We all love a good crockpot recipe, right? I know I do! The ability to “set it and forget it” is invaluable on those super busy days! But hot and delicious slow-cooked meals are just the tip of the iceberg for this reliable appliance! There are so many other ways to use your crockpot that you may not have thought of! So today I am sharing 10 of my favorite unusual crockpot “recipes.” Check them out, and I bet you’ll start seeing your crockpot in a whole new light! 🙂
If you have a crockpot tip or trick that isn’t listed in today’s post, we’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below this post to tell us what unusual thing you do with your crockpot, and your comment may be featured in an upcoming blog post!
10 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Make in Your Crockpot
Hot dogs – for the crowd!
Need an easy meal for a large group/small army? It’s hot dogs to the rescue! Place several hot dogs in your crockpot and heat them up. Turn on your crockpot and let them hang out until they’re hot!
Related: “Why didn’t I think of that?” – Super Bowl Edition
Recycled Crayons
If you have kids, chances are you also have a box of half-used crayons somewhere. Collect all those broken pieces and use your crockpot to make New crayons
You will need a disposable muffin tin, your crockpot, and your crayon bits. Distribute your crayon pieces into the cups of the muffin tin, doing your best to sort them by similar colors. Place the muffin tin in your crockpot, turn it on a high setting and wait until all the wax has completely melted (about 2 hours). Remove the tin from the crockpot and allow the wax to harden completely before removing your new crayons from the tin.
Caramel apples
Making caramel apples using your crockpot is easy, and more importantly, Easy to clean! Start by placing a crockpot liner in your crockpot, then add a bag of unwrapped caramel and 2 tablespoons of water. Cook the caramel on top until the caramel is melted, easy to stir and shiny.
Skewer your apples with craft sticks or skewers of some kind, then turn them into the caramel and let the excess drip back into the crockpot. Add nuts, coconut flakes, or sprinkles if you like, but work quickly, because the caramel hardens quickly! When you’re done, just throw out the sticky crockpot liner.
Chex Mix
Making a spicy, salty, craving-worthy Chex mix is the wind in the crockpot. I found this recipe Give some ovenAnd it worked wonderfully! I need to make another batch already!
Brownies
I was definitely skeptical about this before I tried it! But it totally works, and it’s a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth without heating up the entire kitchen using the oven. Get the recipe for these chocolatey bits of heaven here Momtastic.
Greek yogurt
Making yogurt may seem like one of those things best left to the professionals, but it’s actually a lot easier than you think! This particular crockpot method is virtually foolproof (and I know, because I didn’t follow my own instructions the first time I made it, and it Still Well done!) Get step-by-step instructions from my post Foolproof Crockpot Greek Yogurt.
Soap
Yes, you really can make homemade soap in your crockpot! It’s easy to do and fully customizable. plus that Appearance Homemade, which I think gives it a lovely rustic charm. 🙂 Get details here: Crock Pot Soap: Secrets of How to Make Soap in a Slow Cooker.
Boil the potpourri
You can use your crockpot to stir up a naturally fragrant potpourri that will make your entire home feel wonderful. You can find some of my favorite “recipes”. My favorite simmering potpourri recipe.
Overnight oatmeal
Who doesn’t love to make overnight anything? Any chance to turn waiting time into sleeping time, I consider a big win. (Impatient? Who, me?) 😉 A little prep the night before can give you a crockpot full of warm, comforting oatmeal that the whole family will love. Perfect for the chilly fall mornings that are just around the corner! Get the recipe at Overnight Slow Cooker Oatmeal for a Crowd.
apple sauce
I had never tried making applesauce before, let alone in a crockpot, so I had no idea how it would turn out. Not only that it was incredibly easy (thanks in part to This handy 3-in-1 apple peeler gadget,) It was delicious too! If you live in an area that produces delicious apples, pick up a case and make this applesauce! You can thank me later. 😉 Get the recipe here How to make your own applesauce in a slow cooker.
Do you use your crockpot to make unusual things?
