Mouthwatering Camping Desserts (Aside From S'mores) That'll Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth, According To Seasoned Campers

Whether you're a fan of the increasingly popular style of camping known as "cowboy camping" or prefer to explore the world's awesome glamping sites, when you camp, you're taking part in a beloved pastime. In 2024 alone, 81.1 million people went camping in America, according to The Dyrt's 2025 camping report, released in collaboration with Toyota Trucks. Nearly six million of those campers were first-timers, and many of them no doubt enjoyed cooking up fresh s'mores over the campfire. 

While s'mores are a time-honored campfire snack, camping veterans know that these sweet treats have their limitations. Gooey chocolate, melty marshmallows, and snappy graham crackers are tasty, but roughing it in nature doesn't mean you can't enjoy more elaborate desserts. Some may catch you off guard, especially if you're under the misconception that you need a full kitchen to prepare them. You might be surprised by what's possible with a skillet, a Dutch oven, or even some snugly wrapped foil packets. With a little planning and the right ingredients at your disposal, you can easily whip up something unforgettable with minimal fuss.

If you're already leveling up your campfire cooking, upping your dessert game is the next logical step. We've compiled some of the best of the best — desserts that are just a little bit unexpected for camping, yet that have a gourmet feel. Preparing them in the wild may not seem possible, but it all comes down to a little know-how. Here are some popular desserts that campers love making outdoors.

Bananas and apples may seem like the easiest fruits to munch on while camping, but you can put together a decadent fruity cobbler, too — even if you're dry camping (a camping style hikers and RVers swear by). The beauty of this recipe is that you can easily customize it to your preferred tastes. Virtually any type of fruit that you have on hand can work, from seasonal berries to peaches to apples. You'll also want to consider whether you'd prefer a crumbly topping or biscuit dough. Either one will work to create that distinctive, golden finish that lends cobblers their beauty.

The best part about this recipe is that it's very easy to prepare. Whether you pack a skillet, Dutch oven, or cast-iron pan, you'll find it simple to layer fruit, sprinkle on some sugar, and finish with a crumbly topping. If you're making it over the fire, note that you'll need to cover it loosely with foil. Otherwise, you can put it directly in a covered Dutch oven and let it bake. You can also save time by chopping fruit and mixing your topping at home!

Another plus point is portability. All of the ingredients for a fruit cobbler can easily be placed in airtight containers to survive the journey to the campsite, and everything is lightweight. You can even pack some cinnamon or light toppings, like chocolate chips and walnuts, if you want to shake things up and give everyone something to look forward to at the end of the day (or anytime the mood for something sweet strikes!). To make your cooking experience even easier, make sure to pack stormproof matches — a foolproof outdoor item that is a must-have for camping in unpredictable weather. 

It's a classic, but not quite a camping classic — and that makes a chocolate chip skillet cookie a great alternative to the usual s'mores. It's similar in some ways, offering the same gooey and chocolatey experience, but with the quality of something you might order at a restaurant, and that's easy to share with your fellow campers.

At a bare minimum, you will need some pre-made cookie dough or your preferred cookie mix — preparing dough at the campsite is theoretically possible, but would involve a lot of extra work and mess. It's possible to use a fire pit and cook over the flame, which, from personal experience, we can confirm provides a very nice, even outcome instead of creating burned spots — check out our tips on how to build a perfect campfire every time.

What's nice about this recipe is that it's quite customizable. While chocolate chips are the star of the show, they can share the spotlight with other ingredients if you want to make things even more interesting. Luckily, it's easy to bring along a few mix-in ingredients, like nuts, mini marshmallows, M&Ms, toffee bits, caramel bits, and more. Once done, it should be piping hot with melted chips throughout. A little drizzle of chocolate, butterscotch, or caramel sauce can finish it off nicely!

Many campers have shared their enthusiasm for making cinnamon rolls in the wild. There are a few ways to pull this off, some of which are more straightforward than others. Enjoyed as a sweet breakfast first thing in the morning or as a delicious dessert treat, a cinnamon roll is an easy treat that has a nostalgic quality about it. With a Dutch oven or other cast-iron pan, it's fairly easy to accomplish.

