By Eric Kim
- Total Time
- 35 minutes, plus chilling
- Rating
- 4(557)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Whipped cream desserts are a light and lovely affair, especially at the end of a big meal like Thanksgiving. Some people love crunch, but the particular joy of this pudding lies in its voluptuous softness, as it needs to sit in the fridge overnight for the layers to cohere: vanilla cookies, caramel-fried apples and salted cinnamon whipped cream. It’s an airy fall dream in dessert form.
Featured in: A Beginner’s Thanksgiving: 7 Recipes That Lighten the Workload
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Ingredients
Yield:6 to 8 servings
- 4tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2large crisp sweet-tart apples (1 pound), such as Fuji or Pink Lady, unpeeled and finely chopped (see Tip)
- ¼cup lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
- ¼packed cup dark brown sugar
- 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
- 2cups very cold heavy whipping cream
- 1packed tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
- 1(11-ounce) box vanilla wafers
For the Caramel Apples
For the Whipped Cream
For Assembly
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
508 calories; 35 grams fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 46 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 16 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 381 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Make the caramel apples: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender and the liquid is reduced but saucy with the consistency of chunky applesauce, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
Step
2
Meanwhile, make the whipped cream: In a large bowl, using a large whisk or an electric mixer, whisk the cream, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt until soft peaks form. (When you lift the whisk out of the bowl and turn it whisk-side up, a peak of cream should flop over onto itself.) Don’t overbeat; you’re looking for a soft-set whipped cream that drapes rather than plops.
Step
3
Assemble the pudding: In a medium bowl or other serving vessel (preferably clear), arrange one-third of the vanilla wafers at the bottom, top with half of the caramel apples, then spread with half of the whipped cream. Repeat these layers once more and end with a final sprinkle of crushed vanilla wafers on top. (If you want crunch, save this final sprinkle for right before serving.) Cover and refrigerate until the cookies are soft, about 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
Tip
- Though you could finely chop the apples by hand, cutting them into chunks and blitzing them in a food processor is infinitely quicker and highly recommended here.
Ratings
4
out of 5
557
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Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Jennifer
Or ginger snaps!
cory
People suggesting removing the full fat whipped cream or subbing the nilla wafers need to sit down and do some serious reflection
Alice
I was looking for EXACTLY this type of idea for an easy small-Thanksgiving dessert. Thanks for spelling it out for me, Eric! Except, Biscoff. Always Biscoff. I also like to do 3:1 heavy cream/thick yogurt instead of 100% heavy cream for a nice tang.I'm...not very good at following recipes, but I LOVE this idea!
-e-
A friend introduced me to a variation of this dessert years ago, but she gave each wafer a quick dunk in sherry before layering with the whipped cream. Boozy heaven.
Kim
What about using chocolate wafers instead of vanilla? That sounds even better to me. Anyone trying that? I'm going to experiment this weekend!
M Davis
This is, essentially, a Trifle, minus the booze. You can make it boozy by adding calvados (apple brandy) or any good brandy or bourbon. I second the idea of using gingersnaps or spice cookies, like almond windmills (ALDI). Pears are also lovely. Add nuts for crunch.
AMH
I doubled the apples without changing the additions. Used ginger snaps instead of vanilla wafers. Added 1.5 cups of no fat greek yogurt to the whipped cream. Sprinkled diced crystallized ginger on top.👍
Jennifer J.
Made this yesterday with Trader Joe's Triple Gingersnaps as another reader suggested. Excellent flavor combination for the holidays. Two minor suggestions to the whipped cream - omit the salt and increase the brown sugar to two TBS.
Andrea
Since I'm not crazy about 'Nilla Wafers, I wonder what this would be like made with an oatmeal crumble-y topping...
Kate mullet
No one in my house has ever said no to bourbon- or rum-filled baked apples!
CarolB
This was a real hit on Thanksgiving! Being gf, I made gf gingersnaps/po vanilla wafers(recipe by Nicole Hunn). Worked out beautifully. Completely disappeared.
Brooke
Made this as written (only change I made was + 1T brown sugar to the whipped cream), as one of the four dessert options for Thanksgiving, and it was a HUGE hit. After cleaning up dinner, I brought up some of the suggestions written in the comments, like ginger snaps, and my husband said "Nope. No thank you. Don't change a single thing. Make it exactly that way for every Thanksgiving from now on." Even my super picky, hates-everything teenage son loved it!
Weslie
Per the tip.I used my miniature cuisinart to chop the apple. ( I divided the recipe in half.) for the cookie contribution I used a large molasses ginger cookie, following the guide of others suggestions. For the whipped cream I omitted the cinnamon and used a small amount of the dark sugar. I also added about a T of Vermont apple brandy. It was the perfect dessert after thanksgiving dinner. Light and not at all heavy. My husband loved it. Probably won’t wait for next thanksgiving to make.
