Description

A cozy, homemade dessert featuring tender apples, warm spices, and a gooey pudding base, all cooked hands-off in your slow cooker. Perfect for autumn evenings, family gatherings, or whenever you crave comforting sweetness.

Ingredients

Scale

2 large apples, peeled and diced (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp recommended)
1 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free blend)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk (dairy or unsweetened almond milk)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Optional: Chopped pecans or walnuts
Optional: Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

Instructions

Lightly grease the slow cooker insert with butter or nonstick spray, or line with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
Peel and dice apples into 1/2-inch cubes. Toss with a sprinkle of cinnamon if desired.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
In a separate bowl, whisk milk, melted butter, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Fold in diced apples.
Spread the batter evenly in the greased slow cooker.
In a small pan, melt butter and stir in brown sugar and cinnamon. Add boiling water and whisk until sugar dissolves.
Carefully pour the hot pudding sauce over the cake batter in the slow cooker. Do not stir.
Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours, until the top is set and springs back lightly.
Test doneness with a toothpick; it should come out mostly clean with some gooey pudding at the bottom.
If the top is still wet, cook for another 15-30 minutes.
Serve warm, spooning both cake and pudding into bowls. Top with ice cream, whipped cream, and nuts if desired.

Notes

For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. For dairy-free, substitute plant-based butter and milk, and use a flaxseed egg. Tart, firm apples work best. Do not stir the pudding sauce into the batter—this creates the gooey base. Check slow cooker early if it runs hot. Serve warm for best texture. Leftovers can be refrigerated up to 4 days or frozen up to 2 months.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes - 3 hours
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/8 of the cake
Calories: 260
Sugar: 28
Sodium: 220
Fat: 8
Saturated Fat: 5
Carbohydrates: 45
Fiber: 2
Protein: 3

Keywords: slow cooker, apple pudding cake, cozy dessert, autumn, easy, crockpot, self-saucing, gluten-free option, dairy-free option, comfort food