This crock pot apple crisp is a four-ingredient dump dessert — apple pie filling, caramel sauce, yellow cake mix, and butter — and the slow cooker does everything. No oven needed. The cake mix bakes into a buttery, golden topping over cinnamon apples, and a simple paper towel trick keeps it crispy. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and it’s done.
What Is Crock Pot Apple Crisp?
Apple crisp is a baked dessert made of spiced, soft apples topped with a buttery, crumbly mixture. The traditional version uses oats and flour for the topping. This slow cooker version skips the oats and uses yellow cake mix instead, which creates a richer, more dessert-like topping that bakes up golden and slightly crispy even inside a slow cooker.
It’s a dump dessert — everything goes directly into the crock pot in layers with no mixing, no prep work, and no oven. The caramel sauce adds a caramel-apple flavor that makes this taste more indulgent than the ingredient list suggests. With vanilla ice cream on top, it’s a complete dessert that you can walk away from while it cooks.
Why This Recipe Works
The dump cake method is one of the most reliable slow cooker dessert techniques. Dry cake mix absorbs the moisture from the fruit filling and the melted butter, then bakes into a crumbly, golden layer. The fat from the butter and the leavening in the cake mix combine to create a topping that’s surprisingly close to a real baked crisp — without any mixing or baking skill required.
- Canned apple pie filling — already spiced and thickened; no peeling, slicing, or seasoning needed
- Caramel sauce over the apples — adds caramel-apple depth that pushes this past a standard crisp
- Yellow cake mix (dry, from box) — goes on top uncooked; absorbs the moisture and bakes into a buttery crumble
- Melted butter drizzled over everything — hydrates the cake mix evenly so it bakes rather than staying powdery
- Paper towels under the lid — the single most important tip; absorbs condensation so it doesn’t drip onto the topping and make it soggy
Ingredient Breakdown
Apple Pie Filling (2 cans, 21 oz each)
Pre-spiced, pre-thickened apple filling in a can. It goes straight into the crock pot — no prep. Two cans fills the bottom of a standard 4- to 6-quart crock pot. Look for a brand that uses whole apple slices rather than chunks for the best texture. Duncan Hines and Comstock are both reliable.
Caramel Sauce (1/4 to 1/2 cup)
Drizzled over the apple filling before the cake mix goes on. You can really taste the caramel in the finished dessert — it comes through clearly. If you want a less sweet dessert, use half the amount or leave it out entirely. The apple crisp still works fine without it. Smucker’s caramel ice cream topping works perfectly here.
Yellow Cake Mix (1 box, 15.25 oz, dry)
The topping — used dry, straight from the box. The cake mix creates a buttery, crumbly, baked topping that’s different from a traditional oat crisp but genuinely delicious. Yellow cake mix is the most neutral and works best here. You don’t need oats — the cake mix handles everything the topping needs to do.
Butter (1/2 cup / 1 stick, melted)
Drizzled over the dry cake mix. It hydrates the mix evenly so it bakes into a cohesive crumble instead of staying dry and powdery. Make sure to drizzle it over the whole surface — dry spots won’t bake properly. Salted or unsalted both work.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Spray the inside of a 4- to 6-quart crock pot with cooking spray.
- Pour both cans of apple pie filling into the bottom of the crock pot and spread into an even layer.
- Drizzle caramel sauce over the apple filling.
- Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the top. Don’t stir — leave it in a layer.
- Drizzle melted butter evenly over the cake mix, covering as much surface as possible.
- Lay 1 to 2 paper towels across the top of the crock pot, then place the lid on top. The paper towels absorb condensation and keep the topping from getting soggy.
- Cook on low for 3–4 hours or high for 1.5–2 hours, until the topping is set and the edges are golden.
- Optional but recommended: transfer the crock pot insert to the oven and broil on low for 1–2 minutes to get the top extra crispy and golden. Watch it closely.
- Serve warm directly from the crock pot, topped with vanilla ice cream or Cool Whip.
Serving Suggestions
- Vanilla ice cream — the classic; warm crisp + cold ice cream is the combination
- Cool Whip or whipped cream — lighter than ice cream, equally good
- Extra caramel drizzle on top — lean into the caramel apple flavor
- Cinnamon ice cream — if you can find it, it pairs perfectly
- Plain — honestly good on its own, especially warm from the crock pot
This dessert works great for holiday gatherings, fall dinners, potlucks, or any time you want a crowd-pleasing dessert that doesn’t require oven space. Keep it warm in the crock pot on the low setting while people serve themselves.
Storage and Reheating
Let it cool, then put the lid back on the crock pot ceramic insert and refrigerate the whole thing. It keeps for 3–4 days. When you’re ready for more, scoop into a bowl and microwave for 45–60 seconds, then add fresh ice cream. The topping softens after refrigerating but the flavor is still great.
Don’t freeze this one — the apple filling and cake mix topping don’t reheat well from frozen.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Four ingredients, zero technique required
- No oven — great in summer when you don’t want to heat up the kitchen
- Dump and walk away — ready in 2 hours on high
- Serves a crowd directly from the crock pot
- Caramel apple flavor that tastes way more impressive than the effort
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I keep the topping crispy?
