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Apple Delight

This Apple Delight recipe is the perfect fall dessert with a buttery graham cracker crust and layers of fluffy cream cheese, apple pie filling, and whipped cream.

You’ll love how simple this recipe is to put together, and your guests or family will love the creamy texture and delicious fall flavors. With apple pie filling, cream cheese, and whipped cream, how could it not be outstanding?

With only the crust being baked, the rest of the apple delight is layered and then chilled, making it the easiest dessert you’ll make this fall. 

Slice of Apple Delight on white plate.

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Why You Will Love This Apple Delight

  • It’s simple - There’s no fussy measuring or complicated baking instructions here. Just a simple, layered dessert that takes only minutes to throw together. 
  • It’s full of fall flavors - Apple pie is such a quintessential fall dish, but can take more time to make. Here we’re combing a spiced apple pie filling with ingredients like pecans, cinnamon, and brown sugar to make a new dish that won’t have you in the kitchen long. 
  • The textures - This apple delight dessert is fluffy and creamy. The crunchy graham cracker crust and the pecans give it a contrasting crunch that is so satisfying. 

Apple recipes are a favorite at our house and what I love about this apple delight recipe is that it uses apple pie filling so it can be enjoyed year-round.

Slice of Apple Lush dessert in serving spoon over baking dish.

Ingredient Notes

See printable recipe card below for all ingredients, specific measurements, and complete instructions.

Ingredients to make apple delight set out on counter.
  • Graham crackers- Crushed graham cracker crumbs will form the foundation for the apple delight crust.
  • Butter- Just a bit of melted butter goes into the graham cracker crust.
  • Pecans- Crushed pecans will go in the crust and chopped pecans will be sprinkled over the top for a delightful crunch. 
  • Light brown sugar- To sweeten the crust. 
  • Ground cinnamon- To add a fall warmth to the crust. 
  • Cream cheese- Softened cream cheese puts just about any dessert over the top. 
  • Vanilla extract- Add an extra layer of flavor to the cream cheese filling. 
  • Confectioners sugar- To sweeten the cream cheese layer
  • Whipped topping - This whipped topping (cool whip) will keep the cream cheese layer light and fluffy and will be spread across the top of the apple delight. 
  • Apple pie filling- This will add a fruity fall flavor to the whole dish. 

How To Make Apple Delight

Start by preheating the oven to 350°F and preparing your baking dish.

Crushed graham crackers, pecans, melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in mixing bowl.
Graham cracker crust mixture in mixing bowl.

Make the crust. To make the crust you first need to crush the graham crackers and pecans. I like to crush them in a food processor. If you don't have a food processor you can put them in a a plastic Ziploc bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.

Once crushed add the graham crackers and pecans to a large mixing bowl along with the melted butter, brown sugar and ground cinnamon. Mix until well combined.

Apple delight crust in baking dish.

Bake crust. Press the crust mixture into a prepared 9x13 baking dish and bake in the oven for 8 minutes. Then remove and allow the crust to completely cool.

Cream cheese mixture in mixing bowl.

Cream cheese layer. To make the cream cheese layer beat the softened cream cheese and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar into the cream cheese and mix until fully incorporated.

Then add half of the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture and stir until combined.

Cream cheese layer added over graham cracker crust in baking dish.
Apple layer over cream cheese and graham cracker crust in baking dish.
Top layer of Cream cheese over apples and crust in baking dish.

Add layers. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture over the top of the crust. Then spoon the apple pie filling over the top of the cream cheese layer.

Next, add the remaining whipped topping and spread over the apple pie filling layer. 

I like to add chopped pecans as a garnish on top of the whipped topping.

Chill. Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.

Apple Delight topped with pecan pieces in glass baking dish.

Storing and Freezing

Make Ahead - This recipe can be prepared the night before and refrigerated overnight. 

Leftovers - Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. 

Freezing - You can freeze this apple delight in a sealed container for 2-4 weeks. To defrost, place in the refrigerator the night before serving.

Recipe Tips

  • It will take about 14 rectangular graham crackers to make 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs.
  • Let your cream cheese get to room temperature before beginning this recipe- It will be so much easier to work with!
  • The crust may be soft when it comes out of the oven, but it will harden when it cools. 
  • If you prefer smaller slices of apples you can take a knife and make cross cuts to the apples in the can several times to cut them into smaller pieces.

