Slow Cooker Six Layer Brownies

This is a recipe I got from a blog where the author made a resolution to use her slow cooker every day in 2008. She did all kinds of dishes from appetizers to desserts. This is one of the desserts that caught my eye.

Slow Cooker Six Layer Brownies

Ingredients:

1 package brownie mix

¼ cup butter, melted

1 egg

¼ cup water

1 can sweetened condensed milk

½ cup chocolate chips

½ cup rolled oats

½ cup shredded coconut

½ cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts)

Directions:

Combine brownie mix, butter, egg, and water. Pour into slow cooker (I used a 6 qt.). Smooth out the top. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the brownie mix and smooth out. Sprinkle on chocolate chips, oats, coconut, and nuts.

Put on lid and cook on low. Mine took about 6 hours, but start checking it at around 4 hours by poking a fork into the middle of it to see if it comes out clean. You can also tell it is getting done when the edges start to pull away from the sides of the crock.

Makes about 8 brownies.

Note: The yield is a total guess; since mine ended up in a jumble on the serving plate, I can't really tell how many brownies it made.

I call mine "Six Layer Brownies" while hers were five, because I added the chocolate chips. A reviewer on that blog suggested it and I thought it sounded like a good addition!

The only bad thing about these brownies is that they are really difficult to get out of the slow cooker. I thought about using a slow cooker liner, but changed my mind. When it was time to serve, I was regretting that decision. I think it would be really easy to lift the whole thing out and then cut it. I tried lifting it out with two pancake turners, but one side of it crumbled on me.

Looks so pretty in the crock.

Not so pretty on the serving dish!

I didn't really care for these brownies too much, but that's because I don't like coconut or nuts. I made them for Jim (in lieu of a birthday cake), and he loved them, so that's all that matters. He ate his with ice cream.

If you don't like coconut or nuts, you can omit those. I was able to pick some of them off, and the brownie with just the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk was pretty awesome. The sweetened condensed milk comes out looking and tasting like caramel.

I would call my first attempt at baking in the slow cooker a success!