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.
Ingredients
Scale
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
Instructions
- 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.
- Create a buttery foundation by combining crushed vanilla wafers with melted butter, ensuring a thorough and even mixture.
- Distribute the crumb mixture evenly into small plastic cups, using a gentle pressing technique to compact the base and form a sturdy crust.
- Craft a silky pudding base by whisking instant vanilla pudding mix with milk, allowing it to slightly thicken and develop a creamy texture.
- Infuse the pudding with decadent salted caramel sauce, blending thoroughly using an electric mixer to create a smooth, indulgent mixture.
- Elevate the caramel pudding by incorporating whipped heavy cream, beating until the mixture becomes luxuriously thick and airy.
- Carefully pipe the caramel mousse into each prepared cup, creating an elegant layer atop the vanilla wafer crust.
- Generously spoon the cinnamon-spiced apple mixture over the mousse, ensuring an even distribution of the fruity filling.
- Enhance the dessert with an optional drizzle of additional caramel sauce for extra richness and visual appeal.
- 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