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This tried-and-true family recipe could not be any easier! Just combine 5 simple ingredients in a cake pan, bake it in the oven, and Aunt Bee’s 5-Minute Cherry Crunch Dump Cake is warm, bubbly, and ready to be devoured. There are no mixing bowls required, and the entire dessert comes together in one dish. Best of all, when paired with Marie Callender’s pot pies, it only takes about 5 minutes to prepare a wholesome dinner AND a homemade dessert!
Today is your lucky day! Not only am I going to share one of the best desserts that I’ve tasted in a long time, but I’m also going to show you how you can get dinner and a homemade dessert on the table for your family with a total of about 5 minutes of prep time. Because sometimes sitting down for a family meal is all that we can muster — there’s no time left for fancy recipes or washing a lot of dishes!
When I was growing up, my mom’s homemade Chicken Pot Pie was one of my favorite comfort foods during the cold weather months. When I had my third baby last fall, though, I quickly learned that I would not be able to get a pot pie recipe from scratch on my family’s dinner table on a regular basis. That’s when I discovered the magic of Marie Callender’s, and we haven’t looked back!
The Marie Callender’s pot pies combine a homemade gravy mixed with vegetables and all white-meat chicken in a golden, perfectly flaky crust that’s made from scratch. They are about as close to Mom’s pot pie as I can get these days, and my whole family loves them!
On a recent morning while my older two boys were in school, Spence and I made a weekly grocery run to Walmart. With the recent cold weather and snow that has come through Virginia, I knew that I wanted to grab a few “comfort food” and stock up on ingredients that would warm us up. We headed straight to the frozen Entrees aisle…
and reached into the case designated for all of Marie Callender’s delicious options. Our favorites are the individually-sized Chicken Pot Pies, so I grabbed a 4-pack of those.
Meanwhile, my impatient little goofball thought that it would be hilarious to “hide” from the camera every time I tried to snap his photo. He was entertaining the rest of the shoppers (and cracking himself up), that’s for sure!
Once dinnertime rolled around, I was SO glad that I didn’t need to do much to get our hearty dinner on the table. It’s really as easy as opening the box, pulling out the pot pie, and following the instructions on the wrapper.
I opened one end of the paper wrapper, but otherwise left the pot pie fully wrapped while I microwaved it for about 5 minutes. It’s amazing how this special wrapping and fancy grid technology on the top actually keeps the crust as flaky and crisp as if I made it from scratch and baked it in the oven. The only difference is that I have absolutely no dishes to wash and it only takes a few minutes!
Look at this beautiful crust!
Of course, you could enjoy the pot pie straight out of the package that it comes in. I, however, choose to serve our pot pies in individual bowls. For me, it makes a sit-down dinner feel more complete!
And while I quickly “made” dinner, this little guy observed from his highchair. You know it’s a fast prep time when he’s willing to sit still for the entire process. This kid NEVER stops moving!
I love that Marie Callender’s offers a quick weeknight dinner option that I can feel good about feeding my family. Plus, it’s so convenient that the meat, veggies, and crust are all included in one dish!
You know what else I love about Marie Callender’s? The company supports our U.S. Military through its Comforts from Home program. Every time you enter a code from specially marked packages of Marie Callender’s meals or desserts, Marie Callender’s will make a donation to USO2GO, an a USO program that brings electronics, sports gear, books, games, and more to troops stationed in remote locations. Such a great cause that we should all get involved in!
Okay, so here’s the second half of my good news for today. In the mere 5 minutes that it takes for your dinner to cook in the microwave, you can whip up a comforting, classic, homemade dessert that is the perfect accompaniment to your wholesome meal!
This recipe for 5-Minute Cherry Crunch Dump Cake comes from my great Aunt Bee, who I have introduced on this blog in past posts. You can see more about Aunt Bee (and her amazing recipes) here, but let’s just say that this is one of those treats that will soon become a tradition in your family as well. You will not believe how incredibly delicious (and easy) it is!
The name of the dessert probably gives it away, but basically you are just dumping 5 ingredients into a cake pan and baking them together in the oven. That’s it! You don’t have to pull out a single mixing bowl, spatula, or whisk! Again, this is one of those recipes that is absolutely perfect for busy moms like myself who want to share comforting recipes with their families but who don’t always have the luxury of time.
