This 5-ingredient slow cooker Easter dessert is the kind of easy, cozy treat busy families love. You literally toss raw shredded carrots into the crockpot, add four pantry-friendly ingredients, and let the slow cooker turn everything into a warm, sweet carrot cake–style pudding. It’s perfect for Easter when the oven is already packed with ham and sides, and it has that nostalgic carrot cake flavor without any fuss. This is a true dump-and-go dessert that feels special enough for a holiday but simple enough for a random Sunday.
Serve this warm carrot cake pudding straight from the slow cooker, spooned into bowls. It’s wonderful topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream, or a drizzle of warm caramel sauce. For a little crunch, sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts over each serving. A cup of coffee or hot tea on the side makes it feel like a cozy coffeehouse treat, and if you’re serving a big Easter spread, this pairs nicely after a savory ham or roast dinner because it’s sweet but not heavy like frosted cake.
5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Carrot Cake PuddingServings: 6-8
Ingredients
3 cups raw shredded carrots, lightly packed
1 box (about 15.25 ounces) yellow cake mix
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
Lightly grease the inside of your slow cooker with nonstick spray or a thin layer of butter to help prevent sticking.
Spread the raw shredded carrots evenly over the bottom of the slow cooker. This should look like a bright orange layer when you peek in from the top.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry yellow cake mix and ground cinnamon until the cinnamon is evenly distributed.
Sprinkle the cinnamon cake mix mixture evenly over the shredded carrots in the slow cooker, covering the carrots as much as possible.
In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, stir together the sweetened condensed milk and melted butter until smooth and well combined.
Slowly pour the sweetened condensed milk and butter mixture evenly over the dry cake mix and carrots. Try to cover as much of the surface as you can; it’s okay if some dry spots remain, as the moisture from the carrots will help during cooking.
Do not stir. Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours, or until the top looks set, the edges are lightly browned, and the center is mostly firm but still a little soft and pudding-like.
Turn off the slow cooker and let the dessert sit, covered, for about 10 to 15 minutes to set slightly and cool just enough to serve. The texture should be like a very moist, scoopy carrot cake pudding.
Spoon the warm carrot cake pudding into bowls and serve as is, or top with whipped cream, ice cream, or a sprinkle of nuts if you like.
Variations & Tips
For kids who are hesitant about visible carrots, you can shred the carrots extra fine or even pulse the shredded carrots a few times in a food processor so they melt into the pudding more. If your family loves traditional carrot cake, add 1/2 cup of raisins and 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans over the carrot layer before adding the cake mix. To make it taste more like a spice cake, increase the cinnamon to 2 teaspoons and add a pinch of nutmeg and ginger if you have them. For a slightly less sweet version, use only 3/4 of the can of sweetened condensed milk and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of regular milk to keep the moisture. You can also swap the yellow cake mix for a spice cake mix and skip the added cinnamon. If you need to keep it warm for a party, switch the slow cooker to the WARM setting once it’s done; it will hold nicely for an hour or two—just keep the lid on so it doesn’t dry out. And if you have leftovers, refrigerate them in a covered container; reheat individual portions in the microwave and serve with a little extra cream or ice cream to bring back that just-cooked coziness.
