Blueberry-Pineapple Dump Cake

A Little Story First

There are some desserts that I love because they’re beautiful and impressive, and then there are some that I love because they just make life easier. This dump cake is firmly in that second category — and honestly, it might sneak into the first one too, because when it comes out of the oven all golden and bubbly with those pecans toasted on top, it really does look gorgeous.

I’ve been making dump cakes for years, and this blueberry pineapple version is one of my favorites. The combination of the two fruits is just perfect — the pineapple juice soaks up into the cake mix and keeps everything moist, and the blueberries burst open while they bake and create these little pockets of berry flavor all throughout.

Now here’s a little tip I want to share with you. We had actually been gone from our house for about a week when I made this, and those blueberries had been sitting in our fridge that whole time. They were still good, but they were starting to get on their last legs — you know, where the texture isn’t quite what you’d want if you were eating them plain. But here’s the thing — they were absolutely perfect for baking. So if you’ve got blueberries in your fridge that are starting to look a little tired, don’t throw them out. This is the perfect way to use them up. They bake up beautifully and you’d never know they weren’t perfectly fresh.

I handed the first bite to Darren — who is always my honest taste tester — and he loved it. He really liked the combination of the fruit with the crispy, buttery topping and those pecans. And the funny thing is, if you didn’t know there was pineapple in this, you’d probably never guess it. The pineapple doesn’t come through as a strong individual flavor. It just kind of melds into everything and makes the whole cake taste amazing. You really get the blueberry, the crunch from the pecans and that golden topping, and it all just goes together so well.

This is one of those recipes that I think your family is going to love — and you’re going to love how easy it is to make.

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Blueberry Pineapple Dump Cake

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 45–50 minutes Servings: 12 Difficulty: Easy

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Ingredients

• 1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple, undrained
• 1–2 cups fresh blueberries (frozen or canned blueberry pie filling work too)
• 1 box yellow cake mix (standard size, about 15.25 oz)
• 1 heaping cup chopped pecans (optional)
• 1½ sticks butter, melted (about 12 tablespoons)

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Add the pineapple. Pour the entire can of crushed pineapple — juice and all — into the prepared pan. Don’t drain it. That juice is going to soak up into the cake mix as it bakes, and that’s what keeps everything moist and delicious. Spread it out evenly across the bottom of the pan.
3. Add the blueberries. Give your fresh blueberries a quick rinse and check for any stems. Scatter them right on top of the pineapple layer. You want enough blueberries so that you’ll get a little bit in every bite — anywhere from 1 to 2 cups depending on your preference. If you’re using frozen blueberries, you can add them straight from the freezer without thawing.
4. Sprinkle the cake mix. Open your box of yellow cake mix and sprinkle the dry mix evenly over the fruit layers. Use your hands to spread it out so it covers the fruit as evenly as possible. Don’t stir anything — just let it sit right on top.
5. Add the pecans. Scatter your chopped pecans evenly over the cake mix. If you like bigger pieces, leave them in larger chunks. If you prefer a finer crunch, chop them up a bit more. This is totally optional — the cake is delicious without them too — but they add a really nice crunch and flavor.
6. Drizzle with melted butter. Pour your melted butter slowly over the entire surface, going back and forth to cover as much of the cake mix as possible. This is the step that gives you that beautiful golden, crispy topping. You want almost all of the cake mix to be covered — it’s okay if a few little spots peek through, but do your best to get the butter everywhere.
7. Bake for 45–50 minutes until the top is golden brown and you can see it bubbling around the edges. Every oven is a little different, so start checking at 40 minutes. If you want yours a little darker on top, give it a few extra minutes.
8. Let it cool slightly before serving. It’s best when it’s still warm — scoop out a generous serving and top it with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. That combination of warm, bubbly cake with cold ice cream is just perfect.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen blueberries instead of fresh?

Absolutely. Frozen blueberries work just fine in this recipe. You don’t even need to thaw them first — just scatter them right on top of the pineapple layer straight from the freezer. They’ll thaw and burst open as the cake bakes. You can also use a can of blueberry pie filling if that’s what you have on hand.

Do I have to use pecans?

Nope. The pecans are completely optional. They add a really nice crunch and toasty flavor on top, but the dump cake is delicious without them. If you have a nut allergy in your family, just leave them off entirely.

Can I use a different flavor of cake mix?

A plain yellow cake mix is what works best here because it lets the fruit flavors come through. You could experiment with a white cake mix and it would be very similar. I wouldn’t recommend chocolate or anything strongly flavored — it would compete with the blueberry and pineapple.

Why don’t you drain the pineapple?

That juice is doing important work in this recipe. As the cake bakes, the juice soaks up into the dry cake mix from the bottom while the melted butter works from the top. Together they turn that dry cake mix into a moist, tender cake without you ever having to mix anything. If you drain the juice, you’ll end up with a dry, crumbly result.

Can I use butter pieces instead of melted butter?

Yes, you can. Some people prefer to cut cold butter into thin slices or small pieces and distribute them across the top instead of melting it first. Both methods work. I find that melting the butter and drizzling it gives you more even coverage and a more consistently golden, crispy topping — but either way will taste great.

How do I store leftover dump cake?

Cover the pan with foil or plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. You can reheat individual servings in the microwave for about 30 seconds to warm them back up. It’s also good cold straight from the fridge if you don’t mind a different texture.

Can I make this ahead of time?

You can assemble the layers in the pan, cover it tightly, and refrigerate it for a few hours before baking. Just add a few extra minutes to your bake time since it will be going into the oven cold. I wouldn’t assemble it more than a day ahead, though, because the juice from the pineapple will start to soak into the cake mix and it won’t bake up the same way.

What size pan should I use?

A standard 9×13 baking pan is perfect. You could also use a similar-sized casserole dish. I wouldn’t go smaller than that or the cake will be too thick and the middle won’t bake through properly.

Can I double the fruit for extra blueberry flavor?

You can add a bit more blueberry if you like — up to about 2 cups. I wouldn’t go much more than that because too much moisture underneath the cake mix can prevent the top from getting that nice golden crust. The beauty of this recipe is the balance between the fruit layers and the crispy, buttery cake layer on top.

Is this the same as a cobbler?

They’re similar in spirit — both are easy fruit desserts with minimal effort — but they’re a little different. A cobbler typically has a biscuit-like or batter topping, while a dump cake uses dry cake mix and melted butter to create more of a crispy, cake-like crust on top. If you love cobbler, you’ll love dump cake too.