Easy Vegan Pumpkin Dump Cake: The Ultimate Fall Dessert Recipe

When the crisp air of autumn calls for something sweet, warm, and utterly comforting, this vegan pumpkin dump cake answers with remarkable ease and irresistible flavor. Imagine a dessert that marries the creamy, spiced essence of pumpkin pie with the delightful crunch of a cobbler-like cake topping, all coming together with minimal effort. This isn’t just an easy dessert; it’s a fall essential, richly spiced, incredibly moist, and studded with toasted pecans, ready to be enjoyed in no time at all.

For those unfamiliar with the magic of a dump cake, it’s a dessert concept built on simplicity, often starting with a humble box of cake mix. But here’s the clever twist: instead of following the package instructions to prepare a traditional cake batter, you use the dry mix as a topping. Over a luscious filling—in this case, a velvety, spiced pumpkin base—you sprinkle the dry cake mix, then drizzle it generously with melted vegan butter. As it bakes, the butter moistens the cake mix, transforming it into a wonderfully crisp, golden, and crumbly topping that perfectly complements the creamy layer beneath. It’s baking ingenuity at its finest, requiring practically no mixing or fuss.

This particular pumpkin dump cake recipe offers a delightful twist on classic fall flavors. It combines a rich, vegan pumpkin pie-inspired base with a sweet vanilla cake mix and crunchy pecans, creating a harmony of textures and tastes. It’s an absolutely irresistible treat and a fantastic way to satisfy your autumn cravings when you desire something a little different from a traditional pumpkin pie. Its ease of preparation makes it perfect for last-minute gatherings or a cozy weeknight indulgence, proving that delicious doesn’t have to mean difficult.

Why This Vegan Pumpkin Dump Cake is Your New Favorite Fall Dessert

There are countless reasons why this easy vegan pumpkin dump cake will earn a permanent spot in your recipe collection:

• Effortlessly Vegan: Many traditional dump cake recipes rely heavily on dairy butter. Our recipe thoughtfully swaps this for a plant-based version, making it suitable for vegans, those with dairy allergies, or anyone looking to enjoy a delicious plant-forward dessert without compromising on flavor or texture. It’s a testament to how incredible vegan baking can be!
• Incredibly Quick and Easy to Prepare: The beauty of a dump cake lies in its simplicity. With minimal mixing, pouring, and sprinkling, this dessert comes together in a snap, requiring hardly any active effort. It’s the perfect solution for busy schedules, unexpected guests, or when you just want a homemade treat without spending hours in the kitchen.
• Perfect for Entertaining a Crowd: This recipe yields a generous 9×13-inch cake, making it an ideal choice for holiday gatherings, potlucks, family dinners, or any occasion where you need to feed a large group. Its impressive appearance belies its simple preparation, guaranteeing compliments from your guests.
• The Quintessential Fall Flavor Experience: Bursting with pure pumpkin puree, a medley of warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg, and the nutty crunch of pecans, this cake encapsulates the very best flavors of autumn. It’s like a cozy hug in dessert form, perfect to enjoy on a chilly evening. Pair a slice with a comforting mug of Pumpkin Spice Matcha Latte for the ultimate fall indulgence.
• Unique Texture Combination: Unlike a uniform cake, this dump cake offers a delightful contrast. The bottom layer is a smooth, creamy, and moist pumpkin custard, reminiscent of pumpkin pie. The top layer, however, is a crisp, buttery, and slightly crumbly cake topping with toasted pecans, providing an exciting textural element that elevates the entire experience.

Essential Ingredients for Your Vegan Pumpkin Dump Cake

Crafting this delicious dessert requires a few key ingredients, each playing a crucial role in its overall flavor and texture. Remember to refer to the recipe card for exact quantities and detailed instructions.

