Updated October 8, 2019
Caramel apple trifle is an easy dessert with light creamy texture, fall flavors and covered with caramel. These mini caramel apple trifles are all you need if you crave for a no bake apple dessert!
These caramel apple trifles are one of the best dessert recipes that are perfect for Thanksgiving or any fall celebration.
When it comes to fall baking, first thing that comes to my mind is apple pie. But you can make an easy individual no bake caramel apple pie like this caramel apple trifle! Imagine whipped cream with cinnamon apple bites, cookies and caramel sauce on top. Irresistible caramel apple trifle recipe for real home cooks!
So what you have in this small indulgent dessert or caramel apple layers:
- Whole grain biscuits – you can use any of your favorite cookies or crumble a leftover sponge cake. Moreover, you can use a granola instead.
- Whipping cream – light and fluffy texture, no sugar added. You can use cream cheese or Turkish yogurt instead. If you like, you can use vanilla ice cream instead of whipping cream.
By the way, see the note in this post about Turkish yogurt! - Soft cooked cinnamon apples with a touch of nutmeg and brown sugar. Just perfect on their own or as apple pie filling.
- Homemade caramel – you can also use a store-bought, but home-made is pretty easy and cheaper, too.
- Dried apple slices – optional, but makes a pretty decoration, also easy and fast to make in the oven. You can also chop a cup of pecans to add on top, if you wish so.
All these ingredients are layered in the glass, topped with homemade caramel, decorated with dried apples. All are homemade, from scratch, except the cookies or biscuits. However, you can use this recipe to make your own cookies!
You can serve caramel apple trifles straight away or place in the fridge up to 3 days. But in this case, beware, when you open the fridge… They are so tempting!
Apples and cinnamon
Apples and cinnamon are my favorite combo every fall. By the way, you can serve these apples on top of your yogurt or oatmeal in the morning. We tried it and that was amazing fall breakfast!
Use this easy recipe to make your apple pie filling next time. But this caramel apple trifle recipe is so good, you may not need any pie!
Choose the apples that will not turn to puree after cooking. Check our post on French apple tartlets to find out more about which apples to choose.
To make apples and cinnamon, first, prepare main ingredient – apples. Peel apples and remove the core. Chop apples to smaller pieces (no finesse needed) and put in a pan with a splash of water, brown sugar, cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg.
Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring, until apples are covered with spices and soft. Let them cool before layering in caramel apple trifle glasses. You can also use these cinnamon apples with brown sugar as a pie filling.
How to make a caramel sauce
You can obviously skip this step if you have bought the caramel sauce. But if you never tried it, you need to try it and maybe you will never buy it again. Just make sure you watch your caramel constantly, as it may burn. No, I’m serious, if you just lose your attention for a while, in a blink of an eye caramel will become too dark and unpleasant.
To make caramel I use wet method – with water. I believe that wet method offers a better control, which is especially good if you make caramel for the first time or haven’t made it for ages.
You will need a cup of pure white sugar, half a cup of water, half a cup of heavy cream, a table spoon of butter and a pinch of salt. This amount makes a half of small jar of caramel, which will be good for more than 5 apple trifles. But it is easier to work with this amount of sugar in a standard pot.
Don’t use brown sugar to make caramel sauce!
You can store your caramel in the fridge for up to 1 month. It will slightly thicken, but you can remelt it on a low heat just for 30 seconds.
So to make a homemade caramel sauce for your apple trifles, choose heavy bottom clean small pot. I love to clean it with a teaspoon of vinegar, just the same method for cleaning the bowl before whipping egg whites for meringues. Also choose a pot with preferably glass lid. You will see all the changes through the glass and the lid will help sugar not crystallize on the edges of the pot.
Put sugar in a pot and cover with water, put lid on. Heat on a low until sugar starts to change color to golden. Don’t put anything and don’t mix it. It may take up to 15 minutes. An you don’t want to go away from the pot, because believe me, you may need to start again if it gets too far and have burnt flavor.
Don’t wait until it becomes brown – it should more golden brown, then remove from heat, add butter and whisk. Then add room temperature heavy cream and put back on the heat, whisking for a minute until your caramel has lovely pour-able texture.
If your caramel sauce will be too thick, when you decide to pour it on caramel apple trifles, just reheat it for 30 second on a low, or until it will be pour-able again!
Do you like Fall Recipes as much as we do? then check this awesome 60+ Fall Recipes round up!
Don’t forget to follow us on Pinterest , Instagram , TikTok and Facebook !