Putting it together begins with your choice of either pre-made or refrigerated dough. You'll also need sugar and cinnamon, along with any miscellaneous additions you might want to incorporate for a little twist. The blog Campfire Kitchen shared some ideas, suggesting that "maybe some chocolate-cinnamon-sugar spice, maybe even berries" would bring the traditional baked good to life. You can even create a cinnamon crumble topping, combining the spice with your crumble of choice, then sprinkling it on top of the cinnamon buns before you bake.

There's even the option of preparing cinnamon buns in orange peels. This is a great alternative if you already have the fruit handy, as all you need to do is cook the bun over heat in a hollowed-out orange. Once it's baked, the bun should assume some of the fruit's citrusy essence, transforming it from a basic recipe into something that may be even more crowd-pleasing.

All you really need to achieve this delicious dish are your berries of choice, some sugar, and something crunchy. It's a simple dessert that is adaptable to your preferred type of berry, or you can combine a few to make a mixed treat instead — or gather what's growing near you, if you're in an area that allows that. Seasonal fruit foraging in Europe is an affordable and fun option that could be especially fun if you're camping with little ones looking for something to do.

There's very little intuition required to make a berry crisp. Your berries don't need to be measured, for example. Preparation for this dish focuses more on throwing your desired ingredients together. Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, or blackberries can hold up quite well, but even frozen berries can work if you prefer to pack that form along instead. Combine them in a cast-iron skillet or a heat-safe pan, add your sweetening agents of choice (sugar and honey are great options), and add a spritz of lemon for some balance. What really brings this dessert together is the crispy topping. The 2 Nerds in a Truck blog recommends tossing granola with some sugar and oat flour to make the topping, noting that the granola brings some "taste and extra crunch" to the recipe.

You'll need to cover the concoction as you heat it over the fire and let the embers do the honors. Once it achieves that telltale golden finish, you'll know that the crisp is done. It's great to enjoy as it is, but if you're traveling with a sweet sauce, it can add a flavorful, extra-sweet finishing touch to the plate.

Crescent rolls are quite versatile. Many camping bloggers have reported delicious results when using crescent rolls to create assorted dishes, from sticky buns to simple roll-ups. Another option is to make it a true campfire recipe to satisfy any sweet tooth.

That begins by wrapping the dough around a foil-wrapped stick and cooking it on the fire. Once it's browned to a golden crisp, simply slide it off the stick and add the filling of your choice to the center. This is a fun opportunity to make dessert preparation an activity with loved ones. Consider packing a variety of toppings, like nut butters, canned frosting, chocolate chips, caramel bits, nuts, miniature candies, and more. Set it all up buffet style so everyone can put their dessert together on their own.

According to campers, one option is to use Nutella to make a creative campfire eclair. "They're easy to make, and our friends that we camped with were super impressed by our 'fancy' campfire dessert," the blogger of The Many Little Joys wrote. This is a solid alternative option if you'd prefer to avoid cooking with pans or dealing with messes.

Sometimes inspiration strikes right in the grocery store. Admittedly, you may not have ever thought about grilling pound cake before, but putting this classic dessert over an open flame can have a really transformative effect on both its flavor and texture. Light grilling causes the sugar to caramelize, creating a slightly crispy, golden finish with a lovely smoky finish that takes the dessert into a decidedly more decadent direction.

Preparing this is extremely simple, too. First, you'll want to start off with a pound cake — either bake one at home and bring it with you, or pick one up at the store to save time. We've tried this recipe before, and from personal experience, we can confirm it's best to slice the cake thickly to keep it intact through the entire process. Just add a little butter spray to each side and grill, keeping a close eye on it to prevent burning.

The options from there are endless, as it can easily be topped with assorted dessert sauces or fruits. Alternately, it's perfectly delicious on its own and makes a very tasty and effortless dessert if you prefer something low-maintenance and no-fuss, but that still has a bit more of an elevated feel than typical pound cake.

There's very little work in making chocolate fondue, but the possibilities are virtually endless. In fact, it's the ultimate camp food starter, paving the way for all sorts of mouth-watering dessert ideas. The blog Camp Kitchen summed up the appeal of the dessert. "I just loved the fun of dipping different things in the warm, gooey chocolate and trying out all the different dipper combinations," it wrote.

It's those different options that really make the fondue exciting. You can experiment with fruits, such as bananas, apples, and strawberries, or mix things up with marshmallows, biscotti, pretzels, dried fruit, or graham crackers. You can even use fondue to top off one of the aforementioned hot dishes, like a crumble or a grilled pound cake. Fondue can add a nice warmth to any dish, making it feel more like a freshly homemade dessert.

