Caramel Pecan Campfire Baked Apples
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Campfire baked apples are the perfect camping dessert for those colder nights around the campfire. The salted caramel really takes this classic camping dessert to a new level!
What are Campfire Baked Apples?
Campfire baked apples are exactly what they sound like… baked apples cooked over the campfire!
Baked apples are a classic cold-weather dessert. They have all the flavor of an apple crisp but are even easier to make.
I love them for camping because you can cook them right over the campfire (or in a dutch oven) and you can make one or two servings if that’s all you need.
When it’s just me and Nick camping together, I can easily make one or two campfire baked apples instead of an entire dutch oven fruit crisp. The latter would be way too much dessert for the two of us.
Ingredients for Campfire Baked Apples
There are so many ways you can change up your baked apples. Below you’ll find a recipe for my Salted Caramel Pecan Baked Apples, but feel free to try your own combinations of flavors!
Basic Ingredients:
- Baking Apples – Granny Smith, Fuji, Gala, and even Honeycrisp all work well in this recipe
- Crumble Filling – The simplest crumple filling is made up of butter, oats, apple pie spice, and brown sugar. I love to add chopped nuts to mine. You can also try adding dried fruits or even toasted coconut. There are a lot of possibilities here!
- Toppings – Lastly, we have the toppings. In my recipe, I drizzle my baked apples with salted caramel sauce because apples and caramel are the perfect combo in my book! A dollop of whipped cream or Greek Yogurt are great options too.
How to Make Campfire Baked Apples
Prepare the Apples:
- In a small bowl, mix the oats, pecans, apple pie spice, and brown sugar for the apple filling. This step can be done at home to make things easier at camp. Add in the softened butter and mix until a crumble forms. I usually use two forks for this step.
- Core the apples and stuff them with the crumble filling. Make sure that as you core the apples you don’t go all the way through to the bottom! Stuff the apples with the filling.
Bake the Apples:
There are two ways that you can bake the apples at camp.
For Campfire Coals Cooking:
- Wrap each apple in parchment paper first, followed by 2 layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place the wrapped apple over campfire coals, not flames.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes, rotating about every 10 minutes so that the apple cooks evenly. Add in fresh coals from the fire as needed.
For Dutch Oven Cooking:
- Line the dutch oven with parchment paper and place your stuffed apples inside with the filling facing up so that it doesn’t fall out. Cover with the dutch oven lid.
- Place campfire coals below and on the lid of the dutch oven. Note: You want most of the heat to be on the lid. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the apples have softened.
Serve with Salted Caramel:
- Once the apples are cooked, remove them from the heat. If you cooked the apples in foil, be careful as you open them because they’ll be hot!
- Top the baked apples with a drizzle of salted caramel sauce and chopped pecans. Serve hot and enjoy!
You can use store-bought salted caramel sauce or make your own at home before your camping trip. I love this easy homemade Salted Caramel Sauce recipe that doesn’t require a candy thermometer and only takes a few minutes to make!
Recipe Notes:
- I prefer to mix the oats, pecans, apple pie spice, and brown sugar for the crumble filling at home. Then at camp, all I need to do is add the butter.
- Cook times will vary based on how large your apples are and how hot your coals are. The longer you cook the apple, the mushier it will get.
Caramel Pecan Campfire Baked Apples
Equipment
- parchment paper
- heavy duty aluminum foil
- metal tongs or fire-resistant gloves
- dutch oven (depending on how you cook)
Ingredients
- 2 baking apples, Granny Smith, Fuji, Gala
- 4 tbsp salted caramel sauce
- 2 tbsp chopped pecans, for topping
Crumble Filling for 2 servings:
- 2 tbsp salted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 2 tbsp chopped pecans
- 1/4 tsp apple pie spice
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
Instructions
Mix the filling:
- In a small bowl, mix the oats, pecans, apple pie spice, and brown sugar. Add in the softened butter and mix until a crumble forms.
- Core the apples and stuff them with the crumble filling.
For Campfire Coals Cooking:
- Wrap each apple in parchment paper first, followed by 2 layers of heavy duty aluminum foil. Place the wrapped apple over campfire coals, not flames.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes, rotating about every 10 minutes, so that the apple cooks evenly. Add in fresh coals from the fire as needed.
For Dutch Oven Cooking:
- Line the dutch oven with parchment paper and place your stuffed apples inside with the filling facing up so that it doesn't fall out. Cover with the dutch oven lid.
- Place campfire coals below and on the lid of the dutch oven. Note: You want most of the heat to be on the lid.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until the apples have softened.
Serve:
- Once the apples are cooked, remove them from the heat. If you cooked the apples in foil, be careful as you open them because they will be hot!
- Top with a drizzle of salted caramel sauce and chopped pecans. Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
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