THERE are few things better than sitting beside a fire after a long day outdoors, and this simple campfire apple crumble might just be the perfect way to finish it.
Warm, sweet and comforting, with soft cinnamon-spiced apples beneath a crisp, buttery topping, it’s essentially autumn in a frying pan.
Better still, you don’t need an oven – just a sturdy cast-iron skillet, a handful of ingredients and a decent bed of hot coals.
It’s the sort of recipe that’s made for chilly evenings at camp, when the light is fading, the fire is crackling and everyone is ready for something sweet.
Campfire apple crumble
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25–30 minutes
Kit: Cast-iron skillet, bowl, spoon, knife and chopping board
Ingredients
For the apples
- 4 medium eating or cooking apples
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp soft brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- A squeeze of lemon juice
- A pinch of salt
For the crumble
- 75g rolled oats
- 50g plain flour
- 50g soft brown sugar
- 60g butter
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- A pinch of salt
Before you leave home
Here’s the trick to making this properly campsite-friendly… do as much preparation as possible before you head out.
Mix the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a sealable bag or container and take the mixture with you.
You can also core and slice the apples at home and store them in an airtight container with a squeeze of lemon juice to stop them browning.
That leaves you with very little to do once you’re at camp.
Method
1. Get the fire right
Don’t try to cook the crumble over a roaring flame. Wait until you’ve got a good bed of hot embers and steady heat.
A grill over the coals is ideal, although the skillet can sit directly on a suitable grate.
2. Make the crumble topping
Melt the butter in your skillet, then add the prepared oat mixture.
Stir it over the heat for around 5 to 7 minutes, turning regularly, until the mixture becomes golden and starts to crisp.
Tip it into your bowl and set aside.
This extra step is worth doing. It gives you a properly crunchy topping rather than relying on the apples to cook the topping from underneath.
3. Cook the apples
Put the skillet back over the heat and add the remaining tablespoon of butter.
Add the sliced apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
Cook for around 8 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples have softened but still have some texture.
If they’re catching on the bottom of the pan, move the skillet further from the hottest part of the fire.
4. Bring it together
Scatter the toasted crumble mixture over the apples.
Cover the skillet loosely with foil and return it to the heat for another 3 to 5 minutes, just long enough to warm everything through and allow the topping to crisp further.
Keep an eye on it. Campfire heat can vary enormously, and sugar can go from beautifully caramelised to burnt surprisingly quickly.
5. Eat it while it’s hot
Take the skillet away from the fire, give it a couple of minutes to cool and serve.
If you’re lucky enough to have brought some custard, now is the time to deploy it.
Otherwise, it’s perfectly good straight from the pan.
Make it your own
Add blackberries: Autumn is a brilliant time to add a handful of blackberries to the apples. They’ll bring some sharpness and a beautiful colour to the filling.
Try pears: Replace one or two of the apples with ripe pears for a softer, sweeter crumble.
Add nuts: A handful of chopped hazelnuts or walnuts in the topping gives it some extra crunch.
Make it vegan: Use a plant-based butter alternative.
Keep it simple: Don’t worry about weighing everything at camp. Prepare the dry ingredients at home, portion them into a bag and you’ve got a ready-made crumble mix waiting for you.
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