Olive Garden Apple Caramelina Recipe (Easy Copycat Dessert)

There’s something magical about the combination of warm, spiced apples topped with a golden, buttery crumble that instantly transports you to cozy autumn evenings. Olive Garden’s Apple Caramelina was a beloved menu item that disappeared from restaurants years ago, leaving fans craving this perfect apple dessert. The good news? You can recreate this nostalgic treat at home with ingredients you likely already have in your pantry. This copycat recipe delivers all the comfort of the original with tender, cinnamon-kissed apples beneath a crispy, sweet topping that pairs beautifully with creamy vanilla ice cream and rich caramel sauce.

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What Makes the Olive Garden Apple Caramelina So Special? 

Olive Garden used to serve this classic apple crumble with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce, but it hasn’t been on the chain’s menu for years. But that’s okay because it is simple to make at home and worth the minimal effort.

Once you taste the combination of warm spiced tart apples, the crispy topping, and sweet, creamy ice cream, you will want to make this apple dessert again and again. 

Why You Should Try This Recipe? 

The secret to exceptional Apple Caramelina lies in the balance between the tender, spiced apple filling and the perfectly textured crumble topping. Unlike many copycat recipes that rely on canned pie filling, this version gives you the option to use fresh apples, which creates superior flavor and texture. The combination of brown and white sugars in both the filling and topping creates complex sweetness, while apple pie spice adds warmth without overwhelming the natural apple flavor. The butter-based crumble topping bakes to golden perfection, providing the ideal contrast to the soft fruit beneath.

Olive Garden Apple Dessert Ingredients 

For the Apple Filling:

• Canned sliced apples (29 oz can, drained) – Provides consistent texture and saves prep time
• White granulated sugar (1/3 cup) – Enhances natural apple sweetness
• Apple pie spice (1 teaspoon) – Adds warm cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice notes
• Light brown sugar (2 tablespoons) – Contributes molasses depth and caramel notes
• Salt (1/4 teaspoon) – Balances sweetness and enhances apple flavor
• All-purpose flour (2 tablespoons) – Thickens fruit juices during baking

For the Crumble Topping:

• All-purpose flour (1/2 cup) – Creates structure for the crispy topping
• Salt (1/4 teaspoon) – Enhances overall flavor balance
• Light brown sugar (1/3 cup) – Provides caramel-like sweetness
• White granulated sugar (1/3 cup) – Adds sweetness and helps create golden color
• Unsalted butter, softened (4 tablespoons) – Creates rich, crumbly texture

For Serving:

• Caramel sauce – Adds luxurious sweetness and visual appeal
• Vanilla ice cream – Provides cooling contrast to warm fruit

Fresh Apple Alternative:

• Fresh apples (6 medium) – Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Granny Smith, or Jonagold varieties work best

If you can’t find canned apples, you can use fresh apples. You want to use sweet and tart apples that won’t completely lose shape in the oven. Honeycrisps are perfect, but they can be pricey. Braeburns cost less but are challenging to find in the store. So, use your favorite cooking apples like Winesaps and Jonagolds. You can’t go wrong with Granny Smiths if you prefer tarter apples. 

To make the apple filling with canned apples:

1. Grease an 8 X 8-inch baking dish and set it to the side.
2. Drain the apples in a colander over the sink. 
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix apples with white granulated sugar, apple pie spice, light brown sugar, salt, and flour. 
4. Stir well to evenly coat the apples and transfer them to the prepared baking dish. 

To make the apple filling with fresh apples:

1. Wash the apples well. Peel and core them.
2. Chop the apples into bite-sized pieces and place them into a medium saucepan.
3. Cover the apples with cold water from the tap.
4. Place the saucepan with the apples on the stove over medium. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until the apples are tender. 
5. While the apples cook, grease an 8 X 8-inch baking dish and set it to the side. To save time, you may want to prepare the crumble topping now. See below. 
6. Once the apples are tender, drain them in a colander over the sink. Pat the apples as dry as possible with a kitchen towel. 
7. In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened apples with the white granulated sugar, apple pie spice, light brown sugar, salt, and flour. 
8. Stir well to evenly coat the apples and transfer them to the prepared baking dish. 

To make the apple crumble topping:

1. Whisk together the dry topping ingredients (flour, salt, light brown sugar, and white granulated sugar) in a medium mixing bowl.
2. Work the softened butter into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until the topping resembles coarse cornmeal. 
3. Sprinkle the topping over the apple filling in the baking dish.

To bake Olive Garden Apple Caramelina:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Put the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes. 
3. Remove the baking dish from the oven and allow the Apple Caramelina to cool for about 10 minutes on a wire rack. Serve warm. 

What to Serve With This Olive Garden Apple Dessert

Plate a portion of the warm apple crumble and drizzle caramel sauce over the top. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side and serve immediately. 

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

• Room Temperature: Apple Caramelina is best served warm but can sit at room temperature for up to 4 hours after baking.
• Refrigerated Storage: Cool completely before covering and refrigerating for up to 3 days. The topping will soften slightly but still taste delicious.
• Freezing: Wrap cooled dessert tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
• Make-Ahead Assembly: Prepare the entire dish up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate, then bake as directed when ready to serve.

Olive Garden Apple Caramelina (Easy Copycat Recipe)

Warm spiced apple crumble with buttery topping, served with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. Better than the original restaurant version!

5 from 5 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Dessert Recipes, Olive Garden Recipes

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 542kcal

Author: Stephanie Manley

Ingredients

Apple Filling

• 2 cans sliced apples 20 ounces each, drained
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Topping

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 5 tablespoons butter softened

Serving

• 1 cup vanilla ice cream
• ¼ cup caramel sauce

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• To make the apple filling, combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to a lightly buttered 8×8-inch baking dish.
• To make the topping, combine the flour, salt, and both sugars in a mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Work the softened butter into the dry ingredients. The mixture should look like a coarse meal.
• Sprinkle the topping over the apple filling and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Serve topped with a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.

Notes

If you want to use fresh apples here is how to prepare them for the filling. I recommend using Braeburn or Honey Crisp.

1. Wash the 3 1/2 pounds of apples well. Peel and core them.
2. Chop the apples into bite-sized pieces and place them into a medium saucepan.
3. Cover the apples with cold water from the tap.
4. Place the saucepan with the apples on the stove over medium. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until the apples are tender. 
5. Once the apples are tender, drain them in a colander over the sink. Pat the apples as dry as possible with a kitchen towel.

Nutrition

Calories: 542kcal | Carbohydrates: 102g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 428mg | Potassium: 79mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 77g | Vitamin A: 435IU | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1.8mg

More Olive Garden Desserts

• Cookie Dough Cheesecake
• Lemon Cream Cake
• Peach Cheesecake
• Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Tiramisu

Favorite Apple Dessert Recipes

• Apple Bread Pudding
• Apple Cobbler with Bisquick
• Apple Crisp with Oats
• Apple Pie Cheesecake
• Apple Spice Cake
• Fried Apple Pie
• Sugar Free Apple Pie

Check out my easy dessert recipes and the best copycat Olive Garden recipes on CopyKat!