Name: Gluten Free Banana Split Dump Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 3 large Bananas; 1 can Crushed Pineapple; 1 jar Maraschino Cherries; 1 box Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix; 1/2 cup Melted Butter; 1 cup Chocolate Chips

This gluten free banana split dump cake is one of the easiest desserts you will ever make. All you do is layer everything in a baking dish and let the oven do the rest.

It has all the classic banana split flavors – bananas, pineapple, cherries, and chocolate. It tastes like a real banana split but in warm, gooey cake form.

The best part is that it’s completely gluten free. So if you or someone in your family can’t have gluten, you can enjoy this without worrying about a thing.

If you’ve never made a dump cake before, you’re in for a treat. There’s no mixing batter, no fancy techniques. You literally dump the ingredients in and bake.

It’s a great dessert for weeknights, potlucks, or anytime you want something sweet without spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Let me show you how to make it.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It Tastes Like a Banana Split in Cake Form – You get all the classic banana split flavors you love – bananas, pineapple, cherries, and chocolate – baked into one warm and gooey dessert that feels like a total treat.

Perfect for Feeding a Crowd – This dump cake makes a big pan of dessert, so it’s great for potlucks, family dinners, or parties where you need to serve a lot of people without stressing out in the kitchen.

Great Way to Use Ripe Bananas – If you have bananas sitting on your counter that are getting a little too ripe, this is the perfect way to use them up. Ripe bananas actually make this cake even sweeter and more flavorful.

Totally Gluten Free – By using a gluten free yellow cake mix, this entire dessert is safe for anyone avoiding gluten. You get a rich, indulgent cake without any of the worry, and nobody will even notice the difference.

Ingredients

3 large Bananas
1 can Crushed Pineapple
1 jar Maraschino Cherries
1 box Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix
1/2 cup Melted Butter
1 cup Chocolate Chips

How to Make

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.

Step 2

Slice the large bananas and arrange them in an even layer across the bottom of the dish.

Step 3

Pour the can of crushed pineapple with its juice evenly over the bananas, followed by the drained maraschino cherries.

Step 4

Sprinkle the dry gluten free yellow cake mix evenly over the fruit layer, then slowly pour the melted butter all over the top of the mix.

Step 5

Scatter the chocolate chips over everything and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the topping is golden and the fruit is bubbly.

Helpful Tips

Use Ripe Bananas

You want bananas that are yellow with a few brown spots on the skin. These are sweet and soft, which is exactly what you need for this dump cake.

If your bananas are still a little green or completely yellow with no spots, they won’t be as sweet and they’ll stay too firm during baking. That means less flavor and a texture that doesn’t blend as well with the other fruit layers.

On the other hand, don’t use bananas that are completely brown and mushy. They’ll turn into liquid at the bottom and make the whole thing too wet.

Slice the Bananas the Same Thickness

Try to cut your banana slices about a quarter inch thick, and keep them all roughly the same size. If some slices are thin and others are chunky, they’ll cook at different rates and you’ll end up with some pieces that are mushy while others are barely soft.

Spread them out so they cover the entire bottom of the dish in a single layer. Don’t pile them on top of each other. You want every bite to have a little banana in it, not a big clump in one spot and nothing in another.

Don’t Drain the Pineapple

When you pour the crushed pineapple over the bananas, make sure you include all the juice from the can. That juice is doing a big job here. It creates steam while baking, which helps cook the dry cake mix from the bottom up.

Without that liquid, the cake mix layer won’t get enough moisture and you’ll end up with dry, powdery spots in your dump cake. So tip that can upside down and get every last drop out.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a dump cake and how is it different from a regular cake?

A dump cake is a super easy dessert where you literally “dump” all the ingredients into a baking dish and bake it – no mixing bowls, no electric mixer, and no fuss. The dry cake mix gets sprinkled on top and bakes into a crumbly, buttery topping.

Unlike a regular cake, you don’t mix a batter or worry about getting the texture just right. It comes out more like a cobbler or crisp on top with a gooey, fruity layer underneath, which is what makes it so delicious.