Apple Snickerdoodle Dump Cake

Is it a gooey cobbler, a pie, or a dump cake? Call it what you like, friends, but this Apple Snickerdoodle dessert is easy to make, loaded with cinnamon-apple flavor, and perfect for your next gathering. 

Snickerdoodles and Apple Pie? Is that a Thing? 

I’ll be honest with you. . .I didn’t set out to combine these two tasty treats into one simple dessert. 

I happened to have a can of apple pie filling that needed using. And I wanted to make something I’d never made before. 

I also happened to have a bunch of this delicious Vietnamese cinnamon on hand. If you haven’t tried it yet, you really should. It’s simply delicious! 

So, I did a bit of browsing on the web and came across some snickerdoodle muffins with apple pie filling. 

That sounded good, but it seemed a bit troublesome. I wanted something easier. 

That’s when the idea hit: Just turn your snickerdoodle recipe into a luscious dessert, adding the apple pie filling. 

My Snickerdoodle Recipe

If you’ve been following me for any length of time you know I love my Snickerdoodles. Along with my Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies, they’re my go-to for family gatherings and other events. 

This time, I knew I would have to switch things up a little. My recipe calls for shortening (to give the cookies a light, fluffy texture). I happened to be out of shortening today. 

But you know me. . .I’ve always got butter on hand! So, I grabbed a couple of sticks and whipped up a batch of buttery snickerdoodles for the bottom layer! 

I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s pause and look at the ingredients you’ll need to make this delicious Apple Pie dessert. 

Apple Snickerdoodle Dump Cake Ingredients

You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a quick peek at what you’re going to need to make this delicious dessert. These are simple ingredients you probably have in your pantry or fridge right now. 

• room temperature butter (salted or unsalted, your choice)
• granulated sugar
• large eggs
• all purpose flour
• cream of tartar
• baking soda
• vanilla extract
• cinnamon sugar mixture
• apple pie filling
• caramel syrup

Note: This recipe does not call for dry cake mix, as most dump cakes do. But it’s almost as simple!

How to Make Apple Snickerdoodle Dump Cake

Place room temperature butter in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment. 

Beat until light and fluffy. 

Add sugar and 2 tablespoons of the cinnamon sugar mixture and continue to beat. 

Work in the eggs, whipping until fully incorporated. 

It’s time to add the other dry ingredients. Work in the flour, cream of tartar, and baking soda. 

Prepare a 9×13-inch pan by spraying with non-stick spray. (You can use a rectangular or square pan, but I don’t recommend a round pan.)

Spoon half of the cookie dough onto the parchment paper and press down until smooth. 

Add the can of apple pie filling, spreading to cover the cookie dough. 

Sprinkle with a couple tablespoons of remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture. 

Now place “blobs” of cookie dough on top of apples.

Sprinkle remaining cinnamon sugar on top. 

Place in preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. 

Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool until you can touch the pan without burning yourself.

Serve warm with caramel drizzle on top.  

To store, place in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator up to three days. 

What to Expect from this Delicious Recipe

Sometimes I make up recipes and don’t really have a clue what to expect. Such was the case with this one! 

I wasn’t sure if these would be bar-like or more like dump cake. 

(Can you guess?) 

This was like a delicious cinnamon-apple dump cake, y’all! And I think it would be perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. 

The warmth of the apples, the soft cinnamons-cookie bottom, the luscious caramel top. . .this was absolute perfection! (It’s pretty much a caramel apple dump cake!) Talk about a great recipe!

This reminds me so much of the dump cake that my son-in-law loves to make using a boxed mix. But the addition of the homemade cookie crust gives it an extra-special flavor that you only get with a from-scratch recipe. 

Trust me when I say this is one of those delicious dump cake recipes you’re going to use again and again.

Variations on this Recipe

Looking for something a little different? Here are some ideas: 

If you prefer, you can use a snickerdoodle cookie mix in place of some of the cookie ingredients you find here. That’s a simple, easy way to go “out of the box.”

Fresh apples: You can easily use fresh apples in this recipe in place of pie filling. Just cook them down a bit and add some sugar to the syrup that forms.

Brown sugar: Looking for a richer depth of flavor? Add brown sugar in place of white.

Peach pie filling: Swap out peaches for the apples and leave the rest of the recipe the same. Delicious! 

Blueberry pie filling. Skip the cinnamon in this recipe and add a bit of lemon zest instead, along with a can of blueberry pie filling. Use a lemon glaze on top. 

Cherry pie filling. You can skip the cinnamon on this one, too. Oh, and one more thing: Instead of topping with caramel, add a simple glaze made of powdered sugar and heavy cream or milk. 

Lemon pie filling: (Doesn’t this sound delicious?) Skip the cinnamon and make a lemon version of this dessert. You can sprinkle a few berries on top of the pie filling before adding blobs of cookie dough, if you like. Raspberries would be lovely, but blueberries would work, too. 

Lemon juice: You can use a dash of lemon juice in the apples, if you like the fresh flavor it will provide.

Cool Whip: You can add a dollop of Cool Whip on top of your slice! Delicious.

This is one of those easy dump cake recipes you can adjust again and again!

Other Apple Desserts from Out of the Box Baking

If you love apple-flavored desserts, we’ve got you covered. Here are a few fan favorites! 

Easy Apple Pie with Homemade Crust: If you love the warm rich flavors of apple and cinnamon and the lovely crisp crunch of a flaky crust, this is the recipe for you! Thanks to the addition of canned apple pie filling this Easy Apple Pie comes together so easily. . .but it tastes like it took hours!

Apple Pie Cobbler with Crescent Rolls: Every now and again you stumble across a recipe that changes everything. This apple pie cobbler is one of those. It’s luscious, gooey, chewy, and perfect for fall! But it’s so easy to make you won’t want to wait until then to make it!

Luscious Apple Banana Bread: If you’re in the mood for a really warm, rich bread, packed full of sweetness and fruity flavor, have you come to the right place! This amazing apple banana bread is truly the perfect treat! 

Apple Pie Coffee Cake: If you love apple pie but you’re in the mood for a delicious coffee cake, one you would be happy to serve at a breakfast gathering or brunch, have I got a great new recipe for you! This “from scratch” cake is light and luscious and covered in a crisp streusel.

That’s it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe. 

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See this recipe at

Full Plate Thursday 

Weekend Potluck

Busy Monday

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About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 150 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.