Remember the time I told you I didn’t like pumpkin pie? Well I still don’t. But I love this. Don’t ask me why. It’s basically pumpkin pie, but it’s surrounded in crumbly-carby goodness. Because let’s face it: crumbly-carby goodness makes everything better. I’ve made this for informal family gatherings as well as for Thanksgiving dessert. It’s quick and easy (and no one has to know!)
Many of you are probably familiar with “Pumpkin Dump Cake” (which by the way is a horribly unappealing name for such a scrumptious treat!) If you’re not then I can give you the recipe in about 4 sentences. Here you go:
1. Get a can of pumpkin (large or small depending on how thick you want it) and follow the instructions on the back of the can to make pie filling. Pour filling into a 9×13 pan.
2. Sprinkle one dry cake mix on top (yellow or vanilla).
3. Drizzle1 1/2 sticks of melted butter over the top.
4. Bake at 350 for about 45-55 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
You can use that trick for any sort of filling. Instead of pumpkin pie on the bottom, you can layer fruit, canned pie filling, etc. Just about anything. Good little trick to know.
Now let me share my version of this quick and easy dessert- just kicked up a notch. First I used part of the cake mix on the bottom of the dessert to create a little bit of a crust. For the filling, I used a recipe I think is much better than the standard back-of-the-can pie filling. Mine uses sweet and condensed milk to make it silky, creamy, and flavorful. And finally on top I added a touch of spice and some toasty pecans. When that all cooks up together it’s one mighty fine dessert. And still incredibly easy! Even pumpkin pie haters like it! This shows up a lot at our table this time of year. It’s a favorite for our weekly “Family Night”. Maybe it will be for you too!
Easy Pumpkin Crumble
Recipe by Our Best Bites
1 boxed yellow or white cake mix
1-2 sticks butter (see notes in instructions), if you have unsalted use it
1 16 oz can pumpkin*
2 eggs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
1/4 t ginger
1/8 t cloves
1/8 t nutmeg
1/2 t salt
1/3 C chopped pecans
1/2 t additional cinnamon for topping
*This makes a dessert about an inch thick or less. That’s because I like a high topping-to-pumpkin ratio. If you’d like it thicker, use a large can of pumpkin and double the rest of the filling ingredients (Eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and spices). Leave the rest of the recipe the same.
Preheat oven to 350.
Place 2 C of the cake mix in a bowl. Cut in 3 T chilled butter. Just use your fingers to crumble the butter until it’s in small crumbly pieces. Place mixture in a 9×13 baking dish and press flat with your fingers.
Mix pumpkin, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and spices until smooth. Pour on top of the cake mixture in the pan.
Now take the rest of the dry cake mix and mix in 1/2 t cinnamon. Sprinkle it all over the top of the pumpkin mixture. Use a measuring cup so you have a rough measurement of how much you’re putting on. Here’s why:
Here’s a little something I learned after making the dump cake a gazillion times. Cake mixes all have different amounts in them! Different brands, different flavors, etc. Each one is slightly different in volume. I found one mix to have almost double the normal amount. Measuring the amount of cake mix you’re sprinkling on top will help you get the perfect topping ratio in the last step.
Next sprinkle on the chopped pecans. You’ll have 3 distinct layers now:
Here’s the trick: For every 1 C of cake mix you sprinkled on top, you’ll need 3 T of melted butter. Drizzle it right on top.
That butter is going to combine with the cake mix and make magic in the oven. Pop it in your 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or so. A knife should come out without globs of pumpkin on it and the topping should be nice and golden.
You can eat it warm, at room temp, or chilled! My favorite is actually at room temp. Put a dollop of sweetened whipped cream on top. It’s also great with vanilla ice cream.
Easy Pumpkin Crumble
Recipe by Our Best Bites
1 boxed yellow or white cake mix
1-2 sticks butter (see notes in instructions)
1 16 oz can pumpkin*
2 eggs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
1/4 t ginger
1/8 t cloves
1/8 t nutmeg
1/2 t salt
1/3 C chopped pecans
1/2 t additional cinnamon for topping
*This makes a dessert about an inch thick or less. That’s because I like a high topping-to-pumpkin ratio. If you’d like it thicker, use a large can of pumpkin and double the rest of the filling ingredients (Eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and spices). Leave the rest of the recipe the same.
Preheat oven to 350.
Place 2 C of the cake mix in a bowl. Cut in 3 T chilled butter. Just use your fingers to crumble the butter until it’s in small crumbly pieces. Place mixture in a 9×13 baking dish and press flat with your fingers.
Mix pumpkin, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and spices until smooth. Pour on top of the cake mixture in the pan.