The paper towel trick is essential. Place 1 to 2 layers of paper towels between the crock pot and the lid before cooking. The paper towels absorb the condensation that would otherwise drip back down onto the topping and make it soggy. After cooking, a 1–2 minute broil in the oven gets the top extra golden and crispy.
Does this have oats?
No. The topping is made with dry yellow cake mix, not oats and flour. You could add a half cup of quick oats under the cake mix if you want more of a traditional crisp texture, but honestly the cake mix version is so good that oats aren’t needed.
Can I use fresh apples instead of canned filling?
Yes. Peel and slice 6–8 medium apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp work well), toss with 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and use that as the base instead of canned filling. Fresh apples release more liquid, which the paper towel trick handles well. Cook time may need an extra 30–60 minutes on high.
Can I leave out the caramel sauce?
Yes. It’s still great without it — you get classic apple crisp flavor rather than caramel apple. Use half the amount if you want just a hint of caramel without the full sweetness.
Can I use a different cake mix flavor?
Yes. Spice cake mix is excellent — it adds cinnamon and warm spice that pairs naturally with apples. Butter pecan cake mix also works well and adds a nutty richness to the topping.
Is this the same as a dump cake?
It’s the same technique — dump ingredients in layers, cook, done. The result is a cross between a dump cake and an apple crisp. The topping is crumblier and less cake-like than a traditional apple dump cake, but it uses the same method.
Variations and Substitutions
- Spice cake mix — swap yellow cake mix for spice cake mix for a deeper, warmer flavor
- Butter pecan cake mix — adds a nutty richness that works well with caramel and apples
- Add pecans or walnuts — scatter 1/2 cup chopped nuts over the cake mix before the butter for crunch
- Pear instead of apple — canned pear pie filling or fresh sliced pears work in the same recipe
- Apple-cherry — use one can apple pie filling and one can cherry pie filling for a mixed fruit version
Leftover Ideas
- Breakfast topping — spoon cold leftovers over oatmeal or yogurt in the morning
- Apple crisp parfait — layer with Greek yogurt and granola in a glass
- Ice cream topping — reheat and spoon over vanilla ice cream as a sundae topping
- Pancake topping — warm it up and serve over pancakes or waffles
Two Small Upgrades Worth Trying
Neither is required, but both make this recipe noticeably better:
Duncan Hines Spice Cake Mix — Swap the yellow cake mix for spice cake mix and the topping gets a warm cinnamon-clove flavor that pairs perfectly with the apple filling and caramel. Same process, same technique — just a different box. Most people who try it this way never go back to yellow. Find it on Amazon here.
Reynolds Kitchens Slow Cooker Liners — Apple crisp with caramel sauce leaves a sticky residue in the ceramic insert. A liner means cleanup is done in 30 seconds — pull, toss, done. Worth having for any crock pot dessert recipe. Find them on Amazon here.
Lighter Version
To cut calories:
- Use no-sugar-added apple pie filling
- Halve or skip the caramel sauce
- Reduce butter to 1/4 cup (the topping won’t brown as evenly, but it still works)
- Serve with light Cool Whip instead of ice cream
Nutrition Information
Estimated per serving (1 of 8, not including ice cream): approximately 350–400 calories, 14g fat, 58g carbohydrates, 2g protein. The apple pie filling and cake mix are the primary calorie contributors. Adjusting the caramel and butter amounts is the easiest way to reduce the count.
A Note From Kate
I call myself a lazy cook and I mean it. The fewer ingredients, the better — but not at the expense of flavor. This apple crisp hits both marks. It goes together in five minutes, cooks on its own, and comes out tasting like something you put real effort into. I live in Iowa, so there are plenty of months where turning on the oven is a good call. But in the summer, the crock pot is my dessert method of choice and this one is at the top of the rotation.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve never made a dump dessert in a crock pot before, this is the one to start with. Four ingredients, one pot, and a warm, golden apple crisp ready whenever you need it. Don’t skip the paper towels under the lid — that one tip is the difference between crispy and soggy. And definitely broil the top for a minute if you want that extra-golden crust.
Related Recipes
- Crockpot Lava Cake — another easy crock pot dessert with a wow factor
- Easy 3-Ingredient Strawberry Dip — quick dessert dip for fruit
- Funeral Potatoes — if you’re making a full slow cooker spread, this is a crowd-pleaser side
- Crockpot Ravioli Casserole — another hands-off crock pot dinner to pair with this dessert
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cans (21 oz each) apple pie filling
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping (such as Smucker’s)
- 1 box (15.25 oz) yellow cake mix (dry, from the box)
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
- Vanilla ice cream or Cool Whip for serving
Instructions
- Spray the inside of a 4- to 6-quart crock pot with cooking spray.
- Pour both cans of apple pie filling into the bottom. Spread evenly.
- Drizzle caramel sauce over the apple filling.
- Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over the top. Do not stir.
- Drizzle melted butter evenly over the cake mix, covering as much of the surface as possible.
- Lay 1 to 2 paper towels across the top of the crock pot. Place the lid on top of the paper towels. This absorbs condensation and keeps the topping from getting soggy.
- Cook on high for 1.5 to 2 hours or low for 3 to 4 hours, until the topping is set and the edges are golden.
- Optional: broil the top on low for 1 to 2 minutes for extra crispiness. Watch closely.
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or Cool Whip.