Vegan Dump Cake (Pineapple)
This easy vegan pineapple dump cake is sure to be your new go-to quick and easy dessert! With just 4 ingredients and about 5 minutes of your time, you can make a delicious dessert that’s sure to impress!
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, get more amazing vegan recipes that will satisfy your cravings!
Why make this recipe
Dump cake is just what it sounds like – everything is dumped into a dish and baked into a cake. It’s the easiest way to make a vegan pineapple cake! (It’s kind of like a pineapple cobbler with baked fruit on the bottom and a sweet, crispy, crunchy layer on top.)
This bright and fresh-tasting cake is great for spring and summer picnics and parties. It pairs perfectly with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or topped with maraschino cherries.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Canned Pineapple – I use one can of pineapple tidbits and one can of pineapple chunks. You can use any canned pineapple that you have, but I like the size variations in the pineapple pieces when you use 2 different sizes. (You can use fresh pineapple, but you will need to add an additional 2 cups of pineapple juice.)
- Vegan Brown Sugar – (optional) Look for organic brown sugar to ensure that it’s vegan. This helps to caramelize the pineapple while it’s cooking but feel free to leave it out for a dump cake with less sugar.
- A Box of Cake Mix – Use vanilla, yellow, or white cake mix. Many major brands are vegan like Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines cake mixes. Double-check the ingredients listed on the box just to be sure.
- Vegan Butter – You will need 3/4 cup (or 1 1/2 sticks) of vegan butter. You can use my homemade dairy-free butter recipe or your favorite store-bought brand. (The stick versions are easier to measure.) You can also swap out the butter for coconut oil.
Helpful tools
- A large baking dish – I use an 8 x 12, but other similar sizes will work well too.
How to make a pineapple dump cake
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 350° F (176° C). (It will take longer for your oven to heat up than it will to assemble the dump cake so be sure to do this first.)
Step 2 – Dump 2 cans of pineapple into a large ceramic baking dish. Spread it out evenly on the bottom.
Step 3 – Sprinkle the contents of a box of vegan cake mix evenly on top of the pineapple. Use the back of a fork to spread it out evenly making the cake mix power as flat as possible.
Step 4 – Pour 3/4 cup of melted butter evenly over the top of the cake mix.
Step 5 – Place in a 350° F (176° C) oven for 50-55 minutes until golden brown.
Step 6 – Allow cooling for about 15 minutes before serving. (It’s great with a scoop of vegan ice cream on top.)
Pro Tips
- Be sure to spread each layer out very evenly. This will allow the cake mix to soak up the liquid from the pineapple and get crispy and golden brown on top because of the melted butter.
- Watch the cake towards the end of cooking so it doesn’t burn. It will turn golden brown quickly after about 50 minutes of cooking.
Frequently asked questions?
Yes, simply use a gluten-free cake mix.
The key to avoiding powdery sections is to spread the cake mix in an even layer making sure there are no high sections where the butter with not soak into the batter. I also bake this cake at a lower temperature and for longer than some other dump cake recipes. This gives it more time to soak up the liquid from the pineapple while it’s cooking.
You can also mix the butter and cake mix in a separate bowl and drop small pieces evenly on top of the fruit. It will spread out evenly when baked. However, when tested, I don’t find that this extra step makes a huge difference in the final outcome.
You can reduce the sugar in the dump cake by omitting the brown sugar. You can also reduce the butter to 1/2 cup instead of 1 1/2 cups, but it won’t be crispy on top if you reduce the butter much more than that.
Storing dump cake
Store your pineapple dump cake on the countertop for up to 24 hours or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Since it has more moisture than most traditional cakes, it will not keep as long on the countertop as other pastries.
Variations
- Pineapple Orange Cake – swap out 1 can of pineapple with a can of mandarin oranges.
- Pineapple Cherry Cake – swap out 1 can of pineapple with a can of cherry pie filling.
- Pineapple A La Mode – serve the pineapple cake warm with ice cream on top.
More easy desserts
- Vegan Strawberry Pie
- Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
- Vegan Pudding
- Cupcakes from a Boxed Mix Without Eggs
- Vegan Jello
Vegan dump cake recipe
Vegan Pineapple Dump Cake
Ingredients
- 2 (20 oz) cans pineapple, (1 can tidbits and 1 can chunks)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, (optional)
- 1 box vanilla cake mix
- 3/4 cup vegan butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (176° C). (It will take longer for your oven to heat up than it will to assemble the dump cake so be sure to do this first.)
- Dump 2 cans of pineapple into a large ceramic baking dish. Spread it out evenly on the bottom.
- Sprinkle the contents of a box of vegan cake mix evenly on top of the pineapple. Use the back of a fork to spread it out evenly making the cake mix power as flat as possible.
- Pour 3/4 cup of melted butter evenly over the top of the cake mix.
- Place in a 350° F (176° C) oven for 50-55 minutes until golden brown.
- Allow cooling for about 15 minutes before serving. (It’s great with a scoop of vegan ice cream on top.)
Notes
- Be sure to spread each layer out very evenly. This will allow the cake mix to soak up the liquid from the pineapple and get crispy and golden brown on top because of the melted butter.
- Watch the cake towards the end of cooking so it doesn’t burn. It will turn golden brown quickly after about 50 minutes of cooking.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
Wow! I made a variation on this, and wow! I used a can of pineapple tidbits and the equivalent of Sumo tangerines. Since a can of mandarin oranges will have juice, I added a 1/2-ish cup of orange juice. I had a Trader Joe’s Meyer Lemon cake mix and used that. I “forgot” to add the sugar. Turned out I didn’t need it! While not completely vegan because of the cake mix, still awe-mazing. Next one up is pineapple/cherry with homemade cherry pie filling. The only canned pie filling I could find had food dyes 🙁 Thank You!
You’re welcome, Rhonda! Glad that it worked out well for you!
I happened to have everything to make this cake, so I made it last night. My husband and kids have already eaten the whole thing. I love how easy it was!
I’m so happy that you all liked it! 🙂
For the butter: in the recipe you say to use 3/4 cup, but in comments before the recipe you say we can reduce the butter to 1 cup instead of 3/4 cup. Just wondering what is the correct amount of butter?
What size can of pineapple? There are generally 2 sizes.
You will need 2 (20 oz cans). Enjoy!
What size cans do you use?
2 (20 oz.) cans. Enjoy!