• Flax Egg: This ingenious vegan binder is made by combining golden flaxseed flour (or flax meal) with almond milk. When allowed to sit for a few minutes, it forms a gel-like consistency, perfectly mimicking the binding properties of an egg, crucial for the pumpkin filling.
• Pumpkin Puree: The heart of our dessert! You can use high-quality store-bought canned pumpkin puree, or if you prefer a homemade touch, make your own pumpkin puree. A vital tip for homemade puree: drain it thoroughly in a colander lined with cheesecloth. This removes excess moisture, ensuring your filling achieves a thick, creamy consistency similar to that of canned pumpkin and prevents a watery cake.
• Tapioca Starch: This acts as a gentle thickener for the pumpkin filling, contributing to its smooth and luscious texture without making it heavy or gummy. Cornstarch can be used as an alternative if needed.
• Coconut Cream: Scooped from the top of a chilled can of full-fat coconut milk, this rich and creamy component adds an incredible depth of flavor and velvety texture to the pumpkin base, making it extra indulgent and dairy-free. Chilling the can overnight helps separate the cream from the water.
• Granulated Sugar: To sweeten the pumpkin filling, balancing the earthy notes of the pumpkin and spices. Adjust to your sweetness preference, though the cake mix topping also adds sweetness.
• Warming Spices: A carefully selected blend of cinnamon, ginger, ground cloves, and nutmeg infuses the pumpkin layer with an unforgettable cozy, aromatic, and distinctly fall flavor profile. These spices are non-negotiable for that authentic pumpkin pie taste.
• Yellow Cake Mix: The secret weapon of any dump cake! It forms the crunchy, golden topping. It’s important to find a boxed yellow cake mix that is naturally vegan (see the section below for guidance).
• Pecans: These add a delightful crunch and nutty flavor that complements the pumpkin beautifully. Since they will be roughly chopped for the topping, buying pre-chopped pecan pieces is a smart and budget-friendly choice over whole pecans. For an enhanced flavor, you can lightly toast them before adding them to the cake mix.
• Vegan Butter: Melted vegan butter is drizzled over the dry cake mix and pecans. As it bakes, it creates the signature crisp, buttery topping. Ensure it’s fully melted for even distribution. You can melt it in a small saucepan on the stovetop or quickly in the microwave.

What Boxed Cake Mixes Are Vegan? A Closer Look

It might surprise you, but many boxed cake mixes are “accidentally” vegan as packaged, meaning they don’t contain animal products in their dry form. However, always double-check the ingredient list meticulously, as formulations can change. While most call for the addition of eggs and dairy milk during preparation, you’ll be using a flax egg and plant-based butter for this recipe. Look for mixes free from ingredients like milk powder, whey, casein, eggs, or animal-derived mono- and diglycerides. Brands like Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker, and Pillsbury often have vegan-friendly options in their yellow, white, or devil’s food cake mixes. Some brands, like Whole Foods Market’s 365 Everyday Value, explicitly label their yellow cake mix as vegan, taking the guesswork out of it.

How to Make Your Easy Vegan Pumpkin Dump Cake: A Simple Guide

Creating this vegan pumpkin dump cake is truly a breeze. Follow these simple steps for a mouthwatering fall dessert:

• Step 1: Preheat Your Oven: Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (180°C). This ensures your oven is at the correct temperature for even baking.
• Step 2: Prepare the Flax Egg: In a small bowl, whisk together the golden flax flour and almond milk. Let this mixture sit for about 5 minutes. During this time, it will thicken into a gelatinous consistency, ready to act as your vegan egg replacer.
• Step 3: Mix the Pumpkin Filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, coconut cream (ensuring it’s the solid, softened part from a chilled can), sugar, the prepared flax egg, tapioca starch, and all the warming spices (cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg). Stir everything together until thoroughly combined and smooth. Pour this aromatic pumpkin mixture evenly into a 9×13-inch baking pan.

