Campfire Apple Crisp Foil Packets

Introduction & Inspiration

There’s something truly special about enjoying a warm, comforting dessert cooked outdoors, especially around a campfire or backyard grill. These Campfire Apple Crisp Foil Packets immediately caught my eye as the perfect solution! This recipe takes the classic flavors of apple crisp – sweet, spiced apples under a crunchy oat topping – and adapts them into convenient, individual foil packets that can be cooked right over coals or on the grill.

My inspiration came from wanting an easy, crowd-pleasing dessert option for camping trips and backyard barbecues that didn’t require complicated equipment or a lot of cleanup. Foil packet cooking is fantastic for the outdoors, and transforming a beloved dessert like apple crisp into this format seemed like pure genius. The thought of opening a warm packet filled with bubbly apples and topping it with ice cream under the stars is just irresistible!

My goal was to explore this specific recipe, highlighting the simple preparation of the apple filling and oat topping, the easy assembly of the packets, and the straightforward cooking instructions for both grills and campfires. It looked like a fantastic way to enjoy a homemade dessert in the great outdoors (or just your backyard!).

Let’s get ready to assemble some delicious, portable apple crisps!

Nostalgic Appeal / Comfort Food Connection

Apple crisp (or apple crumble) is a quintessential comfort food dessert, deeply rooted in home baking traditions across North America and beyond. It evokes feelings of autumn harvests, cozy kitchens, and simple, satisfying fruit desserts. The combination of warm, soft, spiced apples and a buttery, crunchy topping is universally loved.

Cooking over a campfire or grill also holds strong nostalgic appeal for many, bringing back memories of camping trips, scouting adventures, family barbecues, and the simple pleasure of food cooked outdoors. Foil packet cooking, in particular, is a classic campfire technique, often used for hobo dinners or simple sides.

This recipe beautifully marries the comforting nostalgia of apple crisp with the adventurous, rustic charm of campfire cooking (or the ease of grilling). It feels both familiar in flavor and excitingly different in preparation and setting.

Making and eating these individual apple crisp packets feels like enjoying a timeless treat in a fun, interactive, and slightly adventurous way.

Homemade Focus (Simple Prep, Fun Assembly)

These Campfire Apple Crisp Foil Packets are a wonderful example of simple homemade dessert preparation, perfect for involving the whole family. While the cooking method is unique, the core components – the spiced apple filling and the buttery oat topping – are made from scratch using basic ingredients.

I love recipes that break down into easy stages. First, you prepare the simple apple filling by tossing sliced apples with sugars and apple pie spice. Next, you mix the classic crisp topping using flour, brown sugar, quick oats, melted butter, and more spice – all straightforward homemade steps.

The real homemade fun comes in the assembly. Creating individual servings by scooping the filling and topping onto squares of heavy-duty foil and carefully folding them into secure packets is a satisfying, hands-on process. It allows for easy portioning and ensures everyone gets their own personal apple crisp.

Even though the cooking happens outdoors, the preparation emphasizes simple, homemade components, resulting in a delicious dessert that tastes far better than any pre-packaged campfire treat.

Flavor Goal

The primary flavor goal of these Campfire Apple Crisp Foil Packets is to deliver the classic, comforting taste of apple crisp – warm, tender, sweet-tart apples infused with cinnamon and spice, topped with a buttery, slightly crunchy oat crumble – all steamed and baked within a convenient foil packet.

The apple filling, using thinly sliced apples, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and apple pie spice, cooks down inside the packet to become soft, sweet, and warmly spiced.

The topping, a simple mixture of flour, brown sugar, quick oats, melted butter, and apple pie spice, partially steams and partially bakes atop the apples, creating a soft yet slightly textured crumble layer rather than a super crispy oven-baked topping.

Served warm, often topped with melting vanilla ice cream and gooey caramel sauce (optional but highly recommended!), the goal is a comforting, sweet, spiced apple dessert with a satisfying oat crumble, perfect for enjoying outdoors.

Ingredient Insights

Let’s explore the key ingredients for these foil packet treats:

Apple Filling:

• Apples: Any variety works! Firmer apples like Honeycrisp, Gala, or Granny Smith hold their shape better; softer apples like McIntosh become saucier. Thinly sliced ensures they cook through. Peeling/coring is standard.
• Light brown sugar & Granulated sugar: Provide sweetness and help create syrup with the apple juices.
• Apple pie spice: A convenient blend typically containing cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and sometimes ginger or cardamom. Provides classic warm spice flavor.

