Looking for the perfect fall comfort food? This simple, old-fashioned four-ingredient apple bake is a fall must-make! A warm, bubbling mix of cinnamon-spiced fruit is baked with a buttery, crispy crust for a decadent dessert. This vintage family favorite has been passed down through the generations, requiring almost no effort to prepare but yielding huge flavor.
I turn to this incredibly simple dessert recipe when I have to feed a crowd and don’t have time to bake a pie from scratch. There are only four ingredients and you only need one boxed cake mix for the ultimate shortcut. Prepping this old-fashioned dessert takes just about five minutes before tossing it in the oven.
The best thing about this old-fashioned bake is how the melted butter mixes with the dry cake mix to create a delicious cobbler topping. The contrast between the crunchy, buttery topping and the soft, warm apple layers is amazing. Pair it with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream for a really special treat.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
This old-fashioned recipe is the perfect weeknight dessert because you just toss all the ingredients into a baking pan and walk away. No peeling apples or making a pie crust, and no messy kitchen counter covered in flour. The mixture quickly cooks and binds with the melted butter, creating a rich and deliciously sweet dessert.
One of the reasons why I love to serve this old-fashioned fruit bake is because it fills your home with an amazing cinnamon-and-butter scent. You can easily whip this up at the last minute when guests stop by unexpectedly and it looks great coming out of the oven bubbling. It’s the perfect way to bring a little taste of the holidays into your home, with very little prep involved.
What You Need
To make this simple, vintage-inspired dessert, you only need a few ingredients: canned apple pie filling, a box of yellow cake mix, unsalted butter, and chopped pecans.
Apple Pie Filling
Using two cans of apple pie filling gives you the perfect spiced, sweet fruit flavor in seconds. The cans come pre-sweetened and seasoned with cinnamon, meaning you won’t need to buy spices or measure out additional sugar. You could also use a different flavor of pie filling if you like, such as cherry or peach, which would be amazing in this recipe.
Yellow Cake Mix
One small box of dry yellow cake mix provides the magic crumble topping. This cake mix is all you need to create a buttery crumble crust! Just sprinkle the cake mix evenly from the box onto the apples. No additional mixing is needed. The butter will bake the crust into golden, crispy goodness. Want more of that warm, cozy, fall flavor? Then use a box of spice cake mix instead. It pairs wonderfully with the apples.
Unsalted Butter
A few thinly sliced pieces of cold unsalted butter are the secret ingredient. The butter melds together the dry cake mix and provides that classic, golden crust. Sliced pieces of butter should be spread evenly throughout the topping so there aren’t any dry spots of cake mix after baking. If you only have salted butter, you can use that as well. The hint of salt complements the sweet fruit nicely.
Chopped Pecans
Chopped pecans add an amazing earthy crunch that enhances the sweetness of the fruit and softness of the cake. Toasting pecans in the hot oven gives your house the most delicious smell and gives the nuts their rich flavor. If you don’t have pecans or you’re baking for someone who is allergic to nuts, substitute crushed graham crackers or rolled oats for a similar texture.
How to Make Old-Fashioned 4-Ingredient Apple Bake
Get out your favorite glass baking dish. Now we’re ready to make this very easy dessert.
Prepare the Dish
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pour both cans of apple pie filling into the bottom of the prepared pan and spread evenly.
Add the Mix
Open the cake mix and sprinkle the contents evenly over the apples. Use your hands to spread the mix over the apples but do NOT stir it in.
Layer the Butter
Slice cold unsalted butter into thin squares. Distribute the butter slices evenly over the cake mix. This step is essential. The butter needs to cover as much of the dry cake mix as possible so that it bakes up into a crispy crust instead of leaving dry, powdery spots.
Add the Pecans
Spread the chopped pecans evenly over the butter. As the butter melts in the oven, the pecans will sink in and become toasted and delicious.
Bake and Serve
Bake the dessert for 45-50 minutes uncovered until the crust is deep golden brown and the fruit is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
My Top Recipe Tips
For the best crust possible, ensure the butter slices are as evenly distributed over the cake mix as possible. If you have large patches of dry cake mix where the butter wasn’t present, those patches will still be powdery even after baking for an hour.
If the pecans look like they’re getting a little too dark before the dessert is completely done, just cover the top with a piece of foil. It’ll help keep the pecans from burning while letting the apples continue cooking down.
For an even more homemade flavor, add another teaspoon of ground cinnamon or nutmeg over the canned apple filling before placing the cake mix on top. The canned filling gets such a nice, rich taste that way.
Old-Fashioned 4-Ingredient Apple Bake
Equipment
- 9×13 inch glass baking dish
- Can opener
- Sharp knife
Ingredients
- 2 can apple pie filling 21 ounce cans
- 1 box yellow cake mix 15.25 ounce box, dry powder only
- ¾ cup unsalted butter cold and thinly sliced
- ½ cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly coat a 9×13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.
- Spread both cans of apple pie filling over the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle the dry yellow cake mix over the apple pie filling and do not stir.
- Slice the butter into thin slices and lay it over the cake mix. Make sure to cover as much surface as possible.
- Sprinkle the pecans evenly over the top.
- Bake uncovered for 45-50 minutes, or until the topping is a deep golden brown and the filling bubbles up around the edges.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before serving warm.
Nutrition
Storage and Reheating
- Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: You can freeze the baked and cooled dessert tightly wrapped in foil for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Microwave individual servings for 60 seconds, or bake at 350°F until the crust becomes crisp again.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve piping hot with a big scoop of slow-melting vanilla ice cream.
- Serve with a drizzle of warm salted caramel sauce.
- Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and ground cinnamon on top.
- Serve alongside a hot cup of coffee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fresh apples instead of canned?
Yes! Use 2 peeled and sliced Granny Smith apples, but you’ll want to toss them with ½ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon to get them to release some liquid first.
Why is my topping powdery?
Powdery topping means that not enough butter was used to coat the cake mix. If you notice dry spots appearing halfway through the baking process, just add a thin slice of butter over the dry areas.
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