Easy Pecan Pie Dump Cake Recipe with Yellow Cake Mix

If you love pecan pie but not the fuss of rolling out a crust, this easy pecan pie dump cake is about to become your new favorite holiday dessert. A gooey brown sugar and pecan filling bakes up under a golden, buttery yellow cake mix topping, giving you all the rich flavor of classic Southern pecan pie in a simple cake mix dessert. It slices into neat squares that taste best at room temperature, which makes it perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, potlucks, and any gathering where you want to bake ahead. This is one of those pecan desserts that disappears fast, so don't be surprised when everyone asks for the recipe.

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Why this is the best Pecan Pie Dump Cake recipe

It's incredibly easy to make. This pecan pie dump cake uses a box of yellow cake mix and a handful of simple ingredients to create a rich, homemade-tasting dessert. There's no need to make a pie crust, roll out dough, or spend hours in the kitchen.

This pecan dump cake tastes just like classic pecan pie. The sweet, gooey pecan filling has that familiar caramel-like flavor and sweetness and nutty crunch, while the buttery cake layer adds a delicious golden crust with a brownie-like texture. You get everything you love about traditional pecan pie with even less work.

The textures are amazing. Crunchy pecans, a soft and gooey filling, and a buttery cake topping come together in every bite. The contrast between the crisp top and rich filling makes this dessert especially delicious when served warm.

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This pecan pie dump cake is great for holidays and family gatherings. This easy pecan pie dump cake is a wonderful dessert for Thanksgiving, Christmas, potlucks, or Sunday dinner. It makes enough to share, is much easier to prepare than individual pies, and is an easy make ahead recipe.

Pecan pie dump cake is delicious with ice cream. Serve this pecan dump cake warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (ice cream machine recipe) or butter pecan ice cream (no machine needed recipe) or a dollop of whipped cream. The cold, creamy topping pairs beautifully with the sweet pecan pie filling and buttery cake.

What you'll need to make the best Easy Pecan Pie Dump Cake Recipe

Equipment

• Deep 9x13 pan

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See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.

Ingredients

• Brown sugar - This can be light or dark brown sugar.
• Light corn syrup
• Salted butter - You can also use unsalted butter. It doesn't make a huge difference. You will need both melted butter and softened butter in this recipe, at different times in the process.
• Large eggs
• Vanilla bean paste - I like vanilla bean paste because it's concentrated vanilla extract with crushed up vanilla beans mixed in. It has a stronger and more pleasant vanilla flavor. It is easily available on Amazon and some larger grocery stores, but if you're in a pinch, you can use an equal amount of pure vanilla extract.
• Pecan halves - I like pecan halves because they look fancy, but you can also used chopped pecans if that's what you have.
• Yellow cake mix - You will be using this dry. Do not mix the cake batter.
• Caramel topping - You can usually find this with the ice cream toppings in the grocery store. It is a thinner, pourable topping than what you would expect of standard caramel.

How to make Easy Pecan Pie Dump Cake Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease a 9x13 pan with butter.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup brown sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla bean paste until thoroughly combined.
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   Stir in 3 cups of pecans.
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3. Pour the pecan mixture into the prepared baking dish, smoothing it out evenly.
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4. In a large bowl, use a fork to crumble the softened butter into the cake mix
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   Until it is the texture of wet sand.
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   Sprinkle this over the pecan filling.
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   Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of brown sugar over the cake mix.
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5. Carefully pour the hot water over the top of the dry cake mix. Do not mix. You may need to tilt the dish to make sure the cake mix is evenly moist. Sprinkle with remaining pecan halves.
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6. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Because all ovens are different, check the cake at 30 minutes and every 5 minutes after that. The edges should be set but the center should jiggle slightly. As the cake cools, the center will firm up but should still be soft unlike a regular cake.
7. Allow the cake to cool completely before drizzling with caramel sauce and serving.
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Substitutions & variations

You can use butter pecan cake mix instead of yellow cake mix for an even richer, nuttier flavor. White cake mix will also work, although the finished dessert will have a slightly lighter and less buttery flavor.

For a deeper caramel flavor, use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar. Dark brown sugar contains more molasses, which gives the pecan filling a richer taste.

If you love chocolate pecan pie, sprinkle a handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips over the pecan filling before adding the cake mix. The chocolate melts into the filling as the cake bakes, making the dessert even richer.

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For a little extra flavor, add a teaspoon of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to the pecan mixture. These warm spices complement the buttery pecans and make this dessert especially good during the fall and winter holidays.

You can also try adding a splash of bourbon to the pecan filling for a Southern-inspired variation. The bourbon adds a subtle depth of flavor without overpowering the sweet pecans.

Serve your pecan pie dump cake with homemade vanilla ice cream (ice cream machine recipe) or butter pecan ice cream (no machine needed recipe) or whipped cream. It's especially good warm, when the filling is still soft and gooey.

Storing leftover pecan pie dump cake

Refrigerator: Because the filling contains eggs, cover leftovers and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Let squares sit out for about 30 minutes before serving.

Make ahead: Bake it a day ahead, cool completely, cover, and store in the fridge. This frees up your oven on the holiday. You can pop it in a 350ºF oven for 15 minutes to warm it up just before serving.

Freezer: Wrap cooled squares tightly in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

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Recipe