Vicky
Superb. Made with ginger snaps. No wafers of any kind here due to supply chain. 3 honey crisp apples. 1/2 tspn salt in each mix. Guests raved last week and I know they will tomorrow nite. Quite rich. Will serve 8.
Shari
Absolutely delicious! The goodAmazing a whipped cream dessert could taste so ‘light’Add a bit of full-fat yogurt to whipped cream Different types of apples meant tart & sweet, crunch & softBiscoff as cookie layer. Vanilla wafers-meh.Bourbon added to the cooked applesIndividual servingsNext timeWhipped cream as bottommost layerMake the day beforeNeeds crunch factor IN the layers. Add toasted nuts-pecans?-next timeRe the tip-cut the apples by hand (not too small). It’s just 2 apples
Mr. Phil
I tripled the amount of cinnamon and brown sugar in the apples AND the whipped cream. Why hold back?.I also used 3 apples instead of 2.I melted butter and combined with 2/3rds of the wafers to add some structural integrity.
Florida linda
Made for a community Christmas party to rave reviews. Doubled the apple layer as many reviewers had suggested. Otherwise followed the recipe exactly, except no salt and 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar in the whipped cream. Next time I would triple the apple mixture or more. The bowl was clean at the end of the night.
Karen
My husband has made this twice. The second time around was sublime with the following adaptations: 1. He used gingersnaps instead of vanilla wafers, 2. Added 1/2 cup creamy vanilla yogurt to the whipped cream 3. Doubled amount of apples 4. added allspice, nutmeg, 1 Tbsp maple syrup, 1 Tbsp bourbon to cook down w apples 5. Toasted coconut flakes sprinkled on top of pudding.
Karen
In addition to my husbands previous adaptations of this recipe: hand chop apples- food processor made apples too mushy.
Niv
Rating this a 4 star, but that's assuming you're doubling the apples and using something more interesting than Nilla wafers - ginger snaps or other spice cookie.For a 5 star recipe, do the above and swap whipped cream with this: https://www.seriouseats.com/whipped-greek-yogurt-recipe
Niv
Did anyone try a different flavoring instead of cinnamon? I'm tired of the apple+cinnamon combination. I might try vanilla bean paste (out of beans at the moment) Any other ideas?
Niv
1) Thanks to recs for TJs Triple Ginger Snaps. Any ginger/spice cookies will work. Biscoff is next.2) Omitted cinnamon in the apples. My Pink Lady apples and Meyer lemons were plenty flavorful. I used about ~2 lbs of apples and ~1/2 cup brown sugar.3) Whipped Cream: used Stella Park's recipe: https://www.seriouseats.com/whipped-greek-yogurt-recipe8oz each cream and Greek yogurt with vanilla bean paste and maple syrup. Will do this again!
Barbara Uziel
I made it exactly as the recipe read. None of us were crazy about it. Next time I'll make my trifle. We found the whipped cream boring and not enough fruit.
Niv
Barbara, Highly recommend this instead of just whipped cream: https://www.seriouseats.com/whipped-greek-yogurt-recipeYep, doubled the fruit as per other's recommendations.
CarolB
This was a real hit on Thanksgiving! Being gf, I made gf gingersnaps/po vanilla wafers(recipe by Nicole Hunn). Worked out beautifully. Completely disappeared.
HeatherW
Made with ginger snaps and was a yummy and easy Thanksgiving dessert. I'll cut the lemon juice in half next time; it made the apples a bit tart. The salt in the whipped cream HAS to be a typo - absolutely omit this.
Victoria
I am back for a second try. The salt in the first attempt ruined the dish, especially in the whipped cream. Also, "unpeeled" confused me. As it turned out, the "chunky applesauce" would have been much better without shards of skin. Ginger snaps were excellent and I will be adding the booze this time.
Daryl D.
I followed the recipe exactly and the pudding was too dry. I think using the contents of an entire box (110z) of vanilla wafers was too much. The next day, the leftovers were inedible. I am not sure I would try again, but if I do - I would double the apples and use 6 oz of wafers.
Marcie M.
NILLA Vanilla Wafers are made by NABISCO—the National Biscuit Co.—a huge cookie(& other product)manufacturing company. The wafers are rather plain, a bit crisp, sweet and almost devoid of discernible flavor.
Phyllis
Increased sugar in the cream by 1 Tbs. as suggested. I like my desserts on the sweet side. Cut salt in half. Good addition to the Thanksgiving dessert table.
Vicky
Superb. Made with ginger snaps. No wafers of any kind here due to supply chain. 3 honey crisp apples. 1/2 tspn salt in each mix. Guests raved last week and I know they will tomorrow nite. Quite rich. Will serve 8.
anne ream
I'm with Cory. This was fantastic.
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