When my Mom or I are asked to bring dessert to a gathering of friends or family, we enjoy bringing a trifle. Usually I stick to a Fresh Fruit Trifle, using a variety of in season fruit, or a sinfully-delicious Chocolate-Chocolate Trifle. However, after seeing a version of this Caramel Apple Trifle on Pinterest, I decided to put my own spin on it and make this perfectly Autumn trifle instead. So delicious! Like, still-tasty-after-3-days delicious. This recipe makes a lot, I would say it would be enough to serve approximately 30 people. But, it is so easy to put together, makes a nice presentation, and can be/should be made in advance, so it is perfect for any group get-together.
This dessert can be made using a gluten-free cake mix, making it a quick dessert to put together too. I opted for a cake from scratch, apple pie filling from scratch, and cooked pudding from a mix. So, a bit of both worlds.
Gluten Free Caramel Apple Trifle
*For the cake, I used Simply...Gluten-Free's Birthday Cake recipe. It worked wonderfully, and I baked it in a 9x13-inch pan. Bake according to directions, and allow to cool completely. *1 package of cooked butterscotch pudding, cooked according to package directions (the package I used required 3 cups of milk) *Apple Pie Filling - canned or homemade. Below is the recipe that I used, adapted from Allrecipes.com.
Ingredients
- 4 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
- 1 8-ounce container whipped topping, defrosted
- Caramel sauce for drizzling over the top of the trifle
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss the apple slices with the lemon juice and set aside (this will prevent them from browning).
- In a large saucepan, stir to combine the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Add the water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the apples and return to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover with the lid, and continue cooking for 6-10 minutes, depending on the apples you are using. Stir in vanilla. Cool for 30 minutes before using.
- Cut the cake into 1-inch cubes.
- Arrange a layer of cake cubes along the bottom of a large serving bowl.
- Top the cake with half of the butterscotch pudding.
- Top with nearly half of the chopped pecans.
- Add half of the apple pie filling, spreading it around to cover all of the pudding/nuts.
- Next, spread half of the whipped topping over the apple pie filling.
- Repeat. Cake. Pudding. Pecans (keep 2 Tbsp for sprinkling on top). Appel pie filling. Whipped Topping.
- Sprinkle the remaining pecans on the top of the trifle, and drizzle with some caramel sauce.
- Put trifle together at least 8 hours before serving. This allows the pudding to soak into the cake. Refrigerate until serving.
Notes
I was still eating leftovers 3 days after putting this trifle together, and it still tasted fantastic.
Tamara says
Oh my goodness gracious! This looks/sounds/smells (in my imagination) heavenly! I think I’ll have to make some for this weekend for the harvest dinner at the senior’s center…thanks for the great idea!
Jeanine says
Definitely a great idea, Tamara. Glad I could help you out! 🙂
Marisa says
Looks so delish Jeanine
Jeanine says
Thanks, Marisa! It was really good. And a great way to serve a large crowd dessert too. 🙂
adele+cooking=luv says
SCRUMPTIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A PERFECT GF DESSERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cook It Allergy Free says
I do not even know what to say except…HOLY MOLY!! This sounds absolutely divine. And what a beautiful presentation, Jeanine!! That would be a show stopper at a dinner party for sure.
Jeanine says
Thank you so much, Kim! 🙂
Betty Reimer says
When you gave us a peek yesterday I thought it was pumpkin..this sounds every bit as good! Bet you were one popular gal bringing such a delicious dessert.
Jeanine says
It does sort of look like pumpkin, doesn’t it? I bet a pumpkin version would be very tasty too…Hmmm…Maybe with a spice cake…now the wheels are spinning. 😉
Carol, Simply...Gluten-Free says
Gorgeous!!! I agree with Kim – a show stopper! And those flavors – perfcet for fall! Thanks for the link love, xo
Jeanine says
Thanks, Carol, and thank you for the wonderful cake! I’ll make a confession…I tried one cake recipe, it totally bombed. Failed. Flat & gummy. Knowing I only had time for one more shot at it, I wanted to go with a recipe I KNEW would work, so I went to your website. 🙂 Sure enough, you did not disappoint! Thanks for the fantastic cake recipe!
InTolerant Chef says
I would never have thought of using apples in a trifle, thanks for helping me gain a new perspective on an old favorite 🙂
Jeanine says
It’s nice to be able to change up a trifle every now and then. Now I’m eyeing a gingerbread trifle recipe, wondering if/how to change it up and make it GF. 🙂
Heather Porrill says
You know I love all things caramel! This looks especially yummy.
Jeanine says
You know…you could melt a handful of those Buttery Bites into the cooked pudding. Would have a nice, rich, caramel-y flavour. 🙂
Brittni says
Thanks for the recipe, seems so perfect for Thanksgiving. I just got done making it, although I didn’t use gluten free cake mix. I just used a regular french vanilla flavored cake and I couldn’t manage to find a proper sized dish in my cupboards so I had to put it in two separate bowls with only one layer of each thing in each. Should still be good, though. I cannot wait to try it! :]
Jeanine says
Yeah, it is definitely enough to serve a crowd. lol So, how was it??
Jen_lyn says
I just wanted to say that I made 2 portions of this last Christmas for a dinner of 20 people, and there was absolutely nothing left. Everyone was raving about it and asking for seconds. The response was so good that I am going to make it again this year. Thank you!
baker#1 says
what size of pan should the storebought cake mix be able to go in? 9×9? 9×13?
Jeanine says
I baked a 9×13 cake, but used about 3/4 of it for the trifle.
Shirley @ gfe & All Gluten-Free Desserts says
Jeanine, this one is a winner for sure! Oh my goodness! Just shared on All Gluten-Free Desserts so everyone else can appreciate it, too! 🙂
Shirley
Jeanine Friesen says
Thank you so much for sharing with your readers, Shirley! I appreciate it!