Banana Dump Cake 🍌🍰⭐️ is a ridiculously EASY dessert that feels almost too good to be true! Literally dump everything together in the cake pan, bake it, and the result is a cake that’s pudding-like on the bottom and the top is a mix of gooey, buttery morsels and crispy cobbler bits! It’s so GOOD! Salted caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream takes it next level!
Easy Banana Dump Cake Recipe
- Five overripe bananas put to use. Have you ever wondered, ‘What I am going to do with all these over-ripe bananas?‘ I know I have! That’s how I created Six Banana Banana Bread and Six Banana Chocolate Chip Cake which have been a reader favorites for over a decade. This recipe uses five ripe bananas and the riper, the better. More sweetness, more banana flavor, and they mash effortlessly right into the bottom of the dish.
- The texture contrast is everything. The bottom bakes up pudding-soft while the top turns into a mix of gooey, buttery spots and crispy cobbler bits. I love desserts where there are a variety of textures in every bite and this one delivers. It reminds of a warm, comforting kind of dessert from a restaurant dessert menu that you savor after a lovely meal.
- 10 minutes of effort. One pan, 1 hour start to finish. Ten minutes of prep work and the oven handles everything else. No mixing bowls because all the ingredients are dumped into the pan. No electric mixer, and no excessive dishes to wash. I have a Chocolate Dump Cake that’s similar in how easy it is.
- Customize it as you like. I use yellow cake mix but you can use another flavor of cake mix or add different spices. My favorite is serving it warm with a drizzle of salted caramel sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream makes makes it taste like something from a restaurant dessert menu.
Simple Ingredients in Banana Dump Cake
- Very ripe bananas: The more overripe, the better. Deep yellow with lots of brown spots means maximum sweetness and banana flavor in every bite.
- Milk: Whole milk is what I use but you could perhaps use 2%. You may sub with evaporated milk or for a dairy-free option, use almond, soy, or oat milk. For a cake that’s rich and has lovely coconut flavor, use lite canned coconut milk. Full-fat coconut milk would be almost too thick here.
- Cake mix: One standard-sized box yellow cake mix is what you need. Sizes will vary by an ounce or two from brand to brand, i.e Duncan Hines, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, etc. and that’s fine. I used Pillsbury Supreme Yellow Cake Mix. Sprinkle it evenly over the entire surface and you will have no dry spots or clumps.
- Spice cake, white cake, or butter pecan cake mix are excellent substitutes. For a chocolate-banana version, use a chocolate cake mix. A gluten-free yellow cake mix can also be used.
- Brown sugar and cinnamon: Mixed together and scattered over the top for a warm, caramely finish. I use dark brown sugar for extra depth of flavor since it contains more molasses than light brown sugar; but light brown sugar works well. Feel free to swap the cinnamon for an equal amount of pumpkin pie spice, or use a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
- Cold unsalted butter: Sliced into pats and arranged evenly over the cake mix. Cold butter is key for getting the right gooey-crispy texture on top.
- Walnuts or pecans, optional: Great for a little crunch but if you can omit them entirely if you prefer nut-free. Mini chocolate chips are a fun touch too.
- Serving: Caramel sauce or salted caramel sauce (Trader Joe’s is great if you want a store bought alternative) and vanilla ice cream take this dessert into restaurant-worthy territory. Yum, it’s such a delicious dessert! Fresh blueberries or other berries are also a nice touch.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Banana Dump Cake with Cake Mix
- Preheat the oven and prep spray a 9×13-inch pan or baking dish with cooking spray.
- With half of them, mash bananas right in the baking pan, top with the remaining amount of sliced bananas, and pour the milk over the top.
- Scatter the nuts if using and then evenly sprinkle the dry cake mix.
- Slice the butter into pats, scatter over the top of the cake mix, and evenly sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar over the top.
- Bake until deep golden and bubbling about 45 minutes, cool for 30 minutes, and serve as desired. Cooling Tip – This cake is very moist! Letting it rest for at least 30 minutes after baking before the first bite will allow the sauce to thicken and the cake to set so that it is not soupy.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for step-by-step photos and process shots of the cooking process.
