My Easy Blueberry Dump Cake is one of those effortless desserts that I can throw together on a busy weeknight and still have everyone running to the kitchen with a spoon. With just blueberry pie filling, cake mix, and butter, this cozy, bubbling dessert comes out of the oven golden, gooey, and smelling like something that took all day — even though it only took me about five minutes to prep. I love serving this after dinner when I want something warm and comforting without fussing over a complicated recipe, and my family devours every last bite. My husband and my kids love this one!
What Is Easy Blueberry Dump Cake (Only 3 Ingredients!)
This Easy Blueberry Dump Cake is a 3-ingredient shortcut dessert made with canned blueberry pie filling, boxed cake mix, and melted butter. Everything gets layered into a 9×13 pan, baked until the top is golden and crisp, and served warm like a cross between a cobbler and a cake. It’s rich, sweet, buttery, and bursting with juicy blueberries in every bite. You don’t need mixers, eggs, or any baking skills — just dump, bake, and serve.
Why This Recipe Works
Using a cake mix means you get sweetness and structure without measuring or worrying about ratios. The blueberry pie filling becomes the perfect fruity base that bubbles up into the topping, while the melted butter creates that crisp, golden, cobbler-like finish. Everything marries together in the oven, giving you that classic, down-home fruit dessert with almost no effort, no whisking, and no chance of messing it up.
Ingredient Breakdown: What They Do
Blueberry pie filling – Provides sweetness, moisture, and that jammy, bubbly fruit base that thickens as it bakes.
Vanilla cake mix – Acts as the topping, absorbing butter and some of the juices for a crisp-yet-soft cobbler texture.
Melted butter – Moistens the cake mix and helps it brown, giving it that buttery crumble top.
When to Serve / Serving Ideas
This is a year-round dessert, but it especially shines at:
- Sunday dinners
- Potlucks and church gatherings
- Summer cookouts
- Holiday dessert tables
- Last-minute company
- Weeknights when you just want “something sweet”
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or even yogurt for brunch. A dusting of cinnamon on top is amazing too.
Make-Ahead & Storage Tips
Bake it, cool it, cover it, and leave it at room temp for the first day. After that, refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave or in a 325°F oven until warm. You can also assemble it ahead, refrigerate the unbaked pan, and bake when needed — just add 5 extra baking minutes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Only 3 ingredients
- Zero prep, zero skills
- One pan, one hour
- Big flavor with almost no work
- Perfect for feeding a crowd
- Versatile — swap the fruit, swap the cake mix, make it your own
FAQ
Why is it called dump cake?
Dump cakes are named for their method — you literally dump the ingredients into a pan and bake. No mixing, no creaming, no complicated steps. It’s the easiest fruit dessert you can make.
Can I use a different cake mix?
Yes — white, yellow, or French vanilla boxed cake mix all work. Spice cake mix is great for fall, and lemon cake mix adds brightness.
Can I make blueberry dump cake ahead of time?
Yes. It reheats well, but many people prefer it fresh and warm right out of the oven. If you make it ahead, brush a tablespoon of melted butter over the top before reheating to revive that golden crust.
How do I prevent dry cake mix patches on top?
Shake the pan gently after sprinkling the mix, or use the back of a spoon to spread it evenly. The melted butter needs contact with most of the topping to brown properly.
How do I know when dump cake is done baking?
The topping will be golden brown and crisp, and the filling will be hot and bubbling around the edges.
Is dump cake supposed to be runny?
It should be juicy, not dry — but not soupy. If you want it thicker, let it rest 10–15 minutes before scooping.
Can I use frozen or fresh blueberries instead of canned pie filling?
Not for this version — fresh berries don’t have the syrup needed to create the signature texture. If someone insists, they must cook them down into a pie-like filling first.
Is dump cake the same as a cobbler?
They’re cousins. Cobbler uses a batter or biscuit topping. Dump cake uses boxed cake mix and butter to mimic that classic cobbler texture.
Can I make it gluten-free?
Yes — just use gluten-free pie filling and gluten-free cake mix.
Variations & Substitutions
- Swap blueberry pie filling for cherry, peach, apple, or mixed berry.
- Try lemon cake mix for a spring version.
- Add cinnamon or nutmeg for a bakery-style flavor.
- Stir in chopped pecans or walnuts before baking for crunch.
