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Learn how to make apple dump cake in your crockpot for the easiest dessert ever! 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 this cake – so get apple season going with one of my favorite fall desserts.

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.

There are a thousand ways to make a dump cake – they’re usually made with fruit and cake mix – and 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 Ingredients in Dump Cake

  • 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.

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.

Homemade Cake Mix vs Boxed Cake Mix

What makes this such an easy dessert is using cake mix, but I understand if that’s not your thing! You could try using homemade yellow cake mix, but (full disclosure!) I’ve never tried it, but a few readers have with success! 

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

Tip From Dorothy

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.
  • To keep the moisture in balance, sometimes I place a paper towel between the lid and the insert which will absorb a lot of the condensation early in the cooking time. After two hours I remove it so the liquid that is created inside the crockpot will dissolve the cake mix.

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:

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

Crockpot Apple Dump Cake

4.97 from 26 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

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

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.

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

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!

Last Updated on September 21, 2023



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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127 Comments

  1. This was soooo good. I added Pecans to the top. I did cut the apples up very small as I wanted to make sure it was ready to eat in 4 hours. It was ready in 3 and WOW! Worth making. Thanks for the recipe.

  2. I used your recipe and another because I wanted a homemade batter. It turned out great! Thank you for the inspiration

  3. “Man ‘oh man” that was delicious! I have an old ceramic crock pot so I tried the low setting for 4 hours. Came out perfect!!! ❤️ This is a keeper…

    1. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you have a crock pot larger than 7qt – or use 2 crockpots. I think it would be too deep and burn around the edges before being done.