Sweet Potato Pie Dump Cake

If you love the rich, warm flavors of fall this is the recipe for you! This delicious dump cake has the flavors of a sweet potato pie and it’s so easy to make! 

What is Sweet Potato Pie? 

A sweet potato pie is similar to a pumpkin pie with many of the same warm spices. And, on the surface, sweet potatoes taste a bit like pumpkin. 

This pie is particularly popular in the south, where I live. You start with sweet potatoes that are cooked, mashed, and mixed with other delicious ingredients like brown sugar, eggs, milk, and spices to create a filling. 

Then the pie is baked up in much the same way you would bake a pumpkin pie. The two are so similar that folks can’t always tell the difference once the spices go in. 

I’ve found sweet potatoes to be a saving grace in the fall because I’m allergic to pumpkin. So, I often switch out these two so that I can actually eat some of the goodies! 

Can I Turn Sweet Potato Pie into a Dump Cake? 

This was the question on my mind as I stared at a gigantic can of sweet potatoes. I was looking for something to take to a friend who’s going through a rough patch and I thought a fall-themed dessert might be just the ticket. 

So, I took the can of potatoes, drained them, and added the same items I would add for a pumpkin pie. 

But in this case, I also added a surprise ingredient: a can of coconut pecan frosting. You might have noticed I’ve been cooking with canned frosting a lot. I used it in my German Chocolate Pound Cake and my Lemon Coconut Loaf with Pecans. I also use a can of coconut pecan frosting in my Easy Coconut Pecan Bars. 

I’ve found it to be absolutely delicious and I had a sneaking suspicion it would work well in this batter. 

What is a Dump Cake? 

These simple cakes are super popular here in the south. I recently had a delicious one at my daughter and son-in-law’s house (a peach dump cake he made on the grill). 

We love these cakes because they come together with no hassle. You just pour the dry mix over the fruit or filling and put butter on top. Then you pop it into the oven to bake. 

That’s what I set out to do with this sweet potato pie dump cake, too. Sweetness on bottom, powdered cake mix on top of that, then pats of butter to bring it all together.

I’m getting ahead of myself! Let’s talk about what you’ll need to make this delicious fall dessert! 

Sweet Potato Pie 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’ll need. These are simple ingredients you might already have on hand. 

• canned sweet potatoes, drained
• sweetened condensed milk
• coconut pecan frosting
• large room temperature eggs
• box of yellow cake mix, dry
• cinnamon
• pumpkin pie spice
• butter, sliced (salted or unsalted, your choice)

How to Make Sweet Potato Pie Dump Cake

This simple dessert came together so easily. (Sometimes my experiments really do work out!) Here’s how you’re going to do it:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Butter a 9×13-inch casserole dish and set aside. 

Slice 1 1/2 sticks of butter into pats and set aside.

Drain sweet potatoes.

Put them into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment. 

Add eggs.

Add sweetened condensed milk, spices, and coconut pecan frosting.

Start with the mixer on low speed until the ingredients come together into a sweet potato puree. 

Raise the speed to medium-high and mix until the potatoes break down. They don’t have to be smooth. In fact, a little texture is fine with the coconut and pecans in the frosting. 

Pour the sweet potato mixture into the prepared dish. 

Sprinkle the dry cake mix on top. 

Now place the pats of butter down. 

Pop into the preheated 350 degree oven.

Bake for 40 – 45 minutes or until golden brown. (Baking times may vary. Mine took the full 45 minutes.) 

Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool. 

Serve warm. Scoop into a bowl and serve with ice cream if you like! Whipped cream is another good choice. 

Store leftovers in refrigerator in airtight container. It should be good for 4 – 5 days. I don’t recommend freezing this dish. 

What to Expect from this Dessert

If you like cobbler or the warm sweet flavors of sweet potato casserole, you’re going to love the texture of this one. It’s warm, it’s crisp, and yet it’s got that luscious creamy bottom you find in a sweet potato pie. And that cake mix crust is absolutely over-the-top!

Best of all, this easy dessert recipe has the flavors you love during the autumn season—cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and ginger. It’s perfect for the holiday season. (And so simple, since it starts with a boxed cake mix.)

If you’re looking for the perfect cobbler with a luscious creamy filling to serve your guests this fall, this is the dish for you. And you’re going to be so happy with the simplicity of this one, y’all. 

Variations on this Recipe

Dump cake recipes are so simple and delicious but this one takes an ordinary dump cake and elevates it to a new level–from the rich filling to the cake layer to the buttery cake crust!

This is one of those new recipes that’s hot off the shelf! And trust me, it’s delicious! But you know me: I’m already thinking of ways to change this one up! Here are some fun ideas that come to mind: 

Spice cake mix: I think a spice cake would be perfect on top of this filling. The flavors would be a perfect complement. (If you don’t have a spice cake you can make your own by adding a few spices to the dry cake mix. 

Butter Pecan cake mix: I love butter pecan cake and since the bottom layer already has a pecan texture the two will pair perfectly! 

Snickerdoodle cake: Take a white cake and add cinnamon to make this a lovely snickerdoodle sweet potato dump cake! 

Pumpkin: You can easily swap out pumpkin puree with sweet potatoes to make a delicious pumpkin dump cake.

Bars: I don’t know if this would work but it might be fun to turn my Pecan Pie Cheesecake Bars into Sweet Potato cheesecake bars with a few quick changes. Visit that recipe to get your imagination stirred. 

Cream cheese frosting or glaze: This would be delicious with a traditional cream cheese frosting.

Drizzle of caramel sauce or maple syrup: This would add a delicious flavor to the top of the dump cake. Yum! (Better yet, serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!)

Other Fall Desserts from Out of the Box Baking

If you like the simplicity of a dump cake you’ll love these other easy and delicious fall desserts!

• Apple Spice Skillet Cake
• Butter Pecan Bundt Cake with Praline Topping
• Caramel Butterscotch Pound Cake
• Caramel Pecan Banana Bread
• Warm and Spicy Carrot Cake Cupcakes

That’s it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoyed this delicious dump cake recipe, perfect to satisfy your sweet tooth. You’ll never look at sweet potato recipes the same again!

If you make this recipe and love it, don’t forget to leave a review and a comment below. And while you’re at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!

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See this recipe at

Full Plate Thursday 

Weekend Potluck

The Lazy Gastronome

Busy Monday 

Learn more about doctored cake mixes, the theme of this blog. 

For the master list of all doctored cake mix recipes on this site, visit Doctored Cake Mix Recipes, Master List. 

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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.