Once you have prepared your cake, you can let it bake in the oven while you enjoy your Marie Callender’s pot pies for dinner. By the time your family is finished with the main course, dessert will be golden, gooey, and warm — straight from the oven. It honestly doesn’t get much better than this!
If you love meals like this one, be sure to check out http://www.mariecallendersmeals.com/ for more information about the pot pies, and then hop over to http://potpieplease.com for even more great recipes. You can also find Marie Callender’s on Facebook to keep up with all of their great programs and products. Enjoy, friends!
Aunt Bee's 5-Minute Cherry Crunch Dump Cake
Ingredients
- 1 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple (not drained)
- 1 21 ounce can of cherry pie filling
- 1 package of yellow cake mix
- 1 cup of pecans chopped
- 1 stick 1/2 cup butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
- Spread pineapple in its juice evenly into the prepared pan.
- Spoon pie filling over the pineapple.
- Sprinkle DRY cake mix evenly over the mixture. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.
- Slice the chilled butter into thin strips and place the strips evenly over the nuts and other ingredients.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.
This looks so good! I had a friend who used to make a very similar recipe, and it was a pure comfort food dessert! This looks just wonderful!
This dump cake looks amazing and it’s so easy! I love the photos of your little one. He’s adorable!
Blair,
Precious children! Oh, and dessert looks awesome too! I love warm cherries.
Wishes for tasty dishes,
Linda
Thanks, Linda! 🙂
That looks DELICIOUS! Cherry is my favorite! I’m really impressed with how the pot pie turned out in the microwave, that technology is amazing! And your little guy is the cutest!! #client
Thanks, Sarah! I know — the crust is amazing!!! 🙂
Oh man, this is a walk down memory lane–I love those mini pot pies! This dump cake looks like the perfect dessert to go with it 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing at The Makers!
Thanks so much for stopping by, Amy!!
These mini pot pies are on my shopping list now! And the dump cake looks fantastic! Wish I had one right now 🙂 Your little one is so cute !
Thank you, Mira!!! 🙂
That cake looks sooo good. I love super simple desserts that you can toss together really easily. They’re some of the very best!!! No need for fancy stuff!
Pot pies remind of my Grandpa. He used to love to heat them up for dinner. I love them to – perfect comfort food!
Thanks, Sarah! 🙂
Looks YUMMY!
Love this!
Thanks, Bess!
My great grandmother used to make the same cake every year for our family Thanksgiving dinner. She didn’t add pecans but I love the variation! #client
Awesome! It’s a classic, Heather!
I use to make this dump cake a lot, only difference I would melt the butter, pour it over cake mix, then top with walnut pieces and coconut. Once baked, and cooled a bit, I’d top with cool whip
Your version sounds delicious too, Annemarie!!
This cake looks delicious and quite addicting. You’d never know by looking at it that it takes only 5 minutes to prepare, which makes it a perfect recipe to have in your back pocket.
Thanks, Thao!!
This looks wonderful!! Can’t wait to try it! I’m wondering if you can use apple pie filling instead? Thanks for the wonderful ideas!
Hi, Mary Jean! I’ve never used apple pie filling myself, but I’m sure it would work great. It would taste like an apple cobbler!! 🙂
I made one with apple pie filling yesterday, and my bachelor buddies went nuts. I sprinkled the filling with brown sugar and cinnamon and on the top of the cake mix. Awesome! I like the idea of melting the butter. Perhaps that would solve the problem of dry cake mix spots.
Will try this cherry one with my fresh cherry pie filling with almond extract and almonds!
I’m so glad to hear it was a hit, Kris! Thanks for letting me know!
Another great recipe, I’ll give this a try. Pinning, Diane @ Mrs U Makes.
Thanks, Diane!!
The dessert is actually a creation of Duncan Hines, a Proctor and Gamble company, and is called Cherry Dump Cake. The recipe provided is exactly the same as the Duncan Hines recipe, word for word. I have been making this same dessert ever since I worked for Proctor and Gamble some 32 years ago. A sinfully delicious dessert, especially hot from the over and serve with Vanilla Bean ice cream on top!! 🙂
That’s funny to know its history, Nancy! It is definitely sinfully delicious!
