No-Bake Dulce de Leche Apple Pie Parfaits

Last updated on April 18th, 2025 at 10:10 pm

If you’ve ever wanted apple pie and caramel in one bite—but without turning on the oven—these Dulce de Leche Apple Pie Parfaits are your new go-to. They’re sweet, creamy, cinnamon-spiced, and layered with the kind of flavor that you just won’t want to share with anyone else! Plus, there’s zero baking involved, which is perfect for summer!

This is the kind of dessert that feels fancy enough for guests but is secretly so easy, you can throw it together in minutes using store-bought apple pie filling and thick, dreamy dulce de leche. It’s perfect for fall, holidays, or just whenever you’re craving a cozy treat.

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Ingredients for Dulce de Leche Apple Pie Parfaits

You only need a handful of simple ingredients to create these layered beauties:

• 2 cans (21 oz) apple pie filling (You may not use all of the second can, but definitely can if you want to!)
  
• 1 cup crushed cinnamon graham crackers (I usually buy the pre-crushed, but you can also crush graham crackers in a food processor)
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
  
• 1 ½ cups whipped cream (store-bought or homemade, for topping)
  
• ½-3/4 cup dulce de leche (I just bought 1 small can from the store, but didn’t use the whole thing), warmed slightly
• Optional: 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream (to help the texture of your dulce de leche) 

How to Make Dulce de Leche Apple Pie Parfaits

These parfaits come together in just a few minutes and look extra cute layered in small mason jars or clear cups. Here’s how to build them:

1. Chop the apples in the pie filling into smaller pieces for easier layering and better texture in every bite.

2. Mix the apple pie filling with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon (save the other teaspoon for the graham cracker crust) and ½ teaspoon nutmeg. Set aside.

3. Mix together graham cracker crumbs, your leftover 1 teaspoon cinnamon, melted butter and brown sugar together to form the crust layer

4. Microwave your dulce de leche for just 5-10 seconds. Quickly stir in a bit of heavy cream to make it a little thinner and more pourable. Adjust the amount of cream as necessary and keep stirring until it is completely incorporated into the dulce de leche.

Layer your parfaits:

• Layer 1 – Crust: Start with a tablespoon or so of crust at the bottom of each jar or cup.
  
• Layer 2 – Apple Pie Filling: Spoon in a generous layer of apple pie filling over the crumbs.
  
• Layer 3 – Dulce de Leche: Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of dulce de leche over the apples.
• Repeat layers 1-3 again (and maybe again if you like, depending on how tall of a cup or jar you’re using).
  
• Layer 4 – Whipped Cream: Add a pretty swirl of whipped cream from a can or homemade whipped cream. See my note below about homemade whipped cream.

Pro Tips for Perfect Parfaits

• Make them ahead: You can assemble these a few hours in advance—just wait to add the top whipped cream until right before you serve.
• Go for small layers: I tested quite a few different strategies for layering this parfaits! To me, the best way to do it was with smaller, thinner layers than I would have thought necessary. Just a small sprinkling of graham cracker crumbs, a spoonful of apple pie filling and a small drizzle of dulce de leche was all it took for one layer. I was able to fit in 3 layers into one parfait and it tasted absolutely divine.
• If you want the best whipped cream that will hold up better on hot summer days, beat about 1.5 cups of heavy whipping cream with ¼ cup powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla until stiff peaks form. Then, put your homemade whipped cream in a piping bag with a star tip (I like the Wilton 1M tip) and pipe a pretty swirl of whipped cream on top. I put whipped cream in a can for the pictures of this recipe, but I actually use this homemade whipped cream. It’s so yummy and easy to make!
  
• Go mini or big: You can make these as big or as small as you want! I got about 8 medium-sized cups out of this recipe as written. However, I would say those medium sized cups were definitely big enough for 2 people to share (Or 1 person who’s really hungry to eat by themselves).

FAQs

How should I store these?
Just to be safe, I would store these in the fridge until you’re ready to serve them. I have left them sitting out at room temperature for longer than food safety guidelines would probably dictate and survived. However, I would recommend storing them in fridge just in case.

Is dulce de leche the same as caramel?
Not exactly! Dulce de leche is creamier and made by slowly cooking sweetened milk, while caramel is made from sugar. Dulce de leche gives these parfaits a rich, luxurious flavor that’s perfect with apples and cinnamon.

How many parfaits does this make?

It really depends on how big your cups or jars that you use are, unfortunately. I got about 8 medium-large-sized cups out of mine, but it all depends on the size of the containers you use and how big of layers you make.

How long do these last?

I would say they last a good amount of time outside if you’re serving them at a backyard barbecue or something outdoors. If you have a few left over, they’ll last in the fridge for up to 3 days. The graham cracker crumbs may get a big soggy, but they’ll still be safe to eat.

These Dulce de Leche Apple Pie Parfaits are one of those desserts that look impressive, taste amazing, and take less than 15 minutes to make. If you give them a try, I’d love to hear how they turned out!

Dulce de Leche Apple Pie Parfaits

Robyn

These Dulce de Leche Apple Pie Parfaits are a fun, no-bake twist on classic apple pie—perfect for summer! Layered with cinnamon-spiced apples, creamy whipped topping, crushed graham crackers, and rich dulce de leche, they’re an easy and elegant dessert that comes together in minutes.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 2 cans apple pie filling 21 oz. each
• 1 cup crushed cinnamon graham cracker crumbs
• 2 tsp cinnamon divided
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp butter melted
• 1 1/2 cups whipped cream store-bought or homemade, for topping

Instructions

 

• Chop the apples in the pie filling into smaller pieces for easier layering and better texture
• Mix the apple pie filling with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon (save the other teaspoon for the graham cracker crust) and ½ teaspoon nutmeg. Set aside.
• Mix together graham cracker crumbs, your leftover 1 teaspoon cinnamon, melted butter and brown sugar together to form the crust layer. Set aside.
• Put your dulce de leche in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for just 5-10 seconds. Quickly stir in a bit of heavy cream to make it a little thinner and more pourable. Adjust the amount of cream as necessary and keep stirring until it is completely incorporated into the dulce de leche.
• Layer your parfaits:

  Layer 1 (on the bottom): About 1 tablespoon graham cracker crumbs

  Layer 2: A generous spoonful of apple pie filling

  Layer 3: A smaller spoonful or drizzle of dulce de leche.

  Repeat layers 1-3 until you reach the top of the serving jar or cup you're using
• Top everything off with whipped cream

Keyword apple pie, dulce de leche, No-Bake, parfait