Best Camping Desserts That Are Easy & Delicious

We all know that hearty, nutritious meals and energy-packed snacks are what truly power us through those camping trips, backpacking treks, hunting adventures, mountaineering epics, and river-running journeys. But for a lot of outdoorspeople, the secret weapon that keeps us going—emotionally, you might say—is the sweet stuff.

After an action-packed day of hiking, climbing, mountain biking, rafting, bushwhacking, or otherwise immersing yourself in the wild, nothing hits the spot quite like a good dessert. It’s the sort of thing we dream about on the trail, at the knife-edge traverse, or amid roaring rapids—and it pairs perfectly with a crackling campfire.

For your sweet tooth pleasure, we’ve pulled a dozen ooey-gooey, swoon-worthy camping desserts to try on your next adventure. From no-bake treats to lightweight, packable, store-bought options, including our downright heavenly Mountain House ice cream sandwiches, there are plenty of tasty recipes to try. Let’s get going!

What Makes a Great Dessert for Camping?

Before really diving in, it makes sense to cover some of the key characteristics of good camping and backpacking desserts. (This is a scientific thing, you understand.) As with most kinds of camp-ready foods, you generally want something that:

• requires minimal ingredients
• is travel-friendly and highly packable
• can be prepped quickly and easily
• can be whipped up over an open fire, a grill, or a camp stove—or made ahead of time
• doesn’t get excessively melty in hot conditions

We’re not talking elaborate sweet pastries or confectioneries here (unless you want to go all out for a car camping trip). This is about low-hassle, easy-to-prepare treats that will make your taste buds tingle and soothe the soul.

12 Backpacking & Camping Dessert Ideas

Here’s a list of a dozen easy camping desserts to try out on your next outdoor adventure!

(1) Gooey Campfire S’mores

We probably don’t need to go into too much detail regarding this stone-cold classic of an easy camping dessert, and certainly, there’s nothing else we could possibly kick off the list with. 

You’ll of course need the foundation ingredients of a s’more, including crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate, but there are plenty of variations and add-ons you might consider. Make this classic even more of a crowd pleaser by adding anything from peanut butter and cookies to mini marshmallows that really amp up the gooeyness.

Here’s another idea. You can also throw the marshmallows, chocolate, and other gloppy ingredients into a cast iron and concoct a s'mores dip that can be scooped up and enjoyed with a graham cracker.

(2) Campfire Cones

Think of these as a delicious twist on the classic s’more. Load up waffle cones with chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, fruit, crushed cookies, and whatever other mix-in you can think of, then wrap them in foil and heat over the campfire or stove to yield another camping treat with that irresistible combination of gooeyness and crunch. You're welcome!

(3) Banana Boats

Another foil-wrapped wonder is most definitely the tried-and-true banana boat. Slice a banana lengthwise, stuff it with finger-licking goodness such as marshmallows, peanut butter, and chocolate, and then wrap it up in foil to roast over a campfire or grill until everything’s just right. 

And what's just right? Well, melty and delicious!

(4) Mountain House Ice Cream Sandwiches

When you’re backpacking or minimalist camping, you won’t have a cooler, so you might assume ice cream’s off the table. Well, guess what: Think again!

Among the highlights of our vast freeze-dried larder here at Mountain House are our ice-cream sandwiches: the Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich or Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich, both of which make for lightweight, mess-free, zero-hassle deliciousness. If you ask us, they’re truly the easiest and surest way to satisfy a sweet tooth out in the great outdoors!

(5) Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler or Brownies

A Dutch oven is an age-old friend of campers, and it should absolutely be put to good use for camping desserts. Whip up a ravishingly rough-and-ready peach cobbler by combining peach-pie filling and cake mix, or go the chocolatey route with brownie mix and some chocolate chips. Set the oven over the coals—an invariably satisfying process—and get ready for some ultra-seductive aromas as you enjoy campfire cooking of the kick-back-and-relax variety.

(6) No-Bake Cheesecake Cups

If you do have a cooler available, consider blending no-bake cheesecake filling with whipped cream, graham-cracker crumbs, and a topping of fresh fruit in small containers. Keep them chilled till you’re ready for the kind of make-ahead treat that feels fancier than the prep time suggests.

(7) Campfire Crumble Jars

Keen on an ultra-simple twist on pie? Just layer up homemade crumble, brown sugar, fresh fruit, and a whipped topping in a jar, then dig in, warm or cold, by the campfire.

(8) Grilled Peaches With Brown Sugar & Cinnamon

The simplest desserts are often the very best (as with just about any dish). Halve peaches, grill them over the fire or on the stove, then sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. If you have a cooler or camper freezer/fridge, make these peachy wonders all the more delectable with a whipped-cream topping!

(9) Cinnamon Roll Skillet Bake

There’s not much better than the fragrance of fresh-baked cinnamon rolls, right? It’s something you can achieve at the campsite by tossing a can of biscuit dough in a cast-iron skillet, dressing it with cinnamon and sugar, and then cooking it over the fire. Glaze or whipped cream makes the literal icing on the cake.

Image by Ernesto Pasini from Pixabay

(10) Pie Iron Pound Cake Sandwiches

A pie iron lets you easily render pound-cake sandwiches with whatever your preferred pie filling, such as apple or cherry. Chocolate, peanut butter, hazelnut spread, jelly, and other accoutrements can be layered into the cake, which is grilled over the coals to produce a crispy, sweet masterpiece. 

How to make: 

• Heat the iron over coals or a camp stove for a few minutes.
• Butter both plates and place one slice of pound cake inside.
• Add your desired amount of filling, top with a second cake slice, and close the iron.
• Cook on each side until golden and the filling is warm.

Serve straight from the iron (carefully!) and enjoy.

(11) Strawberry Chocolate Cups

Cut up some strawberries and place them in a cup, then melt milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or white chocolate over the fire or stove to drizzle over them. You’ll have a super-indulgent delicacy in no time!

(12) Grab-&-Go Homemade or Store-Bought Sweets

This is not so much a single camping recipe but a basically limitless category. From homemade cookies or bars packed in airtight containers to trail mix or candy bars, there’s so much you can simply bring along pre-made or store-bought to satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth out at the campsite. You’re really limited only by elements such as time, refrigeration availability, and whether you’re car- or boat-camping vs. backpacking.

Make Your Next Trip Sweeter With Mountain House

Thanks to our proprietary freeze-drying process here at Mountain House, you can relish the absolutely unparalleled magic of an ice-cream sandwich in a no-melt, no-mess, long-shelf-life form perfect for the hiking trail or riverside camp. 

When exploring our entire collection of camping and backpacking foods, in other words, don’t neglect our dessert inventory!