One-Bowl Slow Cooker Pumpkin Bread

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.

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

Pumpkin Blueberry Muffins

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread

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One-Bowl Slow Cooker Pumpkin Bread

This is an easy, "one bowl" bread done in the slow cooker, which results in a very moist and tender loaf. It can also be baked in a conventional oven at 350 degrees for about 1 hour. For a tasty variation on the recipe, use one half cup of chocolate chips in place of the crystalized ginger. Leftover pumpkin puree can be folded into pancake batter, whirled into a smoothie, or frozen for future use.

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Servings 14 slices

Calories 258 kcal

Author Katie Morford

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

1. 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.
2. Coat a 2 pound loaf pan with oil. Shake in 1 tablespoon flour to coat the bottom and sides, patting out any excess flour.
3. 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.
4. 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