If you love pumpkin and fall-flavored desserts, wait until you try this homemade gluten-free pumpkin dump cake recipe! This simple pumpkin dump cake is quick and easy to make, and it is a delicious dessert the whole family will love.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy.
(This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Safeway. All opinions are 100% mine.)
You are in for a special treat today. I am so in love with Safeway’s new gluten-free cake mixes that I had to create a special gluten-free fall dessert recipe using it! All of the best and only $2.99 a box! You know how expensive gluten-free can be, and this is an incredible deal on high-quality gluten-free mixes!
If you have been looking for a delicious cake to make this fall, you are going to want to try this easy pumpkin dump cake recipe! I include variations to make this dairy-free and egg-free, so it is easily adapted for many food allergies!
The holidays are going to look very different this year. More people than ever are cooking at home, and Safeway makes it easy to find all of the ingredients you need.
Have you been to your local Safeway lately? It is my favorite place to find great gluten-free foods! Their store brands Open Nature®, Signature SELECT™, Lucerne®, and O Organics® lines mean more affordable foods for everyone and many delicious options! It can help you stick to a budget!
Why this gluten free pumpkin dump cake recipe gets rave reviews:
- This recipe is special because you spend less on the ingredients to make it, and the flavor is bursting with pumpkin spice and fall flavors!
- This cake whips up quickly, making a delicious, family-friendly dessert. Jazzing up boxed gluten-free cake mix is a great cheat that saves you time!
- All you need is a gluten-free yellow cake mix and pumpkin pie filling that you make from scratch! This cake lasts up to 3-4 days, or you can freeze the extras so you can enjoy this cake anytime!
yI made your Pumpkin Dump Cake today, testing it out for American Thanksgiving. Turned our great. My only modification was to throw the cake mix, topping spices, and better in my food processor and grind it up into find crumbs before I sprinkled. I did this because I’ve had not the greatest luck in the past with dump cakes, with the melted or pats of butter, with having a bit of dry mix left on top. I sprinkled the pecans on top of that. Seemed to work out great!
Marjorie B., Facebook comment
You can find the ingredients for this pumpkin dump cake and this delicious vegan, gluten-free almond butter cake!
Allergen Information:
This homemade pumpkin dump cake is gluten-free, soy-free, and oat-free. Make it dairy-free using dairy-free butter. You can easily make this recipe egg-free by substituting 1/3 cup applesauce and 3 tablespoons Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- One box Open Nature Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake Mix – The box was 14 ounces of dry cake mix.
- One can pumpkin puree – you can also roast your own pumpkin. Safeway also sells great pie pumpkins for roasting!
- Butter – if you are dairy-free, you can use vegan butter or coconut oil
- Pecans – you can also use walnuts or another nut
- Brown sugar – dark or light sugar will work beautifully for the topping.
- Lucern Pumpkin Spice Whipped Cream – this creamy whipped cream has just the right amount of pumpkin spice!
- Evaporated milk – use coconut evaporated milk if you are dairy-free.
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350º F. Add the wet ingredients to a bowl and mix well.
Step 2: Pour the wet ingredients into a greased 9×13 baking pan. This pumpkin mixture should spread on its own, but if it doesn’t, use a spoon to ensure it is evenly distributed.
Options for the Topping:
Use a food processor to mix the butter, seasonings, and cake mix, as mentioned by the reader below, or make it the traditional way by sprinkling the cake mix as I did.
Email This Recipe To Me!
I will email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Step 3: Sprinkle the gluten-free cake mix over the pumpkin mixture. Try to spread it evenly, but it is okay if it isn’t perfect.
Step 4: Next, sprinkle the brown sugar over the cake mix. Spread the pecans over the brown sugar.
Step 5: Drizzle the melted butter over the cake. (One reader cut the butter into small slices and covered the top of her cake. She felt it was easier to distribute the butter this way. Both ways work.) Bake at 350º F for 30 minutes. You will notice the cake is a little jiggly. The toothpick test will not work to test if the cake is done.
You are looking for a golden top of the cake. The cake will continue to set as it cools.
Slice and top with Lucerne Pumpkin Spice Whipped Cream for a delicious treat!
If you love dump cakes, try this Gluten Free Apple Dump Cake recipe too!
Frequently Asked Questions:
You can definitely use a favorite gluten-free cake mix to make this recipe.
You can easily make this gluten-free dump cake dairy-free by substituting the butter for vegan butter.
This cake will keep fresh for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or freeze it for 4 months.
