Ingredients
Cinnamon Apple Filling
3 to 4 cups apples, peeled and finely diced (about 2 large apples)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup salted caramel sauce (optional)
Crust
2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs or graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
Caramel Mousse
1 box (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 to 1 1/4 cups cold whole milk
1/3 cup salted caramel sauce, plus more for garnish
1 1/2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
These components mirror other caramel apple dessert cup recipes that layer a crumb crust, caramel mousse, and cinnamon apples, often finished with extra caramel drizzle. Vanilla wafer crumbs give a sweeter, rounder base, while graham cracker crumbs add a slight toasty tang—both work well and are used in similar recipes.
Step-by-step instructions
Start with the cinnamon apple filling. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the finely diced apples, packed light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and 2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter. Cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are tender and the mixture has thickened and turned syrupy, usually about 7 to 10 minutes, similar to other caramel-apple-style fillings. If using the 1/4 cup salted caramel sauce, stir it in once the apples are soft and remove the pan from the heat. Let the mixture cool completely; most mousse parfait and dessert cup recipes emphasize cooling fruit toppings fully so they do not melt or deflate the creamy layer underneath.
Next, prepare the crust. In a mixing bowl, combine the vanilla wafer crumbs or graham cracker crumbs with the melted unsalted butter and stir until all the crumbs are evenly moistened and look like damp sand. Divide the mixture among your serving cups (small parfait glasses, jars, or 2–4 ounce plastic cups all work), pressing firmly into the bottom to form a compact crust layer that will hold its shape under the mousse.
Now make the caramel mousse. In a large bowl, whisk the instant vanilla pudding mix with 1 to 1 1/4 cups cold whole milk until it begins to thicken; using slightly less milk than the box calls for creates a thicker, more mousse-like base, which is a common trick in no-bake pudding desserts. Blend in 1/3 cup salted caramel sauce until smooth and uniform in color.
In a separate mixing bowl, whip the cold heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks. Then gently fold the whipped cream into the caramel pudding mixture in stages, using a spatula and light motions so you maintain as much air as possible. This folding step turns the pudding into a light, airy mousse, similar to other whipped cream–based mousse recipes.
To assemble, spoon or pipe the caramel mousse over the prepared crust in each cup, filling them about two-thirds to three-quarters full. Top each portion with a layer of the cooled cinnamon apple filling, dividing it evenly among the cups. Finish with a generous drizzle of additional salted caramel sauce over the apples.
Refrigerate the assembled dessert cups for at least 1 hour before serving to allow the mousse to set and the flavors to meld. For best texture, keep them chilled until serving and consume within 2 to 3 days, which aligns with typical fridge life for whipped cream–based mousse and desserts topped with cooked fruit.
Ingredient roles and variations
The cinnamon apple filling provides the “apple pie” layer, combining tender fruit, brown sugar, and cinnamon into a sweet-tart, warmly spiced topping. Adding caramel sauce to the apples deepens the caramel note and makes the filling more luxurious, similar to caramel-apple parfaits and cheesecake desserts.
The vanilla wafer or graham cracker crust anchors the dessert cups and adds buttery crunch. Many caramel apple dessert cup recipes prefer vanilla wafers for their nostalgic flavor and softer crunch once chilled, but graham crackers are equally common and bring a familiar pie-crust taste.
The caramel mousse is essentially a shortcut caramel cream using instant vanilla pudding, milk, caramel sauce, and whipped cream. The pudding provides structure, the caramel sauce carries flavor and sweetness, and the whipped cream adds lightness and volume, similar to other no-bake caramel or cheesecake-style parfait fillings.
You can vary the flavor by swapping some of the vanilla pudding mix for butterscotch or caramel-flavored pudding if available, or by adding a pinch of sea salt for a more pronounced salted caramel profile. Different apple varieties—like Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or EverCrisp—will slightly change the balance of sweetness and tartness, which apple-forward recipes often highlight as a way to customize the dessert.
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