Review: Slow Cooker Desserts

Slow cookers are fantastic for preparing a meal with minimal effort, but did you know you can also make desserts in them? It definitely didn’t occur to me that there would be enough different recipes to be made in a slow cooker to fill an entire cookbook, but today I present proof that it’s possible. This Slow Cooker Desserts cookbook contains a list of recipes which includes cakes, cheesecakes, cobblers and other fruit desserts, brownies and bars, and even puddings. There’s even an emergency desserts section for when preparing something with fresh ingredients is not permitted by time.  Just think, you could have one slow cooker making dessert, while the other does dinner. And then clean one out and set up breakfast for the next day! It’s a slow cooker bonanza.

My slow cooker is a 5 quart round, but the cookbook states that most recipes within are made in a 6 quart round slow cooker. Unfortunately, that meant there were several things I could not cook because I didn’t have the right sized equipment for it, such as a springform pan or a bread pan that fit into my slow cooker. Much to my dismay because I really wanted to try the banana bread. I also could only fit 3 ramekins on the inside instead of 4, but that’s my problem and has nothing to do with the quality of the cookbook.

First I made the Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars that have peanut butter mixed in a long with semisweet and milk chocolate chips. It was very quick to prepare but half the batch ended up burnt, even though I was home the entire time and checked on it constantly. The problem was that while I was hovering over my slow cooker, I knew the edges were burning but also saw that the middle was still very raw. The beginning of the cookbook states that all their recipes are made in a round 6 quart slow cooker unless otherwise indicated. At first I thought maybe that was the problem, but when I double checked the recipe it doesn’t indicate that it should be cooked in a smaller cooker. Maybe the fact that I used a 5 quart instead of a 6 was the problem? All I know is what was not burnt was very soft and delicious so I was disappointed to have to throw the bad parts away. I either need to buy another slow cooker or try baking it in an oven next time.

Next I decided to pick a recipe that couldn’t possibly go wrong – Bananas Foster. Again very easy to prepare and a quick cook time as far as slow cookers go, only 1 hour. The bananas got a nice golden color to them and were perfect on top of ice cream. I even toasted some coconut to sprinkle on top. It was divine. Of course since it cooked in the slow cooker, less of the alcohol cooked off but I did not have any objections to it.

Since the first recipe I tried didn’t turn out so well, I decided to try out a third recipe – Mini Berry Cobblers. I didn’t have a trivet that fit into the bottom of my slow cooker, but I used a small loaf pan and it was a fair substitute. Only later did I realize that they mentioned you could also use a ring of foil. But they turned out great and my apartment smelled glorious while they were cooking. The only bad part was that they dribbled a lot over the edges so they were a little messy to handle when taking them out, but sometimes the best tasting things as messy. I think these would be incredible with some ice cream melting on top of the hot cobbler straight out of the cooker.

Overall, I had a success rate of 2/3 for the recipes I tried, but I’m going to give the cookbook the benefit of the doubt on the cookie bars since my slow cooker can be temperamental sometimes. If you want some slow cooker dessert action going on, then this cookbook is for you. But as with most slow cooker recipes, not all slow cookers cook the same so it’s good to check up on it when you are trying a recipe for the first time.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this cookbook from Beth Cook Publicity. I was not compensated for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

One year ago: Reese’s Peanut Butter S’mores Cookies

Two years ago: King Pancakes