5 Best Campfire Dessert Recipes

Mmm…a campfire dessert. Imagine you’re sitting around a fire enjoying good conversation with a full and content belly. But there’s still something missing.

Something sweet. Something delectable that dinner can’t satisfy. It’s time for dessert. And not just any dessert, but a campfire dessert.

Let’s dig in!

Tips for Cooking Campfire Desserts

You may be the best cook in the world when it comes to cooking in an Instant Pot, but how about cooking over a campfire? And now, everyone’s counting on you to make that perfect sweet treat. They’ve been talking about it all day. The pressure’s on.

Just follow these simple tips for cooking over a campfire. You got this! The only problem is that they’ll be so delicious, you’ll be expected to make dessert every night.

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

We’ve heard this again and again with almost anything we do. If you take the time to prepare for something properly, the work is much easier in the end. The same certainly goes for cooking desserts over a campfire. Know your recipe. Have all ingredients and tools nearby. Whatever you can do to prep ahead of time, do so.

Proper Cookware

Cast iron or aluminum foil will become your best buds when creating delicious campfire sweets. They cook better and clean up easier. Another great thing to have when cooking campfire desserts is a grill.  This makes it much easier to gain control over the intense heat of a campfire.

Flameless Fire

Fires are hot, and the temperature is hard to control. The best way to cook over this type of heat is to make sure there’s no flame, just hot coals. This means the campfire needs to have been burning for quite some time to get those hot coals, at least 45 minutes. Since this is dessert time, it shouldn’t be a problem. You’ve already been sitting for hours over the fire, chatting, eating, drinking, and enjoying yourself. So, the fire’s perfect.

Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down

Speaking of ashes, they can help control the heat of the fire if it gets too hot. Simply place a scoopful of ashes over the hot coals. They’ll immediately cool down. Careful, though. Too much, and you won’t have enough heat to continue cooking.

Tools Needed for Cooking Over a Campfire

Whatever you may be cooking over a campfire, you need to come prepared with the proper tools. Not every campfire recipe will require all of these tools, but at least you will have what you need at the moment.  

Some of the best tools to have handy are cast iron cookware, aluminum foil or pan, roasting sticks or forks, and a campfire grate. You should also have heat-resistant utensils nearby so as not to burn your hands or melt plastic utensils. Another great tool to help you get your food off of the fire is a silicone-based oven-mitt. This won’t melt over the fire, and it does wonders when it comes to protecting you from the heat of the flame or coals.

Other optional items may include a campfire tripod stand or an extendable pie iron. You won’t need these to make the following desserts, but once you start cooking over a fire, it’s hard to stop. Your creativity will certainly require more tools. 

5 Simple Campfire Dessert Recipes

Your guests are waiting excitedly and impatiently for that sweet treat. So it’s a good thing you already know what you’re creating. But in case you don’t, we’ve got five simple campfire desserts for you right here. From fruity to downright sinful, you surely can’t go wrong with these mouth-watering goodies.

#1 – Campfire Banana Boats

This classic campfire dessert recipe is quite simple. Think of s’mores crossed with a banana split, without the ice cream. You only need a banana and whatever crunchy or gooey sweet toppings your creative mind can dream up. 

Wrap all that goodness in tinfoil, then place it on a grate over a hot campfire, and voila! Heaven is a banana.

#2 – Campfire Apple Crisp Foil Packs

Just like Grandma’s old-fashioned apple pie, this will take you back to the simpler days. Days spent playing and nights spent around a campfire with an apple crisp full of the perfect amount of spices. This has all the requirements of a campfire dessert: sweet and smokey with the perfect crunch.

Preparing these ahead of time makes life much easier when relaxing around the campfire. All you have to do is take out the already prepared packets of apple crisp and place them directly on the grill. In about 20 minutes, this beauty will be ready to top off with some ice cream or whipped topping or whatever your heart desires. Simple desserts create simpler times. 

#3 – Campfire Dessert Pizza

If it’s pizza, we’re in. One of the best dinner ideas, it’s also one of the best dessert ideas. Cook it on a campfire, and it becomes the gold-medal winner of all desserts. Especially when each person can choose their own toppings. Think of goodies such as chocolate chips, strawberry slices, mini marshmallows, blueberries, candy bars, or gummy worms to get you started. 

This campfire dessert is simple and fun, and uses a tortilla for the crust. If anyone’s disappointed with this dessert, it’s their own fault. They should have followed your prime example of the perfect toppings.  The cook always knows best.

#4 – Campfire S’mores Nachos

The name alone will get your mouth a-watering. Use graham crackers instead of chips. Then, instead of cheese, add all the s’mores types of toppings you can imagine. These are not your ordinary nachos! These are campfire s’mores nachos.

Place the entire mess in an aluminum pan and cook it on a grate or near a campfire. Then you’ve got yourself a very gooey campfire dessert that will make everyone ecstatic. You’ll all feel like kids again!

#5 – Campfire Cones

It’s hard to get away from s’mores style recipes when it comes to campfire desserts. And why would we want to? These campfire cones are similar to s’mores but without most of the mess. 

Grab a waffle cone and fill it with whatever toppings you can think of related to s’mores and then some. Wrap it all up in foil and roast over the campfire or place on a grate until everything is a perfectly melted hodgepodge of the good stuff.

Campfire Desserts that will Make You Rethink Dinner

I don’t know about you, but we’re already planning our campfire dinners around these campfire desserts.  Actually, we’re thinking about having dessert first. When campfire desserts are this tasty, they deserve to be the main course. It’s time to rethink dinner, at least for a night or two. 

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