WELCOME

Welcome to this slow cooker/crockpot blog. I believe slow cookers are the best thing to happen to modern day cooks. I used mine often when I worked outside the home and continue to do so even in retirement. It is so nice to put food on and forget about it. Slow cookers also allow us to cook many things we would normally have to use the oven for; what a relief in hot Texas weather! Some of these recipes are mine, many are ones I have collected over the years.
Showing posts with label Beverages. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beverages. Show all posts

Thursday, March 19, 2026

SLOW COOKER MOCHA SUPREME

2 quarts strong brewed coffee
1/2 cup instant hot chocolate beverage mix
1 cinnamon stick, broken into halves
1 cup whipping cream
1 tbsp powdered sugar

In a slow cooker, place the coffee, hot chocolate mix, and the cinnamon stick halves; stir to dissolve the hot chocolate mix and to combine.

Place lid on cooker and cook on high 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until hot.  Remove the cinnamon sticks and discard them.

Beat the cream in a medium-size chilled bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Ladle the hot beverage into mugs and top with a dollop of whipped cream.

file photo for reference

Thursday, January 15, 2026

HOT FRUIT PUNCH

1 quart cranberry juice

3 cups water

6-oz can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

10-oz pkg frozen red raspberries, thawed

2 oranges, sliced

6 cinnamon sticks

12 whole allspice

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.

Place lid on cooker and cook on high for 1 hour or until hot. Remove the spices before serving. Turn heat to low to keep punch hot during serving.

file photo for reference


Monday, November 24, 2025

CREAMY CROCKPOT COCOA

This is a recipe from Pinterest in the Fall of 2014. It was pinned by onegoodthingbyjillee. Evidently, she got it from someone named Amanda.

  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
  • 8 cups milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups of chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate)
Instructions
Pour all the ingredients into a crockpot and whisk together until well combined. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until mixture is hot and chocolate chips are melted. Whisk well before serving. Garnish as desired (which means MARSHMALLOWS of course!)
According to Amanda you can also make it with white chocolate, butterscotch, even MINT chocolate chips! I DO love mint chocolate! The possibilities here are vast! I’m thinking of maybe trying a salted caramel version! Yummmm!

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

PUMPKIN SPICE LATTES

I got this perfect for Fall recipe from Urban Nester a few years ago.

8 T of pumpkin puree
8 T of vanilla
2 t of cinnamon
8 cinnamon sticks
4 cups of strongly brewed coffee
6 cups of milk
8 T of sugar
whipping cream [optional]


Combine the milk and coffee and pour into the crockpot. Whip together the other ingredients [minus the cinnamon sticks and whipping cream] and pour into the crockpot. Mix together well.
Cover the crockpot and cook on high for 2 hours.
Yield: 8 servings



Wednesday, August 27, 2025

TASTY HOT MULLED CIDER

1/2-gallon apple cider
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp balsamic or cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cinnamon stick
6 whole cloves

Combine all the ingredients in your crock-pot or slow cooker.  Cover and set on low.  Cook 5 to 6 hours.  Discard cinnamon stick and cloves.  Serve in hot mugs.

Yield: 16 servings

file photo

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

SOUTH-OF-THE-BORDER HOT CHOCOLATE

6 cans (12-oz each) evaporated milk (may use low-fat, if desired)
4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp Mexican vanilla
1 tsp nutmeg
2 pkg (12-oz each) chocolate chips
whipped cream for serving
unsweetened cocoa powder for garnish

Uses a 4-quart slow cooker or crockpot turned on low.

Whisk together the evaporated milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg in the cooker.  Stir in the chocolate chips.

Place lid on cooker and cook on low 2 to 3 hours.  Stir every 15 to 20 minutes during cooking.  May be placed on warm setting to keep warm for serving.

To serve, ladle into mugs and top each with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkling of cocoa powder.

file photo


Monday, May 5, 2025

VIENNESE COFFEE

3 cups freshly brewed strong coffee
3 tbsp chocolate syrup
1 tsp sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup creme de cacao
Whipped cream
chocolate shavings for garnish

In the crockpot or slow cooker combine the coffee, chocolate syrup, and sugar.  Place the lid on the cooker and cook on low setting fo 2 to 3 hours.  Stir in the heavy cream and the creme de cacao.  Replace lid and cook another half hour or until heated through.

