Quick & Fun Caramel Apple Dessert Cups Recipe Everyone Will Love

Sweet caramel apple dessert cups blend nostalgic flavors that transport you straight to childhood memories of autumn festivals.

Crisp apples reinvented with a golden caramel coating create an irresistible harmony of textures and tastes.

Delicate pastry shells cradle the rich, warm filling with elegant simplicity.

Warm spices intermingle with the natural sweetness, creating a symphony of comfort and indulgence.

Each bite promises a perfect balance between tart fruit and smooth, buttery caramel.

Home bakers will appreciate the straightforward technique that yields impressive results.

The magic lies in selecting quality ingredients and treating them with care.

Caramel Apple Dessert Cups That Are Fun to Eat

• Create Layers of Deliciousness: Each spoonful delivers a perfect combination of buttery crust, creamy caramel mousse, and spiced apple filling that dances with complementary textures and flavors.
• Quick and Easy Dessert Magic: This recipe requires minimal cooking skills, takes less than an hour to prepare, and creates elegant individual dessert cups perfect for parties or casual gatherings.
• Customize with Comfort: Easily adjust sweetness levels, swap spices, or add extra toppings like chopped nuts or whipped cream to make the dessert uniquely yours while maintaining its delightful core essence.
• Convenient Make-Ahead Option: Dessert cups can be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, making them a stress-free dessert solution for busy home cooks seeking delicious results without last-minute preparation.

Ingredients for Caramel Apple Dessert Cups

• Vanilla Wafer Crumbs: Classic cookie base for a sweet, crunchy foundation, perfect for creating a delightful dessert texture.
• Unsalted Butter: Helps bind the crumbs together and adds rich, smooth flavor to the crust.

• Apples: Fresh, crisp fruit with warm cinnamon notes, providing natural sweetness and texture.
• Light Brown Sugar: Adds deep caramel-like sweetness and helps soften the apples during cooking.
• Ground Cinnamon: Warm, aromatic spice that enhances the apple's natural flavor profile.

• Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix: Convenient base for creating a smooth, creamy dessert foundation.
• Whole Milk: Provides richness and helps set the pudding mixture.
• Heavy Cream: Creates light, airy texture when whipped, adding luxurious volume to the dessert.
• Salted Caramel Sauce: Adds rich, complex sweetness with a hint of salt for depth of flavor.

Assembly Steps for Caramel Apple Dessert Cups

Step 1: Prepare Cinnamon-Infused Apples

• Peel and chop apples into small pieces
• Add light brown sugar and ground cinnamon
• Cook in a saucepan over medium heat
• Stir until apples soften and liquid thickens
• Remove from heat and let cool completely

Step 2: Create Buttery Wafer Crust

• Crush vanilla wafers into fine crumbs
• Melt butter in a separate bowl
• Mix wafer crumbs with melted butter until fully combined
• Use a small cookie scoop to distribute mixture into small plastic cups
• Press down firmly with the bottom of another cup to form a compact base

Step 3: Whip Up Luxurious Caramel Pudding

• Instant vanilla pudding mix
• Whole milk
• Salted caramel sauce
• Heavy cream

Combine pudding mix and milk in a large mixing bowl

Whisk until smooth and let sit for 5 minutes

Fold in salted caramel sauce

Whip with electric mixer until creamy and well blended

Step 4: Layer and Assemble Dessert Cups

• Transfer caramel pudding mixture to piping bag
• Pipe pudding over wafer crust in each cup
• Spoon cooled cinnamon apples on top of pudding layer
• Optional: Drizzle extra caramel sauce for added decadence

Step 5: Chill and Serve

• Cover dessert cups with lids
• Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes
• Serve chilled
• Can be stored in refrigerator for 2-3 days
• Perfect for make-ahead dessert gatherings

Tips for a Mess-Free Apple Dessert Cup

• Chop Apples Uniformly: Cut apples into similar-sized pieces to ensure even cooking and consistent texture throughout the dessert.
• Press Crust Firmly: Use the bottom of a cup to compact the vanilla wafer crumbs, creating a solid base that won't crumble when serving.
• Whip Cream Precisely: Watch the cream carefully while mixing to achieve the perfect thick and creamy consistency without over-beating.
• Chill Before Serving: Allow dessert cups to rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let flavors meld and mousse set properly.
• Layer Carefully: Pipe caramel mousse and spoon cinnamon apples gently to maintain clean, attractive layers in each dessert cup.

Reheating and Storing Caramel Apple Cups

• Refrigeration: Store the Caramel Apple Dessert Cups in an airtight container with secure lids, keeping them in the coldest part of your refrigerator to maintain freshness and prevent flavor absorption from other foods.
• Shelf Life: Consume these delightful treats within 2-3 days for optimal taste and texture, ensuring the crust remains crisp and the caramel mousse stays creamy.
• Reheating: Gently bring the dessert cups to room temperature before serving, avoiding direct microwave heating to preserve the delicate layers and prevent potential texture changes.

