Slow Cooker Cherry Dump Cake is a slightly more appealing title than Crockpot Cherry Dump Cake, but I grew up calling the slow cooker a crock pot, so Crockpot Cherry Dump Cake it is. And along with two names, the dessert has a dual purpose. It’s an easy dessert and it makes the house smell great!
The other nice thing about this recipe is it can be made with different flavors of pie filling. Blueberry is highly recommended, though cherry is a favorite around here and that’s what I’ve been using. Pecans are optional.
Update
If you can’t tell, this is an old post. It desperately needs a new photo. It also needs a new and more appealing name, but I admit the horribleness of Crockpot Dump Cake makes me laugh out loud and anything that makes me laugh can’t really be changed at this point so here we are.
Crockpot Dump Cake….(!)
Ingredients
- Butter for greasing the slow cooker
- 1 can cherry or blueberry pie filling (21 oz)
- 1 box yellow or white cake mix
- 8 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks, salted preferred (114 grams)
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Instructions
- Rub the slow cooker generously with some of the butter. Place pie filling in the slow cooker. Mix dry cake mix and remaining butter until crumbly, sprinkle over filling. Sprinkle with nuts. Cover and cook on low for 2 – 3 hours. Serve warm in bowls.
Notes
If you don’t have a crockpot and want to make a small version, use the half version and bake it in a 9 inch deep dish glass pie plate or an 8 inch square pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until cake mix is golden brown. And of course, you can also make the full version in a 13×9 inch cake pan. It’s dump cake! Easiest recipe ever.
Anna
Great tip! Thanks, Sue!
Sue
I’ve made this with sugar free cake mix and cherry pie filling with no added sugar (Splenda) and it’s great. Have also tried spice cake and apple pie filling (lots of sugar but so yummy).
Steffanie
I have a 2 qt. Crockpot that I use for dump cakes and other small recipes. I like to use 1 can of pie filling and 1/2 box of cake mix to get a good filling to cake ratio. And anything goes with combos (pear or apple pie filling are great with spice cake!).
Joyce
I have made this in the oven for years with the addition of a can of crushed pineapple undrained on the bottom. Awesome!
Dianna
Dump cake has long been a family favorite and the cock pot idea- genius! Just a quick note we have always added crushed pineapple to the cherry pie filling, delicious!
And the cheesecake recipe good gracious I have to hunt that down it sound fabulous too. Thanks for the great ideas!
Samantha
I use this same recipe with a can of sliced peaches in our dutch oven while camping and place on the firepit for about an hour!!! it is so easy and delicious..
Waddles
This is what we make at camp in a dutch oven over the fire!!!! Only difference is we put some cinnamon sugar on top!!~
Anna
Hi Aimee,
Thanks for the comment :).
It’s always good to impress your mother-in-law, right?
Aimee
I love your blog! I was looking for an easy recipe for desert on Mother’s day. I tried the cherry version but used almonds (only nuts I had on hand) This turned out so good. Compliments everywhere! My mom and my mother in law loved it–which is always good when you can impress the moms. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Debbi
I loved this! It was so easy and it tasted delicious. We ate ours with apple filling, yellow cake and pecans. It wasn’t the most attractive dessert but the taste was really good. We’ll be making it again for sure.
Debbi
Gigi
I just emailed this recipe to my mom. She recently got a new crock pot and has been harassing me for recipes. This should fit the bill nicely!
Anna
Hi Sue,
My crockpot is a 4 quart model and there was plenty of room. In fact, I probably could have doubled the recipe. Going on the assumption that yours is a 1 1/2 or 2 quart, I think could get away with making this as is. However, to be safe, I’d start by making half of the recipe. Half of an 18.25 oz box of cake mix is about 1 3/4 cups. You could measure or if you want to be precise, weigh it. With this recipe, you don’t have to be precise! Also, rather than use half the can of pie filling, you might want to try it with 3/4 of the can. My one complaint about the recipe was that it had a high proportion of crumb to fruit.
Anyway, you’ve given me a good edit. I’m going to include a note that tells how to make half of this recipe.
Anna
Christy, thanks for the advice. I sprinkled it with nuts just in time. Glad I didn’t leave them off.
Brenda, thanks for the recipes!
Debbi, I took a pork tenderloin, cut it into big chunks and marinated it in sage, garlic, lemon, pepper and salt. I normally do this with pork chops and then grill them. However, I needed to use a pork tenderloin so I just dumped the pork and marinade into the crockpot and cooked it altogether. Todd and Fuzz actually ate it. But I will never put a tenderloin in the crockpot again because I didn’t like the final texture. Tenderloin is already tender enough to begin with. I should have just baked it.
Kelly, I was curious as to how it would look too. It looks nice before you cut into it, but you have to arrange it in a pretty bowl with ice cream to make it presentable.
Kelly
I have always wondered what crockpot desserts look like once theyre done. For some reason, I hate making ugly desserts that aren’t aesthetically pleasing. I can’t wait to see photos!
Sue H
I bought a smaller slow-cooker to use for just the two of us. Should I be worried it will expand over the top?? At work now and don’t remember the size. TIA
Debbi
What on earth were you cooking that was so stinky? I usually LOVE the smell of my crock pot cooking dinner.
This dessert sounds super simple and super nummy. I have apple filling here now, maybe I’ll add some cinnamin and raisins and try it tonight.
Brenda
Anna, I was going to email my crockpot recipes but can’t seem to find your email on here. If you’ll email me using my addy, I’ll email them back to you. I have quite a few recipes that I rely on.
Christy
My mom makes this exact recipe in the oven with cherries and its delicious. I would leave the nuts in though because its an essential part of this dish- they add a unique texture and taste to the cake mix and I don’t think it will taste the same without them.
Anna
Lindsay, that chicken recipe sounds terrific! I love everything about it except the mushrooms, so I will test it without mushrooms.
I’ll try the chocolate cheesecake too. What’s not to like about that?
Lindsay
Anna- I took a crockpot class at our local culinary center last week and it was excellent. I posted a great chicken recipe from the class on a blog I write for:
http://blogs.parentcenter.babycenter.com/momformation/2007/09/19/crockin-up-some-dinner/
But the best dish by far was a chocolate cheesecake made in the crockpot. It makes sense…cheesecakes require slow, moist heat. It was divine, and was the first one I’ve made that didn’t crack! I’ll try to get the recipe typed up…I just have the hard copy.
Anna
Oh, and I am sure peach pie filling would work.
Meredith, I saw the brownie recipe and the triple chocolate mess. I had some white cake mix and wanted to get rid of that first.
Anna
Brenda, I have a love/hate relationship with the crockpot. If you have some time, would you send me your favorite recipe?
Amy, this is my first shot at the recipe, so I’ll have to get back to you on that. However, I think there are some other tried and true crockpot pumpkin recipes out there.
Which reminds me, I have a pumpkin cake mix dump thing recipe I want to try soon. Not sure when.
meredith
Never tried a crockpot dessert recipe — but the rasberry brownies in a jar and triple chocolate mess recipes might be worth a try!! I’m surprised you didn’t try the brownies!!
Amy
Anna-
Would this work with peach filling? What about pumpkin?
Brenda
I may have to try this one day when I’m NOT cooking dinner in my crockpot! It sounds yummy!