Now take the rest of the dry cake mix and mix in 1/2 t cinnamon. Sprinkle it all over the top of the pumpkin mixture. Use a measuring cup so you have a rough measurement of how much you’re putting on. Here’s why:
Here’s a little something I learned after making the dump cake a gazillion times. Cake mixes all have different amounts in them! Different brands, different flavors, etc. Each one is slightly different in volume. I found one mix to have almost double the normal amount. Measuring the amount of cake mix you’re sprinkling on top will help you get the perfect topping ratio in the last step.
Next sprinkle on the chopped pecans. You’ll have 3 distinct layers now:
Here’s the trick: For every 1 C of cake mix you sprinkled on top, you’ll need 3 T of melted butter. Drizzle it right on top.
That butter is going to combine with the cake mix and make magic in the oven. Pop it in your 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or so. A knife should come out without globs of pumpkin on it and the topping should be nice and golden.
You can eat it warm, at room temp, or chilled! My favorite is actually at room temp. Put a dollop of sweetened whipped cream on top. It’s also great with vanilla ice cream.
In the mood for pumpkin? Here’s some pumpkin surprises for you. Click on a link to see!
Pumpkin Yummy #1
Pumpkin Yummy #2
Pumpkin Yummy #3
Pumpkin Yummy #4
Pumpkin Yummy #5
Questions & Reviews
I have been making this for years and it is always a hit! Always asked to share the recipe so I send everyone right here! Love it!
Thank you so much for sending them here!
I made this Gluten Free by using a GF Yellow cake mix. The only thing I changaed was for the topping I put the extra cake mix and combined it with the butter (melted) and made a wet crumble that I sprinkled on top. Holy Cow! I served this an executive luncheon I catered and it got RAVE reviews. Great recipe.
Do you have a preference between the white or the yellow cake? Is there any difference?
I personally like yellow 🙂
I wish I would have read this recipe online before making it. I followed the instructions in the seasons cookbook which said to put it in an 8×8 pan. I thought it looked really full, but figured it must be a thick recipe. Now it makes sense why it isn’t cooking.
I am going to make this tomorrow for a Halloween Party on Sunday. Do you use unsalted or salted butter?
First- this is AMAZING!!!! My favorite thing to do is let it chill, and spread cinnamon whipped cream over it before serving.
Second- if you were going to use a cherry pie filling instead of doing pumpkin, would you add anything to the cherry pie filling or leave it as is?
Nope, I just leave it as is!
This recipe was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!! I showed it to my husband, who is not a baker, and told him that I would make it for him. Having no patience, he went ahead and made it himself!! It was easy enough that my husband made it with no issues. And it only got better with every day! Definitely a keeper! Thank you!
I made your pumpkin crumble recipe from your cookbook, which is a little different from this one. Anyways, it was for a crowd, so I doubled the recipe and put it in a 9×13 like was suggested, but I had a really hard time getting it cooked all the way through. Do you know what might have gone wrong? Or do you have any suggestions for next time? Thanks! It almost didn’t all fit in my pan!
But I DO want to add that people still loved it! And I love you girls and all of your recipes! Just was wondering if you had any tips for how it might turn out better next time and bake more consistently.
I’m glad people still liked it! I’m not sure why that would have happened. I’ll have to double it and test it myself 🙂
I made the cookbook’s recipe and used the 8×8 as instructed, without doubling it and had the same problem! I’ve baked it for over an hour now, and it’s still nowhere near done. From looking at the recipe on here, I guess you have to make the regular recipe in a 9×13 pan, and if you double it, use two 9×13 dishes. Darn it! I think it was a typo in the book.
Hi! I made these last night and they were AMAZING. Exactly what I was looking for in a pumpkin bar. The filling is also super light and not at all heavy like in a pumpkin pie. I doubled it and it’s maybe too much filling, but now I know for next time that I maybe could have done 1.5 times the filling. 🙂 One thing I did do was I left out the nuts (I just don’t like them in my desserts much) and used spice cake mix instead of yellow or white cake. I was thinking it was going to be really over sweet with the white mix but the spice cake mix has just the right balance with the pumpkin. Really nice. I really recommend trying that modification. Thanks so much for the recipe!
What could you use to substitute the cake mix part and how much would you need. We have a person in our family with celiac so we always are looking for substitutions.
Sorry I don’t have a sub for you; this recipe is created specifically for a cake mix.
I just made this with a gluten free cake mix and it turned out great, a little salty but I used salted butter so I’ll definitely use unsalted next time. There are plenty of GF cake mixes out there to choose from. I used Pamela’s brand.
Quick question. Does this need sugar added to it? I noticed all the other recipes I’m finding call for sugar. Just want to make sure I’ve got it right. Thanks!
Nope, it’s correct as written. Most recipes call for evaporated milk, but notice mine uses sweetened condensed milk- that’s where the sweetness comes in!
