With winter approaching, many turn to their slow cooker for comforting meals, but bestselling authors Kate and Kay Allinson, known as Pinch of Nom, are encouraging home cooks to explore its potential for delicious, health-conscious desserts. Their new cookbook, "Pinch Of Nom Slow Cooker" (Bluebird), features a variety of recipes, including easy-to-make puddings designed for the slow cooker, along with tips for reducing calories by using low-fat ingredients like almond milk and healthier crumble toppings.

The cookbook highlights three specific desserts that are remarkably simple to prepare, yielding gooey, gorgeous puddings perfect for the colder months. These recipes demonstrate how the slow cooker can transform traditional desserts into less calorific, yet equally indulgent, treats.

Self-saucing Gingerbread Pudding

This comforting dessert serves 8 and is surprisingly light at 273 calories and 49g carbs per serving. It requires 10 minutes of prep and cooks for 2-2.5 hours on high or 4-4.5 hours on low. Ingredients include 100g reduced-fat spread, 250g self-raising flour, 40g caster sugar, 40g granulated sweetener, 3 medium eggs, 150ml skimmed milk, 1tbsp low-calorie caramel-flavoured syrup, 1tsp vanilla extract, 1tsp ground cinnamon, and 1tbsp ground ginger. For the topping, 500ml boiling water, 40g granulated sweetener, 30g light brown sugar, 3tbsp low-calorie caramel-flavoured syrup, and 1/2tbsp ground ginger are needed. The method involves greasing the slow-cooker pot, whisking the cake ingredients until light and creamy, pouring into the pot, then combining and pouring the topping mixture over the batter. It's cooked with the lid on until firm and set.

Apple And Blueberry Crumble

Serving 6, this fruity crumble is a low-calorie option at 159 calories and 26g carbs per serving. Prep time is 15 minutes, with a total cooking time of 3 hours 15 minutes on high. The fruit filling consists of 3 peeled, cored, and chopped Bramley apples, 350g frozen blueberries, 3tbsp granulated sweetener, and 1tsp ground cinnamon. For the topping, 100g self-raising flour, 1tbsp granulated sweetener, 1tsp ground cinnamon, and 50g lighter butter (or reduced-fat spread) are used. The fruit is cooked first in the slow cooker for 1 hour. While it cooks, the topping is prepared by rubbing butter into the flour mixture to form coarse breadcrumbs. After an hour, the topping is sprinkled over the fruit, a clean tea towel is placed over the pot before the lid (to absorb moisture), and it cooks for a further 2 hours. Finally, the temperature is set to low for 30 minutes to dry out the crumble top before serving.

Banana And Biscoff Rice Pudding

This comforting Biscoff-flavored rice pudding serves 4, with each serving containing 248 calories and 41g carbs. Prep time is 10 minutes and it cooks for 5 hours on low. Ingredients include 100g pudding rice, 1L unsweetened almond milk, 1tsp vanilla extract, 1/2tsp ground nutmeg, and 2tbsp granulated sweetener. To serve, 40g Biscoff spread, 2 sliced bananas, and 2 Biscoff biscuits are required. The pudding rice, almond milk, vanilla, nutmeg, and sweetener are combined in the slow-cooker pot, covered, and cooked on low until thick and creamy. Once cooked, Biscoff spread is stirred in, and the pudding is spooned into bowls, topped with banana slices, and crumbled biscuits.