You might think that you can only use a slow cooker for savoury meals like casseroles, stews, chilli, bolognese. No, you can cook cakes and desserts in there too! I’ve put all my tips for baking in a slow cooker together for you right here.
Through some dedicated experimenting carried out in my kitchen over the past few years, I have found you can bake all kinds of cakes – from red velvet cake to chocolate cakes, and many more in between – as well as brownies, giant cookies and indulgent desserts like self-saucing puddings and steamed puddings, and even scones in the slow cooker.
Try baking in a slow cooker today and find out how easy it is!
Why Bake in a Slow Cooker?
For me, the benefits of baking in a slow cooker are:
- you can get on with other things at the same time
- it is less likely to burn due to the longer cooking time
- kids can help you, make it a fun activity
- you’ll be amazed at what is possible!
What Can You Bake in a Slow Cooker?
You can bake cakes, brownies, giant cookies or shortbreads, giant scones, oat bars like flapjacks, sponge cakes, upside down cakes, bread and butter (or french toast) puddings, self-saucing puddings which form their own layer of sauce under the sponge as they cook, steamed puddings, bread, crumbles, berry pies, the list goes on and on!
Baking in a slow cooker is a favourite pastime of mine and my blog is full of recipes for all of these and more. Check out my Slow Cooker Archives to find them, along with a lot of slow cooker main dishes too.
This is my Chocolate and Mint Aero Bubble Cake, which is proving rather popular.
Slow cooker Zebra cake is also popular, as is my giant Nutella scone and Banana and Nutella cake.
How Do You Bake in a Slow Cooker?
The basic idea is that you use the heat from direct contact with the slow cooker pot to bake your cake or whatever you want to bake. Imagine your slow cooker pot is like your baking tin.
As a very rough guide, bake your recipe by lining your slow cooker pot with baking paper/parchment, pouring in the mixture and cooking on high for about 1.5 hours, with a tea towel folded under the lid to catch drips.
I have a lot of great tips for baking in a slow cooker which I’ve discovered by baking a LOT of cakes and other things in my slow cooker over the years:
- To avoid burning, line the slow cooker pot first or put your bake in a silicone pan.
- If you can fit one in you can also put a metal cake tin (round or loaf tin) in your slow cooker pot, and bake your cake in that.
- To stop moisture from the slow cooker lid dripping onto your bake put a tea/dish towel under the lid. A few sheets of kitchen roll folded over will also do the same job.
- Check your cake during cooking and look out for burning. Use a cake tester to check if the centre is cooked.
- To get a brown crust on the top of your bread, turn the loaf several times over during cooking.
- For steamed puddings, an oven-safe pudding dish is ideal.
- Cook most slow cooker desserts on high.
- When making bread, prove your dough in the slow cooker by switching it on low, then when it has proved and risen, switch to high to bake your loaf.
- A round slow cooker will produce a round cake which you can slice in two and fill with frosting. But oval cakes are great too!
Make Brownies in Your Slow Cooker
One bake that is great for baking in a slow cooker is brownies – they are made for a gentle bake leaving the middle soft and fudgey and the outside crisp!
You are sure to enjoy my recipes for Peanut Swirl Brownies and Marshmallow Brownies.
These Cream Cheese Brownies are so tasty too, use look at that gooey fudgey centre!
As well as chocolate based brownies, you can also bake blondies (brownies made without chocolate or sometimes with white chocolate) in your slow cooker. My favourite are these gorgeous Cherry and Chocolate Blondies while my children go wild for the White Chocolate Oreo Blondies.
Make Cakes in Your Slow Cooker
My main tips for baking cakes in a slow cooker are to use a tea towel under the lid, cook for approx 1.5 hours on high and to make sure you check your cake during cooking regularly and look out for burning.
Use a cake tester or a skewer or a knife to check that the centre of your cake is cooked.
In this way, if you do find that your cake has caught on one side (perhaps your slow cooker has a hot spot), then you can turn the slow cooker dish around in the outer casing.
For a round slow cooker, just spin the dish around, or for an oval slow cooker, take the dish out and put it back in the other way around.