This is the identical recipe my aunt gave me 20 years ago when I went to her house for Thanksgiving. She didn’t know where she had gotten it originally. I’ve given the recipe out dozens of times, but always told people I wasn’t sure who to credit. I’ve seen it here and there through the years, but no one ever knows the source. Do you know where the recipe originated?
If you’re talking about the traditional “Dump Cakes” then who knows! They’ve been around forever and ever. My version however is one I came up with myself. So if you’re aunt gave you the identical recipe then that’s just bizarre!
Would this recipe work with Duncan Hines French vanilla cake mix?
Yep, pretty much any cake mix will do!
Hi Sara! I saw the pumpkin crumble recipe in the new cookbook (which I love, by the way!). I have been wanting to make it, but I’ve gone to several grocery stores and can’t find white cake mix in the 18.25 oz size, only in the 16.5 oz size. So, I came to the blog to see if the recipe was here and if I could gain some insight. So, as I’ve looked through it, the recipe is different here than it is in the cookbook. I’m assuming you perfected some things since you posted this on the blog, and the one in the cookbook is your recommended way to make it, correct? So, now I’m stuck wondering what to do? What adjustments should I make if I can only find the 16.5 oz cake mix? Thanks for your help! Or you can email me if that’s easier. 🙂
No adjustments necessary, all cake mixes are a little different in weight, but it all ends up the same. Enjoy!
Found this recipe about an hour ago on Facebook and it’s already in the oven (which I’m very impatiently waiting to be done!!). It smells AMAZING in my house right now! I can’t wait to try it!!!!! Thanks for a great Fall recipe!
how many servings does this recipe and the doubled recipe yield if we serve for a bible study. thanks
They’re both made in a 9×13 pan, so really they serve about the same. You can choose how many servings depending on how you scoop it out!
I made this yesterday for my husband’s birthday and boy-oh-boy did you ladies make me look good! This is a winner of a recipe, not too much cheesecake and just the right amount of pumpkin. I failed to notice that it needed some time in the fridge to set up, however popping it in the freezer worked like a charm! Thanks for the tip!
yep, that last comment was meant for the Layered Pumpkin Cheescake…
Sooo Yummy. I just made it to tryout for Thanksgiving. Much better than pie! Thanks for the recipe.
I made this today with the doubled recipe and the filling was delicious. However, the topping was gooey (despite the filling being perfectly cooked) and the bottom was not only chalky in texture but also salty in taste, perhaps due to a high amount of salt in the cake mix I chose.
hmm, that’s weird, it should be cooked just fine. The saltiness must be from the specific brand of cake mix; I’ve never had either of those problems; sorry!
I gave this another try, this time using Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Yellow Cake Mix and not doubling the filling (previously I had used Dr. Oetker). The filling was once again very good. However, the topping was still pretty gooey and the bottom still somewhat salty – pretty much what you’d expect from uncooked cake mix. People liked the dessert but I don’t intend to serve it ever again.
Maybe you’re using “salted” butter. Try unsalted.
I feel like I’m a good cook but after discovering your website I am thinking that I still have a lot to learn. Who knew that’s how you cut up a watermelon! I don’t pull out the pumpkin pie filling until September because I make pumpkin bread every year for friends and family. But this year, in addition to pumpkin bread I will be making this Easy Pumpkin Crumble. My mouth was watering just reading over the recipe. I love your website. The easy to follow photos really help when you’re trying to decipher what the recipe should look like as you are making it. Love this website. I’ve bookmarked it and will go back time and time again for future ideas. Great work!
where in the world is the print button on these recipes?
This is so good on it’s own…I’ve been making this for years. Last year I found a way to make it better ( is that even possible?)
On the stove melt 1 c. Butter. Add 1c. Brown sugar and 1 c. Whipping cream. Cook on low til sugar is dissolved and sauce thickens.
Pour it over the crumble and then add the whipping cream. So rich…but so yummy!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I made these and wrote about them here
on my blog. I had a kitchen disaster and needed a dessert ASAP but was out of Vanilla. These fit the bill and were yummy too! Thank you again.
This was amazing. AMAZING. I made the thicker version, and I do admit that I cheated and used LIbby's pumpkin pie filling mix, but my husband said that this was the best pumpkin dessert he's ever had, and my dad – who generally avoids carbs completely – couldn't help himself and had seconds. Thank you for such an awesome recipe!
I've made this for three different events so far… Everyone has been raving about it!
I've got this in the oven right now! So excited to try it.
Oh okay, thanks! I will wait until tomorrow then. Should I refrigerate it or can it sit on the counter overnight?
Lauren, that's pretty early! I'd definitely wait and do it the day before if you need to make it early.
I am making this for Thanksgiving this year, so excited! Quick question – how well will it keep in the fridge? Could I make it tomorrow (Monday) and still have it taste fresh on Thursday, or should I wait? Thanks!
Sara
have you ever tried using spice or carrot cake with this??
Thanks!
Heather