• Step 4: Prepare the Topping: Roughly chop your pecans. In a separate bowl, toss the chopped pecans with the dry yellow cake mix until they are well combined. This ensures the pecans are distributed throughout the crunchy topping.
• Step 5: Assemble the Cake: Evenly sprinkle the cake mix and pecan topping mixture over the pumpkin layer in the baking pan. Try to cover the entire pumpkin surface. Next, carefully pour the melted vegan butter over the top of the cake mix layer. Ensure the butter is distributed as evenly as possible – it’s what creates that delectable crisp crust.
• Step 6: Bake and Serve: Place the pan in your preheated oven and bake for approximately 1 hour. The cake is ready when the topping is golden brown and the pumpkin filling is just set in the middle with a slight jiggle. Remove from the oven, let it cool for a few minutes, then serve warm for the ultimate comfort food experience.

Expert Tips for a Flawless Vegan Pumpkin Dump Cake

While this recipe is incredibly forgiving, these additional pointers will help you achieve perfection with your vegan pumpkin dump cake every single time:

• Chill Your Coconut Milk Overnight: This is a crucial step for extracting the thick, solid coconut cream needed for the pumpkin filling. By refrigerating the can of full-fat coconut milk overnight, the cream will separate and solidify at the top, making it easy to scoop out. You can then reserve the remaining coconut water for smoothies, like our delicious Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie.
• Avoid Overbaking for Optimal Texture: Keep a close eye on your dump cake during the last 15-20 minutes of baking. The top should be a beautiful golden brown, and the pumpkin filling, when gently jiggled, should be mostly set with only a slight wobble in the very center. Overbaking can lead to a dry topping and a less creamy filling, so trust the visual cues!
• Use Pure Pumpkin Puree, Not Pie Mix: This distinction is vital! Pumpkin puree consists solely of cooked, mashed pumpkin with no added sugar, spices, or other ingredients. Pumpkin pie filling, on the other hand, is pre-sweetened and spiced, and using it would throw off the flavor balance of this recipe. Always double-check the label to ensure you’re grabbing pure pumpkin puree.
• Ensure Even Butter Distribution: When drizzling the melted vegan butter over the dry cake mix and pecans, try to cover as much surface area as possible. This ensures that the cake mix has enough moisture to crisp up beautifully and create that desirable golden, buttery crust across the entire cake.
• Don’t Press the Topping: After sprinkling the cake mix and pecans, resist the urge to press it down into the pumpkin layer. Keep it light and loose. This allows the butter to seep in and the topping to achieve its signature crumbly, crunchy texture during baking.

Creative Variations to Explore

This vegan pumpkin dump cake recipe is wonderfully versatile! Feel free to experiment with these ideas to customize it to your liking:

• Chocolate Indulgence: For an extra layer of decadence, sprinkle a generous handful of vegan white or dark chocolate chips over the top of the cake before baking. The melting chocolate will create delightful pockets of sweetness.
• Nutty Alternatives: If pecans aren’t your preference, feel free to swap them out for walnuts, which offer a slightly more bitter, earthy note. For a nut-free option, use roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) for a similar crunchy texture and a different flavor profile.
• Double the Spice: Amp up the cozy fall flavor by using a vegan spice cake mix instead of a yellow cake mix. This will infuse the topping with even more warming spices, creating a truly aromatic experience.
• Seasonal Squash Swap: If you’re out of pumpkin or simply want to try something different, butternut squash puree can be used as a delicious alternative to pumpkin puree. The flavor is quite similar and equally comforting.
• Add a Streusel Topping: For even more crunch and richness, consider making a simple vegan streusel (flour, sugar, vegan butter, and a pinch of cinnamon) to sprinkle on top of the cake mix layer before baking.

