Addictive Caramel Apple Trifle … sweetest summer dessert

Caramel Apple Trifle … a dessert so indulgent, sweetly satisfying, one with loads of flavour and so much texture, a dessert where every bite is unique. My first time doing an apple trifle this way and might I add, I’m in love! Stewed apples, walnut seed crumble, salted caramel sauce and whipped cream.

That walnut seed crumble with gut friendly goodness was genius and added so much deliciousness and texture to the trifle. Also, a spoon licking good salted caramel is always always indulgent, and layered in a glass with soft apples, crisp crumble and pillowy soft whipped cream, this pretty trifle was absolute heaven.

If we talk about apples, then quite honestly, it’s always been apple and winter in my head. Warm spices, wafts of cinnamon pleasing the senses as they drift out of the oven and fill the house, comforting desserts that give you a warm hug. As someone who makes apple crumble on repeat as a breakfast option all winter long, this Caramel Apple Trifle was like a breath of fresh air, a new way of discovering apples in a summer dessert for me. Of course I’ll make this in winter as well. It’s that good!

For me an idea is only as far as the ingredient that shows up unannounced, and inspiration instantly strikes! This Caramel Apple Trifle came about when a friend sent me the juiciest, prettiest and most delicious Flash Gala apples a few days ago. Apple is mostly a winter fruit in my books, though I use it all summer long in smoothies. Until now, Apple Crumble & Apple Pie have been our favourite apple desserts, addictive and flavourful, somewhat cumbersome and lengthy since baking is involved.

Yet we love a crumble to bits, and all winter long there is always crumble on hand, always! The filling for my apple crumble recipe has evolved over time, each time new gut friendly additions, each time better than the last. My current version has a generous helping of apples and walnuts or pecans, dried cranberries and crystallised ginger too.

The apple crumble topping has evolved too to a mix of oats, flour, pumpkin seeds, raw sugar, ghee or home made sweet butter, spiced with organic cinnamon powder, a dash of nutmeg sometimes, often orange zest. Every bite is addictive, like a warm hug. Serve it warm for dessert with a scoop of your favourite vanilla ice cream … heaven!

As the seasons change and winter passes, berries begin flooding the bazaar and mangoes begin showing up. Apples are normally the last on my list for dessert in summer since we’ve really enjoyed them through the cold months and now we’re ready for change.

Change perhaps like that drop dead delicious Eggless Mango Raspberry Trifle I recently shared, a recipe that lit up our day and how. There is something about trifles – think layers, beautiful presentation in glasses, unlimited flavour possibilities, infinite textures … something that has me smitten. I love the very concept of a trifle and it’s one of my favourite ways to dessert as you can see.

Any glass I see, I want to trifle! Individual glasses, stem glasses, glass bowls, trifle bowls, anything glass, anything that can show off pretty layers, I absolutely want to trifle in it! I’m addicted to creating fun, layered desserts in some of the loveliest dessert ware that I’ve collected over time.

What sort of glassware can you use for trifles?

Trifles are very versatile desserts so practically any clear glassware works. Clear is my first choice so you can show off the layers! Use a trifle bowl for a large serving or alternatively individual stem or flat glassware for individual servings. When these lovely looking and sweet, juicy apples showed up, I wanted to create something pretty, something new, something exciting. This Caramel Apple Trifle ticked all the boxes and might well be the prettiest apple dessert I’ve created until now. I plated, or rather glassed, it two ways as seen below and it was a lot of fun.

A load of my collection of glassware is from my all time favourite brand Devnow who first sent me loads of the prettiest stuff way back in 2016.

At that time too trifles were still right up my street and I made these delicious Oat Walnut Trifle Bowls with Roasted Stone Fruit in the prettiest stem goblets you see above.

Devnow continued to shower me with love as you can see above, and I carried on deserting and trifling. As you can well imagine, it’s been years and my love for glassware, serve ware, desserts and trifles stays strong, which brings me back to this recipe, the much too delicious Caramel Apple Trifles.

The layers of the Caramel Apple Trifle…

Salted Caramel Sauce – This gives the trifle its quintessential feel and pairs beautifully with apples. I make this dessert sauce often, that recipe you can find on the blog here or a scaled recipe below. I use it very often like in the very decadent eggless Chocolate & Salted Caramel Poke Trifle below, yes yet another trifle!

The sauce keeps refrigerated for long and there’s so much you can do with it. Think Chocolate Banoffee Pudding, think Chocolate Salted Caramel Tart {above}, Salted Caramel Layered Cake, Mousse-a-cotta with Salted Caramel, Caramel Apple Tart …

Apple filling – For the apple filling, feel free to stew apples as you would stew them your way else my way as shared below. Do make sure they still have a bite since totally overcooked or very soft apples won’t give this dessert a good body. Choose firm, juicy apples and make the stewed apples ahead of time as they need to be chilled. A day or two ahead of time works well. Remove any excess syrup before layering.

Walnut & Seed Crumble – This stand alone crumble can be made a day or two ahead as well, so you really just need to whip up the cream and then layer up the trifle as final assembly. The walnut and seed crumble needs a shout out since I made it gut friendly with buckwheat groats, my current favourite ingredient, and pumpkin seeds. It tasteds very special too and and can well be sprinkled over Greek yogurt for breakfast for a low calorie, high protein guilt free treat.

The Caramel Apple Trifle holds well if you have a stable whipped cream, so can be assembled ahead of time as well. You could even use mildly sweetened Greek yogurt for a healthier option. The dessert keeps in the fridge for a couple of days and is glass scraping good. Every spoonful is very enjoyable, the flavours and textures dance on the palette. Do try it!