When peaches are sweet and plentiful, this little slow cooker dessert is the kind of recipe that feels like good country sense: simple ingredients, hardly any fuss, and a warm fruit treat that tastes like summertime at the supper table. Using raw sliced peaches lets their juices mingle slowly with the sugar and cake mix as it cooks, making something between a cobbler and a pudding cake, the sort of humble dessert many Midwestern home cooks have long loved for church dinners and family weekends.
Spoon this dessert warm into bowls with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or serve it with a dollop of whipped cream if that is what you have on hand. It also goes nicely with grilled pork chops or burgers after a backyard meal, since the cool cream and soft peaches make a fine finish to a savory summer supper. If you are serving company, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a few extra peach slices on top make it look right pretty without adding any trouble.
5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Summer Peach Dessert
Servings: 6 to 8
Ingredients
5 cups raw sliced peaches
1 box yellow cake mix, about 15.25 ounces
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
1. Lightly grease the slow cooker crock, then spread the raw sliced peaches evenly across the bottom.
2. Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon over the peaches so the fruit is coated as evenly as you can manage.
3. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the top, covering the peaches in a nice even layer.
4. Drizzle the melted butter all across the cake mix, covering as much of the surface as possible. Put the lid on and cook on High for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or on Low for 4 to 5 hours, until the peaches are bubbling and the top is set and golden around the edges.
5. Let the dessert rest for 10 to 15 minutes before spooning it into bowls and serving warm.
Variations & Tips
Add a little crunch: If you want a bit more texture, scatter a small handful of chopped pecans or walnuts over the cake mix before drizzling on the butter. That gives the top a pleasant little bite and pairs beautifully with the soft peaches.
Use other cake mix flavors: Butter pecan or white cake mix both work nicely here if that is what you have tucked in the pantry. Each one gives the dessert its own character while keeping the recipe just as easy.
Adjust the sweetness: If your peaches are especially ripe and sugary, you can reduce the brown sugar a touch and still have a lovely dessert. If the fruit is a little tart, keep the full amount and serve with ice cream for a good balance.
Keep the topping from turning pasty: Try to drizzle the melted butter as evenly as possible over the dry cake mix rather than pouring it all in one spot. A few dry patches are all right, but better coverage helps create a more golden, cobbler-like finish.
Make serving easier: A slow cooker liner or a good coating of butter inside the crock makes cleanup much simpler. This dessert is soft and spoonable, so it is best served right from the pot while still warm.