It is also important to get to know your slow cooker. They all bake at their own speed. For example, my oval slow cooker cooks a lot more slowly than my round slow cooker, so I can leave cakes or brownies etc baking in there for a bit longer than I would in my round slow cooker.
The slow cookers with a metal insert (sear and stew models for examples) will bake a cake much more quickly too.
Once you know how your slow cooker bakes then you can use the same timings for your next slow cooker bake. It is a good idea to still check your cake regularly though.
A 3.5 litre slow cooker is used for most of my cake recipes. You can see from the photos above and below that an oval slow cooker produces some tasty results.
A round slow cooker will make a deeper cake so you can split it in half and fill with frosting or jam.
Read my post on exactly how to make a cake in your slow cooker and then check out the list below which is just some of the slow cooker cake recipes you’ll find here.
- red velvet cake
- coconut and lime cake
- strawberry jam swirl bread
- white chocolate and lemon cake
- plum and almond cake
- Victoria sponge
- strawberry upside down cake
- raspberry and blueberry cake
- chocolate and coconut ‘Bounty’ cake
- chocolate scone rounds
- mixed berry sweet rolls
- Apricot Spelt loaf cake
- Blueberry Madeira cake
- Cherry cake
Make a Giant Cookie in Your Slow Cooker
While you couldn’t easily bake separate cookies in your slow cooker, you can bake a giant one to serve smothered in ice cream and chocolate sauce!
The ideal dessert for date night or to wow your family, the centre of the cookie stays soft like cookie dough and just makes you want to drool.
This recipe of mine has been ripped off by various US websites but for the original and best version right here, in metric measurements so no need to try and juggle with cup measurements, you are in the right place!!
In the slow cooker the giant cookies take about two to three hours to bake leaving you free to get on with other things and come back to an amazing dessert.
Slow cooker giant cookies you can find on the blog include the original Slow Cooker Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie, as well as a delicious Chocolate Orange Stuffed Cookie, Strawberry and Chocolate Chunk, and White Chocolate and Blueberry.
Make Scones in Your Slow Cooker
Individual scones won’t really work but who needs small scones when you can bake a giant scone in your slow cooker!
Whether a Giant Nutella Scone, Giant Chocolate Chip Scone, Giant Strawberry Scone or Giant Blueberry Cream Scone takes your fancy, I’ve got all the bases covered here.
Who says baking in a slow cooker is boring when you can make something like this!
Make Oat Bars and Flapjacks in Your Slow Cooker
Oat bars and flapjacks come out well in the slow cooker too.
Look for chocolate, cinnamon and raisin and mango and pumpkin seed oat bars on the blog.
Make Puddings in Your Slow Cooker
Self-saucing puddings are delicious sponge cakes with a mixture of boiling water plus sugar and flavouring poured over the top.
The sauce magically ends up below the sponge and creates a delicious sauce after baking.
They are ideal for baking in a slow cooker. You can go wild with flavour combinations, favourites of ours include pumpkin spice, chocolate, lemon and berry and coconut and lime.
Bread and butter puddings, that traditional favourite pud, also known as French Toast in the USA, can also be made with brioche, waffles, hot cross buns, panettone and whatever else you can think of really.
All of these can be sliced up and cooked with a simple custard in your crockpot.
Make it your goal this autumn and winter to try some new slow cooker desserts like these:
- chocolate orange self-saucing pudding
- lemon and berry self-saucing pudding
- lime and coconut self-saucing pudding
- chocolate waffle pudding
- Panettone bread and butter pudding
- Brioche and strawberry pudding
- Chocolate dumplings with chocolate sauce
- Oaty raspberry and apple crumble
Steamed puddings are another family favourite, especially when it gets colder. A rich sponge pudding topped with custard, ice cream or cream will helpp you make it through those cold winter days.
Using the slow cooker to make steamed puddings means you don’t need to watch your pan and make sure it doesn’t boil dry.
My cranberry and vanilla steamed pudding is delicious and festive.
So is my gingerbread pudding.
Why not try something new in your slow cooker and make a delicious sweet treat for your family to enjoy.
