Slow Cooker Silky Chocolate Pots

Pots de crème sounds like the kind of dessert that requires serious skill but it really doesn’t. These slow cooker chocolate pots are a silky rich chocolate custard, served cold in a little ramekin with a spoonful of cream on top, and your slow cooker does most of the work!

This is the dessert to make the night before a dinner party. By the time your guests arrive it is already in the fridge, ready to go. They will not believe how easy it was. The slow cooker is actually perfect for this because the gentle, consistent heat does what an oven water bath does but with far less watching.

Before you start, check your slow cooker

This is the most important thing in the whole recipe. Four 175ml ramekins need to sit in a single layer in the slow cooker because they cook in a water bath. A round slow cooker will not have enough width at the base to fit four side by side, so this recipe needs a large oval slow cooker, 7 to 8 litres.

If you have a smaller or round slow cooker, halve the recipe and make two. The method is exactly the same.

Place your ramekins in the slow cooker before you do anything else to confirm they fit with the tea towel in the base. Thirty seconds now saves a lot of frustration directed at me later!

Getting the chocolate balance right

My first test used a much higher ratio of chocolate to dairy and the result was firm, dense and too rich. Good flavour but not the silky spoonable texture you want. The recipe now uses nearly four parts dairy to one part chocolate, which gives you a custard that is deeply chocolatey but light enough to actually finish.

Use a good quality dark chocolate between 50 and 60 percent. A block you would eat on its own, not baking chocolate or chocolate chips. Chop it finely so it melts evenly into the warm cream.

A note on the espresso powder or instant coffee granules

You cannot taste coffee in the finished pot at all. The espresso powder (or instant coffee) just makes the chocolate taste more like itself, the same way it works in a chocolate cake. Half a teaspoon is all it takes and I do recommend it.

Heating the cream and milk

You do want the cream hot but not boiling. Watch for small bubbles forming around the edges of the pan and steam rising from the surface. That is your signal to take it off the heat. Do not let it boil.

Pour it straight over the chopped chocolate, leave it two minutes, then stir gently until smooth and glossy. If you have a stick blender, a brief blend here with the blender kept below the surface will give you the silkiest result. Keep it submerged so you do not add air bubbles.

How to make slow cooker chocolate pots, step by step

Step 1 — Check your ramekins fit

Place the four ramekins into the slow cooker in a single layer before you start cooking to confirm everything fits with the lid on. Fold a clean tea towel and lay it in the base. This cushions the ramekins, prevents them sliding around and stops any direct heat underneath them.

Step 2 — Melt the chocolate with the cream

Heat the cream and milk until steaming with small bubbles at the edges, then pour over the finely chopped chocolate. Leave for two minutes then stir gently until smooth and glossy. Blend briefly with a stick blender kept below the surface.

Step 3 — Make the egg yolk base

Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, vanilla bean paste, espresso powder and salt together until smooth and combined. Keep it gentle, you do not want the mixture frothy or full of air.

Step 4 — Bring it all together

Slowly pour the warm chocolate mixture into the egg yolks, whisking gently as you go. Strain through a fine sieve into a jug, leave for five minutes then skim off any foam from the surface.

Step 5 — Rest & scoop

Allow the custard to rest for five minutes then scrape off any bubbles. This gives you a much smoother surface on the finished pot so it is worth taking the time.

Step 6 — Fill and cover the ramekins

Pour the custard evenly into four ramekins, filling each about three quarters full. Cover each loosely with foil, pressing gently around the edges.

Step 7 — Into the slow cooker

Sit the foil-covered ramekins on the tea towel in a single layer. Pour hot water from the kettle around them to create the bain marie or water bath half way up the sides. Lay a clean tea towel under the lid to catch condensation, then put the lid on. Cook on LOW for 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 35 minutes. Do not lift the lid during the first hour.

Step 8 — Cool and serve

They are ready when the edges are softly set and the centre wobbles as one piece when gently nudged, like soft jelly rather than liquid. When in doubt pull them a little early. They will firm up in the fridge and it is much easier to fix an undercooked pot than an overcooked one.

Remove carefully and leave on the bench for 45 to 60 minutes before moving to the fridge. Chill for at least two to four hours.

Serve in the ramekin and if you wish serve with whipped cream, shaved chocolate and a tiny pinch of flaky salt.

Questions about this recipe

Can I make these ahead? Yes, and honestly this is the main reason I love making them. Make them the day before, cool completely and refrigerate overnight. They will be perfectly set and ready when you need them. Add the cream and chocolate at the last minute. They keep in the fridge for up to three days.

Can I use milk chocolate instead of dark? I have not tested this recipe with milk chocolate. Dark chocolate between 50 and 60 percent is what this was developed with and gives you the right balance of flavour and texture.

Can I use a round slow cooker? Halve the recipe and make two. A round slow cooker does not have enough base width for four ramekins in a single layer, and they must be in a single layer for the water bath to work.

What if I do not have a stick blender? Stir very thoroughly by hand until completely smooth. The stick blender gives the silkiest result but patient stirring will get you there.

Can I use smaller ramekins? Yes. Five slightly smaller ramekins work if they fit in a single layer. Start checking from the one hour fifteen mark as they may need a little less time.

Do I need the foil? Yes. It stops condensation dripping onto the surface of the custard during cooking.

Can I freeze these? I would not. The texture does not hold through freezing. They keep well in the fridge for up to three days so make them close to when you need them.

What is the difference between chocolate pots and pots de crème? Simply the name. Pots de crème is the French term for exactly this style of dessert. Small pots of silky baked chocolate custard served cold. These slow cooker chocolate pots are the same thing, just made without an oven.

More slow cooker desserts worth making

Slow Cooker Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding is the warm casual version if you want something chocolatey without the dinner party effort. One of the most popular recipes on this site.

Slow Cooker Dulce de Leche is one ingredient and your slow cooker does everything. Rich thick caramel that goes on just about anything.

Slow Cooker Butterscotch Self-Saucing Pudding is warm, rich and very good with ice cream. A good one for winter.

Slow Cooker Lemon Self-Saucing Pudding for something lighter. The lemon sauce that forms underneath is really lovely.

Slow Cooker Silky Chocolate Pots Recipe

These are the kind of dessert that gets people asking for the recipe before they have finished eating. Make them the night before, keep them in the fridge and bring them out when you are ready. Leave a comment below and let me know how they went at your table.