Make a delicious dessert with this Tropical Slow Cooker Dump Cake recipe worth 4 Weight Watchers points per serving! This dump cake has yummy cherry pie filling, pitted tart cherries, and pineapple pieces for a delicious sweet and tart flavor.
The keto-friendly cake mix I used had coconut flour, and I also used some shredded coconut as a garnish to amplify the tropical flavors. However, if you’re not a fan of coconut, that’s okay. You can use your favorite yellow cake mix for this recipe and choose your own garnishes.
If you’ve never tried a dump cake before, you might be surprised to learn it’s more of a cobbler than an actual “cake.” This is because you simply dump all of the ingredients into the pan — or, in this case, slow cooker — and let it bake like that. You don’t need to spend time mixing the batter. As a result, the dessert has layers, with the fruit filling on the bottom and the cake crumbs on top.
I love making this dessert in the slow cooker because it frees up my oven for other food. Or, when it’s hot outside, it doesn’t heat up my house like baking it in the oven would. This dessert is just so special. Since it’s made in a crock pot, the cake comes out extremely soft, and the fruit mixture cooks and thickens, becoming slightly caramelized on the edges.
Why You Should Try This Recipe
- It’s effortless. What could be easier than dumping a bunch of ingredients into a crockpot? This recipe is so incredibly simple!
- It serves a crowd. Since this dessert serves over 10 people, it is perfect for small gatherings. Serve it with a scoop of ice cream on top and everyone will be raving over how delicious it is.
- You can enjoy it any time of year. Since it uses canned ingredients, this means you can make this recipe whenever you feel like it! Enjoy its tropical flavors during the summer and add some brightness to your day by making it in the colder months as well.
Recipe Overview
- Serving Size: 150g
- Number of Servings: 11
- Time to Cook: 2.5 – 3 hours
- WW Points Per Recipe: 4 WW points per serving, 49 for the entire recipe (Click here to view the recipe in the WW app. WW login is required)
Ingredients in Slow Cooker Pineapple Cherry Dump Cake
- 20 oz can Light or sugar-free cherry pie filling
- 14.5 oz can tart pitted cherries in water, drained
- 20 oz can Pineapple tidbits or chunks, drained
- 2-4 tbsp Light butter substitute, (I used I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! Light), start with 2
- To taste Cinnamon
- 1 box Sugar-free or keto-friendly yellow cake mix
Instructions for Making WW Slow Cooker Dump Cake
- As preparation, drain the pineapple tidbits and the whole pitted cherries. Spray your slow cooker.
- Spread the pie filling, cherries, and half of the pineapple pieces in the bottom of a 7—or 8-qt slow cooker. Sprinkle on some cinnamon.
3. Next, evenly spread out the cake mix. Scatter the remaining pineapple pieces on top and add another dash of cinnamon over the whole thing. Melt the butter substitute and drizzle it over top, too.
4. Cover and bake the dump cake on HIGH for 1 hour. At this point, I like to flip the insert to promote more even baking, and this is optional, but I carefully fluff the top of the cake mix with a fork (don’t mix it into the fruit too much, though; it will get soggy). If you think that the cake mix is too dry, you can add a bit more of the melted butter substitute to hydrate it; just be careful.
5. Cover the pot again; place a paper towel shield with the lid on top of the towels to hold them in place. This prevents condensation from dripping onto the dessert.
6. Cook the dump cake for 1.5 – 2 hours longer on high. It is ready when the fruit is bubbly on the sides, and the topping is no longer wet but like a streusel or crumble. Remember that the cake doesn’t brown as much in the slow cooker as in the oven. It will be light and fluffy without much crispiness.
7. Take the lid off the dump cake and allow it to rest for a bit before serving so it has time to firm up.
Variations and Substitutions
- Topping Ideas: Top this yummy dump cake recipe with shredded coconut, pineapple icing, whipped cream, or extra cherries to elevate its presentation.
- Splurge Version: If you don’t mind the extra WW points, feel free to use two cans of cherry pie filling instead of 1 can of filling and 1 can of the whole cherries.
- Cake Mix Type: Use your favorite low-point cake mix, such as lower-sugar, sugar-free, or keto cake mix. The Duncan Hines Keto is the lowest-point mix I could find in my area, but let me know if you have another go-to!
- Oven Method: You can certainly try this in the oven if you don’t have a slow cooker or prefer a crispier topping. However, the moisture content isn’t quite the same in an oven. You might need to add more butter substitute on top if you notice the cake part getting dry. I would bake it in a large pan, such as a 9×13 pan and bake it until the fruit is bubbling on the edges and the top is golden and no longer wet.
- Crunchy Topping: Add chopped walnuts, macadamia nuts, almonds, or other nuts to give the topping a crispy bite.
Tips and Tricks for Making Tropical Dump Cake in the Slow Cooker
- Every slow cooker is different, and some appliances may take longer, depending on the exact one you have. Mine is a Crockpot brand.
- Be careful not to overcook it. If you notice the side of the fruit filling is almost burning, take a rubber spatula and go around the edges to loosen it and bring new fruit to the sides.
- If you check on the dessert halfway through cooking and the topping looks especially dry, you can add 1-2 tbsp more of melted light butter substitute. But with all of the natural liquids from the fruit and the condensation of the slow cooker, you might not even need it! Fluffing it with a fork gently on the top can do the trick in breaking up any dry flour pockets.
- I only suggest turning the insert to promote more even cooking, but if you find that your slow cooker heats very evenly, you don’t need to worry about it. I find that my crockpot has a hot spot.
- This cake is incredibly rich and sweet, which is why the portions aren’t huge. However, if you wanted to make the portions bigger, you certainly could. For instance, if you serve 9 people instead, it will increase the WW points by 1 point each.
Related Recipes
Weight Watchers Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Pineapple Coconut Breakfast Pie
Coconut Raspberry Chocolate Cake
Tropical Slow Cooker Dump Cake
Equipment
- 7 or 8 quart slow cooker
Ingredients
- 20 oz can Light or sugar-free cherry pie filling
- 14.5 oz can tart pitted cherries in water, drained
- 20 oz can Pineapple tidbits or chunks, drained
- 2-4 tbsp Light butter substitute, I used I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! Light, start with 2 tbsp and add more if needed
- To taste Cinnamon
- 1 box Sugar-free or keto-friendly yellow cake mix
Instructions
- As preparation, drain the pineapple tidbits and the whole pitted cherries. Spray your slow cooker.
- Spread the pie filling, cherries, and half of the pineapple pieces in the bottom of a 7—or 8-qt slow cooker. Sprinkle on some cinnamon.
- Next, evenly spread out the dry cake mix. Scatter the remaining pineapple pieces on top and add another dash of cinnamon. Melt the butter substitute and drizzle it over top, too.
- Cover and bake the dump cake on HIGH for 1 hour. At this point, I like to flip the insert to promote more even baking, and this is optional, but I carefully fluff the top of the cake mix with a fork (don’t mix it into the fruit too much, though; it will get soggy). If you think that the cake mix is too dry, you can add a bit more of the melted butter substitute to hydrate it; just be careful not to overdo it.
- Cover the pot again; place a paper towel shield with the lid on top of the towels to hold them in place. This prevents condensation from dripping onto the dessert.
- Cook the dump cake for 1.5 – 2 hours longer or until ready. It is ready when the fruit is bubbly on the sides, and the topping is no longer wet but like a streusel or crumble. Remember that the cake doesn’t brown as much in the slow cooker as in the oven. It will be light and fluffy without much crispiness.
- Take the lid off the dump cake and allow it to rest for a bit before serving so it has time to firm up.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
