I hosted a caroling party last year and made mulled wine in the slow cooker to give my adult guests a little “liquid courage” for their public singing debut. The smells from the cloves, cinnamon and orange juice made the house smell so wonderful and warm.
That got me thinking: what other greatness can I make in the slow cooker?
Little did I know, there are literally hundreds of no-fuss slow cooker dessert recipes, and the holidays are the perfect time to try them.
Here are 10 holiday sweets to try in the slow cooker:
This super easy recipe uses store-bought cinnamon roll dough rings, which are halved, flattened and rolled into balls around a cream cheese, canned pumpkin, pumpkin spice and sugar filling.
Put the balls into the slow cooker after drizzling with a melted butter/brown sugar mixture and cook on high for one to two hours.
The hardest part of this recipe is just peeling and coring the pears! After that’s done, slice the bottoms off the pears so they’ll stand up straight in the slow cooker. Top with orange juice, maple syrup, cardamom pods, sliced fresh ginger and cinnamon sticks. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream!
This delicious candy recipe from country music star Tricia Yearwood requires only a few simple steps. Layer the slow cooker with dry roasted, salted peanuts and layer with squares of sweet chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate chips and white almond bark.
Who knew you could make Rice Krispy treats in the slow cooker?
Just melt the marshmallows and butter for an hour or so in the slow cooker. Then add rice cereal, pistachios and dried cranberries for a colorful and delicious holiday spin. Form into balls and set on a pan to cool.
Step one: buy some angel cake from the store because who has time to bake? Then make this decadent cherry sauce in the slow cooker with frozen pitted, unsweetened black cherries, cherry-apple cider, brown sugar, quick-cooking tapioca and amaretto. Ladle your sauce over the cake slices and you’re done!
Mix together eight simple ingredients like canned, solid-packed pumpkin, biscuit mix, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and eggs. Then cook the mixture in the slow cooker on low for about six to seven hours. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
This easy cake is right up my alley!
Mix together all cake ingredients and pour into the greased slow cooker, cooking on high for two hours. Then allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes in the slow cooker. Scoop out and serve with vanilla ice cream.
I can smell this dessert recipe while I’m writing about it!
Toss peeled and sliced tart apples with nutmeg and cinnamon, and place them in a greased slow cooker. Add a layer of mixed milk, butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and baking mix then top with a dry layer of biscuit mix, brown sugar, almond slices and butter. Cook on low for six to eight hours — and yum. How wonderful does your house smell?!
This dessert brings the wow factor to the table — just watch the recipe’s video!
Make the stuffing from eight simple ingredients including dried chopped cranberries, toasted walnuts and rolled oats. Then hollow out the core from six firm baking apples (being careful not to hollow the sides or the bottoms).
Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup and vanilla ice cream—amazing!
This dessert is every bit as easy as it is irresistible.
Fudge brownie mix, butter, eggs and water are mixed together and poured in a greased slow cooker. Mix in chopped hazelnuts. Cover the mixture with dollops of hazelnut spread then add a layer of cocoa powder and sugar mixed with hazelnut liqueur and boiling water. Cook on high for two hours, and let the pudding cool before serving so that the cake will set.
Make some of these desserts this holiday, and you’ll be giving your guests a sensory explosion as soon as they walk through your door. Just tell them you’re making edible potpourri!