Leftover Ideas
Scoop leftovers over:
- waffles
- yogurt parfaits
- pound cake
- pancakes
- oatmeal
Budget Breakdown
Blueberry pie filling: $4.00
Cake mix: $1.25
Butter: $1.75
Total: ~$7 for a full 9×13 pan — about 58¢ per serving.
Lighten-Up Version / Lower Calorie
Use sugar-free pie filling, sugar-free cake mix, and reduced-fat butter or margarine. The topping will be slightly less rich but still delicious.
Reader Favorite Tips and Ideas
- Add cinnamon sugar to the top before baking
- Serve with cold ice cream over a hot slice
- Let it cool 10 minutes for a thicker scoop
Troubleshooting Tips
- Dry patches? Add a drizzle more butter.
- Too juicy? Let it rest before serving.
- Pale top? Move the pan to the upper rack for the last 10 minutes.
Nutrition Information (Approx. Per Serving)
Calories: ~310
Fat: 14g
Carbs: 45g
Sugar: 28g
Protein: 2g
Why This Blueberry Dump Cake Is Better Than the Others
There are a lot of dump cake recipes floating around online, but many of them fall short in one of three ways: they either turn out dry on top, mushy in the middle, or overly sweet with no real blueberry flavor coming through. This version fixes all of that with a few small—but important—details. First, the butter is fully melted before baking, which helps it cascade evenly through the cake mix as it bakes, giving you that golden, slightly crisp topping instead of dry powdery patches. Second, using two full cans of blueberry pie filling gives the perfect fruit-to-cake ratio, so every scoop has both gooey blueberry filling and tender cake. Finally, this recipe avoids unnecessary extras that can weigh the cake down. It’s simple, consistent, and delivers that classic dump cake nostalgia: warm, bubbly fruit with a buttery cobbler-style topping.
Beyond taste, this version simply works every single time. No complicated steps. No fancy ingredients. Just dump, bake, and serve. It’s one of those carefree desserts that you don’t have to babysit, and it always gets rave reviews—even from people who “don’t really like dessert.” If you want a foolproof crowd-pleaser that never disappoints, this is the one.
Easy Flavor Variations (Make Endless Versions!)
Once you fall in love with how easy this recipe is, you can swap the blueberry pie filling for so many other flavors and turn this simple dump cake into a completely different dessert every time. The formula stays exactly the same: pie filling + cake mix + butter, but the possibilities are endless. Use apple pie filling and a spice cake mix and suddenly you have a fall apple cobbler-style dump cake. Use cherry pie filling with chocolate cake mix for a black forest twist. Try strawberry pie filling with white cake mix for a bright spring version topped with whipped cream, or peach pie filling with yellow cake mix for a warm summer dessert that tastes amazing with vanilla ice cream.
It’s one of the reasons dump cakes remain such a beloved recipe—you can tailor them to any season, any holiday, and any craving without changing the method at all. Once you memorize the base recipe, you’ll be able to create dozens of variations, all using the same simple steps. It’s budget-friendly, beginner-friendly, and endlessly customizable, which is exactly why this dessert never goes out of style.
Variations we have tried and loved :
- Cherry + Chocolate Cake
- Apple + Spice Cake
- Peach + Yellow Cake
- Strawberry + White Cake
- Blueberry + Lemon Cake (with lemon cake mix)
My Personal Kitchen Notes
I’ve tested this in both a glass 9×13 and a metal pan, and metal gives a slightly crispier top. I also like to add a tiny pinch of cinnamon to the dry cake mix before baking — it gives the flavor more depth without changing the simplicity of the recipe.
My Final Thoughts
This Easy Blueberry Dump Cake is the kind of dessert every busy home cook should keep in their back pocket. It costs very little, feeds a crowd, and delivers maximum payoff with practically zero effort. It’s warm, nostalgic, cozy, and always a crowd-pleaser.
Dump Cake Recipes
Blueberry Dump Cake
Ingredients
- 2 21 ounce cans blueberry pie filling
- 1 box vanilla cake mix
- 1 cup butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9×13 pan with a light coating of cooking spray.
- Spread the blueberry pie filling evenly across the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Carefully distribute the cake mix over the blueberries in an even layer.
- Pour the melted butter over the cake mix.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 50-55 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
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