More Gluten-Free Pumpkin Recipes:
Reader Rave:
This is super easy and I used coconut evaporated milk and smart balance dairy free butter.
Leigh Anne, Pinterest User
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Gluten Free Pumpkin Dump Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 box gluten free cake mix 14 ounce box, vanilla flavor
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree
- 12 ounces evaporated milk *see note
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups cane sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
For Topping
- 1 cup unsalted butter *see note
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Email This Recipe To Me!
I will email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350º F.
- In a large bowl, add 15 ounces pumpkin puree, 4 large eggs, 1 1/2 cups cane sugar, 12 ounces evaporated milk, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice. Mix well with a whisk.
- Pour the pumpkin mixture into a greased 9×13 baking pan.
- Sprinkle the vanilla 1 box gluten free cake mix over the pumpkin mixture. Try to spread it out gently to make it even.
- In a small bowl, add 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and mix. Sprinkle it over the cake mix.
- Sprinkle the chopped 1 cup chopped pecans over the sugar cinnamon mix.
- Drizzle the melted 1 cup unsalted butter over the top of the cake. Be sure to cover as much area as you can. You can use a spoon to gently swirl the cake topping and butter a bit if you like. You can also cut the butter into small slices and lay them over the cake mix topping and cover the cake this way. (A reader suggested this may be easier to cover the top of the cake better.)
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until the cake is done. This cake will not be a firm cake so some jiggling is okay. It will continue to set as it cools.
Video
Notes
- I highly recommend using a gluten free vanilla flavored cake mix.
- To make this dairy-free, use coconut evaporated milk (available via many grocery stores or Amazon) and vegan butter for the drizzling over the top.
- Allow cooling completely as this cake will finish setting as it cools.
- Top with whipped cream, ice cream, or enjoy plain!
- This cake will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
I want to make this cake for Christmas 2024. However, I am confused about the pumpkin ingredient. Should I use pumpkin pie filling or pumpkin puree. There is a difference. Pumpkin pie filling contains some spices; puree does not. Please respond ASAP. Thank you for your attention and time.
Hi Judith, use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. I hope you have a great Christmas!
Hi Sandi:)
Can you please tell me if the texture of this dump cake is more like a cake or more like a pudding? Thank you!
Hi, it is more cake like, but more moist than a traditional cake.
I love being able to make desserts I can eat too. Is there a way to tone down the sweetness? The condensed milk but be what’s doing it?
Hi Mary, You are correct, the sweetness comes from the condensed milk. Maybe if you make your own cake mix I have a recipe for vanilla cake mix on my blog, you can lessen the sugar in the cake part to compensate for the condensed milk. https://www.fearlessdining.com/homemade-gluten-free-vanilla-cake-mix/
Very good taste! Easy to make.
Had to bake it longer than the recipe called for but it turned great!
I am so glad you loved this cake recipe, Laurie. Thank you!
Have you made this using flax eggs or egg substitute? Thanks for your site i didnt know there was a coconut evaporated and sweetened condensed milk to use in baking!
Hi Beth, I haven’t tested this with an egg replacer. If you try one, please let me know how it turned out. Yes, we love using the coconut versions so the baked items can be dairy-free.
If I use pumpkin pie filling (rather than pumpkin puree) can I skip the pumpkin pie spice?
Conversely, if I don’t have pumpkin pie spice, what spice combination can I use as a substitute?
Hi Arlene, I haven’t tested this recipe with pumpkin pie filling…if you try it, please do let me know how it turns out. You can make pumpkin pie spice quite easily. I put it into Google and there were a ton of simple recipes. You would need ground cinnammon, nutmeg, allspice, and ground ginger.
This cake was easy to make, filled the house with wonderful smells of fall! I made mine with fat free condensed milk, and sugar substitutes-AMAZING!
This cake is one of my favorites. I am so glad you loved this cake. Thank you!
I made this cake yesterday and kept in fridge overnight. It’s very good but very hard to cut chilled. It wasn’t hard to cut at room temp. Can you leave it out of fridge in an airtight container or does it have to be refrigerated?
Hi Stacey, you could warm the cake in the oven…I wouldn’t leave this out on the counter in the warm summer month, but it should be okay for one night. Gluten free tends to spoil a lot quicker because there are so few additives.
This was absolutely delicious! I made it for church potblessing. Everyone, including non-gluten-freers, loved it. So much they have asked me to make it for the next potblessing. I didn’t have evaporated milk, so I used sweetened, condensed coconut milk and cut out 1/2 c of sugar. Tasted great! I used the solid part of the coconut milk (another can of coconut milk) and mixed honey, vanilla, and pumpkin spice and whipped it. Great topping!
