Last Updated on November 5, 2021 by Anne-Marie
A easy crockpot pumpkin dump cake recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan. This slow cooker dump cake is super easy to make for Halloween or Thanksgiving.
Why this recipe works
This crockpot pumpkin dump cake is like a layer of creamy pumpkin mousse topped by a layer of (gluten free) spice cake.
This pumpkin dump cake with yellow cake mix and a few other ingredients is a snap to make. You just put it together, then cook it for less than three hours in your Crock-Pot.
Then you have a slow cooker pumpkin dump cake that everyone family will rave over.
This crockpot dump cake is a terrific alternative to more traditional Thanksgiving pies, especially when you don’t have room in the oven to bake. Or need a quick and easy gluten free dessert for your GF friends and family.
Did I mention this crockpot pumpkin dump cake recipe is uniquely flavored with chewy dried cherries and little bits of chocolate.
Doesn’t that sound amazing?
Serve this easy pumpkin dump cake recipe with a scoop of ice cream and it’ll become one of your favorite gluten free pumpkin desserts to serve in the fall during Halloween and Thanksgiving.
A pumpkin dump cake with cake mix that is gluten and dairy free
Crockpot Pumpkin Dump Cake is gluten free and dairy free .
Since it uses no milk or eggs, it can be turned into a vegan dessert if you use non-dairy buttery spread and a dairy free “ice cream.”
Make sure all your other ingredients are also vegan, such as the cake mix, the “ice cream” or non-dairy topping you use, and so on.
Just because something is dairy free, it doesn’t mean it’s vegan. If you have vegan guests coming for the holidays, you need to be extra careful!
Best of all, all the ingredients for pumpkin dump cake recipes can be found at your local grocery store. No trip to the health food store needed.
How to make crock-pot pumpkin dump cake
I wanted to make this slow cooker pumpkin dump cake recipe as easy as possible. Basically, it’s pumpkin cake with yellow cake mix and canned pumpkin – and some other easy to find ingredients. Simple, right?
Pumpkin: First, use canned pumpkin puree. You can use regular or organic, but don’t use pumpkin pie mix!
(If you want to make pumpkin puree from scratch, check out my post on How to Cook Fresh Pumpkin.)
Cake mix: Then you can use your favorite gluten free cake mix for crockpot pumpkin cake. I used Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix, which is sold in the baking sections of most grocery stores.
Coconut milk: To keep it dairy free, use canned coconut milk since it’s a bit thicker than the kind you buy to drink. You can find it in the Asian food aisles at your grocery store.
I like using full fat coconut milk instead of the “lite” version for this slow cooker pumpkin pudding recipe though I’m sure the “lite” version would work, too. (Use any leftover coconut milk in a smoothie or on your morning cereal.)
Chocolate: Since I wanted this slow cooker pumpkin pudding recipe to be both gluten free and dairy free, I used Guillard semi-sweet baking chocolate chips.
Another terrific brand of chocolate chips are Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Chips, which are gluten free, dairy free, soy free, and nut free. Both brands taste and cook up great!
Butter: Since I wanted to keep this pumpkin pudding recipe dairy free and vegan, I used Earth Balance. You can find this brand of vegan buttery spread at most supermarkets.
Topping: Finally, I used vanilla So Delicious “ice cream” as a topper. My favorites are the soy and coconut milk varieties.
What additions and substitutions can I make?
If no one is allergic, you can add nuts! Pecans or walnuts would be delicious.
Instead of dried cherries, you can used dried cranberries or raisins.
Use whipped cream instead of ice cream if you like. If you’re keeping things dairy free, look for Reddi-wip Non-Dairy toppings (either almond or coconut) in the dairy section.
You can also whip cooled canned coconut cream into a “whipped cream” for these type of crockpot cake mix recipes.
A gluten free spiced cake mix would also be delicious in this recipe.
If you’re not worried about sugar or calories, feel free to use regular sugar instead of monk fruit or stevia.
For easier cleanup, use a slow cooker liner. They save so much clean up time!
More delicious crock-pot recipes
● Crock Pot Mississippi Pot Roast
● Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs
Crockpot Pumpkin Dump Cake Recipe
A slow cooker pumpkin dump cake recipe that is gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan. This crock-pot pumpkin dump cake is easy to make.
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
- 2/3 cup canned coconut milk (full fat)
- 1/3 cup powdered monk fruit or stevia
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice, divided, plus more for garnish
- 1 15-ounce box gluten free yellow cake mix
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate baking chips
- 1/4 cup dairy free buttery spread, melted
- Non-dairy vanilla ice cream for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Coat inside of a 4-quart crock-pot with cooking spray.
- Add the pumpkin puree, coconut milk, monk fruit or stevia, and 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice to the Crock-Pot. Stir ingredients together. Then spread pumpkin batter evenly at the bottom of the crock.
- Add cake mix, dried cherries, chocolate chips, and remaining tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice together in a medium bowl. Stir thoroughly to distribute cherries and chips throughout the cake mix.
- Evenly pour the cake mix over the pumpkin batter in the Crock-Pot. Drizzle melted buttery spread over the cake mixture.
- Cover and cook on high heat for 2 1/2 hours. Remove the crock insert (if possible). Or turn off Crock-Pot. Uncover and cool for 30 minutes.
- To serve, spoon warm pumpkin pudding into bowls. Top each serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired. Garnish ice cream with a slight pinch of pumpkin pie spice.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 442Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 472mgCarbohydrates: 72gFiber: 4gSugar: 42gProtein: 4g
Nutritional information is automatically calculated per the ingredients list. Serving size may not be accurate. Please double-check with your preferred nutritional app for the most accurate information.
Check out the Best Gluten Free Thanksgiving Desserts Recipes and the Best Keto Thanksgiving Recipes for more delicious recipes for your holiday table.
Originally published on October 17, 2016 and September 20, 2018. Updated with new pictures and information.