The Outrageous Dessert You Can Make In A Slow Cooker

Here's how to make the gooiest brownies ever, with just six ingredients and one trusty appliance.

By Lynn Andriani

We've heard about all kinds of techniques for getting fudgy brownies, from simply using less flour to baking them for a short amount of time at a very high heat then plunking the pan into a bowl of ice water. But when we considered the crock pot's low-and-slow heat, which can turn even the toughest cuts of meat into meltingly tender bites, it seemed worth trying. And after multiple attempts (and many different configurations of aluminum foil and parchment paper), we're happy to say we've got a killer recipe that results in a brownie that falls squarely (er, oval-y) into the gooey not cakey camp; in fact, it's like a brownie-lava cake hybrid you could eat it with a spoon. (Warning: You may never go back to using the slow cooker for pulled pork again).

We were inspired by this basic brownie recipe, but there are also seven more amazing ones here to try.

Slow-Cooker Brownie Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
3 eggs
1 cup cocoa powder (Hershey's Special Dark, if possible; its rich flavor is especially suited to gooey brownies)
1 cup flour
Canola oil spray
Vanilla ice cream, optional, for serving

Special equipment:
Slow cooker
Aluminum foil
Parchment paper

Directions

Prepare your slow cooker: Take a long (approximately 40-inch) piece of aluminum foil and fold it in half lengthwise. Press it inside the perimeter of the insert of your slow cooker, so it lines the inside all the way around. This will help prevent the brownies from overcooking on the edges. Next, lay a sheet of parchment paper on the bottom of the insert, press it down and spray the top of it with canola oil spray.

Prepare the brownies: Pour the melted butter into a large bowl and stir in the sugar and salt. When they're completely mixed, stir in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the cocoa powder until completely incorporated, and then the flour. Don't overmix but do make sure no flour is visible.

Slowly pour the batter into the slow cooker, on top of the greased parchment paper. Use a spatula to spread it all the way around and smooth the top.

Tightly cover the slow cooker with the lid and set to low for 2 1/2 hours. Then remove the lid and continue baking (still on low) for an additional 30 minutes. Using oven mitts, lift the insert out of the base and let the brownies cool in the insert for an hour. Carefully remove the brownies by lifting the parchment paper and allow to fully cool on a wire rack. Transfer to a cutting board and use a sharp chef's knife to cut into diamonds. Alternately, transfer to a platter, spoon portions into cups or small bowls and top with vanilla ice cream.

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