I am so glad everyone at church loved this recipe. Thank you so much for letting me know!
I made this cake this morning, so we could have it for dessert tonight. My granddaughter came over after school and asked if she could taste it. She wound up having a huge bowl! Then my husband came in, saw her eating it, and he had a huge bowl, too! They both loved it! I am the only one who has to eat gluten free in my house, and it always amazes me when they love something gluten free! Thanks for this incredibly delicious recipe! The three of us ate almost half of it by the time we were finished with dinner. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
LOL, it sounds like you will have to make another one soon. I am so glad everyone loved this cake. Thank you!
Do you know of a gluten free cake mix that does not have sugar as the first ingredient? Wanted to try this but there is way too much sugar for us.
Simple Mills brand may be a good option if you are not allergic to nuts. It uses coconut sugar instead of cane sugar and it is not the first ingredient.
Aldi has one with rice flour listed first
This is a wonderful cake. Everyone loved it! Does it make a difference what kind of pan you bake it in? My friend used a glass baking dish and it didn’t set up. I used a non stick baking dish.
I am so glad everyone loved the recipe!
This turned out absolutely perfect and was delicious. I’m always skeptical about gluten-free recipes but my mother needs them so we always try something different.
The only thing I did different is when I make dump cakes a grate the butter and then keep it in the freezer till it’s ready to go, and it spreads so evenly over the cake itself.
I am so glad you loved this recipe, and I love your idea to grate the butter!
Delicious………my non GF friends went crazy over it!!!!!
Thank you so much. I am so glad everyone, even the non-GF friends, love it!!
Absolutely delicious. Moist, lots of different flavors, just tasty. I used Pamela’s GF white cake mix and subbed coconut oil for the dairy and it turned out fabulous. My 3 kids and husband loved it!
Thank you so much for coming back to let me know that everyone loved it!
Wonderful! I mixed the brown sugar and cinnamon with the mix before sprinkling it on mix! Added nuts and butter and we loved it!!
I am so glad you all loved the recipe, Linda. Thank you so much!
This was excellent for taking to an event this fall. I will definitely be making it again!
I am so glad you loved it, Alicia. It is a great cake to feed a crowd :-).
I made this for a small group event. I was the only one GF. Everyone loved it and wouldn’t have even known it was gluten free if I hadn’t told them. One lady said she normally didn’t care for pumpkin dishes but tried it and really liked it. I will definitely make it again.
I love nobody could tell the dessert was gluten free. You made my day coming back to let me know.
Would you need to increase any ingredients using a 22 oz cake mix?
Stores in our area seldom have a selection of mixes.
Hi Carol, I would assume you do. I have not tested using that amount of cake mix.
Have you ever made this recipe with pumpkin pie filling instead of these ingredients? How about fewer eggs? It was too sweet for us and was more like a loose pie filling than I expected. The cake and topping parts were awesome. I’d like to try it again with some tweaking to the recipe. Thanks.
Hi Maryfran, I haven’t tried it with pumpkin pie filling, but I bet that would taste great too. What gluten free cake mix brand did you use?
This recipe looks delicious – I am allergic to wheat – is there any in the cake mix – I also use ghee – thanks
Hi Marlene, I use a gluten free cake mix. There are many brands that make these. I haven’t tested ghee, it is a lot softer. I assume it would work but I am not 100% sure.
looks good i will be making for thanksgiving little confused all pictures show yellow cake mix but the directions say use white cake mix does it matter ?
Hi Linda, either white or yellow cake will taste delicious in this recipe.
Hi, can you tell me if this is a 1 layer or 2 layer cake mix please.
Hi Jay, this recipe makes one layer.
Hello!
Just wondering if you use salted or unsalted butter?
Thanks!
Hi Katie, you want to use unsalted butter. Thank you!
I would like to make this does the pan need to be greased?
Hi Linda, if you are using a non-stick pan you should be okay. If not I would definitely spray the pan with a light oil.
How long will this stay at room or refrigerator tempature?
Hi Bob, I would keep this cake in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Thank you :-).
What do we do with the butter?
Melt and pour over pecans??
Yes, it is listed in Step 5, but I will include this in the recipe below in more detail. Thank you!
What size cake mix do you use?
The box says 15 ounces. I hope this helps.
Looks delicious! Can’t wait to try this.
Enjoy Katie 🙂