Yes, You Absolutely Can Make Bread Pudding In A Slow Cooker
Simple and comforting, bread pudding is a delicious treat for any occasion. The dessert consists of a mixture of custard poured over day-old bread, using ingredients common in many kitchens, like eggs, heavy cream, sugar, eggs, and warm spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg. It's tasty and it gives you a reason to finish off a loaf of bread. What could be better? Actually, one thing can indeed make bread pudding even more appealing: the convenience of making this treat in a slow cooker.
Most might associate slow cookers with savory, hearty fare like stew and soup, but it can also be used to make several desserts — including (you guessed it) bread pudding. It takes no time at all to throw custard over bread in the pot and turn on the heat. Then it's just a waiting game until the meal is fully cooked and ready to serve. In a lot of ways, it's bread pudding made easy.
Making bread pudding in a slow cooker
True to its name, the slow cooker is a great tool for many bread pudding recipes because its technology, if need be, allows for cooking your dish low and slow and with consistency; that is to say, it cooks all of your ingredients in one pot at a lower temperature for longer, generally guaranteeing an even cook. Using more conventional methods, like cooking bread pudding in an oven, by and large, necessitates more of a hands-on approach. (For example, many chefs use a water bath when baking bread pudding in the oven, which requires more effort and can be a bit more time-consuming.) In that sense, cooking bread pudding in the slow cooker can be far more convenient.
Slow cookers also have many helpful functions to make baking bread pudding a snap. To create this dessert, simply set the heat on low for two to three hours after adding the ingredients (including your already-mixed custard). This long time increment will allow you to make the dish at your leisure whether you are in the house or not. To ensure your bread pudding is ready once your slow cooker's timer goes off, insert a knife in the center. If it comes out clean, then the dish is ready to serve.
Disadvantages to slow-cooking bread pudding
The low and slow technology of the slow cooker certainly helps move bread pudding in the actual cooking stages but using it instead of the oven has some drawbacks — namely, time and preparation. Common sense dictates that you need to consider how much time your bread pudding — or any dish — will take to cook. It may be convenient if you have all the time in the world, but less so if you are running late for an event you're planning on making this dessert for and suddenly are on a tight schedule. For instance, if you need your bread pudding on the table as a dessert course for dinner guests at a certain time and you're hours behind, a slow cooker may add more stress. If this doesn't measure up with your plans for the evening, you could be in trouble.
You may also be sacrificing texture by using your slow cooker, as this kitchen appliance helps move the cooking process along by trapping moisture under its lid, but the condensation can in turn drip onto the very food you're trying to cook. (To wit, you can always try placing a paper towel under the lid if you're worried about that.) If you're still worried about combating this possible textural pitfall, you can always throw some ice cream or caramel sauce on top of your bread pudding slices, but for those who enjoy crumbles or a little more of a crusty finish, the oven might be the way to go.