Super Easy Fall Apple Treats

Michigan is blessed with an abundance of fresh apples this time of year. With many families making their annual pilgrimage to apple orchards, sometimes you just need simple ways to enjoy the bounty. Here are two super simple ways to enjoy the taste of the season!

Apple Dump Cake

Nothing could be easier than dump cake for a warm treat. In fact, you won’t even need fresh apples for this recipe, though they can also be used.

You’ll need:

  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
  • 2 cans apple pie filling (20-21 oz.)

Spread both cans of apple pie filling in the bottom of a 9″x13” pan. (You can also stir chopped, fresh apples in with the filling.) Sprinkle yellow cake mix on top, making sure it’s evenly spread in the pan. (I like to pat lightly with my fingers to even it out quickly.) Melt butter and pour evenly across cake mix. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes. It’s delicious warm out of the oven or cold and reheats easily!

Other easy variations of this recipe use a can of cherry pie filling and a can of crushed pineapple in place of the apple pie filling and sometimes sprinkle walnuts on top of the cake mix for a crunchy topping. In truth, most pie fillings work well with this combination.

Slow Cooker Caramel

Crock Pot caramel makes a great dip for fresh apples and pretzels alike.

You’ll need:

  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.)
  • 1 pint canning jar with lid and ring (optional)

While some recipes call for cooking it directly in the can, I prefer pouring it in a canning jar because it’s less messy to open when done cooking, easier to store away, and it eliminates any concern about chemicals from the can leaching into the food.

Once the milk is in the jar, screw on the lid and ring and center it in a medium sized slow cooker. Add water until it is at least over the line of the milk, but preferably over the top of the jar. (I often end up adding water with a measuring cup once the pot is plugged in to avoid spills.)

Cook on high for 8 hours. We like to put this treat on just after breakfast and enjoy it for afternoon snack or as dessert after dinner. By this point, it will be firm and easily scoopable. To get a slightly more pourable consistency, check it at 6 hours. It does firm more upon cooling and standing.

You can find other versions of this same treat by searching Instant Pot Caramel (Dulce De Leche) or One Ingredient Caramel (stovetop).

We’d love to hear your favorite fast and delicious ways to enjoy the flavors of fall! Still need apples? Check in with your local apple orchard, stat!

Deonne Lindsey
Deonne lives in Lansing with her husband Tom and their daughter. She is a stay at home mom, runner, scrapbooker, and lover of all things genealogy. When she’s not reading to her daughter, you can find her tracking down chocolate hummus at Aldi, or coaching a weekly workshop at WW.

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