For years, I’ve spied those simple sweet recipes with no mixing, frosting or fuss required. Just scoop, sprinkle and drizzle the ingredients in, bake, and viola! … an indulgent dessert. To make this concept accessible to most, I’ve slightly modified a standard recipe and included options below for making a dairy-free dump cake. And of course, I’ve got gluten-free and top allergen-free tips, too!

The original recipe and photo was shared with us by Lucky Leaf. We’ve modified it just slightly.

This easy dairy-free dump cake is perfect for backyard barbecues and potlucks, and just requires that you source the right yellow cake mix for your dietary needs. Here are several options to choose from (starting with wheat-based and graduating to gluten-free mixes):

Duncan Hines Classic Yellow Cake Mix – Yes, this easy to find dessert is not only dairy-free, it’s even kosher pareve, but it is made with hydrogenated oils and has one of those questionable ingredient lists (including artificial colors).

Madhava Organic Super Yummy Yellow Cake Mix – This delight borders on nutritious, as it’s made with ancient grains (farro, spelt, and kamut), has a short legible ingredient list, and is certified organic. But don’t worry, it’s still dessert.

Cherrybrook Kitchen Allergen-Free Yellow Cake Mix and Gluten-Free Yellow Cake Mix – Cherrybrook runs a peanut- and tree nut-free facility, and they make their mixes on dedicated dairy-free and egg-free lines. They offer both wheat-based and gluten-free options and use simple ingredients (no hydrogenated oils or other strange additives).

1-2-3 Gluten Free Yummy Yellow Cake Mix – This is another allergy-friendly OU pareve option that stays away from any “funny business” with their ingredients.

Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Yellow Cake Mix – It doesn’t get much simpler than this mainstream special diet option, which unlike their standard yellow cake mix, contains just 6 basic, dairy-free ingredients: rice flour, sugar, potato starch, leavener, xanthan gum, salt.

Special Diet Notes: Cherry Pineapple Dairy-Free Dump Cake

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, peanut-free, vegan / plant-based, and vegetarian.

For a soy-free, dairy-free dump cake, use a dairy-free, soy-free margarine (Earth Balance has a few).

For a nut-free, dairy-free dump cake, omit the macadamias. They’re a nice addition, but not essential.

For a gluten-free, dairy-free dump cake, see my notes and options above on cake mixes.

