Slow Cooker Ribs

Prep. Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Prep ingredients. Rinse and dry ribs, remove silver lining and then cut into 6 pieces. Set aside.
Dry rub. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 Tablespoons paprika, 1 1/2 Tablespoons brown sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Remove 1 Tablespoon of the rub to use in the barbecue sauce.
Rub both sides of the ribs with the spice rub then place ribs on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping half way through to sear the meat.
Make barbecue sauce: While the ribs are baking in the oven, add 2 cups ketchup, 1/2 cup molasses, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar and 1 Tablespoon reserved spice blend to a medium saucepan and gently simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove 1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce and refrigerate to use after ribs are cooked.
Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Add a thin layer of barbecue sauce to the bottom of the slow cooker, followed by the meat. Layer sauce and meat until ribs are evenly coated.
Cover and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or on LOW for 7-9 hours OR cook until ribs are fall off the bone tender. Rotate ribs once during cooking so they cook evenly.
Remove from slow cooker and brush with reserved barbecue sauce or use sauce for dipping.