During the summer the slow cooker is your friend. You can prepare hundreds of luscious desserts without heating up the kitchen. One of my favorite slow cookers is the Casserole Crock Slow Cooker because it is shaped just like a 9” x 13” pan and is ideal for cakes and bar cookies as well as casseroles like lasagna. Candy Bar Pudding Cake can be prepared successfully in any large slow cooker, but the Casserole Crock is better because of the shape. This decadent chocolate dessert is quick and easy, since it calls for minimal ingredients that are probably already on your pantry shelf. The finished product is very moist, and is perfect for topping with that homemade ice cream that you just happen to be making. (Those automatic ice cream makers go on sale in the summer months, and they make homemade ice cream a breeze.)

You can easily personalize this pudding cake by adding your favorite candy bars or even the ones that are slightly stale because they are leftovers from last Halloween. Mounds or Almond Joy bars are perfect for coconut lovers; Snickers, Milky Way, Mars Bars, and Three Musketeers, either alone or a mixture make a rich, gooey cake with pockets of flavor; peanut butter cups add peanut butter which has always been popular with guests; and Heath bars add a luscious toffee crunch. Although Kit-Kat bars are always a favorite, they don’t work well in this cake because the crunchy wafers end up tasting like cardboard- you can munch on them while preparing the cake. Other suggestions are Whoppers, Crunch bars, Baby Ruth bars, Rolos, 100,000 bars, etc. The recipe specifies three cups of chopped candy bars, but you can use two cups and add a cup of chocolate or vanilla chips to vary the taste. No matter what you choose, this will become one of your favorite go-to desserts, and it is perfect for making year round.
16 Servings

1 18.25 ounce (or thereabouts) devils food cake mix, or chocolate, double fudge, German chocolate - any chocolate cake mix you have on hand

1 3 oz. package instant pudding mix, chocolate or vanilla
1 cup sour cream
1 cup water
3/4 cup vegetable oil

3 cups candy bars, coarsely chopped

1. Spray the crock of a slow cooker with a large footprint (Crockpot Casserole Crock is ideal, but an oval one works well too) with non-stick spray.
2. Mix the cake mix and pudding mix; add the sour cream, water, and vegetable oil and stir until smooth (no mixer needed - these ingredients go together easily).
3. Fold in the candy bars and spread the batter evenly in the prepared crock.
4. Cover, set the slow cooker to high, and let cook 2 1/2 - 3 hours or until the sides are cooked through and the center is slightly soft.
5. Serve warm with sweetened whipped cream or ice cream.


Amount Per Serving
Calories 274 Calories from Fat 148
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 54% Protein 1% Carb. 45%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 16 g
Saturated Fat 3 g
Cholesterol 6 mg
Sodium 300 mg
Total Carbohydrate 31 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 18 g
Protein 0 g

Vitamin A 1% Vitamin C 0% Calcium 0% Iron 2%