Name: Apple Cranberry Dump Cake
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 can (21 oz.) apple pie filling; 1 can (14 oz.) whole cranberry sauce; 1 box yellow cake mix; 1/2 cup butter (1 stick); 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

This post and its photos may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Apple Cranberry Dump Cake is the perfect fall dessert for holiday parties, family gatherings and more. Made with only 5 ingredients, just dump and bake – it doesn’t get easier than this!

Apple Cranberry Dump Cake on small plate with vanilla ice cream

If you’re looking for an easy fall dessert, you’re going to love this delicious Apple Cranberry Dump Cake! Not only does it combine two of my favorite fall flavors – apples and cranberries – but it’s also the easiest dessert to make.

With just five ingredients and five minutes of prep time, the simple ingredients are literally dumped into a baking dish. Little effort is needed to make this delicious dump cake and everyone will want the recipe. You probably won’t have any leftovers either so make sure you pick up enough ingredients to make two – one for yourself and one to share.

What is Dump Cake?

Dump cakes have become my go-to dessert to make for parties and family gatherings. Classic dump cakes are made with canned pie filling, a box of cake mix, and butter. Everything is literally dumped into a baking dish and that’s what makes this recipe so awesome. I love that all I have to do is dump the ingredients into a baking dish and the prep work is done. No mixing required and no mixing bowls to clean which means clean up is a breeze. Just layer and bake!

Apple Cranberry Dump Cake in baking dish

Ingredients Needed to Make Apple Cranberry Dump Cake

This dump cake recipe only calls for 5 easy ingredients:

Apple pie filling – can use canned pie filling or homemade apple pie filling.
Whole cranberry sauce – make sure to use whole cranberry sauce and not jellied cranberry sauce.
Cake mix – I use yellow cake for this dump cake recipe
Butter – Salted or unsalted will work.
Chopped walnuts – adds a little crunch but can be left out.

Easy 5 ingredient Apple Cranberry Dump Cake

How to Make This Delicious Fall Dump Cake

All we have to do is dump the apple pie filling and cranberry sauce into a greased 9×13 baking dish. Pour cake mix evenly over the fruit. Slice butter into 1/2 tablespoons and distribute evenly over cake mix. Sprinkle walnuts over cake mix and butter.

Bake the dump cake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until brown and bubbly. Serve this crowd-pleasing dessert warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Apple Cranberry Dump Cake with vanilla ice cream

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to use yellow cake mix?

The best thing about dump cake is that any cake mix will work. I use yellow cake mix but white cake mix, or vanilla cake mix will work. I also think spice cake mix will taste great with this recipe.

Can I use any flavor pie filling?

You can absolutely switch out the apples and/or cranberries in this recipe. Use all apple pie filling or two cans of cranberry sauce. Any pie filling will work as long as you use two cans.

How should I store leftover dump cake?

Store leftover cake in the refrigerator covered tightly for up to 5 days. It can also be made ahead of time and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving. Then reheat in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 -20 minutes or until warm throughout.

More Easy Dessert Recipes