This easy baked dessert is the kind of recipe busy weeknights were made for: just a few pantry and freezer staples layered into a dish and baked into a warm, scoopable treat that tastes a little like a cobbler-meets-cake situation. Using dry instant vanilla pudding mix powder gives it sweetness, flavor, and a soft custardy texture with almost no effort, which is exactly why this is such a fun National Vanilla Ice Cream Day dessert to make when you want something cozy without dragging out a long ingredient list.
Serve this dessert warm with generous scoops of vanilla ice cream on top so it melts into all the buttery, fruity corners. It also pairs well with whipped cream, a dusting of cinnamon, or a mug of coffee after dinner. If you're making it for a casual family get-together, add fresh berries on the side to brighten everything up.
4-Ingredient Oven Baked Vanilla Pudding Dessert
Servings: 8
Ingredients
1 box (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix, dry
1 box (15.25 ounces) yellow cake mix, dry
1 can (21 ounces) apple pie filling
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
2. Spread the apple pie filling evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
3. Sprinkle the dry instant vanilla pudding mix powder evenly over the pie filling.
4. Sprinkle the dry yellow cake mix evenly over the pudding mix layer, covering the surface as much as possible.
5. Drizzle the melted butter all over the top, trying to cover as much of the dry mix as you can.
6. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Variations & Tips
Try a different fruit filling: Cherry, peach, or blueberry pie filling all work beautifully here, so you can make this recipe year-round with whatever sounds best. The vanilla pudding mix keeps the flavor mellow and creamy no matter which fruit you choose.
Watch for dry spots: If you notice a lot of dry cake mix still sitting on top before baking, gently tilt the dish or drizzle an extra tablespoon or two of melted butter over the driest areas. That helps the topping bake up more evenly.
Make it for a party: This is a great potluck dessert because it travels easily and can be served straight from the dish. If I know we're having company after a busy workday, I’ll assemble it fast, bake it while dinner is going, and let the ice cream do the rest.
Add a little crunch: Chopped pecans or walnuts sprinkled over the buttered top add texture and make it feel a little more special. They toast nicely in the oven and pair especially well with apple filling and vanilla ice cream.