Pie Iron Crepes Campfire Cooking

I love making crepes. But these delicate thin pancakes with sweet or savory fillings are tricky to prepare from scratch over the uneven heat of a campfire. Instead, I use a simple campfire modification to the classic crepe recipe: precooked crepes, my favorite fillings, and a pie iron. It is so simple and fun that this makes a fun breakfast option for children* and adults alike. I like to arrange all the filling options in a buffet style so anyone can easily assemble their own crepes. Grab your favorite crepe fillings and enjoy our pie iron crepe campfire cooking breakfast recipe.

A note on buying crepes: I have a fairly singular vision of what constitutes a “crepe.” But the truth is that there are a lot of options when it comes to crepe styles. I first started ruminating on a pie iron crepe recipe when I picked up some Belgian crepes. While they make tasty crepes, the truth is, this style is way too thick to conveniently work with in a pie iron. The Belgian crepes has a bad habit of tearing while being folded. Instead, look for thin, flexible crepes for a much easier campfire cooking experience.

Directions

All the ingredients we are using are either precooked or safe to eat raw. The pie iron is really a vehicle to seal everything into a warm and melty packet. To me, an optimal crepe has something melty like cheese or chocolate. And that’s where the fire really matters. So, you are free to grill your crepe in the pie iron as much or little as you might like.

1. Lightly butter the interior halves of the pie iron to avoid sticking
2. Center crepe over open pie iron, pressing down into indentation to make a reservoir for filling
3. Place filling in indentation
4. Wrap sides of crepe over filling to create a packet the sized of the pie iron
5. Close pie iron and position over fire
6. Grill to your liking
7. Remove crepe from pie iron
8. Enjoy once cooled

Hopefully, the butter should be enough to allow the crepe to easily release from the sides of the pie iron as you open it. If not, use a metal butter knife or small spatula to gradually release the crepe from the pie iron sides.

Pairings

While, yes, these crepes come in so many pairings that you don’t need to include any sides, we do love having a light side salad or bowl of fruit to go along. In particular, I like some cantaloupe to complement my prosciutto crepes and a medley of mixed greens with my fruit crepes.

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* We only have one pie iron, which works fine for the two of us. I generally prepare a crepe and we split it. I eat my half while waiting for the next crepe to cook. For, kids or larger groups, though, you make want more pie irons. The pie iron will be your bottle neck and there may be some very hungry and eager kids that want their turn to play with the pie iron. While you could take all these ingredients and make breakfast without the pie iron, it’s that little doodad that makes this such a fun camping recipe!