This easy pumpkin dump cake is a fall favorite cake mix recipe full of pumpkin, graham crackers, toffee pieces, and pecans baked to golden brown perfection.
About This Recipe:
Pumpkin recipes are some of our favorites in our house, and this pumpkin dump cake is one of the best easy desserts you will make this Fall season!
Fall is the time of year when things pumpkin start appearing everywhere — a pumpkin lovers dream. And when it comes to pumpkin desserts, pumpkin pie dump cake is a classic favorite among pumpkin fans because of its simple ingredients and minimal prep to make the perfect fall dessert.
Make this recipe for pumpkin dump cake all holiday season long and enjoy a little extra cinnamon and a gooey butter cake mix topping. It’s a great alternative to traditional pumpkin pie, and it’s so easy to make.
Key Ingredients
- Canned pumpkin puree: Use whatever brand you like, just make sure it is pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Evaporated milk: This is a great way to add moist texture to the pumpkin spice layer
- Brown sugar: Using brown sugar instead of white sugar will only add to the fall flavors of the pumpkin filling.
- Eggs: Eggs will add flavor and the best combining agent for dump cakes!
- Pumpkin pie spice: All the flavors of fall all in one container.
- Box of cake mix: Instead of measuring, you can keep the cake easy to make with minimal effort or measuring with a box of yellow cake mix.
- Toppings: Use a combination of butter, crushed graham crackers, toffee bits, and chopped pecans for a sweet and crunchy topping on this easy pumpkin dessert recipe
- Whipped topping: This is optional, but always encouraged!
How to Make Our Pumpkin Dump Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13-inch pan with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, mix pumpkin purée, evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, and pumpkin pie spice.
- Pour batter into the pan and spread evenly with a spatula.
- Sprinkle dry cake mix on top of the pumpkin layer, followed by graham cracker crumbs, toffee pieces, and chopped crunchy pecans on top of the cake mix.
- Pour melted butter evenly over everything.
- Bake 45–50 minutes, until the center is set and edges are golden.
- Cool, then serve with whipped topping.
Recipe Modifications:
To add variety to this delightful pumpkin cake, use a spice cake mix instead of a yellow cake mix for even more fall flavors in the easy pumpkin dump recipe. Also, using crushed Butterfingers candy bars on top as another fun candy to use.
Simple swaps in the easy fall dessert recipe are using cinnamon sugar graham crackers instead of plain graham crackers, and walnuts or any favorite nut instead of pecans (also consider adding nuts to the pumpkin mixture).
Add a little fun by sprinkling some chocolate chips on top or in between the layers, and top it all off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and a little drizzle of caramel sauce.
Make Your Own Cake Mix:
If you happen to have everything you need except the cake mix, don’t worry, you might still be in luck! Simply Scratch has a wonderful homemade yellow cake mix recipe you can make from scratch! And not to mention, with everything you probably have at home already.
Plus, when you make your own cake mix for this recipe, you can make this recipe whenever you want!
Pumpkin Dump Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree, (1 can)
- 10 ounces evaporated milk
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 15 ¼ ounces yellow cake mix, (1 box)
- 1 cup crushed graham crackers
- ½ cup toffee pieces, (Heath bar pieces)
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup butter, (melted)
- 1 cup whipped topping, (optional topping)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan (I used a glass pan) with non stick cooking spray.
- Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, and pumpkin spice. Stir to combine.
- Pour this mixture into the prepared pan and then sprinkle the dry cake mix over all. Then top with graham cracker crumbs, toffee pieces, and pecans.
- Then pour the melted butter evenly over the top.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes until center is set and edges are browned.
- Let cool and then serve with a dollop of whipped topping on each piece.
Notes
Nutrition
Video
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.More Delicious Recipes Like This to Serve:
- Easy Apple Cider Dump Cake Recipe has delicious fall flavors in one cake!
- If you like Dump Cakes, try our Peach Cobbler Dump Cake!
- Magic Pumpkin Bars are kid-friendly and easy to make.
