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Learn how to make apple dump cake in your crockpot for the easiest dessert ever! With just a few ingredients and pantry staples, this apple dump cake recipe is the best fall dessert!
BEST Apple Dump Cake
Have you ever heard of a dump cake? It’s a super easy dessert where you “dump” all of your ingredients into a pan and bake it. Or, in the case of this apple dump cake I’m sharing, you dump everything in your crockpot. It’s one of the easiest desserts ever.
Peach dump cake, Cherry Dump Cake, Blueberry Dump Cake, Pumpkin Dump Cake: There are a thousand ways to make one of these cakes and I’ve made them all. For fall there’s nothing better than this crockpot apple cake recipe! I love apple recipes and it’s just as delicious as an apple crisp or apple crumble but easier to make.
Six Dump Cake Ingredients
- Apples: I like Granny Smith apples best, the tart with the sweet. They are also sturdy enough they don’t get mushy in the crockpot.
- Granulated Sugar: To sweeten the apples
- Cinnamon: Can’t have apple desserts without cinnamon!
- Yellow Cake Mix: This is the magic of a dump cake – dumping in the cake mix!
- Oats: Quick oats or old-fashioned oats make this more of a crumble
- Sliced Butter: The butter melts as the cake cooks creating that crumbly top.
How to Make Apple Dump Cake
- Apples: Once you’ve peeled, cored, and diced your apples just pile them in the slow cooker. Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar over the top.
- Dump: Pour the cake mix and oats into the slow cooker so they are cover the apples.
- Butter: Place the sliced butter in an even layer over the top of the cake mix and oats.
- Cook: Secure the lid and cook the cake for four hours on high. That’s it. Easiest crockpot apple cake ever.
Expert Tips
- First rule of crockpots is that all crockpots are different! Depending on your model this cake may take more or less time.
- The first time you make this, I recommend checking on the cake after 1 ½ hours of cooking time just in case your slow cooker runs hot.
- You can tell when the cake is done when all the butter is melted and the cake mix doesn’t look like powder. The top of the cake should be golden brown.
- Don’t skip the paper towel between the lid and the insert – this catches condensation so your cake isn’t wet.
Crockpot Apple Dump Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 5-7 Granny Smith Apples
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon divided
- 1 approx 15 ounce box yellow cake mix
- ½ cup (43g) quick cooking oats
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter , sliced thin
Instructions
- Peel, core, and slice your apples. I used 7 because mine were small. If you’re using large, you can use less. Apples should be thin and bite sized.
- Spray crockpot with cooking spray.
- Place apples in the bottom of your crockpot. Sprinkle with sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.
- Place the cake mix in a large bowl. Add the oats and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Stir, then sprinkle over the top of the apples. Drop slices of the butter over the top of the cake mix.
- Cover the crockpot with a paper towel then place the lid on. Cook on high for 4 hours. I recommend checking the cake after an hour and a half and then again each 30 minutes to make sure it's cooking evenly and doesn't burn. All crockpots cook differently so this is important. If it's too hot on one side, roate the liner.
- Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Use a spice cake mix in place of yellow cake
- Skip cooking the apples – use canned apple pie filling (or homemade) – you’ll need 2 cans of apple pie filling.
- Add a sprinkle of chopped pecans or walnuts on top the apples under the cake mix.
- Make this in the oven – simply dump it all into a baking dish instead of the slow cooker. Bake at 350°F for about 35-45 minutes.
Recipe Nutrition
Other Apple + Crockpot Favorites
Make Apple Dump Cake in the crockpot! This slow cooker dessert recipe uses cake mix and makes an easy apple crisp with just a few ingredients. This is the best recipe for apple dump cake you’ll ever make!
can you use canned apples instead of fresh apples in the crockpot dump cake recipe?
I don’t see why not! I’ve used canned peaches and pie fillings in dump cake before, so I think canned apples would be fine!
I started making this and then realized I didn’t have a yellow cake mix on hand (which I usually try to always keep on hand) so I used a spice cake mix instead leaving out the extra cinnamon as the spice mix already has cinnamon in it. It actually turned out good and I would definitely do it again.
I am making the crockpot Apple Dump cake now. I followed your recipe and used quick oats. I am doing it in my older smaller crockpot. Will post after we have it. My hubby is so excited. He said You are making a cake in the crockpot ??? He thinks it is so funny… I do hope it is wonderful or I am going to have some explaining to do hahaha
I hope it turned out good!! I think quick oats would be fine. And I have a cake recipe too…I just love baking in the crock pot!
Just put all the ingredients for the apple dump cake in my crock pot. I’ll let you know how it came out. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
I hope you enjoy it!!
Hi can we substitute the Butter for something else? applesauce or yogurt……
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