Who knew you could bake bread in a slow cooker. Probably you did. But I didn’t. That is until my talented friend Jane sent me this slow cooker pumpkin bread recipe and told me to give it a whirl. I had my doubts. Bread is baked in an oven, lady, not a countertop plug-in appliance.
Slow Cooking Makes a Moist Loaf
But I trust Jane…and she was right. The bread worked beautifully, better even than plenty of oven loaves I’ve made. The moist environment of the slow cooker results in a particularly tender loaf. Best of all, no babysitting; my bread bakes while I run errands and carpools.
Can you bake bread in a slow cooker? Spoiler: YES. And it's delicious. Share on X
A Nourishing Pumpkin Bread
suppose it’s not surprising that Jane knows her stuff. She’s the founder of the Zen of Slow Cooking spice blends. Her pumpkin bread is simple to prepare and calls for wholesome ingredients:
- whole wheat flour
- maple syrup instead of sugar
- olive oil instead of butter
- a full cup of pumpkin, which means a generous amount of vitamin A, along with vitamin C and potassium.
I threw in crystalized ginger and ground cinnamon for the warm flavors that epitomize fall baking. Chocolate chips work well instead, too.
I’ve now made enough loaves to open a slow cooker bakery. I may never turn on my oven again.
Have you baked in the slow cooker? Do tell.
If you like slow cooker pumpkin bread, check out these other pumpkin goodies:
Marbled Chocolate Pumpkin Loaf Cake
One-Bowl Slow Cooker Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- Oil or cooking spray for coating the pan
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup olive oil or canola oil
- 2/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree, not sweetened
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (or 1/4 cup finely chopped crystalized ginger)
Instructions
-
Get out your loaf pan and be sure that it fits inside the slow cooker. Set your your slow cooker to high with the lid on.
-
Coat a 2 pound loaf pan with oil. Shake in 1 tablespoon flour to coat the bottom and sides, patting out any excess flour.
-
In a large bowl, put the 1 cup of all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, and stir well with a whisk. Add the olive oil, maple syrup, eggs, milk, and vanilla, and mix well, making sure that the ingredients are thoroughly beaten and the mixture is without lumps. Add the pumpkin, walnuts, and chocolate chips (or ginger), and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until the ingredients are evenly incorporated into the batter.
-
Pour the batter into the loaf pan and set the pan into the slow cooker. Put on the lid and cook on high until the bread is done, about 2 hours. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the loaf. If it comes out clean, it is done
Recipe Notes
Adapted with permission from a recipe by Jane McKay of The Zen of Slow Cooking
Comments
10.31.2012 at9:54 AM #
Cynthia
I couldn’t resist trying the Pumpkin Bread in the slow-cooker last night – just sounded like the right thing to do w/Halloween today. It came out great and is amazingly moist. I might up the spices just a bit next time, but should say that if prepared as written it is very kid-friendly.
Thanks Katie,
Cynthia
10.31.2012 at9:54 AM #
Katie Morford
Oh good, Cynthia. Absolutely, you can up the spices. Even a dash of cloves and nutmeg might be nice.
11.14.2012 at2:56 PM #
Pam
I made this a couple nights ago in the oven (no slow cooker) and we all love it! I’ll probably make it again tomorrow since it is gone already.
11.14.2012 at2:56 PM #
Katie Morford
Oh good….I love how easy it is…all in one bowl.
01.21.2013 at1:13 PM #
Alison
Could I use 2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour instead of 1 c of white and 1 c of ww?
01.21.2013 at1:13 PM #
Katie Morford
I bet that will work just fine.
10.11.2013 at3:35 AM #
rubidooh
How do you fit a loaf pan in a crockpot? What size loaf pan and what size crockpot?
10.11.2013 at3:35 AM #
Katie Morford
Hi there,
A standard loaf pan is roughly 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches. My loaf pan just fits into the crock pot so that I can put on the lid. Mine is an oval-shaped 6 quart pot. Does that help?
