Slow Cooker Cherry Dump Cake
Easy Slow Cooker Cherry Dump Cake with buttery topping and gooey cherries. Quick prep, simple ingredients, perfect for family desserts.
This Slow Cooker Cherry Dump Cake is one of the easiest desserts you’ll ever make. With just three simple ingredients and a few minutes of prep, the slow cooker transforms cherry pie filling, cake mix, and butter into a warm, comforting dessert with a buttery topping and sweet cherry filling.
Whether you’re feeding a crowd, bringing dessert to a potluck, or simply want an easy treat without turning on the oven, this crockpot dump cake is a reliable favourite. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for an effortless dessert everyone loves.
Recipe Highlights – Why This Recipe Works
- Prep in just 10 minutes – minimal effort, maximum results.
- Cooks while you focus on other things – slow cooker does the work.
- Only 3 simple ingredients – pantry staples make this easy.
- Warm, gooey cherry dessert – perfect for family dinners or casual get-togethers.
- No oven required – keeps your oven free for the main meal.
- Serve with toppings – whipped cream or ice cream adds extra indulgence.
Tips for Best Results
- Don’t stir the layers together. For the classic dump cake texture, spread the cherry pie filling on the bottom and keep the cake mixture on top.
- Mix the butter with the cake mix first. Combining the melted butter and cake mix creates a more even, buttery topping than simply pouring butter over dry cake mix.
- Keep the lid closed while cooking. Every time you lift the lid, heat escapes and can increase the cooking time.
- Check for doneness early if your slow cooker runs hot. Slow cookers can vary, so start checking near the lower end of the cooking time.
- Add nuts for extra crunch. Chopped pecans, walnuts, or sliced almonds make a delicious addition to the topping.
- Let the dump cake rest before serving. Allowing it to cool for 10 to 15 minutes helps the filling thicken slightly and makes it easier to serve.
- Serve warm for the best texture. A scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream pairs perfectly with the warm cherry filling.
- Use a slow cooker liner for easy cleanup. The sweet cherry filling can stick to the sides of the crockpot, so a liner can make cleanup much easier.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Yellow Cake Mix – Creates the buttery cake-like topping that makes dump cakes so popular. Yellow cake mix adds a rich flavour, but white, butter, vanilla, or French vanilla cake mix can also be used.
- Cherry Pie Filling – The sweet, fruity base of this dessert. Canned cherry pie filling is the easiest option and provides consistent results. You can also substitute another pie filling such as apple, peach, blueberry, strawberry, or mixed berry.
- Butter – Melted butter combines with the cake mix to create a soft, buttery topping. Unsalted butter is typically used, but salted butter works as well. For a dairy-free version, use your favourite plant-based butter substitute.
Storage
- Refrigerator: Store covered for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze portions for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Microwave individual servings or warm larger portions in a low oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Slow Cooker Cherry Dump Cake
Yields: 8-10 servings | Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 2–4 hours
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 42 oz (2 cans) cherry pie filling
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Directions
- Grease your slow cooker with butter or nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl, mix the cake mix and melted butter until it forms a crumbly mixture. (Image 1)
- Spread the cherry pie filling evenly on the bottom of the slow cooker. (Image 2)
- Sprinkle the cake mixture over the cherries. Don’t worry if some cherries peek through. (Image 3)
- Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours. Try not to lift the lid while it’s cooking.
- Let it cool for 10–15 minutes before serving. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream if you like.
Slow Cooker Cherry Dump Cake
Easy Slow Cooker Cherry Dump Cake with buttery topping and gooey cherries. Quick prep, simple ingredients, perfect for family desserts.
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 42 oz (2 cans) cherry pie filling
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Grease your slow cooker with butter or nonstick spray.
- Spread the cherry pie filling evenly on the bottom of the slow cooker.
- In a medium bowl, mix the cake mix and melted butter until it forms a crumbly mixture.
- Sprinkle the cake mixture over the cherries. Don’t worry if some cherries peek through.
- Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours. Try not to lift the lid while it’s cooking.
- Let it cool for 10–15 minutes before serving. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream if you like.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 424Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 409mgCarbohydrates: 77gFiber: 1gSugar: 23gProtein: 2g
This information is provided as a courtesy and for entertainment purposes only. This information comes from online calculators. Although lifeloveliz.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
Liz Lampman is a coffee-fuelled Mom of 2 girls and lives in Hamilton, Ontario. She enjoys cooking and baking, food photography, and reading.
Oh wow — this looks amazing! I have pinned it for a night I am craving cherry goodness!
I’ve made this in the oven but never in a slow cooker. What size slow cooker do you use?
How long did you cook it in the oven?
I’ve made this in the oven and followed the cake box direction for bakining but waited until the top was golden brown and bubbly filling. Some recipes say the oven bake time is 50 minutes.
making this tomorrow. should I use salted or unsalted butter? or does it matter?
