4 ideas for campfire-roasted fruit (recipe: Caramel Peaches w/ Pecans) (2024)

We are camping folk in the summer. Be it on a beach in Maine or lake-side in rural Quebec, we pitch a big tent and cook foil dinners and hash browns over an open fire, gaze at the stars until bedtime is long past, and wake up at an unmentionable hour with the sun.

This summer, however, has been a bit different. We have a relatively-new-but-growing-up-fast baby in the family, and although I have camped in the past with a wee one, I just couldn’t find the motivation this time around to pack up all five of us and hit the trail.

Fortunately we have a big yard with plenty of space to pitch a tent, and at the far end of it, there’s a fire pit suitable for both a roaring bonfire or a marshmallow-toasting bed of coals. We took advantage of our urban homestead last week and played at camping on our own turf.

Danny and the boys pitched the tent while I tossed a salad, shucked corn, and wrapped up these peaches for dessert. Yes, there were marshmallows and s’mores, too, but I wanted to highlight some of the fruit that’s plentiful now and ripening all over my counter tops.

Our campfire-roasted caramel peaches with toasted pecans were smokey and sweet, sticky and soft – and made a lovely little seasonal dessert.

Four Ideas for Campfire Roasted Fruit

Now, I’m not suggesting you give up on the campfire classic, the S’more, but once you put a spoon through these soft roasted peaches, you might not want any other dessert.

You can wrap up plenty of other seasonal fruits and toss them on the coals, too. Here are a few of our favorites, with the recipe for the caramel peaches below.

Maple Baked Apples

I like to prepare these granola-stuffed, maple syrup-drizzled baked apples with my kids, but they can also be wrapped individually in foil and baked over hot coals for 20-25 minutes or buried in the hot ashes of a campfire for 30-35 minutes.

Cinnamon Roasted Pears

Halve two pears and scoop out the core. Dot with a teaspoon of butter each and sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar. If desired, add a topping such as granola, chopped nuts, toasted sunflower seeds, or a square of chocolate.

Wrap pears in 2 foil packages, each containing two pear halves, and bake in the campfire ashes for 20-25 minutes until the pears are soft.

Serve warm.

Chocolate Banana Boats

This classic camping treat doesn’t utilize fruit that is local, but its nostalgic appeal warrants making it once in a while.

Prepare bananas by peeling back a small strip of peel, about 3/4 of an inch wide. With a spoon, scoop out some the the banana to make a small trench running the length of the banana. Fill trench with chocolate chips and cover with the strip of banana peel.

Wrap banana in foil and cook over hot coals for 10-15 minutes. Banana will be very hot, so allow to cook before eating. To enjoy, peel back banana peel and scoop out the chocolate-coated fruit with a spoon.

Tip: Be sure to read our Keys to Successful Campfire Cooking before you get started.

Do you have a favorite campfire dessert that features fruit?