Make Berry Pie in Your Slow Cooker
What?! Yes you can even make a fruit-filled pie with a pastry crust in your slow cooker! The pastry even browns.
Find out more about this sorcery in my slow cooker berry pie recipe.
Make Bread in Your Slow Cooker
The slow cooker can also be used to prove and then bake bread. You can even get a brown crust!
Either yeasted bread or soda bread type recipes work really well. Cinnamon and raisin bread is one of our favourites, which I like to make at the weekend for an easy breakfast.
For a savoury bread which goes really well with your slow cooker main dishes, soda bread is a quick and easy loaf to make.
If you have more than one slow cooker you can cook your main meal and your bread side at the same time!
You’ll find recipes for all these slow cooker breads here:
- chocolate chip brioche
- pumpkin apple cinnamon sultana bread
- pesto twist loaf
- summer vegetable cheesy cornbread
- cinnamon and raisin bread
- spinach and feta focaccia
- mozzarella and herb soda bread (shown above)
- tomato and paprika bread
Want More Recipes for Baking in a Slow Cooker?
If you have now caught the slow cooker baking bug, make sure you check my slow cooker archives to find even more recipes! There’s a whole post on slow cooker fudge too.
I’d love you to subscribe to receive new posts by email, and don’t forget you can follow me on Social Media including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube and Pinterest!
Let me know if you have any questions about slow cooker cakes and bakes, and if you have any recipes you’d like to see I’d love to hear from you!
Pin my guide to slow cooker baking for later!
What a great idea, can’t wait to see more or your slow cooker bakes. Thanks for linking up to Sweet and Savoury Sunday, stop by and link up again. Happy Easter, have a great weekend!
When I have done slow cooker cakes in the past they have burnt slightly on the sides and bottom, how do I stop that from happening? I use a paper cake liner so I can get the cake out but I did not put butter on it as it was in the slow cooker
Hi Zoe, I’d try checking them earlier, maybe your slow cooker is quite hot and it doesn’t take long to be ready.
These look fabulous and can’t wait to try them all with the kids.
Never thought of making cakes in the slow cooker before. Thankyou.
You’re welcome, do try it!
Baking in a slow cooker?! What a great idea! One question I do have though, do you have to line the ceramic bowl with grease-proof paper to stop the cake from sticking?
Hi Ryan, yes for most things you do, see the recipes themselves. You don’t for the self-saucing puddings though. try it and be converted!
Hi Ryan, yes I normally do that or use a large cake case.
Would any of your cake recipes work with gluten free ingredients do you know ? Particularly interested in whether the brownie recipe would work. Love the idea so will give it a try
Hi, sorry I don’t know anything about gluten free baking so couldn’t say.
Hi, I made the Aero Bubble cake with gluten free flour & it worked very well – so I’m sure other cakes will work just as well 🙂
Hi Jen curious to know if u have tried any gluten free baking recipes in your slow cooker ? Am gluten intolerant and daughter coeliac so wanting to give it a go but have had many a baking disaster !
I made the mint aero bubble cake GF and it’s yummy
Great Helen!
I made the lime and coconut cake using gluten free flour for my son and it was lovely , a little crumblier than the normal one but delicious all the same
I see you’ve used a shallow, oval slow cooker, I have a deep, round bowl. Would it work the same?
Hi lucy, yes, it works the same, I have a round one too. You get a better shape too!
Hi,
How do you actually get the cake out? Do you just turn it upside down? X
Hi, I use the case or baking paper to pull it out usually, it is much easier.
Hi, what size slow cooker do you use? Mine is an 8 litre. Just wondering if this will make the cake too shallow? Really can’t wait to try the aero cake!
Hi Sarah, I use various but mainly 3.5 litre or 5.7 litre. In the big one I use a silicone case, see for example the cream cheese brownies recipe. I made the aero one in a 3.5 litre one, you could either double it for a humongous cake or put a,silicone or metal cake tin inside. Good luck!
Seeing all of your lovely slow cooker recipes really makes me want to buy a slow cooker! I really don’t have any room for one at the moment so I just drool over your delicious recipes!
Your blog will be the first place I come when I finally get a slow cooker!
