Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Only 4 ingredients—canned peaches, cake mix, butter, cinnamon
- 5 minutes of prep—literally dump and dot
- No mixing, no measuring, no technique—truly foolproof
- Slow cooker convenience—set it and forget it
- Budget-friendly—costs just a few dollars to make
- Feeds a crowd—or gives you dessert for days
- Works any season—canned peaches mean year-round enjoyment
- Golden, buttery topping over bubbling fruit perfection
- Tastes like homemade cobbler—without the work
- People will demand the recipe—every single time
Ingredients
- 2 (15 oz) cans peaches (in heavy syrup or juice)
- 1 box (15.25 oz) yellow cake mix (any brand works)
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted or sliced into thin pats
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional but highly recommended)
Equipment
- 6-quart or larger slow cooker
- Can opener
- Measuring spoon
- Butter knife (if slicing butter)
- Serving spoon or ice cream scoop
- Bowls for serving
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prep Your Slow Cooker
Give the inside of your slow cooker a light coat of butter or nonstick spray. This prevents sticking and makes cleanup infinitely easier. Trust me on this—you don’t want to be scraping caramelized peach syrup off ceramic later.
Step 2: Dump the Peaches
Open both cans of peaches and pour them—juice and all—directly into the slow cooker. Spread them into a fairly even layer across the bottom. If you want a thicker, more cake-like texture, drain one can and use just the fruit from both plus the juice from one can. If you want it juicier and more cobbler-like, use everything—both cans with all their syrupy goodness.
Step 3: Sprinkle the Cake Mix
Here’s where it gets almost too easy to believe. Open your box of yellow cake mix and evenly sprinkle the entire thing over the peaches. Do not stir. Do not mix. Do not even think about combining them. The dry cake mix needs to stay on top in a separate layer to create that gorgeous golden, slightly crusty topping. Stirring ruins everything by creating a gummy, pasty mess instead of distinct layers.
Step 4: Add the Cinnamon
Sprinkle the cinnamon evenly over the cake mix layer. This is technically optional, but it makes such a difference—that warm spice brings out the peach flavor and adds depth that makes people think you did way more than you actually did.
Step 5: Dot with Butter
If you melted your butter, drizzle it as evenly as possible over the entire surface of the cake mix. If you’re using sliced butter, arrange thin pats over the top, trying to cover as much surface area as you can. The butter is crucial—it melts down through the cake mix as everything cooks, creating that buttery, golden, slightly crispy topping that makes this dessert unforgettable. Bare spots will stay dry and powdery, so coverage matters.
Step 6: Cover and Cook
Put the lid on and set your slow cooker to LOW for 3-4 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours. Walk away. Go to work, run errands, take a nap, watch a movie—whatever you need to do. The slow cooker has this completely handled. The dessert is done when the top is golden and set, the edges are bubbling enthusiastically, and your entire kitchen smells like a peach orchard in late summer.
Step 7: Rest and Serve
Turn off the slow cooker and let it rest uncovered for 15-20 minutes. This cooling period is actually important—it lets the topping set slightly so you can scoop clean servings instead of soupy peach lava. Then grab a big spoon, scoop generous portions into bowls, top with vanilla ice cream that melts into all those warm, juicy peaches, and brace yourself for the compliments.
Pro Tips
- Peach juice affects texture. For thicker, more cake-like: drain one can and use only one can of juice. For juicier, cobbler-like: use all the juice from both cans.
- Do NOT stir. This is the most important rule. Stirring mixes the dry cake mix into the liquid and creates gummy paste instead of beautiful layers.
- Butter coverage is everything. Make sure butter covers the surface as evenly as possible. Bare spots stay dry and powdery; covered spots become golden perfection.
- Check for doneness. The top should look set and golden, not wet and doughy. If it looks raw in spots, cook another 30 minutes.
- Let it rest before serving. Those 15-20 minutes aren’t optional—they let the topping set for clean scoops.
- Use full-fat butter. Light butter contains more water and won’t create the same golden crust.
Variations & Substitutions
- Peach Berry: Add 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries or raspberries with the peaches for beautiful color and flavor.
- Peach Pecan: Sprinkle ½ cup chopped pecans over the cake mix before adding butter for toasted, buttery crunch.
- Spiced Peach: Add ½ teaspoon nutmeg and ¼ teaspoon cardamom with the cinnamon for warm, aromatic depth.
- Peach Pineapple: Use one can peaches and one can crushed pineapple with juice for a tropical twist.
- Cherry Peach: Use one can peaches and one can cherry pie filling. Gently stir fruit before adding cake mix.
- Fresh peaches: Use 4-5 cups peeled, sliced fresh peaches. Add ½ cup sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
- Frozen peaches: Use 4-5 cups frozen peach slices, thawed with their juices.
- Different cake flavors: Try spice cake, butter cake, or white cake. Avoid chocolate—it competes with peaches.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free yellow cake mix. Everything else is naturally gluten-free.
Serving, Pairing & Storage
How to Serve:
Scoop into bowls while still warm and top with vanilla ice cream that melts into all those peachy juices. Freshly whipped cream, a handful of fresh berries, or just a spoon straight from the slow cooker all work beautifully too.