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EmailI’m beginning to think that I have an unnatural obsession with brownies. First, I told you about hiding black beans in them. Next, I stuffed zucchini into brownies. This time, I won’t play with ingredients—instead, I will offer a rather undervalued baking method. As it turns out, you can make brownies in your slow cooker. But is it worth it?
In a large bowl, I combined 1 cup of natural peanut butter, 1/2 cup of sugar, and 1/4 cup of softened butter. In went 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. I sprinkled in some ground flax seed (optional) and then added a little more than 1/2 cup of flour, plus 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder. For good measure (although I didn’t measure), I threw in what I had left of semisweet chocolate chips, probably about 3/4 cup. After coating the slow cooker with nonstick olive oil spray, I evenly spread the batter. Using a wooden spoon, I propped open the slow cooker lid and flipped the switch to high.
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Slow Cooker Brownies: Sure, they were delicious, but worth the extra time?
After an hour and a half, I checked on the brownies. Not done. Twenty more minutes on the timer. Still not done. Fifteen more minutes on the timer. Still not done? After 3 hours, I decided that this tired mom had to get to bed, so I turned off the slow cooker and hit the sheets.
Despite my haste in getting to bed (forgive me, I have a 2-1/2-year-old!), the brownies were very good. More fudgy than cakelike, but definitely tasty. After the initial shock of “You made brownies . . . in what?” wore off, the reviews went like this: “Moist and chewy and very peanut-buttery.” “Great for kids, but adults might find themselves addicted, too!” “Dangerously delicious!”
But I wonder: What is the point? Yes, I do enjoy using my slow cooker, but I harbor no ill will toward my oven. I could have turned out equal deliciousness in only 30 minutes!
Do you “bake” in your slow cooker? Tell us how and why. We’d love to hear from you!
Sarah, our Senior Associate Editor, joined The Old Farmer's Almanac in 2003. If not outside with her husband and son enjoying a kayak trip down the Saco River or skiing in the White Mountains, you'll find her baking sweet treats in the kitchen.
Comments
That sounds like a healthy
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By whitespider
That sounds like a healthy brownie! The last thing I made in the slow cooker was spaghetti sauce with ground turkey. First I browned the meat on high (it was frozen when I put it in there.) Then I added the garlic and onion, and later the wine and then tomato sauce. That worked out well and didn't require as much supervision as the stove top.
Regardless of if you make
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By Emily Adamson
Regardless of if you make this recipe in a slow cooker or in the oven, I love that you added peanut butter and flax to it! Plus, who doesn't love a fudgy texture? I can't wait to try these brownies!
This sounds like a great idea
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By Kat21
This sounds like a great idea since i also prefer fudgie brownies, do you need to tweak ratios or ingrediants any for it to work in the crock pot vs. The oven?
After experimenting with
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By Sarah Perreault
After experimenting with brownies, I tried a slow cooker pancake. My family really enjoyed that one. Make pancake batter, dump it into a buttered slow cooker and flip the switch to high. It took 2.5 hours in my 4.5 qt slow cooker. Yum!
I live on the Arizona desert
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By Rhubarbgranny
I live on the Arizona desert so turning my oven on in the summer is out of the question, but I bake a chocolate cake that is to die for in my crock pot. It takes about 3 hours for it to get done, but the end product is more than worth the wait. I'm going to try your brownie's this next summer, you can never get too much chocolate.
Please send me your chocolate
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By tanya
Please send me your chocolate cake recipe for crockpot? How do you get the cake to slide out whole? Thanks Tanya
The reason the edges of you
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By AllenButcher
The reason the edges of you brownies get crispy, is because the sides heat up faster(due to the metal pan), causing the moisture to evaporate faster, thus drying them out. In a slow cooker, the whole cooker is at an even temperature so everything in it will cook the same. to counter this in an oven, you can put your pan in a another pan, with water in it and cover the baking pan with foil. You will get a similar effect, but it is not fool proof.
You can stretch a wet jogging
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By Diane Sullivan
You can stretch a wet jogging headband around the outside edge of the pan for a more even cooking
Or, just do what my wife does
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By AllenButcher
Or, just do what my wife does and just eat the brownies from the middle...lol.
I like my brownies fudgy
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By KenC
I like my brownies fudgy (sp?) and I often get those hard edges which, for me, makes the outside brownies fairly unappetizing. Does this method cook them more evenly so that the brownies have a similar consistency from edge to center? If so, I would consider the method worthwhile.
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