Substitutions and Variations

  • Use a different type of cookie crumbs for the crust. Shortbread, sugar cookie, and snickerdoodle crumbs would all be divine in this crust. 
  • Leave out the pecans if you’re not into nuts in your desserts, or switch them out for walnuts if you prefer.
  • Drizzle caramel sauce over the top. Apples and caramel are a delicious flavor combination.
  • Allow at minimum 4 hours for this dessert to chill in the refrigerator. This allows the layers time to set up before serving and makes it easier to slice and serve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different type of crust for Apple Delight?

Yes! Feel free to leave out the pecans if you’d like. You can also use a different type of cookie in place of the graham crackers. Nilla wafers, shortbread, or sugar cookie crumbs would be great!

Is this dessert the same as apple lush?

Yes! People call this dish all sorts of things. Apple lush, apple delight, and apple dream can all be used to describe this dessert. 

Can I use store-bought graham cracker crumbs for the crust?

Of course! This is a great way to save time. 

Slice of apple delight on white plate with bite on a fork.

If you love apple recipes here are a few more to try!

This layered apple delight dish is light, refreshing, and delicious. The flavors of cream cheese, autumn apples, and pecans come together to make a delicious dessert that the whole family will love. 

If you try it, be sure to come back here to rate the recipe and leave a comment. 

Slice of Apple Delight on white plate.

Apple Delight Recipe

Author: Judy Wilson
This Apple Delight recipe is the perfect fall dessert with a buttery graham cracker crust and layers of fluffy cream cheese, apple pie filling, and whipped cream.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Chill Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 28 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 320 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups graham crackers, crushed
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • ¼ cup crushed pecans
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup confectioners sugar
  • 16 ounces whipped topping, divided
  • 2 cans apple pie filling (21 ounces each)
  • ½ cup chopped pecans
  • cooking spray

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
  • Crush graham crackers in a food processor or crush in a plastic Ziploc bag with a rolling pin.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the graham crackers, melted butter, crushed pecans, brown sugar and ground cinnamon until well combined.
  • Spread and press down the crust mixture into a 9x13 baking dish with your hands or the back of a spatula. Bake the crust in the oven for 8 minutes, then remove and allow the crust to fully cool.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Slowly mix the powdered sugar into the cream cheese until fully incorporated.
  • Stir half of the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture until well mixed.
  • Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly across the top of the cooled graham cracker crust.
  • Evenly add the apple pie filling across the top of the cream cheese layer.
  • Next, spread the remaining whipped topping over the top of the apple pie filling layer.
  • Garnish the whipped topping layer with the chopped pecans.
  • Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight before serving. Slice and serve, enjoy!

Notes

If you prefer smaller slices of apples you can take a knife and make cross cuts to the apples in the can several times to cut them into smaller pieces.
You can store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 320kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 6gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 261mgPotassium: 154mgFiber: 1gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 279IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 117mgIron: 1mg
The nutritional information provided is approximate and should only be used as a general guideline. It is an estimate that will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Did You Make This Recipe? Please Rate, Comment & Share. Thank you!
5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)
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Recipe Rating




Pam

Thursday 30th of November 2023

YUM, this looks absolutely delicious! I'll be featuring this post at Thursday Favorite Things today. :) Pam anartfulmom.com

Kerryanne

Thursday 23rd of November 2023

I'm so intrigued by this recipe Judy. I've never seen anything like it here in Australia. I'll have to substitute for some of the ingredients, but I'm keen to try it. Thank you for sharing your 'apple delight' recipe at Create, Bake, Grow & Gather this week. I'm delighted to be featuring your recipe at tonight's party and pinning too.

Joansy

Sunday 19th of November 2023

This is the kind of dessert my family loves! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe! I will definitely make this next week.

Esme Slabbert

Tuesday 14th of November 2023

Oh be still my heart, pecans and cream cheese - wow I visited you via The Happy Now Blog Link- Up #399 I linked up this week with = 108+109. Hope you will join us M-S SeniorSalonPitStop and W-S #WordlessWednesday. You will find both under BLOGGING.

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