Apple dump cake made with cake mix, apple pie filling, and butter is a three ingredient treasure of a recipe. Your family will love it!
This apple dump cake cobbler recipe is ooey gooey apple deliciousness with a butter topping perfectly suited for any night of the week. Serve it after a hearty dinner of vegetable beef soup and homemade beer bread!
Apple Dump Cake
Apple Dump Cake
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Why you’ll love this recipe!
📌 Only three ingredients for all the amazing flavor of apple pie cobbler.
📌 Easy to make it suited to your family with add-ins like nuts, granola, and caramel.
📌 An absolute winner of a dish, we literally never have leftovers when I make this and usually we’ll all crowd around the pan when it comes out of the oven and nibble away.
Ingredients
- Apples – Canned apple pie filling. Alternatively, you can use our fried apples recipe.
- Cake mix – Yellow or white cake mix (we used yellow in the pictured recipe). Not prepared.
- Butter – Salted butter, sliced into thin pats. I am partial to salted butter in this recipe, but it’s a matter of personal preference.
Apple pie filling, butter, cake mix.
Step-by-step directions
⭐ First, pour apple pie filling into a baking pan or dish.
⭐ Then, spread cake mix evenly over apples.
⭐ Next, slice butter thinly and place it on top of cake mix.
⭐ Finally, bake until the top is browned and the apples are hot and bubbling.
Scroll down to the printable recipe card toward the bottom of this article for ingredient measurements and detailed cooking instructions.
Layer your ingredients then bake.
Preparation
Can you make it ahead of time?
Yes! The cobbler can be prepared up to a few hours ahead of time and store in the fridge until ready to bake, or you can bake up to a few days ahead and serve cold or reheated. My husband actually prefers it chilled!
Can I use fresh apples?
Yes, you’ll want to peel, core and slice the apples thinly. Add a half cup of apple juice to the bottom of the dish and also sprinkle the apples with some brown sugar and cinnamon.
How do you serve apple dump cake?
You can serve dump cake hot out of the oven or chilled. Top it with ice cream (vanilla is our favorite!), whipped cream, or just enjoy as is. If we’re out of ice cream and I don’t want to go through the motions of making whipped cream, sometimes I’ll pour a little cold heavy cream over top. Yum.
Look at that crispy golden crust!
Storage and leftovers
Should you refrigerate cobbler?
Leftovers should be covered and refrigerated for best results. If left at room temperature, they should be consumed within about 24 hours. I suspect that won’t be a problem!
How long does cobbler dump cake last?
It will keep in the refrigerator for 3 – 4 days after baking. Cover tightly with a lid or foil before storing.
Can you freeze a dump cake?
You can freeze the cooked dish for several months! Allow the cobbler to cool, then cover and store in the freezer. I like to let mine cool for an hour at room temp and then chill for several hours in the refrigerator before transferring to the freezer. This will reduce the amount of moisture that is drawn out of the dish.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven by covering with foil and baking at 350F oven for about 15 minutes, until warmed through. If the dish is still partially frozen, you may need to add time.
Yes, we do often grab our forks and eat it right out of the pan!
Variations
- Try making it with fresh apples and brown sugar or use our stewed apples recipe.
- Double the recipe and make it in a roasting pan for a larger group.
- Make it an apple caramel dump cake by adding a layer of caramel candies or dulce de leche under the cake mix.
- Add some crunch by stirring slivered almonds into the cake mix before spreading over top.
But it’s also great when served on a plate.
Tips, tricks, and frequently asked questions
Why do they call it dump cake?
The name for this dessert is my least favorite part about it! It’s really a cobbler more than a cake, but it’s called as much because you use a cake mix for the crust and you just “dump” all the ingredients into a pan.
What is another name for dump cake?
A dump cake is really just a cobbler, and feel free to call it as much when bringing to a friend’s party!
How does a dump cake work?
The secret to a great cake mix cobbler is making sure butter is evenly spread over the top. When it melts, the combination of cake mix + butter creates a delicious crust.
If you prefer to use melted butter, you can mix it in with the cake mix ahead and then put the wetted batter over the fruit. Just make sure whatever you do, do not leave areas without butter as you don’t want to end up with powdery dry bites.
With a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Serving suggestions
Well this cobbler is just as American as apple pie, so how about serving it with other classic homestyle favorites like our meatloaf recipe, creamed peas, and baked potatoes. Don’t forget the strawberry milkshake to drink!
And a drizzle of caramel sauce.
More delicious apple recipes
- Dutch apple pie
- Snickers salad recipe
- Cinnamon apple butter
- Apple bundt cake
- See all our easy apple recipes!
Get in mah belly!
Other yummy dump cake ideas
More recipes made with cake mix
- Pumpkin crinkle cookies
- Strawberry poke cake
- Carrot cake cookies with cream cheese icing
- Strawberry shortcake waffles
- Cranberry upside down cake
- Cake mix donuts recipe
- See all our recipes made with cake mix!
Okay, that does it. Making this for dinner… I mean dessert… tonight!
Tools we love
- Casserole dish with lid – I’ve had this casserole dish for years and it’s one of my favorites. I love being able to pop the lid on and stick the leftovers into the fridge easily!
- Large serving spoons – There’s something about a nice serving utensil that makes me happy. Is that weird? I’m okay with it.
😍😍😍
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How to Make Apple Dump Cake
Apple Dump Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cans apple pie filling 21 ounces each
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 stick butter salted
- optional topping caramel sauce, chopped nuts, ice cream, whipped cream
Instructions
- Pour both cans of apple pie filling into the bottom of a lightly greased 9x13" casserole dish.
- Spread the cake mix over the apples, and lightly spread to make sure it's evenly distributed.
- Cut the butter into thin slices, and lay on top of the cake mix.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes at 350°F, until bubbly and lightly browned on top.
Notes
Nutrition
Apple Dump Cake
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Erin says
Nothing beats a 3-ingredient dessert that tastes this good! When you’re pressed for time, this recipe is a lifesaver! Everyone loves it.
Agnes says
This sounds so cozy and delicious! I almost feel silly admitting it, but I don’t think ive ever noticed canned apples at the store before! I will have to try this for an easy sugar craving fix!
Kristyn says
You would never know how easy this is to make, by the taste! It is the simplest & most delicious dump cake!! My family loves it!
Elena Salas says
This sounds so good. Can’t wait to make it!
Cathy Allen-Williams says
Delicious, except I don’t like the dry areas of the cake mix. I guess I have to use more butter.
April Woods says
You can try melting the butter and mixing it with the dry cake mix before layering on top of the fruit if you’re having issues with dry spots 🙂
Vickie says
Family loved this recipe but I made a few changes. I also had dry spots but then I realized I only used one stick of butter instead of two, duh. I did use 3 cans of apple pie filling and instead of a regular size cake mix I used a Jiffy Yellow Cake mix instead. Still had plenty of cake mix but the ratio of filling to cake mix was better.
Lorraine says
Haven’t tried yet, however I will be making it Tuesday for my Bingo dessert! I will serve with whipped cream and carmel drip. Will let you know what everyone says!
Sheila McBurney says
in your picture you show 2 sticks of butter yet in the recipe it only calls for 1 stick of butter. Which is the correct amount?
Christine says
I made this recipe today
very delicious
I will make it again
Delena Osgood says
Just popped mine in the oven!! Can’t wait to try it!! I used 2 sticks of butter as well.
Kristen says
I needed something fast and my guests raved about this! Three ingredients I will now always have on hand. As noted, play around with add-ins. I added cinnamon and having read the reviews, more butter. Served with ice cream. Thanks for making my evening easy and successful!