Caramel Apple Mini Trifles

One of fall’s most iconic treats transformed into a mini trifle, complete with layers of moist cinnamon-spiced apple cake, sweet caramel cream cheese filling, and crushed Golden Oreos!

Aside from pumpkin pie, there’s nothing that screams fall quite like caramel apples. Whether it’s on a stick, or sliced and ready to dunk into a lusciously gooey bath of caramel, it’s pretty much impossible to go throughout an entire season without gorging on one of fall’s best flavor combos.

While I do enjoy the nostalgia of a good caramel apple on a stick every now and then, they can be pretty messy. Let’s face it, they’re not the most ideal treat when paired with windy days and long hair. Ladies, you understand…

Luckily, I’ve come up with a way to enjoy this succulently sweet combo without the mess! (And mouthfuls of hair…)

Caramel Apple Mini Trifles.

If I haven’t mentioned this a million times already, mini trifles are my FAVORITE dessert to make. And eat, of course! Since they’re perfectly self-contained in mason jars, they’re excellent for transporting and gifting. And if you’re not feeling so generous (like me)…you can easily pop them into the freezer, and enjoy them throughout the year.  

Now that I’ve raved your ear off about why mini trifles are one of the best things on the planet, let’s get to the nitty gritty of this delightfully delicious dessert.

Because mini trifles involve multiple components, I usually like to take a few shortcuts whenever I can. My favorite shortcut? Boxed cake mix. Doctored boxed cake mix, to be exact. Being that this is a caramel APPLE trifle, I started with a spice cake mix and added a packet of apple cider drink mix mixed with half of the water. I’ve actually done this before with my Apple Cider Cupcakes and the cider packet really does a terrific job of infusing the cake with that wonderful apple flavor. 

Applesauce was also added to the batter, not just for flavor, but to replace some of the oil that was called for in the cake mix. Along with the applesauce, I used melted butter to replace the remainder of the oil since it adds so much more flavor than oil. Finally, to get that denser, homemade flavor, I replaced the other half of the water with milk. 

Next up? The caramel cream cheese filling. AKA caramel better than…(UNICORNS!) filling. When it comes to caramel ANYTHING, my willpower meter goes waaaaay down, which is especially true when you make it into a fluffy, mousse-like filling. Similar to the filling in my other mini trifle recipes, I made a simple base of cream cheese, vanilla pudding mix, milk, and whipped cream (or whipped topping for lazy people, like myself). For these CARAMEL apple trifles, I added a “healthy” heaping half cup of smooth caramel topping to the filling. 

For added texture (but mostly because I’m addicted to them), I added a layer of crushed Golden Oreos. Oreos and trifles just belong together. As the trifles set up in the refrigerator overnight (if you can wait that long), the cookies soften slightly, which makes every bite that much more irresistible.

Now, if you had to choose between a messy, super sticky caramel apple, or one of these trifles of sweet cinnnamon apple, Oreo-licious, creamy caramel Heaven, what would you choose?

The answer should be obvious.

Caramel Apple Mini Trifles

One of fall's most iconic treats transformed into a mini trifle, complete with layers of moist cinnamon-spiced apple cake, sweet caramel cream cheese filling, and crushed Golden Oreos!

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Prep Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 28 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 58 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8 Trifles

Ingredients

  

For the Apple Spiced Cake

• ½ cup hot water
• 1 (21g) packet apple cider mix (dry)*
• 1 box spice cake mix
• ½ cup milk
• ⅓ cup applesauce
• 3 Tablespoons melted butter

For the Filling

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup caramel topping, plus more for drizzling
• 1 (5.1 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix (dry)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 (8 oz) tub whipped topping
• 1 (14.3 oz) package Golden Oreos

Instructions

 

Make the Cake:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF and spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a measuring cup, stir together the hot water and apple cider mix until the mix has dissolved. Set aside to cool for at least 5 minutes.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, milk, applesauce, melted butter, and slightly cooled apple cider until evenly incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan, evening out the top, then bake in the oven for 25-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with few crumbs attached. Allow cake to cool completely, then slice into bite-sized cubes.

Make the Filling:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually stir in the milk, about 1/4 cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add caramel topping, pudding mix, and salt. Continue mixing on high for 2 minutes until mixture is smooth and thickened.
• Add 1/4 of the whipped topping to the bowl and mix thoroughly. Remove bowl from mixer and use a rubber spatula to gently fold the rest of the whipped topping into the pudding mixture. Transfer filling to a pastry bag or a gallon-sized ziploc bag with the tip of the corner cut off.

To Layer:

• Place a layer of cake cubes in the bottom of each jar. You'll use half of the cake. Then pipe half of the filling into each jar. Crumble or chop three Oreos into each jar. Add another layer of cake cubes (using up the last half of the cake), followed by the rest of the filling. Garnish each jar with a drizzle of caramel and one more Oreo.

Notes

*I used Alpine brand's Spiced Apple Cider Original.
*You will need 8 pint-sized mason jars.