To serve, ladle the coffee into cups or mugs and top with the whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Yields 3 to 4 servings    
file photo of this recipe

Sunday, April 20, 2025

SPICED APPLE TEA

3 bags cinnamon herbal tea
3 cups boiling water
2 cups unsweetened apple juice
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick

Place the tea bags in the slow cooker or crockpot.  Pour the boiling water over the tea, place lid on cooker and allow to steep for 10 minutes.  Remove the tea bags.

Add the apple juice, cloves, and cinnamon to the cooker; cover and cook on low setting for 2 to 3 hours.

Remove the cloves and cinnamon stick before serving the tea in warmed mugs.

Yield: 4 servings (for more servings, double or triple the ingredients)

file photo

Thursday, December 19, 2024

WARM CRANBERRY PUNCH FOR A CROWD

3 quarts bottled cranberry juice
2 quarts apple juice
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp salt
8 cinnamon sticks
3 tsp whle cloves

In a large slow cooker or crockpot, mix the cranberry juice, apple juice, sugar, and salt together until the sugar is dissolved.  Tie the cloves and cinnamon sticks together in cheesecloth and add to the mixture.  Cover and cook for 2 to 3 hours on low setting.  Remove spice bag.
Garnish as desired.

Yield: 56 4-ounce servings.

Note: Lower the heat to the 'keep warm' setting if not using at once.

If your crowd isn't that big, reduced the ingredients by half.

file photo for reference only





Friday, December 13, 2024

HOT CHOCOLATE LATTE

3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups milk
6 cups brewed coffee
2 tbsp semisweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a 5 or 6-quart slow cooker or crock pot, whisk together the sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, and salt until smooth. Whisk in milk until blended. Stir in coffee, chocolate chips, and vanilla. Cover and cook until hot and flavors are blended, 1 to 2 hours on high or 2 to 4 hours on low. Ladle into mugs to serve. Garnish as desired. 
Note: May be kept warm on the keep warm setting during a party or winter evening.

clipart photo


Wednesday, September 11, 2024

HONEY MULLED CIDER

10 cups apple juice or apple cider

1/3 cup honey
dash of salt
dash of ground ginger
dash of ground nutmeg
5-inches stick cinnamon, broken into pieces
1 1/2 tsp whole cloves

In a crock pot or slow cooker combine the apple juice or cider, honey, salt, ginger, and nutmeg. Add the cinnamon sticks and cloves (tied in cheesecloth, if you so desire). Place lid on cooker and heat on low setting for 4 to 5 hours.

Yield: 20 4-oz servings or 10 8-oz servings.

File Photo

Monday, April 8, 2024

CROCK POT COCOA

3 1/3 cups nonfat dry milk powder

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar (Splenda or Stevia granulated for diabetics)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 cups barely warm water

In crock pot combine the dry milk powder, cocoa, and sugar or sweetener. Stir in the warm water and vanilla, stirring to dissolve. Place lid on crockpot and heat on low setting for 3 to 4 hours.

Variations: Add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg for a spiced cocoa.

Add two tablespoons instant coffee granules for a mocha cocoa.

Cut the vanilla in half and add a half teaspoon of peppermint extract for a holiday peppermint cocoa.

Use your imagination to come up with a flavor of your choice!

clipart photo

Friday, January 26, 2024

ORANGE-CIDER PUNCH

6 cups orange juice

2 cups apple cider
1 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
1 whole nutmeg
Orange slices for garnish, optional
Cinnamon sticks for stirring, if desired

Mix all ingredients in a crock pot; stir well. Place lid on cooker and cook on low at least 4 hours but up to 10 hours. May be cooked on high 2 to 3 hours and turned to low or keep warm to serve from cooker. Top each serving with a thin orange slice, if desired. Add a cinnamon stick for stirring, if desired.

Yield: About 8-10 servings.

file photo

Thursday, December 28, 2023

SLOW-COOKER COCOA

 Cocoa is easy to make in your slow-cooker and to keep hot for serving. This recipe is for a 6-quart cooker.

