Have you tried making cherry cobbler using cake mix yet? It has to be one of the easiest, most family friendly, and most delicious desserts ever. It’s sweet, juicy, and has an incredible cobbler topping with minimal effort.

Cherry Cobbler With Cake Mix

This easy cherry cobbler recipe with canned cherries and cake mix has to be the ultimate shortcut dessert! It tastes homemade, but it honestly couldn’t be any easier to make.

It only takes 4 ingredients and about 10 minutes of prep time to create a fruit dessert that truly tastes like it’s made from scratch. It’s juicy, sweet, and has the most incredible crisp, fluffy, and buttery topping. 

Since it takes practically no time to assemble, it will be on your table in under an hour. I love topping it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream while it’s still warm for the ultimate experience. Everyone in my family loves this dish, and always asks for seconds.

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Ingredients

Cherry Pie Filling: Canned cherry pie filling is the base of this dump cake cobbler. It makes this recipe super quick and easy, since it already has thickener added. Feel free to swap this for your favorite canned pie filling. Apple pie filling, blueberry pie filling, or peach pie filling should all work here.

Vanilla Extract: Vanilla adds a depth of flavor to the filing. I recommend using pure vanilla extract for the best flavor, but since this is a baked dessert, you should be able to use imitation vanilla and still have great results

Cake Mix: Yellow cake mix is the way to go for this easy dump and bake cobbler recipe. It has a denser texture with a more custard-like flavor than a white cake mix does, which is perfect for a comfort food dessert like cobbler.

Unsalted Butter: Melted butter adds richness to the topping and gives it that crumbly texture by binding the cake mix together.

Optional Toppings: You could try sprinkling some sliced almonds or some chopped pecans over the cake mix before you bake this. It makes it even more beautiful and adds a yummy crunch.

How To Make Cherry Cobbler with Cake Mix

Prep: Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven. (See the recipe card below for the full printable instructions.)

Add the Filling: Add the cherry pie filling and vanilla extract to a deep baking dish. Stir to combine and spread into an even layer.

Make the Topping: In a bowl, mix the yellow cake mix with melted butter until the butter is evenly distributed and no dry patches remain. Use your fingers to crumble the mixture evenly over the cherry filling.

Bake: Place in the oven and bake until the top is golden brown and the cherry filling is bubbling around the edges.

Cool and Serve: Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. See the recipe card below for the full written instructions, including ingredient amounts, cooking times, and helpful tips, etc.

Pro Tips

• Use a Deep Baking Dish: Make sure you’re using a deep 8×8 pan, otherwise you run the risk of the cherry filling bubbling up and over while it cooks. If you don’t have one, I’d recommend using a 13×9 pan, even though I prefer the filling to topping ratio of the servings made in a deep 8×8 pan.
• Mix the Butter with the Cake Mix: Mix the melted butter and the cake mix together. This allows all the dry cake mix to get moist and avoids dry patches in the cobbler. I found this method has better results than just drizzling the melted butter over the top.
• Don’t Mix the Ingredients: Once you spread the topping over the pie filling, don’t mix it together. Mixing it together will get the cake mix too moist, make the topping mushy, and prevent it from getting crispy and golden.
• Let it Rest: Giving the cobbler a little time to rest before you serve it lets it thicken up as it cools.

What’s The Difference Between Cherry Cobbler And Cherry Dump Cake?

A cherry cobbler and a cherry dump cake are both a layered fruity dessert with a buttery topping. Cherry cobbler is typically made with a classic biscuit dough or a batter topping. Dump cake is normally made with premade pie filling and a cake mix topping. It’s easy and delicious, but drizzling melted butter over a dry cake mix can leave the topping kind of powdery. The beauty of the method in this recipe is that it only requires the effort of a dump cake, but you get the results of a cobbler. Truly the best of both worlds!

How Do I Know When Cobbler Is Done?

The best way to tell that your cobbler is done is by checking the visual cues. The topping should be golden and crispy, not powdery or pale. The filling should also be visibly bubbling at the edges of the pan.

Crockpot Instructions

You can easily make this cherry cobbler dump cake recipe in the crockpot. Pour the cherry pie filling into the bottom of a slow cooker. Make the cake mix topping as instructed in the recipe card, then spread it across the filling evenly. Cover with the fitted lid and cook for 2-2.5 hours on HIGH.

What To Serve With Cherry Cobbler

This dessert is delicious on its own, but if you want to bring it to the next level you can try serving it with vanilla ice, homemade whipped cream, or a dusting of powdered sugar. 

Keep In Touch

I’d love to hear what you thought of this recipe in the comments or on Instagram! @KeyToMyLime #KeyToMyLime

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Dessert Recipes

If you like this recipe, be sure to check out all of our other dessert recipes. Some reader favorites are:

• Yellow Cake Mix Cookies
• Bisquick Apple Cobbler
• Peach Cobbler with Cake Mix
• Bisquick Peach Cobbler
• Lemon Icebox Cake
• Whipping Cream Pound Cake

The next time you’re looking for a super easy dessert to make, you’ve got to make this dessert recipe. It’s a cherry cobbler made with cherry pie filling and yellow cake mix, and it’s so yummy!