Dutch Babies Are The Perfect Smoked Dessert For Your Campfire Meals

As delicious as finishing off a campfire meal might be with a fresh batch of classic s'mores, you have other options when it comes to sweet recipes to enjoy in the great outdoors. Fluffy Dutch baby pancakes don't need to stay at home and can be just as easily enjoyed while sitting next to a babbling brook. With a bit of planning and the right ingredients, you can be digging into a sweet treat as you admire a sky filled with stars.

Think of Dutch baby pancakes as the love child of your favorite fluffy pancakes and popover recipes, except these pancakes, once deflated, offer a crepe-like consistency. What we love about Dutch baby recipes is that presentations can be modified to please both savory and sweet palates and the recipe is so easy to make that you won't need to worry about perfect plating or exact cooking techniques. 

Whether you pre-make the batter at home and store it chilled or bring the individual ingredients with you, you'll need flour, milk, sugar, butter, eggs, and a sprinkle of nutmeg. If you have a long hike or are setting up camp far away from your vehicle, mixing up the batter beforehand may be your best bet so you can get cooking when hunger strikes.

Though you'd be using an oven if you were preparing these at home, cast iron pans are your friends to produce a similar fluffy result. Coat a warmed cast iron pan with plenty of butter before filling it with the whisked batter. To mimic an oven-like experience, set the covered pan on top of hot coals and use tongs to place a few more charcoal pieces on top of the lid. You should have a fluffy Dutch baby ready in about 20 minutes. 

The key here is to keep your Dutch baby pancake covered so it can cool and rise. Should your curiosity get the better of you, your food may wither once it comes into contact with the cool mountain air. This deflation is normal, but it is better to save this droopy experience for later or at least after you've taken photos of your finished creations.

Crown your Dutch babies with fresh berries, drizzles of peanut butter, or chocolate and marshmallow pieces you've carried along with you to make s'mores. You can serve them as a morning dish along with eggs and crispy bacon or surprise campers after dinner with your culinary creativity. Powdery sprinkles of confectionary sugar and cinnamon can also garnish these babies before serving, or you can opt for a zingier finish with lemon zest and bourbon maple syrup. Camping has never tasted so good.