This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This Caramel Apple Dump Cake is a quick and easy shortcut Fall dessert using 6 simple ingredients. Apple pie filling, cinnamon, nutmeg, cake mix, and butter are dumped in a pan, baked and the results are amazing!

Caramel Apple Dump Cake on a plate

Why You’ll Love This Caramel Apple Dump Cake Recipe

  • Quick: Dump cakes are our favorite way to make a dessert super fast.
  • Simple: With just a few simple ingredients like yellow cake mix, apple pie filling, and butter that you can keep in your pantry, you can make this wonderful apple cobbler inspired dessert any time.
  • Crowd Favorite: Everyone always raves over this easy dessert recipe and will never know how easy it is to make!

What is a Dump Cake?

A ‘dump cake’ is a cake using ingredients that are literally dumped in a baking dish together. There is no mixing required, and no extra dirty dishes or mixing bowls have to be cleaned. Usually, fruit or canned fruit is used as the base. Top with a boxed cake mix and a wet ingredient like melted butter. Don’t miss these other great dump cake recipes: Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake | Easy Peach Dump Cake | Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake | Strawberry Dump Cake | Lemon Dump Cake | Pumpkin Dump Cake | Chocolate Dump Cake.

Ingredients Needed

All you need is 6-ingredients (the exact measurements and full recipe instructions are below in the easy to print recipe card).

  • Apple pie filling – any canned apple pie filling brand will work or make our delicious homemade apple pie filling.
  • Ground cinnamon – the extra cinnamon really makes the apple pie filling taste good!
  • Ground nutmeg – some nutmeg adds a little hint of spice to the apples.
  • Caramels – unwrap the caramels and cut each in half
  • Yellow cake mix – do not prepare the cake mix; leave it dry.
  • Butter – cut the butter into ¼ inch thick pats. It’s best to use salted butter. Do not use margarine.
Caramel Apple Dump Cake ingredients

How to Make Caramel Apple Dump Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, mix together apple pie filling, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
  • Pour the apple mixture into the prepared pan and smooth out evenly.
  • Arrange the caramels over top of the apple filling.
  • Evenly sprinkle the dry cake mix over the caramels.
  • Place the pats of butter evenly over the top of the cake mix.
  • Bake the dump cake at 350F for 45 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden brown and the edges are bubbling. Cool slightly before serving.

Topping Ideas

Pouring Caramel over caramel apple dump cake with ice cream

How to Store the Leftovers

Keep the leftover cake covered tightly with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight food storage container. Keep the cake at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Variations

  • Kick up the Spice – Additional spices can be added to the apple pie filling layer. A sprinkling of cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg, or allspice, are all wonderful spices to stir in to ramp up the the flavor.
  • Cake Mix – Yellow cake mix is what we use in this recipe, however, white cake mix and spice cake mix are also great flavor options!
lifting Caramel Apple Dump Cake out of a plan with a spoon

More Apple Cake Recipes You Will Love

5 from 238 votes

Caramel Apple Dump Cake

This Caramel Apple Dump Cake is a quick and easy shortcut Fall dessert using six simple ingredients. Apple pie filling, cinnamon, nutmeg, cake mix, and butter are dumped in a pan, baked and the results are amazing!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
Servings: 8
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 13×9 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, mix together apple pie filling, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour the apple mixture into the prepared pan and smooth out evenly.
  • Arrange the caramels over top of the apple filling. Evenly sprinkle the dry cake mix over the caramels.
  • Place the pats of butter evenly over the top of the whole dessert.
  • Bake the dump cake at 350F for 45 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and the edges are bubbling.
  • Cool slightly before serving.

Notes

Keep the cake at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Nutrition

Serving: 8gCalories: 437kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 3gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 653mgPotassium: 40mgFiber: 1gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 711IUVitamin C: 0.02mgCalcium: 148mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

Leave a comment & rating below, or tag @kitchenfunwithmy3sons on social media!

We love for you to share our ideas, but require a link back to us for credit. Any of our creations or ideas that are shared without permission are a violation of copyright. On occasion I create posts for sponsors and often use affiliate links. I’ll let you know when that is the case and appreciate your support.

Jill

About Jill Mills

You may also like:

5 from 238 votes (165 ratings without comment)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating:




181 Comments

  1. Sam says:

    5 stars
    Excellent!! Everyone loved it, even the ones that don’t like Apple pie.

  2. Lori Volk says:

    5 stars
    Fantastic recipes love them

  3. Ruth Burger says:

    5 stars
    I made this for the first time recently and my family loved it..this is will be my new to go desert to share with others..thanks for sharing..

  4. Cathy M says:

    5 stars
    Delicious Apple Carmel Cobbler.

  5. Sue Erdolino says:

    I found caremel apple pie mix in a can

  6. Don says:

    Better to use the caramel nuggets as opposed to the squares, they melt much better 

    1. Marilyn says:

      Where do you find caramel nuggets?

  7. Mary Beth Koch says:

    I hadn’t had good luck with dump cakes but then I did something unusual. I now take the cake mix and the cold butter (in slices) and blitz them in the food processor. It just worked better for me.

    1. Kathy says:

      Can I leave the caramel out?

  8. Helm Patricia Ann says:

    5 stars
    Looking forward to making this one and sharing it with a friend!!

    1. Bob says:

      In the recipe for the caramel apple dump cake the recipe ingredients says one cup two sticks butter. Should that be one cup ( two sticks) butter or is it a total of four sticks of butter

      1. Jill says:

        Hey Bob, just one cup total.

  9. Mary says:

    5 stars
    I made this for Thanksgiving  it was delicious except for the caramels, I thought they won’t melt but they didn’t so they were sticking to our teeth. I would definitely make again except use caramel sauce. 

  10. Sharon White says:

    5 stars
    I made this using French vanilla cake. It was so delicious but very sweet.