Gluten Free, Grain Free, Holiday, Kid Friendly, Paleo, Recipes, Snacks, Sweets

Gingerbread Apple Cookie Trifle

30 November

I’m back again with another delicious and simple semi-homemade dessert that’s made with nourishing ingredients. this gingerbread apple cookie trifle contains all of those nostalgic flavors of warm spiced gingerbread, with chewy tart fruits and a creamy and rich cream cheese filling. it’s a cinch to make- you mainly just need time to chill it! I hope you try it this holiday season.

this trifle was inspired by ina garten’s Mocha Chocolate Icebox Pie recipe wherein she uses chocolate chip cookies as her cake layers. I remember thinking it was such a smart idea years ago. I selected a grain-free and delicious pecan cookie with a shortbread like texture, and layered it with a convenient jarred apple butter, a creamy cream cheese filling and dried fruits soaked in a decadent orange liquor. ’tis the season!

gingerbread apple trifle ingredients:

simple mills pecan cookies: these delicious cookies are made with nourishing ingredients such as nuts, coconut sugar, pecans and coconut oil.
dried fruits: use what you love the most! I used a combination of chopped dates, dried apricots, currants and cherries.
apple butter: try to find a jarred version made with only apples and apple cider. I found this one at Whole Foods.
cream cheese: I love the flavor combination of cream cheese with the decadent apple butter and cookies.
heavy cream: lightens the cream cheese in the filling. you can sub coconut cream for dairy free.
fresh nutmeg: enhances all of the flavors and adds that gingerbread nostalgia.
orange liquor: I love tossing the dried fruits in a bit of grand marnier for flavor dimension. You could also sub orange juice for kiddos.

how to make this:

this trifle is very simple to make. you’ll begin by whipping together the cream cheese filling with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. next, prepare your additional trifle components: the cookies, chopped and soaked dried fruits, and the apple butter. Next, in a glass pie plate, begin layering your trifle beginning with cookies in a single layer, followed by the whipped cream cheese filling, apple butter, then dried fruits. Finish the trifle with the remaining cream cheese filling, dried fruits and crumbled cookies as a garnish. Chill until very cold- at least 4-5 hours so flavors can meld and cookies can begin to soften. serve and enjoy!