first before adding the dry ingredients. This will ensure that the dry ingredients get fully incorporated and don't stick to the bottom of the dish.
- I use the handle of a tablespoon to mix the ingredients because it is nice and thin and fits easily into the container.
- When adding the Nutella or Biscoff, you don't need to cover it with the batter. Just dollop it in the middle of the pudding. The cake will rise and cover it as it cooks.
- Different microwaves cook at different times. for a 900-watt microwave, 30 to 35 seconds is sufficient. A lower-wattage microwave will take a few seconds longer and a higher-wattage microwave will take a few seconds less. Set your microwave for a shorter time - you can always put the chocolate pot back for another few seconds.
- The cake will be cooked when it is no longer wet on top.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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VJ
5 minutes, strawberries and chocolate. Need I say more? This is the perfect quick and easy dessert!