I always use salted because I can’t be bothered to buy unsalted. ;)
Can you add chopped pecans?
Adding a teaspoon of almond flavoring makes this especially yummy!!
Could you add a can of drained crushed pineapple
Making this for my Dads Birthday this weekend. Family will be at hotel, and thinking this would be perfect!! Cant wait =)
wondering if I double the recipe will it work and do I double the time? Maybe just two crock pots would work better….thoughts?
Not sure, I’ve never tried doubling it. I would use two just to stay safe.
You make it in the oven too, as a dump cake. Look for cherry dump cake.
Sounds good will give it a try
Thanks
I have a big bag of fresh cherries in my freezer, can I use them and if so how many cups would I need?
You would need to turn them into cherry pie filling for that to work.
I just made 2 cans of tart cherries into actual cherry pie filling by cooking them to simmer (10-15 min, med heat, covered sauce pan), separately mixing 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup cornstarch, adding that to the cherries in the saucepan to simmer, turn to low, stir 2 minutes, and BOOM! Cherry pie filling.
Cook top Stove says to make cherry filling use: 1 cup sugar, 3 T corn starch, 1 T lemon juice, and 4 cups pitted cherries. Simmer till thick.
No stirring? I hope lol I have it in the crockpot now cooking and its on low for 4hours and still looks pretty soft on the top. Normal?
Might should add that its been in for two hours currently
Nope, no stirring. It will never firm up like cake, its more like a cobbler and it will remain looking soft on the top. The first time I made this I didn’t trust the results and I let it cook for like 8 hours because I didn’t think it was “done”. Only after I scooped it out did I realise that it was actually indeed done… and err.. well after 8 hours it was overdone.
9×13 pan, 350 degrees, 30 minutes. Can top with nuts if desired. DO NOT try chocolate cake mix with cherry pie filling – wrong flavors, epic fail! White cake & Peach pie filling, Apple Pie filling & Spice Cake. Blueberry would work with yellow cake mix. Can make 2 8×8, just split cake mix & butter . Can do Jiffy cake mix = half size, 1 can pie filling. DO NOT double contents in 9×13 pan, will not work. Use 2nd pan. Great warm or cold for potlucks & picnics, impervious to temps & “looking perfect” like icing getting bumped or runny. I have not made in slow cooker, but have made this dump cake for decades. Top with ice cream! I want to eat the entire thing, just looking at your picture. MUST make for this weekend!
Thanks I may try this instead.
Funny..I did chocolate cake with cherry and it turned out great.
Me too and it is always a big hit
Thank you so much Carol. I’m going to bake it in oven because I don’t want to have to wait two hours.
I made this and it turned out to be one big clump. It was horrible. We had to add ice cream to be able to eat it and even then it was barely eatable. Not sure what went wrong.
can you make with chocolate cake batter?
Yes, but it doesn’t taste as good as you think it would. :/
This recipe is the bomb! I’ve made this several times. So easy and sooooooo good! Thanks for posting it!
What size of crock pot did you use?
This recipe is a favorite, but why use a slow cooker when it can be made so quickly?
One yellow Jiffy cake mix, one can of cherry pie filling (or other favorite filling), one stick of melted unsalted butter. Spray 8″ square pan, spread filling on bottom, dump dry cake mix on top and spread evenly, pour melted butter on top. Bake 350 degrees for one hour. Delish! You can sprinkle pecans over pie filling if you like nuts.
What do I grease crockpot with? crisco? butter?
I realize this response is 4 years later, and you’ve long figured it out by now:) But I love using crockpot liners – cleanup is a breeze
Can I use peaches (cans) instead of cherries?
Thank you! ❤️
This recipe looks so yummy, I can’t wait to try it. Thanks for recipe….
This Cherry Dump cake looks Fantastic, can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing..
What size crock pot do you use?
Making this now but mine is in the oven.
Baked in oven, used blueberries, so good !!!!
What size slow cooker for the cherry dump cake?
I would prefer to use a french vanilla cake mix in place of the apple crock pot recipe and also the cherry crock pot recipe. I say that only because I don’t like spice cake and I don’t like the color of yellow cake. I assume it will taste just as delicious. What great recipes though when you have company. Dessert doesn’t have to be another course you have to struggle with.
My apple dump cake in the slowcooker ( insta pot slow cooker) on high 4 hours cooked the apples but the cake did not cook at all. I had to carefully scoop it all out, put it in a cake tin and cook it in the over to get the cake to cook.what did I do wrong?
Hi Wendy, sorry that happened! This recipe requires a traditional slow cooker so that the steam can escape via the glass lid. When using the insta pot in slow cooker mode the steam has nowhere to go and unfortunately can make things soupy.
Can I use 2cans of cherry pie filling and 1box of cake mix and butter in a 8×8 pan.
I would use a 9×13 pan, it will over-fill a square pan. Then bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes.
Did I miss it? Did you say what size crock pot to use.
6 quarts.