Put everything for this recipe into the slow cooker and you’ll get a rich chocolate sponge with its own thick, delicious chocolate custard hidden beneath. The Slow Cooker Chocolate Orange Pudding takes about five minutes to prepare and then cooks itself — in under three hours you’ll have an indulgent chocolate orange dessert ready to serve.
This might be the best thing I’ve made in my slow cooker — it’s that good. It’s ideal for guests because you can prepare it hours ahead and serve straight from the slow cooker into bowls.
I often make this at Christmas when I need simple desserts that don’t take oven space. It’s also the ultimate comfort dessert for any time of year, especially for chocolate lovers.
Why you’ll love this Slow Cooker Pudding recipe
⭐ After a little prep it cooks itself.
⭐ Oozing chocolatey deliciousness.
⭐ Perfect for cooking for guests or making ahead.
Get my Christmas cookbook!
This recipe is from my book ‘What’s For Christmas Dinner?’
Sarah’s Notes
This recipe is a little like magic. Instead of mixing everything straight away, you layer the sponge mix, press in the chocolate pieces, then pour boiling water over the top. It will look odd at first, but trust the process.
Cook on high for about 1–2 hours until the pudding is firm in the middle, then add a few reserved chocolate segments and cook for another 30 minutes. Serve straight from the slow cooker with ice cream. It’s utterly heavenly.
Slow Cooker Chocolate pudding ingredients
- Unsalted butter – for greasing (20g / 1oz)
- Self-raising flour (250g / 1 3/4 cups)
- Soft light brown sugar (125g for sponge; plus 150g for topping)
- Good quality cocoa powder (30g for sponge; plus 20g for topping)
- Baking powder (1 tsp)
- Eggs (3)
- Orange extract (2 tsp)
- Milk (150ml, whole or semi-skimmed)
- Terry’s Chocolate Orange or other orange-flavoured chocolate (about 157g, roughly chopped)
- Boiling water (500ml / 2 cups)
How to make slow cooker pudding
1. Grease the slow cooker bowl thoroughly with the 20g (1oz) butter. In a large bowl, mix the melted butter, flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, eggs, milk and orange extract until smooth.
2. Tip the mixture into the greased slow cooker and level the top. Arrange most of the chocolate orange segments evenly across the surface, pressing them gently into the batter. Reserve a few segments for decoration.
3. Mix the topping sugar and cocoa together, then sprinkle evenly over the pudding mixture.
4. Carefully pour the boiling water over the top — it may look strange but this creates the sauce beneath as it cooks. Put the lid on and cook on HIGH for 1–2 hours until the pudding is firm in the middle. Add the reserved chocolate segments, replace the lid and cook for another 30 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream if you like.
Leftovers
In the fridge: Store chilled in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat portions in the microwave until piping hot before serving, or enjoy cold.
TIP: Lining the pan
If your slow cooker bowl is ceramic and not non-stick, line it with a large sheet of baking paper pressed to the bowl shape to prevent sauce escaping and make removal easier. In that case you don’t need to use butter to grease the bowl.
More Christmas desserts…
Desserts
Panettone Bread and Butter Pudding {Easy Recipe!}
Cheesecakes
Baileys Cheesecake {No Bake}
Desserts
Christmas Wreath Pavlova
Christmas Recipes
Yule Log
FAQs
Yes. You can mix the sponge batter and keep it in the fridge overnight, then add the topping and cook the following day. The sponge may be slightly less fluffy but it still tastes great.
Yes. Make the recipe in a shallow baking dish (about 27 x 20 cm) and bake covered in foil at 160°C fan / 180°C / 350°F (Gas Mark 4) for 30–40 minutes.
Yes. Replace the flour and baking powder with gluten free alternatives and follow the same method.
Please let me know how you got on and rate the recipe. I’d love to see your creations — tag me on Instagram @tamingtwins if you’d like to share.
Pin
Slow Cooker Chocolate Orange Pudding
Ingredients
- 20 g (1 oz) Unsalted butter, at room temperature, for greasing
For the sponge pudding mixture:
- 100 g (3.5 oz) Unsalted butter, melted
- 250 g (1 3/4 cups) Self-raising flour
- 125 g (3/4 cups) Soft light brown sugar
- 30 g (1/3 heaped cups) Good quality cocoa powder
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 3 Eggs
- 150 ml (3/4 cups) Milk (whole or semi-skimmed)
- 2 tsp Orange extract
- 157 g (5.5 oz) Terry’s Chocolate Orange, roughly chopped (or other orange-flavoured chocolate)
For the topping:
- 150 g (1 cup) Soft light brown sugar
- 20 g (2 tbsp) Good-quality cocoa powder
- 500 ml (2 cups) Boiling water
Instructions
- Grease the slow cooker bowl thoroughly with the 20 g butter.
- In a large bowl, make the pudding mix: combine the melted butter, flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, eggs, milk and orange extract until smooth. Put into the greased slow cooker bowl and level the top. Add most of the chocolate orange segments, pressing them into the mixture and keeping a few back for decoration.
- Mix the topping sugar and cocoa in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the pudding mix.
- Carefully pour over the boiling water — it will look odd but this produces the sauce under the sponge. Put the lid on and cook on HIGH for 1–2 hours until the pudding is firm in the middle.
- Place the reserved chocolate segments on top, replace the lid and cook for a further 30 minutes. Serve warm.
- Store leftovers in the fridge and reheat in the microwave before serving, or enjoy cold.
To make without a slow cooker:
- Prepare as above in a shallow baking dish (about 27 x 20 cm) and bake covered with foil at 160℃ (fan) / 180℃ / 350℉ (Gas Mark 4) for 30–40 minutes.
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Notes
Lining: If your slow cooker bowl is ceramic (not non-stick), line it with baking paper so there are no gaps for the sauce to escape; you won’t need to grease it in that case.
To make ahead: Mix the sponge batter and keep in the fridge overnight, then top and cook the next day — the sponge may be slightly less fluffy but still delicious.
Gluten free: Substitute the flour and baking powder with gluten free versions.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 68.2 g
Protein: 9.5 g
Fat: 22.6 g
Saturated Fat: 13.2 g
Sodium: 600 mg
Fiber: 3.8 g
Sugar: 44.9 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation. Values are per portion unless stated otherwise.
Additional Info
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