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.
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(This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Safeway. All opinions are 100% mine.)
❤️ Sandi’s Recipe Summary
I 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 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 them! 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.
You can find the ingredients for this pumpkin dump cake and this delicious vegan, gluten-free almond butter cake!
Ingredient Notes and Easy Swaps:
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 of 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.
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.
How to Make a Gluten-Free Pumpkin Dump Cake (Step-By-Step)
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.
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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
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup chopped pecans
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.
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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 truly hope you enjoy this recipe. I have been testing and creating gluten-free recipes for over 15 years. Creating gluten-free recipes that do not taste gluten-free is my goal for every recipe. Sometimes I only have to test a new recipe a couple of times, and others it takes multiple times. I do this so you get reliable, delicious results every time!
Can you sub regular sugar for sugar free
Hi Nancy, I haven’t used alternate sugars, so I am unable to advise on proportions of sugar replacer.
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 evaporated 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 evaporated milk. https://www.fearlessdining.com/homemade-gluten-free-vanilla-cake-mix/
In the comments you mention condensed milk. The recipe calls for evaporated milk?
Can you clarify this please. Thanks
Hi Tammy, it is evaporated milk. I hope this helps.
This recipe called for evaporated milk, not sweetened condensed milk.
If you used sweetened condensed milk, that would make it overly sweet. Did you mean evaporated milk?
Agreed, several commentors did use condensed milk. My recipe uses evaporated milk.
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!