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Cooking desserts in a slow cooker may not be how you would commonly think of making desserts but slow cooking dessert recipes are delicious and easy to make. Slow cooker recipes, such as slow cooker banana bread and slow cooker carrot cake are desserts you would generally bake in a conventional oven but these recipes have been adapted to cook in a slow cooker and turn out moist and delicious. Slow cooking dessert recipes are great to use during those hot summer days when you do not want to heat up the house by using your oven. There are also some slow cooking dessert recipes that are perfect for those cold winter nights when you want to serve a warm dessert. Slow cooker desserts recipes can be used anytime of the year.
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| Slow Cooker Rice Pudding with Raspberry Sauce | |||
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Pudding:
Generously butter the inside of the crock from a 3 qt slow cooker. Butter the crock at least half way up the sides. | |
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Add the drained rice, sugar, milk, and evaporated milk to the buttered crock and stir to mix. | |
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Cover the slow cooker and turn on high for 1 hour and then turn down to low and cook for 3 to 4 additional hours. Or, cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. | |
The pudding should be stirred a couple of times during the last 2 hours of cooking. The pudding is done when the rice is tender and most of the milk has been absorbed. If the pudding becomes too thick before the rice is done, a little more warmed milk can be added. | ||
Sauce: Prepare the raspberries by rinsing gently under cold water. Then spread them out on dry paper towels and pick out any damaged or blemished berries. |
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| Put the berries in a 2 quart slow cooker and add the water, sugar, and lemon juice. |
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| Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. |  | |
| After an hour, the raspberries should be very soft, if not, replace the cover and continue to cook longer. |  | |
| If berries are done, remove them from the slow cooker and mash with a fork until they are puréed. |  | |
| Then press the pureed berries through a strainer to create a smooth sauce. The sauce can then be refrigerated until you are ready to use. When done, taste the sauce for sweetness. If necessary, add a little more sugar to sweeten the sauce to desired taste. |  | |
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When the pudding is done, serve in individual bowls and top with the raspberry sauce. | |
| Slow Cooker Apple and Cinnamon Bread Pudding | |||
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Peel and core the apples. Slice and cut into triangles. | |
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Melt the butter and pour it in the bottom of a 2 to 3 quart casserole or baking dish that fits into the crock of the slow cooker. | |
Note: If you do not have a baking dish or casserole that will fit in the slow cooker you are using, look for a foil pan in the baking section of the supermarket. They have many sizes and shapes to choose from and they are flexible so it is sometimes easier to get them to fit. The one shown is round and has been bent slightly to give it an oval shape to fit the slow cooker. They are very inexpensive and can be tossed when done, making for easy clean up. | ||
| Combine 3 tbsp. of brown sugar and 3/4 tsp. of cinnamon and sprinkle over the bottom of the casserole. |  | |
| Add the cut up apples to the casserole, distributing evenly. |  | |
| In a separate bowl, add the eggs, milk and apple juice. Whisk mixture to blend. |
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| Add in the balance of the brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir in the torn bread pieces. |  | |
| Pour the bread mixture into the casserole dish on top of the apples. Spread out evenly. |  | |
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Place a rack, trivet or crumpled aluminum foil in the bottom of the slow cooker crock and add 1 cup of hot water. | |
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Place the casserole dish on top of the rack, place the cover on the slow cooker and turn it on high. Cook for 3 to 4 hours. | |
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A knife should come out clean when inserted into the middle of the bread pudding. | |
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Serve while warm topped with whipped cream or ice cream. | |
| Slow Cooker Baked Caramel Apples | |||
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| Wash and core the apples. Peel approximately 1 inch of peeling from the top. |  | |
| Set the apples in the bottom of a 3 or 4 quart slow cooker and pour the apple juice over them. |
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| In the center of each apple, place 2 tbsp. of brown sugar, 3 cinnamon candies, 1 tbsp. of margarine, and 2 caramels. |  | |
| After the apples have been stuffed, sprinkle the top of each apple lightly with the cinnamon. |
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Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. | |
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When done, the apples should be tender when poked with a fork. | |
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Serve while still warm with a scoop of ice cream. The apples can also be eaten on their own. |
| Slow Cooker Carrot Cake | |||
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Prepare carrots by peeling and grating. Set grated carrots aside until needed. | |
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In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar, eggs, water and vegetable oil together. Add the flour, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Blend just long enough to blend all ingredients. | |
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Stir the grated carrots in by hand until they are evenly distributed. | |
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Grease the inside of the crock for a 3 quart slow cooker. Pour in the batter and spread out evenly on the bottom of the greased crock. | |
| Place four or five paper towels over the top of the crock and cover. Turn slow cooker on low and cook for 2 to 3 hours. |  | |
| The cake is done when firm in the middle. Check by inserting a toothpick in the center. If done, the toothpick should come out clean. |  | |
| Remove the crock from the slow cooker and place on a rack to cool before serving. |
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| Cut pieces and remove from the crock. Serve with whipped topping. Or, if desired, a cream cheese frosting could be made and spread on the carrot cake after it cools. |  |
| Slow Cooker Banana Bread | |||
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Grease and flour a loaf pan and set aside. | |
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Peel the banana and mash them with a fork. Set the mashed bananas aside until needed. | |
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In a mixing bowl, cream the shortening, sugar, and eggs together until fluffy. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and beat until well blended. | |
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Stir the mashed banana into the batter by hand. Stir until they are well distributed. | |
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After stirring in the bananas, pour the batter into the greased and floured loaf pan. | |
| Cover the loaf pan with foil. Tent the foil so that it will leave room for the bread to rise. Seal the foil around the edges of the pan. The foil will help keep the bread moist as it is cooking. |  | |
| Place a rack or trivet on the bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker so that the pan does not sit on the bottom. If you do not have a rack or trivet that fits, crumple aluminum foil up and place on the bottom of the slow cooker. |  | |
| Place the pan in the slow cooker. The foil or rack in the bottom of the slow cooker will allow the heat to circulate all around the loaf pan for more even cooking. |  | |
| Cover and turn on high. Cook for 2 to 3 hours. Do not remove cover or check for doneness before 2 hours. After 2 hours, check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the loaf. The toothpick will come out clean if the bread is done. |  | |
| If the bread is not done, leave the foil off the loaf pan, cover the crock with a paper towel and place the cover back on the slow cooker. |  | |
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Cook for another 30 minutes and check again for doneness. When the bread is done, allow it to cool for 10 minutes and then remove it from the loaf pan. | |
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The banana bread can be sliced and served warm or allowed to cool before serving. |