Serving Suggestions to Elevate Your Dessert

This vegan pumpkin dump cake is absolutely divine on its own, but a few simple additions can take it to the next level of indulgence:

• Classic Toppings: A generous scoop of creamy vegan vanilla ice cream, a dollop of fluffy cashew whipped cream, or light and airy coconut whipped cream are all perfect complements. The cool, creamy topping contrasts beautifully with the warm, spiced cake.
• Caramel Drizzle: For a truly decadent treat, warm slices of pumpkin dump cake are heavenly with a luscious drizzle of homemade vegan caramel sauce. The sweet and slightly salty caramel pairs exquisitely with the pumpkin and spices.
• Simple Dusting: Sometimes, less is more. A simple dusting of powdered sugar, cinnamon, or nutmeg over the warm cake adds a beautiful finish and an extra hint of spice.
• Coffee or Tea Pairing: Enjoy your warm slice with a freshly brewed cup of coffee, a comforting herbal tea, or a festive pumpkin spice latte for the ultimate cozy experience.

How to Store and Freeze Your Pumpkin Dump Cake

Ensuring your delicious leftovers stay fresh is easy with these simple storage tips:

• Refrigeration: Leftover vegan pumpkin dump cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can either cover the baking pan tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or transfer individual slices to an airtight container. It’s delicious chilled straight from the fridge, allowed to come to room temperature, or gently reheated in the microwave for that fresh-baked warmth.
• Freezing for Later Enjoyment: To preserve your pumpkin dump cake for a longer period, it freezes wonderfully. Wrap the entire cake (if it’s cooled) tightly in several layers of plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil, or transfer individual portions to freezer-safe airtight containers. It will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, thaw the cake overnight in the refrigerator, then follow the reheating and serving instructions mentioned above.

More Cozy Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Love

If you’re as enamored with pumpkin as we are, explore these other delightful vegan pumpkin recipes:

• Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes
• Vegan Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
• Pumpkin Granola Recipe
• Vegan Pumpkin Cookies (Soft Batch)
• Pumpkin Mug Cake (Vegan)

Enjoy friends! If you make this incredibly easy and delicious vegan pumpkin dump cake, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much for being a part of our baking journey!

Pumpkin Dump Cake

Servings: 12 servings

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins

Full of cozy spices, super moist, and studded with toasted pecans, this easy vegan pumpkin dump cake can be whipped up in no time at all!

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons golden flaxseed flour (aka flax meal)
• ¼ cup almond milk (or any non-dairy milk)
• 1 can pumpkin puree, 30 ounces (850g)
• 1 tablespoon tapioca starch (or cornstarch)
• Cream solid part from 14 oz (396g) can coconut milk (softened) (you’ll get about ½ cup) *
• ¾ cup sugar (150g)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 15.25-ounce package yellow cake mix (430g)
• 1 cup pecans (125g)
• ¾ cup vegan butter, melted (170g)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180℃.
2. Prepare flax egg by combining golden flax flour with almond milk. Let sit for 5 minutes to thicken.
3. Mix pumpkin, coconut cream, ginger, cloves, sugar, flax egg, tapioca starch, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
4. Pour pumpkin mixture into a 9×13 pan.
5. Chop pecans roughly and toss with the cake mix in a bowl.
6. Sprinkle the cake and nuts mixture on top of the pumpkin layer.
7. Pour the melted butter evenly over the cake mix.
8. Bake for 1 hour and serve warm with vegan whipped cream.

Notes

*Refrigerate canned coconut milk overnight to separate cream from water.

To store: Refrigerate leftover pumpkin dump cake for up to 5 days, either wrapped in the pan or transferred to an airtight container. You can eat it chilled, let it come to room temperature, or heat it up in the microwave for a warm treat.

To freeze: Wrap the cake tightly or transfer it to an airtight container before freezing for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and follow the instructions above for reheating and serving.

Nutrition Information (Estimate)

Calories: 381kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Sodium: 365mg, Potassium: 250mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 31g, Vitamin A: 11575IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 115mg, Iron: 2mg

Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.

Cuisine: American

Course: Desserts

Author: Jessica Hylton