- Pumpkin-Shaped Cheeseball is perfect for any holiday party.
Tastes delicious!
yum! this sounds delicious! I love the story with it – I just made some pumpkin cream cheese muffins and cookies and gave some to the mail deliverer, she was VERY happy and asked for the recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Funny how food sometimes is faddy like fashion. Way back in the 80’s is when “dump” cakes first appeared. I used to make different variations for almost everything. Then nobody made them anymore. I’ve been a hold out and make a dump cake a couple of times a year. They are quick, easy, inexpensive and delicious! Never made a pumpkin one though. SO goin to try this. Oh and to answer another commenters question….no, you do NOT prepare the cake mix, just sprinkle it on. THat’s why it’s called Dump cake, because you just dump the ingredients in the pan.
This looks like a great recipe, and I love how simple it is.
Is this more of a cake or more of a bar?
Sounds amazing! Is there a substitute you can recommend for the toffee/heath bar? My hubby is allergic to almonds 🙁
More of a cake. You could eat it as a bar but I would suggest using a fork. 🙂 thanks for your question! – Kristen
I made this and it was fantastic! I took it to a function and everyone loved it. Thanks and keep ’em comin’!
I just tried a similar recipe but used spice cake instead of yellow. It was so delicious! My mom had it with yellow cake before and liked it better with the spice cake. But I’m sure it’s still delicious either way.
This is fantastic! How do you store it / how many days does it keep?
OMGOSH!! I made these years ago, and lost the recipe, couldn’t remember what the recipe called for….thank God for Pinterest cuz I can’t believe I found this….been looking for so long and thought I wouldn’t find this recipe ever again. I don’t remember using heath or toffee bits….did the original recipe call for this? ? Can’t wait to make this again!!
The recipe we found calls for it. It just adds to the yumminess!! So glad you found your recipe after all these years! Have a great day! 🙂
I LOVED this recipe! So yummy, especially the topping! I did add chocolate chips on top…Gotta have chocolate! LOL But next time I will add them in the middle and cook at a lower temperature for a little longer, the bottom was very gooey and the top was a little crispy.
This sounds great with a Spice Cake mix. How about using “sugar/cinnamon graham crackers” instead of plain? And how about using a chocolate toffee candy bar broken in small pieces in place of plain toffee bits? Who don’t love a little chocolate! Yummy & gotta do it.
This is delicious, no need to alter in any wayI served it with homade vanilla ice cream oh my very addictive
I tried it with pecans instead of toffee … Yum !
This dish was amazing! I did do a few things a bit differently. I added pecans in with the pumpkin purée and added them on top along with the graham crackers(used cinnamon & sugar ones) and Heath bits! Had to cook for about an hour! I absolutely loved the pumpkin pie taste at the bottom with a hard crunch at the top! Will make for years to come!!
Just eliminate! That’s what I will do.
This looks really good, can’t wait to try this. But wanted to know if this would work with Sweet potatoes puree also?
It should work just fine with sweet potato puree too. They are close to the same texture.
This looks amazing!! But it doesn’t say how many eggs?
You mention eggs in the instructions, however in the list of ingredients it does not say how many eggs.
Scroll all the way down to the ingredients and instructions. It’s all there.
This was extremely tasty. However I followed the instructions to the letter and then added an additional 5 minutes even but it cooked unevenly. It’s almost more of a trifle/pudding style. The bottom never really firmed up and I was starting to burn the top. It was still absolutely delicious though.
This was such a easy and delicious recipe for our Thanksgiving dessert instead of just regular pumpkin pie. Thanks for making this my new go to for Fall desserts! It’s earned a permanent place in our family!
Would it work to use white cake mix?
You can use white, but the color will definitely be lighter. Taste will be a little different too. But is should still taste great.
I really liked this recipe, but thought it was a tad too sweet. Can I just cut the amount of brown sugar to make it less sweet? Would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!
We have only made this dump cake as shown in the recipe. By cutting the brown sugar in half, I’m not sure how the taste would be after cooking.