Topping:

• All-purpose flour: Provides structure to the topping.
• Light brown sugar: Adds sweetness and moisture.
• Quick oats: Important distinction! Quick oats are thinner/smaller than rolled oats and create a softer, less distinctly chewy topping suitable for the steam-baking environment of foil packets.
• Salted sweet cream butter, melted: Binds the topping, adds richness and flavor. Using salted butter adds a nice balance.
• Apple pie spice: Reinforces the warm spice notes.

Optional Toppings:

• Vanilla ice cream: The classic pairing – cold creaminess melting over warm apples.
• Caramel sundae topping: Adds extra sweetness and caramel flavor.

Using quick oats and heavy-duty foil are key points for this specific recipe.

Essential Equipment

This recipe requires minimal prep tools but needs foil and a heat source:

• Heavy-Duty Aluminum Foil: Essential! Regular foil may tear or burn through easily. Needs to be large enough to fold securely.
• Grill OR Campfire with a Grate: The outdoor cooking methods. An oven can also be used (see Tips).
• Large mixing bowl: For the apple filling.
• Medium mixing bowl: For the crisp topping.
• Cutting board and knife/apple peeler/corer: For prepping the apples.
• Measuring cups and spoons.
• Tongs or Heat-resistant gloves: Crucial for safely handling hot foil packets.
• Spoon/Scoop: For portioning filling and topping into packets.

Heavy-duty foil is non-negotiable for cooking over direct heat/coals.

List of Ingredients with Measurements

Here’s the complete list of ingredients, with precise measurements:

Apple Filling:

• 6 cups apples (about 5 medium apples, any variety), peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp light brown sugar, packed
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 tsp apple pie spice

Topping:

• 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
• ¾ cup quick oats (not rolled oats)
• ½ cup (1 stick) salted sweet cream butter, melted
• ½ tsp apple pie spice

Optional Toppings:

• Vanilla ice cream
• Caramel sundae topping

These quantities make approximately 6 individual foil packets.

Prep apples and mix topping before assembling packets.

Step-by-Step Instructions (Foil Packet Assembly & Cooking)

Let’s assemble and cook these fun outdoor desserts:

1. Prepare Heat Source:

• Grill: Preheat your grill to approximately 350°F (175°C), setting it up for indirect heat if possible (placing packets around edges, not directly over high flames).
• Campfire: Build a fire and allow it to burn down to nice hot coals (at least 2-3 inches deep). Place a sturdy cooking grate securely over the coals.

2. Prepare Apple Filling:

• Using a large mixing bowl, toss together the thinly sliced apples, 3 tbsp packed light brown sugar, 1 tbsp granulated sugar, and 2 tsp apple pie spice until the apples are evenly coated. Set aside.

3. Prepare Crisp Topping:

• Using a medium mixing bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, ¾ cup packed light brown sugar, quick oats, and ½ tsp apple pie spice.
• Pour in the melted salted butter and stir until the mixture is crumbly and well combined. Set aside.

4. Assemble Foil Packets:

• Tear off 6 sections of heavy-duty aluminum foil, each about 10×18 inches.
• Place one foil section shiny-side down (dull side facing up, where food goes). Scoop about 1 cup of the apple filling onto the center of the foil.
• Scoop about ½ cup of the crisp topping mixture evenly over the apple filling.
• To seal: Bring the two long sides of the foil up together above the filling. Fold the edges down together several times (creating about a 1/2-inch fold), sealing it tightly but leaving some air space inside above the food. Fold the short ends inwards towards the center several times, sealing them tightly as well. Ensure the packet is well sealed to trap steam.
• Repeat to create 6 packets.

5. Cook the Packets:

• Grill: Place the sealed packets on the grill, preferably around the edges or over indirect heat, not directly over intense flames. Close the grill lid.
• Campfire: Carefully place the sealed packets directly onto the cooking grate positioned over the hot coals.
• Cook for approximately 20 minutes. Cooking time may vary depending on the heat intensity of your grill/fire and apple thickness. The apples should be tender and the topping cooked.

6. Rest and Serve:

• Carefully remove the hot packets from the grill or campfire using tongs or heat-resistant gloves.
• Let the packets rest unopened for 5–10 minutes. This allows the contents to finish cooking and slightly cool, reducing the risk of steam burns.
• VERY CAREFULLY open the foil packets, pointing the opening away from your face to allow steam to escape safely.
• Top the warm apple crisp inside the packet (or scooped into a bowl) with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sundae topping, if desired. Enjoy immediately!

Be extremely careful when handling and opening hot foil packets!