Banana Dump Cake
🍌🍰⭐️ A ridiculously EASY dessert that feels almost too good to be true! Literally dump everything together in the cake pan, bake it, and the result is a cake that's pudding-like on the bottom and the top is a mix of gooey, buttery morsels and crispy cobbler bits! It's so GOOD! Salted caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream makes it taste like it's from a fancy restaurant dessert menu!
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake
- 5 large bananas; divided, very ripe (the browner and spottier, the better because overripe bananas are much sweeter, which is perfect)
- 1 cup whole milk , (whole milk or evaporated milk recommended; other nondairy milk such as almond, soy, or oat may be used; or lite coconut milk may be substituted)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans , (omit if you don't eat nuts)
- 15.25 ounce box yellow cake mix, or similar sized box , (Pillsbury Supreme Yellow Cake Mix is what I use; Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker, or another trusted yellow cake mix is fine; see Notes below about other cake mix substitutions)
- ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed , (dark brown creates a richer more robust flavor in the sauce but light brown sugar is fine)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste , (an equal amount of pumpkin pie spice may be used; or use a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice to taste)
- ¾ cup cold unsalted butter, sliced into approximately 24 pats, (1 1/2 sticks)
For Serving, optional
- caramel sauce or salted caramel sauce , (homemade or store bought)
- vanilla ice cream
- whipped cream or whipped topping , (such as Cool Whip or ReddiWhip)
Instructions
- Cake: Preheat oven to 350F and spray a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray or grease the pan.
- Add about 2 1/2 bananas into the pan and using a fork or potato masher, mash them and then distribute or spread them evenly.
- Slice the remaining 2 1/2 bananas into thin bite-sized pieces and scatter them evenly over the mashed bananas.
- Evenly pour milk over the banana layers (trust me here).
- If you're using nuts, evenly sprinkle them over the pan.
- Evenly sprinkle the dry cake mix over everything. Sprinkling Tip – Make sure it's as evenly sprinkled as possible over the surface of the pan because bigger blobs of cake mix in one area may create a dry or crumbly (undissolved) texture in the baked and finished cake.
- Evenly place and distribute the sliced pats of butter over the surface.
- To a small bowl, add the brown sugar, cinnamon, stir to combine. Spice Swap, optional – Feel free to swap the cinnamon for an equal amount of pumpkin pie spice; or use a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice).
- Evenly sprinkle the mixture over the pan.Tip – Do not sir or mix the ingredients together. The layers will meld and combine perfectly in the oven as the cake bakes.
- Bake the cake for 45-55 minutes, or until done. The cake is ready when the top is a deep golden brown and the liquid is bubbling thickly at the edges. Rotate pan once midway through baking for best results.Baking Tips – Because all ovens run differently, the exact number of ounces of cake mix in a box may vary from brand to brand, all pans and climates are different, baking times will vary. Keep an eye on it, check early, and know that the cake will also firm up as it cools.
- Allow the cake to cool in a pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Cooling Tips – Because this cake is very moist, letting it rest for at least 30 minutes after baking will allow the sauce to thicken and the cake to set so that it is not soupy.
- Serving: Scoop the warm dump cake into bowls and optionally and as desired, drizzle generously with (salted) caramel sauce, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream or whipped topping as desired.
Notes
*Cake Mix Substitutions: Spice cake, white cake, or butter pecan cake mix are excellent substitutes. For a chocolate-banana version, use a chocolate cake mix. A gluten-free yellow cake mix can also be used.
No Cake Mix? This recipe is intended to be made with cake mix. If you live in an area where you cannot buy cake mix or you don’t want to use a boxed mix, this isn’t the dessert for you since it’s written with cake mix in mind. I suggest making any one of the banana cakes or banana breads in the recipes below the recipe card since they’re all 100% from-scratch.
Storage: Cake will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. If desired, zap it in the microwave for 10-20 seconds, or as needed, before enjoying a portion of leftover cake.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 357cal, Carbohydrates: 52g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 33mg, Sodium: 364mg, Potassium: 261mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 32g, Vitamin A: 420IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 121mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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