Can I Make Caramel Apple Tiramisu with Half-and-Half?

Unfortunately, you will need to use the full-fat heavy whipping cream over half-and-half. This recipe requires the cream to be whipped to stiff peaks to hold its shape when layered in the dessert. Half-and-half doesn’t have enough fat in it to whip properly.

Apple Cider vs. Apple Juice

Both are made from apples, but how they are processed makes them different products. Apple juice has been filtered to remove any solids, where apple cider has not been filtered to remove any pulp or sediment. We like to use apple cider that has added spices for this recipe, because they add another layer of seasonal flavor to this scrumptious dessert.

Kitchen Tested

Caramel Apple Tiramisu

Name: Caramel Apple Tiramisu
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 3 h 5 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 1 package (30 oz) refrigerated Pillsbury™ Apple Cinnamon Bread Batter; 2 containers (8 oz each) mascarpone cheese; 1/2 cup powdered sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 2 cups heavy whipping cream; 1 cup apple cider; 1/3 cup plus 6 tablespoons caramel topping, divided; 1 can (20 oz) apple pie filling, cut into small pieces

Prep time:30 min
Total time:3 hr 5 min
Ingredients:8
Servings:12
Calories per serving:670

By Pillsbury Kitchens(Opens in a new tab)Updated 01/07/2025

Caramel Apple Tiramisu

Prep time:30 min
Total time:3 hr 5 min
Ingredients:8
Servings:12
Calories per serving:670

Bake OffBake-Off® Contest 52, 2024. Robbin Wagner. Tinley Park, Illinois. Bake-Of

Robbin Wagner

Tinley Park, Illinois

Bake Off

Bake-Off® Contest 52, 2024

Bake-Of

If you’re not familiar with tiramisu, you’re in for a flavorful treat. Classic tiramisu is a luscious Italian dessert that translates to “carry me up” or “pick me up”, with many assuming the continuation of those phrases must mean “to heaven.” Somewhat like a trifle, tiramisu is a much lighter concoction, consisting of sponge cake or lady fingers dipped in a coffee-marsala (a fortified wine) mixture that’s layered with mascarpone cheese-whipped cream mixture and grated chocolate.

This recipe is a delightful variation on the theme, swapping apple cinnamon bread slices made with apple cinnamon bread batter instead of the sponge cake, apple pie filling, and apple cider, for a fork-licking, clever, seasonal version of the original recipe. It’s easy to assemble layers of apple cider-soaked bread slices, billowy whipped cream-mascarpone cheese, apple pie filling, and caramel to make a dessert that is perfect for a crowd. It can be made ahead, so it’s ready to serve when you are!

How to Make Caramel Apple Tiramisu

Here are the steps showing just how to make tiramisu with an autumnal twist. Together with the complete recipe below, anyone can learn to make this impressive yet simple dessert:

Prepare the Pan and Bread Batter

Line a jelly roll pan with foil and spray it generously with cooking spray. Squeeze a package of apple cinnamon bread batter right into the pan. It will be easier to spread if you let it soften 15 minutes first, then spread it evenly in the pan.

Bake, Cool and Cut the Bread

Bake the bread until it’s golden brown. Let it cool in the pan 15 minutes. Invert it onto a large cutting board and gently peel off the foil. Let it cool uncovered 15 additional minutes. Then using a long, serrated knife, cut the bread into 24 rectangles by cutting it in 6 rows down the short side and 4 rows down the long side of the bread.

Make the Mascarpone Filling

Use a large bowl and an electric mixer to gradually beat the powdered sugar into the mascarpone cheese until it’s smooth. Stir in the vanilla.

In another large bowl, beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form. We find it easier to start on low speed while the cream is thin and wants to splatter everywhere, and gradually increase the speed to medium as the cream becomes thicker. You’ll know you have stiff peaks when you lift the beaters out of the cream and the peaks that form don’t bend over.

To keep the whipped cream light and airy, fold half of it into the mascarpone mixture. Folding is a technique that gently mixes ingredients without losing volume. Use a silicone scraper and start at the bottom of the bowl and lift the ingredients gently up and over the top. Keep repeating this technique until the ingredients are evenly mixed. Then fold the mixture back into the remaining whipped cream, using the same technique. Store the filling in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.

Mix the Caramel Soaking Mixture

With classic tiramisu, the sponge cake is dipped in a coffee-marsala wine mixture. This both softens the cake while infusing it with a ton of flavor. In this recipe, a caramel-cider mixture is used instead of the coffee one. It’s made by mixing caramel ice-cream topping and apple cider with a spoon. It takes a few seconds until they decide they want to hang out together, but in no time, they will be all mixed together.

Put it All Together

Dip each of 12 of the pieces of apple bread in the caramel mixture, one at a time and arranged in a single layer in the bottom of a 13x9-inch pan. (There’s no need to grease the pan first—you’ll have no problems getting the dessert out of the pan.) The 12 pieces won’t quite cover the entire bottom of the pan—just do your best to cover the bottom as evenly as possible

Spread half of the mascarpone mixture over the bread pieces, in a nice, even layer. Then top with apple pie filling, spreading it evenly. We find this easy to do if we place spoonfuls of the pie filling randomly over the mascarpone mixture, and then connect them all by spreading them with a knife. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of caramel topping (not the caramel dipping mixture, but the topping straight out of the bottle.)

Dip the remaining 12 pieces of apple bread in the caramel dipping mixture and create a second layer in the pan, the same way you did the first one. Spread the remaining mascarpone mixture over the top and drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons of caramel topping. Use the back of a spoon to gently swirl the caramel topping into the mascarpone mixture, for a pretty presentation.

Refrigerate and Enjoy

Refrigerate the tiramisu 2 hours uncovered (you won’t want to mar the pretty swirls you just made). Cut into serving pieces and remove them from the pan to serving plates using a metal cookie spatula to get nicely-shaped pieces.

How to Store Caramel Apple Tiramisu

This flavorful dessert is ready to serve after 2 hours in the fridge. You can also make it up to 24 hours in advance. The bread pieces are just as delicious after 24 hours as they are after 2 hours in the fridge, but after that, they begin to get soggy and fall apart. Here's how to store the tiramisu if you don’t plan to serve it after the initial 2 hours in the fridge:

Refrigerator Storage

Insert a few toothpicks into the dessert, with plenty of toothpick still showing above the topping. Genty “tent” the pan with plastic wrap to cover the pan and store in the refrigerator up to 24 hours to keep it fresh and moist. You can use this method for the entire pan of tiramisu or any remaining dessert you have leftover.

Freezer Storage

Freezer storage isn’t recommended for this dessert, as the bread pieces continue to soak up moisture from the mascarpone mixture and get soggy when thawed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Mascarpone cheese is a double-cream or triple-cream cow’s milk cheese. It can be found in tubs either near the cream cheese or the specialty cheeses. It’s soft and delicate in flavor and can range in texture from thickened whipping cream to the texture of softened butter.

If you can’t find it near you, you could substitute an equal amount of full-fat cream cheese. Be sure to soften it at room temperature by taking it out of the box and allowing it to sit on the counter at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before using it.