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    Home » Recipes » Food

    Campfire Apple Crisp

    Published: Aug 8, 2025

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    Jump to Recipe

    This easy skillet apple crisp recipe makes a fantastic dessert to cook over a campfire. Very little effort - and no baking needed!

    A pan and plate of skillet apple crisp on a picnic table. Overlaid text says campfire skillet apple crisp.

    On a camping trip to Oastler Lake Provincial Park earlier this year, we finally got around to photographing our easy apple crisp recipe.

    This year, we really got into dutch oven cooking over a campfire, and really honing cooking techniques.

    I know there are a few recipes out there for easy dutch oven apple crisp, but ... I wasn’t a fan. Measuring out individual charcoal briquettes, making sure I use a lid that can handle hot coals being set on top, etc.

    This classic fall dessert definitely demands a browned, crisp topping... but this seemed less than ideal.

    If you’ve seen my Skillet Berry Crumble Recipe, you already know the solution I came up with - cooking the crumble topping beforehand!

    This simple change to technique results in a much nicer top crust, with very little in the way of effort, and NO need for special cooking equipment.

    All you need is a skillet!

    It’s the perfect recipe to enjoy a great fall dessert on the road. You can even make the crust mix ahead of time - a great way to save time, effort, and space when camping!

    Beyond the technique, this easy recipe is fantastic.

    Replacing the traditional baking process with skillet cooking the tender apples gives you much more control over the texture, and it tastes SO much better than commercial apple pie filling.

    All around, a really great dessert - especially with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, maybe a drizzle of caramel sauce... yum!

    Anyway, let’s look at what you’ll need to have on hand:

    A pan of skillet apple crisp with a  bag of apple crisp topping mix.

    Ingredients

    This skillet apple crisp recipe uses really simple ingredients - you won’t have any problem finding everything you need in pretty much any grocery store.

    As always, I have a few ingredient notes for you:

    Fresh Apples

    Any of the apples you’d use for my Campfire Baked Apples would work well in this recipe.

    We tend to use tart apples - usually Granny Smith apples - but Pink Lady Apples, Honeycrisp Apples, etc work well.

    When they’re in season, I love using Mutsu apples for making apple crisp - the best apples of all time, IMHO!

    In general, I recommend using a more robust apple that will hold up to the cooking - softer apples tend to disintegrate.

    Also, if you’re using EXTRA tart apples, just hit the mixture with a drizzle of maple syrup. It’s all good - doesn’t need to be an exact science!

    Streusel Topping Base

    Many recipes use all purpose flour and/or rolled oats as the base for the crumble topping, I do things a bit differently.

    Ever since I was a kid, I’ve made apple crisp with granola. It’s crunchier than using oats, and I love the flavours and textures that substitution brings to the final dessert.

    Back then, I’d use all-purpose flour with the granola, these days I use oat flour - a GREAT substitute.

    Not only does it allow me to make this a gluten-free dutch oven apple crisp, oat flour just tastes so much better, and really elevates the flavour of the crumble topping.

    If you don’t have oat flour on hand, you can run uncooked oats through a food processor to make your own. It really is worth the couple extra seconds of effort.

    If you need it to be gluten free, just make sure you’re using oat flour or oats that are certified as gluten-free

    That said, you can also use regular white flour if don’t need it to be a gluten-free dessert.

    Everything Else

    Rounding out this recipe, you will need:

    Dried Cranberries or Raisins (optional)
    Granulated Sugar
    Brown Sugar
    Chopped Nuts, optional
    Unsalted Butter
    Salt
    Ground Cinnamon

    ... I just don’t have anything to add, as far as these last few ingredients go. Pretty basic stuff!

    A plate of no bake apple crisp on a picnic table.

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    How to Make Skillet Apple Crisp

    The full recipe is in the printable recipe card at the end of this post, here is the visual walk through:

    Homemade Apple Crisp Mixes

    This is an optional step, but a great time - and space! - saver on the road. For each mix you make, you’ll need one medium Ziplock freezer baggie, and one snack size baggie.

    Measure the granola, sugar, oat flour, and chopped nuts - if using - into the medium baggie.

    Measure the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt - as listed in the mixed berry filling - into the smaller baggie.

    Press the excess air out of the smaller baggie, seal. Place the smaller baggie into the medium baggie, press out excess air, and seal.

    Label with the name - Apple Crisp - and as much of the directions as you want.

    Store in a cool, dry place until you’re ready to use it.

    5 part image showing apple crisp topping mixes being made in Ziplock baggies.

    Granola Topping

    Get a medium fire going - you can cook this over a campfire, hot coals, or on a grill.

    In a large bowl, combine granola, sugar, oat flour, and nuts, if you’re using them (or one bag of the dry ingredients mix, if you made it ahead of time!).

