Campsite Sweets | An Ocean Lakes How-To

When on vacation, cooking is not always a favorite, which is when guests turn to the Meet n’ Eat for the tasty food and treats (who can say no to the Blue Bell Ice Cream?!). While I love the Meet n’ Eat just as much as all of our guests (have you tried their thin crust pizza?!), cooking over a campfire has its advantages! 

Plan a night to make dessert at the campsite and let the kids help! Below are 5 kid-friendly recipes and tricks for making sweets at the campsite that the family will love. This will create a lasting memory for everyone, and maybe even a new tradition!

Let’s get to cooking at the campsite – Follow along for sweet campsite recipes | 

Pancakes | I know I said plan a “night” for dessert, but pancakes for breakfast are pretty SWEET! Fluffy pancakes are the perfect start to any day, especially on vacation. Leave the messy method at home and use a bottle to make these at the campsite! Make life easier (and cleaner) and get rid of the bowl-pouring method. Grab an empty condiment bottle (a ketchup or mustard bottle will work perfectly) and put your pancake batter in there. The pancakes will be stacking up in no time and the family will be smiling ear-to-ear! 

Waffle Cone Treats | Ice cream at the Meet n’ Eat is not the only sweet treat that can be served in a waffle cone! Create a waffle cone bar at the campsite one night for fun. Get creative with your toppings! A few options are marshmallows, M&Ms, peanut butter cups, graham crackers, fresh fruit, and gummy worms. To warm them up or melt any of the toppings, simply wrap them in aluminum foil and place over the campfire. The kiddos will be jumping for joy for this sweet treat!

Cast Iron Skillet Pie/Cookie | Whether you consider this a big cookie or choose the toppings to turn this into a pie, this is super simple, and the little campers can even help! Purchase your favorite cookie dough and toppings of choice. Line the cast iron skillet with cookie dough, then place your toppings on the dough. Sit the skillet over the campfire and let it bake until the cookie dough is cooked to your liking. Your camping neighbors will be wanting to join in just from smelling this!

Skillet of Pound Cake and Berries | Just the name has my mouth watering! All you need are 12–16 ounces of fresh berries, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1/4 cup of butter, 3/4 pound of pound cake, and 2 Rolo candy bars. Keep it simple and purchase the pre-made pound cake from the bakery at the grocery store or be extra (like me) and bake a pound cake before leaving home. Next, combine the berries and the sugar in a bowl and let them sit until the juices start to release, which will take bout 10-15 minutes. Then, add butter to a cast iron skillet and wait for it to melt. Cut the pound cake into bite size cubes. Finally, add this to the hot skillet and cook, turning often, until all sides are toasted. Remove the skillet from the heat and pour the berries over the top of the cake cubes, then sprinkle the Rolos over the top. Cover the skillet with aluminum foil until the berries are warm and the chocolate is melted. Easy, right? And, so tasty! 

Skillet S’mores Dip | Camping without s’mores is unheard of. Here is a twist on a classic! All you need is a cast iron skillet, butter, milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, marshmallows, and graham crackers. Heat the skillet over the campfire or on the grill and add in 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Once melted, brush the entire skillet before adding in 1-3/4 cup milk chocolate chips and 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. Next, top the chocolate chips with 3 to 4 handfuls (if the kids are helping, add an extra handful since they have smaller hands) of marshmallows, enough to cover the top. Let this cook for a few minutes, then remove from the heat, and use the graham crackers to scoop the mixture! A sweet classic made simple!

Until Next Time | Be sure to try these sweet treats and let us know how they turn out for you and the family! Share your favorite campsite recipes with us in the comments.