Assembling caramel apple trifles
So you have biscuits to crush, prepare caramel and apples. Then you need whip heavy cream for caramel apple trifles. To make whipped cream, you need a cold bowl and a whisk (preferably electric whisk). Place a bowl in the fridge before making caramel. This will help to make whipped cream faster. Moreover, use full fat 35 % heavy cream or whipping cream.
So to assemble apple caramel trifle grab your favorite serving glasses and make layers of apple pie. Biscuit crumbs, cinnamon apples, whipped heavy cream (whipped cream cheese or ice cream) and repeat. Cover with caramel sauce on top, double!
Add dried apples to decorate caramel apple trifles. These are so easy to make! Just slice an apple, cut slices with cookie cutters and bake for 10-15 minutes.
Enjoy one of the most delicious and easiest trifle recipes!
You might also like our other easy trifle recipes, served in individual glass:
- Valentines trifle with Mascarpone, chocolate and cherries
- Easy strawberry desserts with Greek yogurt
- Gooseberry fool
If you like this caramel apple trifle recipe, leave a comment below and share it with your friends on any of your social networks!
Don’t forget to grab our free e-book with our best dessert recipe (plus bonus one, unpublished).
Caramel Apple Trifle
- small heavy bottom pot with a glass lid
- bowls and spoons
- hand or stand mixer with whisk attachment
- piping bag
- zip lock bag and a rolling pin or a pestle and mortar or pounder
- leaf shape cookie cutter
- baking tray with parchment paper
- Oven
- 2 serving glasses
- 50 g whole grain biscuits or gluten-free substitute
- 200 g/ml heavy whipping cream cold
- 500 g apples 6 small apples
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 cup white sugar granulated
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream room temperature
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 big apple for decoration
- In a heavy bottom clean small pot put sugar and water. Put the glass lid on a pot. Heat on a low, wait until sugar starts to change color to golden (no mixing needed). Watch it like a hawk.1 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup water
- When your caramel is golden brown, remove from heat, add butter and whisk.1 tbsp butter
- Add heavy cream, vanilla, salt and put back on the low heat, whisking for a minute until your caramel has lovely pour-able texture.1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 pinch salt, 1 tsp vanilla
- Set your pot with caramel aside to cool. Put a lid on the pot.
- Peel apples and remove the core.500 g apples
- Chop apples to small squares and put in a pot with a water, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.1 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp water, 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring, until apples are covered with spices and soft. Let them cool aside.
- Whip cold heavy cream until soft peaks. **200 g/ml heavy whipping cream
- Add 1-2 tbsp whipped cream in a piping bag and set aside. Or just put a bowl of whipped cream in a fridge.
- Put biscuits or cookies in a zip lock bag and smash them with a rolling pin. Or just smash with a pestle in kitchen mortar or pounder.50 g whole grain biscuits
- Preheat oven to 355 F / 180 C.
- Peel an apple for decoration. Slice it as thinly as you can, about 0.10 inch/ 2-3 mm.1/2 big apple
- With a leaf shaped cookie cutter, cut few leaves on apple slices. With a knife, draw the midrib and veins on every leaf. Don't cut it through, just slightly push.
- Place apple leaves on a baking tray, layered with parchment paper. Bake for about 10-15 minutes until soft and golden.
- Prepare two glasses. Pipe/spoon 1 tbsp of whipped cream in each glass. Add 1-2 tsp of ground biscuits on top of cream.
- Add 1-2 tbsp of cooked apples on top. Add 1-2 tsp of ground biscuits on apples.
- Pipe or spoon whipped cream on top. Add a teaspoon of apples in a center of whipped cream. Sprinkle leftover biscuit crumbs around.
- Pour caramel on top*** add baked apple slices and serve.
I make my own caramel sauce, too, and this looks like a delicious way to use it! Thanks for sharing!
Absolutely! Homemade caramel makes the difference.
Such a perfect little treat for the season! That caramel sauce looks absolutely perfect!
Yes, it’s a perfect topping!
This looks so delicious! Apple desserts are my favourite!
We love apple desserts too!
Oh my gosh! We love all kinds of trifles in this family but haven’t tried this fall-inspired recipe. Sounds so dang good!
You need to try it, I’m sure your family will love it as much as we do!
Yum! This looks so perfect for fall! 🙂
Agree with you!
Mmmm, I love trifle desserts, and a caramel apple one sounds PERFECT right now! We still have some of the apples we picked a couple of weekends ago.
That`s one of our favorite desserts lately. Really easy to make and tastes delicious 🙂