Slow Cooker Pumpkin-Blueberry Bread

Pumpkin flavor gets overplayed this time of year, who’s with me? I tend to turn my nose at the flavored stuff because I’m a true pumpkin lover. Growing up, my birthday dessert choice was always homemade pumpkin pie and my favorite cold-weather snack, which my Mom and Grandma would keep in the freezer, was homemade pumpkin bread.

This twist from Better Homes + Gardens on classic pumpkin bread, with juicy blueberries and crunchy pecans, is made easy with the slow cooker. Simply mix up the ingredients, pile them in the cooker and check back a couple hours later. You can easily slice and freeze individual slices to grab and re-heat for breakfast or use as a yummy brunch offering for guests. Bon appétit!

 

Slow Cooker Pumpkin-Blueberry Bread

(Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens, October 2016)

Hands-On Time: 15 min.

Total Time: 2 hr. 45 min.

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup half-and-half
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold butter, cubed
3/4 cup fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted*

Directions
1. Coat a 4-quart oval slow cooker with cooking spray or line the slow cooker with a disposable liner. In a medium bowl stir together pumpkin, half-and-half, and brown sugar; set aside.

2. In a large bowl stir together the 2 cups flour, the baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in the 1/4 cup cold butter until pieces are pea-size. Add pumpkin mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until combined. In a small bowl combine blueberries and the 1 tablespoon flour; toss until berries are coated. Fold berries into flour mixture. Spoon mixture into prepared slow cooker. Pour maple syrup and the 2 tablespoons melted butter over mixture in slow cooker; sprinkle with pecans.

3. Cover and cook on high-heat setting for 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Turn off slow cooker.

4. Carefully remove lid so condensation from lid does not drip onto bread. Cover opening of slow cooker completely with paper towels; place lid on top. Cool for 30 to 45 minutes. Serve bread warm from slow cooker.