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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!

orange dump cake on a white plate with white ice cream on top.


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. 

ingredients in apple dump cake.

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 Prep Apples for Cake

I usually use five to seven apples for this recipe. I love Granny Smith because they are really tart and hold their shape even after cooking for several hours.

If your apples are big you can use less, but the recipe is pretty forgiving so don’t stress it too much!

Because I am apple obsessed, I use an apple peeler tool that makes peeling and coring the apples really easy. But, you can also do it by hand:

  • Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin
  • Cut the apples into quarters and then, using a paring knife, cut the cores out.
process shot of apple dump cake.
process shot of apple dump cake.
process shot of apple dump cake.
process shot of apple dump cake.

How to Make Apple Dump Cake

  1. 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.
  2. Dump: Pour the cake mix and oats into the slow cooker so they are cover the apples.
  3. Butter: Place the sliced butter in an even layer over the top of the cake mix and oats.
  4. Cook: Secure the lid and cook the cake for four hours on high. That’s it. Easiest crockpot apple cake ever.

Variations

  • 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.
orange dump cake on a white plate with white ice cream on top.

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.

How to Serve Apple Dump Cake

Grab a serving spoon and scoop it into bowls! It’s delicious just as it is, but here are some ideas to dress it up:

  • Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. As it melts it will mix with all of that apple goodness!
  • A dollop of whipped cream is delicious, too.
  • Add a drizzle (or whole glug!) of salted caramel sauce for an extra-decadent treat.
  • Keep it simple and dust each serving with some powdered sugar.

orange dump cake on a white plate with white ice cream on top.

Crockpot Apple Dump Cake Recipe

4.97 from 27 votes
A crockpot cake is a low-fuss and easy-clean-up recipe that you will want to make all fall when apples are in season. You only need a handful of ingredients to make it!
Prep Time 10 minutes
4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Yield 10 servings
Serving Size 1 serving
Rate RecipePrint 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
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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

This is a sweet recipe – it’s sweet from the cake mix and from the apples. Because I used granny smith, I added some sugar to the apples, but if your sweet meter is lower than mine, you can omit the sugar.
You do not need to make a batter with the cake mix. You sprinkle it over the top like a crumble, then top with butter. The butter will melt, the juices from the apples will bubble up, and the cake mix will cook.
  • 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

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 83kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 112mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 49IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Dorothy Kern

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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!



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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4.97 from 27 votes (19 ratings without comment)

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128 Comments

  2. Thanks for the response. I ended up using the larger oval crockpot. I did the apples the night before and they came out perfect. I found an article about mixing salt and water together and putting the apples in the water for a few minutes. I did that and then rinsed the apples off so they weren’t salty. Put them in a ziplock bag and they were perfect the next morning. Everyone at work loved it!!!

    Reply

  3. Can I cut up the apples the evening before? Or will they get too brown?  Also – should I use a smaller round crockpot or a larger oval crockpot?
    Thanks!! 

    Reply