Apple Dessert Cup Flavor Swaps to Explore

• Seasonal Spice Upgrade: Swap cinnamon with nutmeg or cardamom for a warm, aromatic flavor profile that complements the caramel and apples.
• No-Bake Nutty Version: Sprinkle crushed pecans or walnuts between layers for added crunch and rich, toasted undertones.
• Autumn Apple Harvest: Replace some apples with pears or add dried cranberries to create a more complex fruit mixture that celebrates seasonal ingredients.
• Chocolate Caramel Fusion: Mix in dark chocolate shavings or drizzle melted chocolate between layers for a decadent chocolate-caramel experience that elevates the dessert's richness.

What Tastes Great with Caramel Apple Dessert Cups

• Pair with Warm Spiced Chai: Complement the caramel and cinnamon notes with a creamy, aromatic chai tea that echoes the dessert's warm spices and enhances the apple's sweetness.
• Match with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream: Scoop a small dollop of rich vanilla bean ice cream alongside the dessert cups to create a luxurious contrast of temperatures and textures.
• Serve with Aged Tawny Port: The nutty, caramel undertones of an aged tawny port beautifully highlight the dessert's deep caramel flavors and provide a sophisticated wine pairing.
• Enjoy with Toasted Pecan Sprinkle: Top each dessert cup with a few toasted pecans to add a delightful crunch and nutty depth that complements the creamy caramel and soft apple components.

Caramel Apple Dessert Cups Recipe

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4.6 from 39 reviews

• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 8 1x

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Description

Caramel apple dessert cups bring classic autumn comfort to your table with graham cracker crusts cradling rich apple filling and silky caramel. Sweet meets tart in these handheld treats that invite warm memories and delightful seasonal indulgence you’ll savor to the last crumb.

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Ingredients

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Main Ingredients:

• 4 cups (960 milliliters) apples, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups (240 grams) vanilla wafer crumbs
• 1 cup (240 milliliters) milk
• 1 ½ cups (360 milliliters) heavy cream

Sweeteners and Flavoring:

• ½ cup (100 grams) light brown sugar
• ⅓ cup (80 milliliters) salted caramel sauce
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 package (3.4 ounces or 96 grams) instant vanilla pudding mix

Binding and Preparation Ingredients:

• ¼ cup (60 milliliters) salted or unsalted butter, melted
• Additional caramel sauce for garnish

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Instructions

1. Transform the crisp apples into a luscious filling by gently simmering them with brown sugar and cinnamon in a saucepan until they become tender and develop a rich, syrupy consistency. Allow the mixture to cool completely.
2. Create a buttery foundation by combining crushed vanilla wafers with melted butter, ensuring a thorough and even mixture.
3. Distribute the crumb mixture evenly into small plastic cups, using a gentle pressing technique to compact the base and form a sturdy crust.
4. Craft a silky pudding base by whisking instant vanilla pudding mix with milk, allowing it to slightly thicken and develop a creamy texture.
5. Infuse the pudding with decadent salted caramel sauce, blending thoroughly using an electric mixer to create a smooth, indulgent mixture.
6. Elevate the caramel pudding by incorporating whipped heavy cream, beating until the mixture becomes luxuriously thick and airy.
7. Carefully pipe the caramel mousse into each prepared cup, creating an elegant layer atop the vanilla wafer crust.
8. Generously spoon the cinnamon-spiced apple mixture over the mousse, ensuring an even distribution of the fruity filling.
9. Enhance the dessert with an optional drizzle of additional caramel sauce for extra richness and visual appeal.
10. Refrigerate the assembled dessert cups for a minimum of 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the texture to set perfectly. These delightful treats can be enjoyed immediately or stored in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.

Notes

• Prep these delightful cups ahead of time for stress-free entertaining, as they can be refrigerated up to 3 days in advance.
• Ensure apple pieces are uniformly chopped for consistent texture and even cooking throughout the dessert.
• Use room temperature ingredients like milk and butter to help create smoother, more integrated pudding and crust layers.
• Select ripe, firm apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp for the best balance of sweetness and texture in the cinnamon apple topping.
• For a professional presentation, use a piping bag with a star tip to create elegant swirls of caramel mousse in each dessert cup.
• Customize the dessert by adding optional garnishes like chopped nuts, additional caramel drizzle, or a sprinkle of sea salt for extra flavor complexity.

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Desserts, Snacks
• Method: Simmering
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 8
• Calories: 380
• Sugar: 24 g
• Sodium: 210 mg
• Fat: 22 g
• Saturated Fat: 13 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 39 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Protein: 4 g
• Cholesterol: 70 mg