Troubleshooting

Foil packet cooking has its own quirks:

• Problem: Apples are undercooked/still hard.
  • Solution: Heat source wasn’t hot enough, or cooking time was too short. Ensure apples were sliced thinly. Cook packets for longer, checking one carefully after another 5-10 minutes. Ensure coals are sufficiently hot if using campfire.
• Problem: Apples are mushy/applesauce.
  • Solution: Cooked too long, or used a very soft apple variety (like McIntosh). Check for tenderness earlier. Firmer apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp hold shape better.
• Problem: Topping is soggy, not crisp.
  • Solution: The foil packet environment creates steam, so the topping will be softer and more cakey/crumbly than a traditional oven-baked crisp. This is normal. Ensure packets weren’t sealed too tightly with no air space. Using quick oats helps absorb moisture.
• Problem: Packet leaked or burned through.
  • Solution: Use heavy-duty aluminum foil. Ensure packets are folded and sealed very securely on all edges. Avoid placing directly over intense, high flames on a grill; use indirect heat or place over coals on a grate for campfire.

Manage your heat source carefully.

Tips and Variations

Let’s customize these fun foil packets:

• Tip: Assemble the packets ahead of time (up to a few hours before) and keep them cool in a cooler until ready to cook, making campfire prep even easier.
• Variation: Use different fruits like peaches, pears, or a mix of berries instead of or along with the apples. Adjust sugar and spices accordingly.
• Tip: Add 1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the crisp topping mixture for extra nutty flavor and texture.
• Variation: Use different spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, or cardamom instead of or in addition to apple pie spice.
• Tip: For oven baking: Assemble packets as directed and place them on a baking sheet. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 25-30 minutes, or until apples are tender.
• Variation: Add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the apple filling to enhance tartness, especially if using very sweet apples.
• Variation: Use caramel bits or butterscotch chips sprinkled over the topping before sealing the packets.

Adapt them for different fruits or cooking methods!

Serving and Pairing Suggestions

These Campfire Apple Crisp Foil Packets are a fantastic dessert or treat, especially outdoors.

Serving: Serve warm, directly in the opened foil packet (be careful of hot edges!) or scooped into bowls.

Pairing:

• Essential: A scoop of vanilla ice cream melting on top is classic and highly recommended!
• Drizzle: Caramel sauce is suggested and delicious. Chocolate sauce or just heavy cream could also work.
• Occasions: Perfect for camping trips, backyard barbecues, bonfires, or grilled dinners.
• Drink: Enjoy with hot cocoa around the campfire, or coffee after a BBQ.

A fun, interactive dessert experience!

Nutritional Information

This is a sweet fruit dessert with a buttery oat topping. Nutritional info is approximate (per packet, before optional ice cream/caramel):

• Calories: 350-450+
• Fat: 15-20+ grams
• Saturated Fat: 8-12+ grams (from butter)
• Cholesterol: 30-40+ mg (from butter)
• Sodium: 100-150+ mg (from salted butter)
• Total Carbs.: 50-70+ grams
• Dietary Fiber: 4-6 grams (from apples and oats)
• Sugars: 30-45+ grams (from sugars and apples)
• Protein: 2-4 grams

Definitely a dessert treat, high in sugar and carbohydrates, with significant fat from the butter in the topping. Adding ice cream and caramel increases sugar and fat considerably.

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Recipe Summary and Q&A

Let’s conclude with a summary and common questions:

Recipe Summary:

Campfire Apple Crisp Foil Packets feature thinly sliced apples tossed with sugar and spice, topped with a crumble mixture made from flour, brown sugar, quick oats, melted butter, and spice. Each serving is sealed in a heavy-duty aluminum foil packet and cooked over indirect heat on a grill or on a grate over campfire coals until the apples are tender. They are typically served warm, often topped with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.

Q&A:

Q: Can I make these ahead of time? A: You can assemble the packets a few hours ahead and keep them cool (in a cooler if camping) until ready to cook. They are best cooked and served warm.

Q: How long do leftovers keep? A: Leftovers can be stored refrigerated in their packets (or transferred to a container) for 1-2 days. Reheat gently (foil packets can sometimes be reheated carefully near heat, or scoop contents into a pan/microwave). Texture is best fresh.

Q: Can I use rolled oats instead of quick oats? A: Quick oats are recommended as they cook faster and create a softer topping suitable for the steamed environment inside the foil. Rolled oats might remain too chewy or raw in the relatively short cooking time.

Q: Do I need heavy-duty foil? A: Yes, heavy-duty foil is strongly recommended, especially for campfire cooking, as it’s less likely to tear or burn through compared to regular foil.

Q: Can I bake these in the oven? A: Yes. Assemble packets and place on a baking sheet. Bake at around 375°F (190°C) for 25-30 minutes, or until apples are tender