Before diving into the recipe, make sure your slow cooker is clean and ready to go. Lightly spray the interior with cooking spray. This helps prevent sticking and makes cleanup easier.

Open both cans of apple pie filling and pour them into the bottom of the slow cooker. Spread it out evenly, ensuring that it covers the base nicely. Get ready for that familiar, homey apple fragrance to fill your kitchen!

Next, take your yellow cake mix and sprinkle it evenly over the apple filling. Make sure all of the filling is covered. This cake mix layer creates that beautiful topping once it’s cooked.

Now, take your cubes of butter and dot them all over the surface of the cake mix. This step is crucial; the butter works its way into the cake mix, helping to create that deliciously golden-brown crust.

Sprinkle the ground cinnamon over the buttered cake mix. Don’t be shy! Then add in your vanilla extract gently as you swirl it into the mix. The aroma of cinnamon combined with vanilla is simply irresistible.

Cover your slow cooker and set it to cook on high for about two hours. You’ll know it’s ready when the filling bubbles up, and the topping turns a golden brown. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even check after 1.5 hours. Just remember, slow cookers can vary, so cooking times might need a little adjustment.