Thanks Cat, they are really useful, you should definitely get one one day
They all look lovely. I have a Brownie recipe that doesn’t use eggs (due to allergies we can’t have them).Do you think it would work?
Hi, I don’t see why not! Give it a try. Most cakes etc seem to work out. Good luck!
Ooh can you share your eggless brownie recipe please? 🙂
Hi Seen your recipes and will definitely try them, however I only have a 1 1/2 litre slow cooker which is round so will I need to reduce ingredients or do you think it would be ok ?
Hi Jayne
That is quite small – I made a couple of cakes in a small slow cooker – a mini Victoria sponge and a chocolate coconut cake – I’d go with a 2 egg mixture for that size, and reduce other ingredients accordingly. watch out for burning in those small slow cookers!
Do you have a recipe for a normal sponge with sultannas/currants in – but not an actual ‘fruit cake’? Do you have to do anything to the dried fruit – like coat in flour??
Thanks
Wendy
Hi Wendy, you can just use a standard sponge recipe and add the dried fruit. I’d coat them in flour to stop them sinking. Then put in and cook for 1-2 hrs on high as usual.
Here’s an egg-free brownie recipe that was in the metro paper recently
http://deliciouslyella.com/recipe/vegan-sweet-potato-brownies-gluten-free/
Is it possible to convert slow cooker cakes for baking in a regular oven? I want to make one or two slow cooker cake recipes as muffins but not lose the slow cooker result (feel / texture). Thanks!
They are usually just standard recipes but done in the slow cooker, so I don’t think you’d be able to keep the texture unfortunately
Hi baking queen question I want to do a syrup spoung do I put it in a tin n grease proof paper or what thanks ?
Hi there, I’d just put your pudding basin in the slow cooker with some water around and cook like that
I have had a slow cooker for a long time and made EVERYTHING in it with great success. Never tried baking though, but to-day I will with confidence as I have not been disappointed yeti.
Great Margaret, I hope it goes well for you
Do you have a slimming world friendly cake or cookie for the slow cooker? Big ask I know, but thought it was worth asking xx
Hi there, sorry, I don’t know what you can have on Slimming World so have never made a recipe like that. Good luck!
Hi . I am having a go at making just a basic sponge in the slow cooker (first time and quite excited). Which setting do you choose, low, mefium or high and how long do you cook it for? Love your featured recipes
Hi Alison, use high and cook for approx 1.5 hrs until a knife/skewer cones out clean. See my page “making a cake in a slow cooker” for all the info. Glad you like my recipes!
Thats lovely. Thanks so mu
ch. Merry Christmas x
How do you amend the quantity / duration to make a recipe good for oven vs good for slow cooker
Hi Diane, do have a look at my other page “Make a cake in a slow cooker” in top menu which covers this.
I have baked bread for the first time in my slow cooker, it rose initially then during cooking the steam generated from the bread made it sink. Any idea how to stop it sinking.
Hi Jen, did you use a tea towel under the lid?
No, but I will try that next time. Thanks
Hi I’d like to try making jam sponge pudding in the slow cooker would you use grease proof paper around the edges xx
Hi Claire, you could make it in the same way as I made my cranberry pudding, in a bowl in the slow cooker.
Where have you been all my slow cooker life!? I’ve just discovered your website and want to start baking right this second. It’s 10:40pm not sure my husband would approve
Excellent stuff! Enjoy the recipes 🙂
Hi do i cover the cakes or not. With the lid or not
Hi Alan, yes lid on and sometimes I use a tea towel under the lid to stop drips going onto the cake.
Hi.
I’ve got an Instant Pot with a slow cooker function. Tried the blueberry and banana cake in it and after 1.5 hours on high it’s still wet in middle. Will put it on for another 30 minutes and check.
Have you had other IP users with this?
Hi Clare, I have one of those two but haven’t tried using it yet! I haven’t ever seen anyone saying they’ve made a cake in an instant pot using the slow cooker function so couldn’t comment on that really or the timing. I’d give it another 30 mins then recheck and then check every ten mins or so. Hope that helps!
I have a crock pot, will it be ok to do the aero cake in that please?