When the school year starts up and afternoons turn busy, a simple slow cooker sweet can feel like a little blessing waiting on the counter. This old-fashioned sort of dump dessert has the same practical spirit many Midwestern home cooks have long relied on: pantry ingredients, very little stirring, and a warm treat ready by supper or homework time. The rich dark cake-like top and bright fruit center make it especially comforting, with hardly any fuss at all.
This treat is lovely served warm in bowls with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a spoonful of whipped cream, or a splash of cold milk on the side. If you are setting it out for an after-school snack table, a few fresh berries alongside help echo that glossy fruit center, and for grown folks, a cup of coffee pairs mighty well with the deep chocolate notes.
3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Back to School Treat
Servings: 6 to 8
Ingredients
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 can cherry pie filling, about 21 ounces
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
Directions
1. Lightly grease the inside of your slow cooker. Spread the cherry pie filling evenly across the bottom.
2. Sprinkle the dry chocolate cake mix evenly over the cherry layer, covering it from edge to edge without stirring.
3. Drizzle the melted butter all over the cake mix as evenly as you can. Put the lid on and cook on low for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the top looks set and the cherry filling bubbles around the edges and through a few cracks.
4. Turn off the slow cooker and let the dessert rest for 10 to 15 minutes before spooning it into bowls and serving warm.
Variations & Tips
Berry Swap: If cherries are not your family's favorite, try raspberry or mixed berry pie filling for the same easy method and a slightly different fruit note.
Make It Richer: A handful of chocolate chips sprinkled over the cherry filling before the cake mix goes on adds an extra bit of richness, though it does take the recipe beyond three ingredients.
Keep the Layers Separate: Do not stir the ingredients together. That simple layering is what gives you the cobbler-like fruit bottom and tender cake-like top.
Watch Your Cooker: Slow cookers vary plenty from kitchen to kitchen, so check a little early the first time. You want the top set and the fruit hot and bubbling, but not dry.
Easy Cleanup: A light coating of butter or nonstick spray in the crock makes serving easier and helps those sweet fruit edges release without too much scraping later on.