Slow cookers come in all shapes and sizes nowadays, and it’s a good idea to pick up several that fit your personal needs. One of my favorite shapes is the Crock-Pot Casserole Crock because it is the shape of a 9” x 13” casserole dish. It’s perfect for lasagna and everyday casseroles, and it is especially great for cakes and puddings. I just made a luscious Easy Slow Cooker Pumpkin Dump Cake to serve as part of my annual Halloween BOO-ffet; it took less than 10 minutes to put together, baked without any monitoring, and was absolutely yummy. Pumpkin is a popular flavor throughout the holiday season, so this easy dessert should be one that you make often.

As the holidays approach, and life gets more hectic, you’ll appreciate the fact that you own several different slow cookers. They don’t take up oven space, are perfect not only to cook in, but keep foods warm on the buffet table, are relatively inexpensive, and seem to last forever. It seems that department and discount stores offer them on sale during the fall, so pick up a few and learn just how much they save time and headaches as you host guests during the busiest times of the year.

I’ll be posting several recipes for holiday desserts that are easy on the cook and made in the slow cooker throughout this holiday season. Make sure you are signed up for the Desserts Newsletter so you don’t miss out.

16 Servings

1 28 oz. can pure pumpkin, (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground mixed spice, pumpkin pie spice, or a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, and freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 18 1/4 ounce yellow cake Mix
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Sweetened whipped cream

1. Spray the inside of the crock of a slow cooker (preferably the Crock*Pot 3 1/2 quart casserole cooker, but otherwise, a 6-7 quart oval slow cooker – the slow cooker with the biggest footprint) with non-stick spray.
2. Mix the pumpkin, sugar, spices, and salt.
3. Spread the mixture evenly over the bottom of the prepared crock.
4. Sprinkle the cake mix over all.
5. Drizzle the melted butter over the cake mix and sprinkle on the pecans.
6. Cover. set the slow cooker to low, and let cook 3-5 hours or until set.
7. Serve with sweetened whipped cream.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 252 Calories from Fat 102
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 40% Protein 1% Carb. 58%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 11 g
Saturated Fat 5 g
Cholesterol 16 mg
Sodium 338 mg
Total Carbohydrate 37 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sugars 21 g
Protein 1 g

Vitamin A 224% Vitamin C 4% Calcium 0% Iron 5%

If you can't find a Casserole Crock in your favorite discount store, you can purchase one from Amazon: Crock-Pot 3.5-Quart Casserole Crock Manual Slow Cooker. (this version is the cheapest, but it comes in several other versions, such as programmable if that’s more to your liking)