This is my kind of summer evening dessert: minimal effort, maximum payoff. With just five ingredients and a slow cooker, you get a glossy, cocoa-rich, hazelnut-scented pudding that basically makes itself while you’re living your life. I set it up mid-afternoon, forget about it, and by the time post-dinner cravings hit, there’s a warm, bubbling pot of chocolate-hazelnut comfort waiting. It’s inspired by classic self-saucing puddings and lava cakes, but tweaked for busy weeknights and that Midwest summer rhythm of grilling outside and then sneaking back in for something cozy and sweet once the sun dips.
Spoon this warm cocoa-hazelnut dessert into small bowls and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream so it melts into the glossy sauce. Fresh berries (strawberries or raspberries) are perfect for a summer touch and help cut the richness. A sprinkle of extra chopped hazelnuts on top gives crunch. If you’re serving guests, set the slow cooker on warm and let everyone scoop their own, with a little toppings bar on the side: ice cream, nuts, and maybe a drizzle of cold heavy cream or chocolate syrup.
Slow Cooker Cocoa Hazelnut PuddingServings: 6
Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, divided
1 cup chocolate hazelnut spread (such as Nutella)
2 cups whole milk
Directions
Lightly grease the insert of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with a little oil or nonstick spray so the dessert releases easily later.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, and 1/4 cup of the unsweetened cocoa powder until no streaks remain. This dry mix will give you a simple cake-style base that puffs up over the sauce.
In a separate large bowl, whisk the chocolate hazelnut spread with 1 1/2 cups of the whole milk until smooth and glossy. Take your time here; it may look lumpy at first, but keep whisking until the mixture looks like a thick, shiny chocolate milk.
Add the dry mixture to the chocolate hazelnut mixture and whisk or stir just until combined and no dry pockets of flour remain. The batter will be fairly loose, like a thick pancake batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared slow cooker and smooth the top with a spatula so it cooks evenly.
In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder with the remaining 1/2 cup whole milk until mostly dissolved. This creates the base of the bubbling cocoa sauce that will form underneath the cake.
Gently pour this cocoa-milk mixture over the batter in the slow cooker. Do not stir; leaving it layered is what creates the saucy, glistening bottom as it cooks.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until the top looks set and slightly puffed but the edges still look a bit glossy and you can see some bubbling chocolate sauce around the sides. Avoid lifting the lid in the first 2 hours so you don’t lose heat.
Once cooked, turn the slow cooker to WARM and let the dessert rest for 15 to 20 minutes. The top will firm up slightly while the bottom stays molten and saucy, giving you that rich, toasted hazelnut-toned bubbling liquid underneath.
To serve, scoop down deep so you get some of the soft cake and plenty of the glossy cocoa-hazelnut sauce in each portion. Serve warm straight from the slow cooker with your favorite toppings.
Variations & Tips
To nudge the hazelnut flavor even more, you can lightly toast 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant and sprinkle them over each serving (this doesn’t change the core 5-ingredient base). For a slightly less sweet version, reduce the granulated sugar to 3/4 cup and use a darker, more bitter cocoa powder. If you only have 2% milk, it will still work; the sauce will just be a bit thinner and less creamy. For a mocha twist, whisk 1 to 2 teaspoons of instant espresso powder into the batter along with the dry ingredients. To prep ahead, you can whisk the dry ingredients together in the morning and store them in an airtight container on the counter, then just mix with the wet ingredients and start the slow cooker in the afternoon. Food safety tips: Keep the dessert covered while cooking to maintain a safe, even temperature. Once it’s finished, don’t leave it on the WARM setting for more than 2 hours; after that, cool leftovers, transfer them to a covered container, and refrigerate within 2 hours. Reheat individual portions in the microwave until hot all the way through. Because this dessert is very moist, do not leave it sitting out at room temperature overnight.