Anyone try this recipe with a gluten-free yellow cake mix?? Would be interested in how it turned out and tasted.
I haven’t tried that, Debbie, but I bet it would work well!
This looks absolutely divine!! Thank you for sharing! I love quick and easy recipes, especially for such a yummy dessert! 🙂
Thanks so much, Danielle!
I love, love, love this! Thanks for linking this up this week at Merry Monday’s!
Thanks so much, Misty! 🙂
It was interesting to find out that the dump cake recipe is from Duncan Hines. I wish I knew how old it is. My Grandma used to make it. She was born in 1902 and some of her recipes were older than she was, though I’m sure the dump cake wasn’t THAT old! My Mom has made it, and I do, too. I used to make it for church dinners, and everyone loved it. It’s one of my favorites. Since pecans are so expensive, you can use walnuts, but I always splurge on pecans. The only problem with melting the butter is that you need to get all of the cake mix covered or you will have areas of dry cake mix. Make sure you get into the corners with the butter.
GREAT tips, Denis! Thank you! Pecans are always my favorite, too. 🙂
I just pinned this to my Cooking For Two board because of its simplicity! I’d completely forgotten about dump cakes. We used to make these for a soup kitchen to feed the homeless. It is warm, comforting and delicious. Thanks for a sweet reminder!
That’s so great, Kim! Thanks for the pin, and I’m glad to have sparked a good memory! There’s nothing better than a classic, oldie-but-goodie recipe!
I must have done something wrong since the crust was still powdery when I took it out of the oven. I did swirl it all together and put back into oven for 10 minutes and then it was yummy.
Thanks for the tip, Ange! I’m not sure why it would have been powdery, but I’m glad that some extra time in the oven fixed the problem. 🙂
Has anyone tried this at high altitude? I tried it once before and was not successful. Also, does it matter if the butter is salted or unsalted?
Thanks!
Hi, Mary! I haven’t tried it at high altitude, so I’m sorry that I cannot weigh in on that issue. I don’t think that it matters if the butter is salted or unsalted — whatever your preference!
I live in the high altitudes too. I baked it as directed, then increased the temp to 375 and baked 10 minutes longer. Came out perfect!
I made this today ,there was very little cake to it mostly cherrys and pineapple ,What did I do wrong?
Hi, Rose! You probably didn’t do anything wrong. 🙂 It’s called a dump “cake,” although it’s probably more like a cobbler — fruit on the bottom with the cake mix forming a crust on the top. Is that how it turned out for you? I hope that you liked the final result, even if it wasn’t a classic cake in the true sense of the term! I guess that my Aunt Bee (and the rest of the dump-cake-loving-world) calls them “cakes” because you use the cake mix to make them. Sorry if that was misleading!
The cake looks good. I can’t wait to try it.
I know from experience that the pot pies are not that great. Yes, they do turn out in the microwave but they hardly have any filling in them. A few bites of chicken and carrot pieces and peas. Clearly not a full serving. Lots of gravy/sauce though. When I served these to kids I cared for I also made them additional veggies to go with them and gave them some lunchmeat as well. I would never recommend them.
I hope that you get to try the cake, Laurie. It’s so easy, but it’s a classic for a reason…SO delicious! 🙂
They are not like homemade of course, but not that awful for a quick meal. Boston Market has THE BEST frozen Chicken pot pie IMHO.
Thanks for your recipe ;). Yesterday I saw a young boy do a 3 Ingredient Peach Cobbler in the Instant Pot (https://youtu.be/SX0NqXBTvas). Just love dump cake recipes but was amazed you could do in the Instant Pot too …. may have to give the cherry one a whirl in the IP too but 1st …… I have your recipe in the oven now 😉
That’s a great idea! I don’t have an instant pot, but I’m very tempted to get one. 🙂
Blair, Can I use white cake mix or does it have to be yellow?
Hi, Lori! Yes, white cake mix (or any other similar flavor) will work just as well! 🙂
Thank you Blair, can’t wait to make it! Looks delicious!
Great! Enjoy, Lori!
I can’t wait to try this! Our community in FL are always having “carry in dinners” and sometimes on short notice, so this recipe will work just great!
Wonderful! It’s perfect for that type of occasion, Cheri! Enjoy. 🙂