    Add melted butter, stir until well incorporated - everything should be wet, but crumbly.

    2 part image showing butter being added to a bowl of crisp topping mix, and stirred.

    Add the topping to a 9" cast iron skillet, toast over the hot coals until golden brown. Transfer to a bowl, set aside.

    2 part image showing the topping being toasted in a cast iron skillet over a fire.

    Apple Filling

    Melt the butter in the 9" skillet. Mix apple slices, brown sugar/maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to evenly coat the sliced apples with the other ingredients.

    Cook the apples over the hot coals, until they’re almost - but not quite - as soft as you want them to be. Add dried fruit, if you’re using it.

    4 part image showing the apple filling cooking in a skillet over a grill.

    Sprinkle the granola mixture evenly over the top of the caramelized apples. Cover skillet with a tightly fitting lid - or some aluminum foil - and return to the heat for 3 more minutes.

    Serve hot, with a scoop of ice cream or mound of whipped cream, if desired.

    A skillet of apple crisp on a charcoal grill.

    Leftovers

    Once cooled to room temperature, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a week or so.

    For best results, don't cover it til after it's cooled to room temperature!

    A pan and plate of skillet apple crisp on a picnic table.

    More Camping Dessert Recipes

    Looking for some sweet treats to cook over a campfire or grill? Here's a few of my favourites!

    Apple Fritter Bread Pudding
    Apple Fritter French Toast
    Baked Apples, Campfire Style!
    Banana Boats
    Campfire Cones
    Campfire Haystack Cookies
    Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies
    How to Make Maple Taffy
    No Bake Cornflake Cookies
    No-Bake S'Mores Bars
    Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies
    Skillet Berry Crumble
    S'mores Board

    ... But wait, there's more! Be sure to check out our other Camping Recipes, including Camping Desserts, Camping Snacks, Make-Ahead Camping Mix Recipes, and a ton of delicious Camping Main Dish Recipes.

    Also, we had SO much fun designing gourmet jerky recipes for our camping trips, we started a whole new blog for them! Check out Dried & Tasty for all kinds of fun recipes to make in your food dehydrator!

    A pan and plate of skillet apple crisp on a picnic table.

    A skillet of apple crisp on a picnic table.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    5 from 1 vote

    Campfire Apple Crisp [Skillet Apple Crisp]

    This easy skillet apple crisp recipe makes a fantastic dessert to cook over a campfire. Very little effort, and no baking needed!
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time20 minutes mins
    Total Time30 minutes mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: British
    Diet: Gluten Free
    Servings: 6 Servings
    Calories: 658kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 9" cast iron skillet

    Ingredients

    Granola Topping:

    • 1 ½ cups Granola of Choice
    • ½ cup Granulated Sugar
    • ½ cup Oat Flour
    • ¼-1/2 cup Chopped Nuts optional
    • ⅓ cup Butter melted

    Apple Filling:

    • 1 tablespoon Butter
    • 4 Large Tart Apples I like to use Granny Smith
    • ½ cup Maple Syrup or packed Brown Sugar
    • ¼- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
    • Pinch Salt
    • ¼ cup Dried Cranberries or Raisins optional

    Instructions

    Granola Topping

    • Get a medium fire going - you can cook this over a campfire, hot coals, or on a grill.
    • In a medium bowl, combine granola, sugar, oat flour, and nuts, if you’re using them. Add melted butter, stir until well incorporated - everything should be wet, but crumbly.
    • Add the topping to a 9" cast iron skillet, toast over the hot coals until golden brown. Transfer to a bowl, set aside.

    Apple Filling:

    • Melt the butter in the 9" skillet. Add the apples, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to evenly coat the apples with the other ingredients.
    • Cook the apples over the hot coals, until they’re almost - but not quite - as soft as you want them to be. Add dried fruit, if you’re using it.
    • Sprinkle the granola mixture evenly over the top of the apple filling. Cover skillet with a tightly fitting lid - or some aluminum foil - and return to the heat for 3 more minutes.
    • Serve hot, with a scoop of ice cream or mound of whipped cream, if desired

    Notes

    Once cooled to room temperature, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a week or so.
    For best results, don't cover it til after it's cooled to room temperature!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 658kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 234mg | Potassium: 377mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 52g | Vitamin A: 913IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 2mg

    A skillet of apple crisp on a picnic table.

    Thanks for Reading!

    If you loved this post - or have any questions about it - please leave a comment below! We'd also love it if you would consider sharing the link on social media!

    A pan and plate of skillet apple crisp on a picnic table.

    A plate of skillet apple crisp on a picnic table.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Marie & Michael Porter

      July 20, 2025 at 10:42 am

      5 stars
      One of our favourite camping dessert recipes, especially when local apples are in season. Hope you love it too!

      Reply
    5 from 1 vote

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