48-oz milk

2 cups milk chocolate chips

12-oz heavy cream

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Dash of vanilla extract

Stir ingredients together in the cooker. Cover and cook on low 2 hours. Stir mixture every half hour. Ladle into mugs and garnish as desired.

Food Network photo for reference only




Monday, October 30, 2023

HOT MULLED PUNCH

1 1/2-qt bottle cranberry juice

2 qts apple juice

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

4 cinnamon sticks

1 1/2 tsp whole cloves. 

Pour cranberry juice and apple juice into the slow cooker. Add the brown sugar and salt. Stir mixture until the sugar is dissolved.

Tie the cinnamon sticks and cloves into a piece of cheesecake; drop into the liquid.

Place lid on cooker and simmer on medium setting until temperature reaches 170 degrees. This will take 2 to 4 hours. Remove the spice bag. You can keep warm on the low or keep warm setting.

Yield: approximately 2 dozen 4-oz servings

file photo for reference only
This idea from 1976 West Bend



Thursday, September 7, 2023

CRANBERRY CIDER


2 qts apple cider
1 1/2 qts cranberry juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tea ball of whole cloves
1 orange, sliced into pinwheels
4 cinnamon sticks

Combine cider, juice, brown sugar, and cloves in a slow cooker; simmer at least 2 hours.

Serve in cups or mugs with an orange pinwheel as garnish. Add a cinnamon stick to each cup as a stirrer.

file photo for reference


Monday, August 7, 2023

HOT CRANBERRY TEA


1 pkg (8-oz) fresh cranberries

3 quarts water, divided
2 cups sugar
1 cup cinnamon red hot candies
24 whole cloves
3 cinnamon sticks
3 oranges, juiced
3 lemons, juiced

Boil the cranberries in 1 quart of the water for 10 minutes; set aside.

Mix the following in a 4-at to 6-qt slow cooker or crock pot; the remaining 2 quarts of water, sugar, red hot candies, cloves, and cinnamon sticks. Place lid on cooker and cook on high for 1 hour or until the candies have melted.

Strain the cranberry mixture and stir the liquid into the cooker. Mix in the juices from the oranges and lemons.

Replace lid on cooker and continue to cook on high for 2 hours. Turn heat to low to keep warm and serve directly from the cooker.

file photo

Thursday, August 3, 2023

CITRUS APPLE CIDER

1 gallon apple cider2 cinnamon sticks1 can (12-oz) frozen lemonade concentrate
Combine all ingredients in slow cooker or crock pot. Cook on high setting for 15 minutes then reduce to low setting and cook 1 to 2 hours before serving.

May be served directly from the cooker for warm cider or removed and chilled for cold cider. 
Keep any leftovers in the fridge.
Serve with a thin slice of lemon, if desired.
File Photo


Friday, February 17, 2023

CROCK POT CARAMEL APPLE CIDER

  • 12 c. apple juice (if you buy a gallon you will have some left over)
  • 6 cinnamon sticks
  • 1/2 c. caramel sauce,, plus more for drizzling
  • Whipped cream for the top
  1. In a 5 quart crock pot, heat apple juice and cinnamon sticks.
  2. Cover. Cook for about 4 hours on High.
  3. NOTE: Cinnamon sticks will soften and uncurl.
  4. Just before serving, stir in 1/2 cup of caramel sauce and serve in heat proof cups.
  5. Top with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel.
Delicious and pretty! Even the kids will love it!
This recipe is from get crocked or Crock Pot Girl.

Friday, February 3, 2023

HOT SPICED CHERRY CIDER

3 1/2 quarts apple cider

2 cinnamon sticks (additional for stirrers, if desired)
2 pkgs (3-oz each) cherry-flavored gelatin
Lemon slices for garnish, optional
Apple slices for garnish, optional
Maraschino cherries for garnish, optional

In a crock pot (4 to 6-quart size works well), mix the apple cider and cinnamon sticks.  Heat for 3 hours on high. Stir in the gelatin and cook at least another hour on high, allowing the gelatin to completely dissolve. Turn cooker to low to keep the cider warm and serve directly from the cooker.

If desired, add cinnamon sticks for stirrers and garnish with your choice of garnishes.

file photo