Making it is a very straightforward process, too. You simply need your chocolate bars (or chips) of choice, along with any type of shelf-stable creamer or milk to create a creamy dip. If you're feeling especially gourmet, you may want to bring along the secret ingredient that will make your fondue unforgettable — flaky sea salt!

A slice of chocolate cake can really hit the spot — and yes, you can prepare it all outside. The trick is just to keep it simple, forgoing the fancy elements in favor of a more streamlined and straightforward approach that works well over a fire. Some campers swear by the tried-and-true dump cake, which layers several ingredients in a Dutch oven.

The beauty of this option, according to the blog Row Adventures, is that it's very straightforward. "One of the best parts of this recipe is that it only requires a few ingredients," it wrote. Among those are traditional grocery store finds like your preferred boxed cake mix, chocolate chips or cocoa, milk, and chocolate pudding. You might even consider whipping in some canned fruit to give it a fruity vibe — something akin to a homemade black forest cake, for example.

When you opt for the "dump" recipe, you're actually creating a very enjoyable activity for all of the campers, too. It can be a bit of a social activity for everyone to assemble the cake and take an active role in its preparation. Don't forget to bring along the extras that can transform your cake-away-from-home recipe, like instant coffee, nut butter, dessert sauces, and chocolate or caramel chips.

If chocolate, crumbles, crisps, and the like aren't part of your diet, you can still enjoy dessert on your terms. Grilled peaches make an excellent alternative, because they're easy to make, low on sugar, and packed with flavor. They also feature a natural caramelized appearance that only enhances their appeal. Preparation is as simple as halving and pitting the peaches, brushing on a bit of oil, and playing them on the grill.

Bloggers love this dessert because it opens up an entirely different world of flavors removed from the usual chocolates and vanillas. The Tacoma Boys even shared that they top theirs with brown sugar and granola to give it an added dessert twist. "While the prep on this dessert might be a bit more involved on the front end, each dessert is a single portion that requires no additional clean up or dishes," they explained.

Another advantage is their versatility. They taste great on their own and work well as a solo snack, but can be paired with grilled pound cake, dipped in chocolate fondue, or even added to a fruit crisp for a little extra fiber and flavor. Famed chef Emeril Lagasse even has a tip for making them even more delicious. The combination of fresh fruit, steam, and heat transforms grilled peaches into a surprisingly sophisticated option that belies the traditional woodsy dessert experience.

Who knew you could make a pineapple upside down cake outside of the kitchen? It doesn't take long to achieve that caramelized pineapple flavor with the cake's buttery sweetness, and you only need one pan to make it a reality. For this recipe, you'll need to bring along a Dutch oven or a skillet.

Either pineapple rings or chunks will work, along with your sweetening agents of choice. Both brown sugar and honey can work well, bringing an intensity to the dessert and creating some contrast to the fruit's inherently tart flavor. After you've layered your ingredients, including cake batter, you'll want to make sure to rotate the cake occasionally to ensure it's cooked evenly. You'll know it's done by its tell-tale golden finish.

It's easy to swap canned pineapple for fresh slices if you prefer, or add maraschino cherries from a jar to give it an even more authentic and classic touch. You can even use individual foil packets to make personal pineapple upside down cakes. Despite its fancy appearance, this is one of the more beginner-friendly camping desserts on the list, a nice option for anyone who wants to create something impressive but who doesn't necessarily have much experience in the kitchen.

To compile this list of mouthwatering and satisfying camping desserts, we drew from both personal experience and the insights of seasoned camping bloggers. Having spent some time glamping and cooking outdoors, we know firsthand what may be possible to prepare over a campfire.

Among the blogs we reviewed are a variety of trusted food and camping websites where experienced campers shared their own tried-and-true recipes and tips. Some of these included camping-focused sites and family blogs. Instead of providing step-by-step recipes, the intention is to inspire you to discover dessert ideas outside of traditional s'mores that might be practical for you to prepare based on the tools and ingredients you have available.

The desserts featured here were selected based on their practicality and accessibility of ingredients, along with their general ease of preparation. Suitable for both seasoned campers and those new to the great outdoors, these recipes can make any experience a little sweeter.