Katie
11.09.2013 at1:23 PM #
Kate
I am excited to give this a try! Quick question – if I want to use ground ginger instead of crystallized, how much should I use? A teaspoon? Thanks!
11.09.2013 at1:23 PM #
Katie Morford
I think 1 teaspoon would be about right.
01.25.2014 at9:04 PM #
vee
Can I use a disposable bread tin in the slow cooker?
01.25.2014 at9:04 PM #
Katie Morford
I would imagine that anything suitable for the oven would be suitable for the slow cooker.
10.01.2014 at3:22 PM #
Jenni @ Fitzala
Wish I had an oval crockpot so I could try it! Mine is round :/
10.01.2014 at3:22 PM #
Katie Morford
Maybe try making it in a cake pan and adjust the cooking time. Just a thought!
10.07.2014 at4:41 AM #
rachel
yum another awesome pumpkin recipe!
10.12.2014 at9:24 AM #
Cheryl
you do not put water or anything into the crock pot ? I did not know that you could run the crock pot without something in it so that it would not mess up .
10.12.2014 at9:24 AM #
Katie Morford
No…it works like a little oven and results in a very moist quick bread.
06.15.2017 at11:41 AM #
Becca
What size crockpot would you need to make this?
06.15.2017 at11:41 AM #
Katie Morford
An 8-quart oval crockpot can fit a standard loaf pan. It’s really about being able to fit a loaf pan into the pot.
08.08.2018 at1:45 PM #
Tina
Can you please tell me how many carbs? Also, can I sub almond or coconut flour? Thanks Tina
08.08.2018 at1:45 PM #
Katie Morford
Hi Tina, I don’t routinely run nutrient analyses for my recipes. There are a number of user-friendly resources that will do this, including My Fitness Pal, which is free. As for substituting almond or coconut flour, that can be tricky, since it acts quite different in baked goods than wheat flour. You could try substituting almond/coconut flour for 1/4 of the total flour and see how that goes. A direct swap won’t work in my option without adjusting other ingredients and testing it first. Hope that helps. Katie
10.09.2018 at10:18 AM #
Elisheba
Can you leave it in the cooker overnight?
10.09.2018 at10:18 AM #
Katie Morford
If you have a timer where the slow cooker shuts off, I don’t see why you couldn’t do that.
10.11.2019 at2:11 PM #
Lois
How do you do this with bananas
10.11.2019 at2:11 PM #
Katie Morford
You could try this recipe https://www.blog.thezenofslowcooking.com/slow-cooker-banana-bread/
08.23.2020 at10:52 AM #
Linda Nerney
Would a silicone bread pan be safe in the crocpot?
08.23.2020 at10:52 AM #
Katie Morford
Yes. Silicone can sustain very high heat, so a slow cooker would be fine.
11.24.2020 at8:47 AM #
Abreeza A Vasquez
Can I use a round glass oven proof dish cuz it’s the only dish I have that fits in crockpot
11.24.2020 at8:47 AM #
Katie Morford
Hi there, I would think the low heat of the slow cooker would be fine for oven-proof glassware. You will have to keep an eye on it, since the cooking time may be different given the fact that the depth of the bread will be different than a standard loaf pan.
11.05.2021 at9:55 AM #
James Petsche
I’m just coming off surgery and can’t get to the store. I have all ingredients except for wheat flour. Will this recipe be okay with two cups of whole flour? Thanks
11.05.2021 at9:55 AM #
Katie Morford
If you mean all-purpose flour, yes!
10.06.2024 at11:08 AM #
Patti Bates
I overcooked a bit in the slow cooker (lined with foil) I added 2 ripe bananas & it took over 2hrs…I noticed there’s no sugar added to this recipe which is great since I’m diabetic! It lacked the pumpkin taste due to the bananas so I’ll add add’l purée next time….it’s definitely a keeper thx 😊
10.06.2024 at11:08 AM #
Katie Morford
Thanks for sharing your swaps!