Fire's down to coals, the kettle's off the hook and the kids are already asking what's for dessert. This is the answer — and it takes about the same time as the water to boil.
Jaffles are the workhorse of camp cooking, but we mostly use them for breakfast and lunch. Flip them to the sweet side and you've got a dessert that needs no plates, no bowls and no washing up beyond a quick wipe of the iron. Banana softens to jam, the chocolate turns molten, and the peanut butter gets salty and toasty against the golden bread. Ten minutes over coals and it beats anything from a camp kitchen tub.
Ingredients
- 8 slices white or multigrain sandwich bread
- 2 ripe bananas, sliced into coins
- 100 g dark or milk chocolate, roughly chopped (or half a cup of choc chips)
- 4 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
- Butter or margarine, softened
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
- Vanilla ice cream or cream, to serve (optional)
Gear
- Cast-iron jaffle iron (single or double)
- Campfire burned down to a bed of coals
- Heat-proof gloves or a thick tea towel
- Tongs
- Small brush for buttering the iron
- Chopping board and knife
How to make it
- Let the fire burn down to a bed of coals — no flames. Ash-covered coals give an even, gentle heat that toasts the bread through without burning the outside.
- Butter one side of every slice of bread, right to the edges. This is the golden crust.
- Lay out four slices, buttered side down. Spread a tablespoon of peanut butter over each, then scatter over banana coins and a good handful of chocolate. Dust with cinnamon if using.
- Top with the remaining slices, buttered side up. Press down gently so the filling stays put.
- Butter the inside plates of the iron — this stops the bread sticking and helps it release clean.
- Drop a jaffle in, close the iron and trim any overhanging crust with a knife. Cook 3-4 minutes per side over the coals, rotating the iron halfway for even browning.
- The jaffle is done when the bread is deep golden and you can hear the chocolate bubbling inside. Ease the iron open — molten chocolate will try to escape, and that's a good sign.
- Rest for a minute on the board so the filling sets slightly, then cut in half and serve with a scoop of ice cream if you've got it.
Camp tips
- Prep at home: build the sandwiches the night before, wrap each in foil and keep them in the Engel or a 12V fridge. At camp, just butter the bread and toast — five minutes of work.
- Swap the chocolate for caramel or white choc, or add a handful of mini marshmallows for a s'mores-style filling.
- Don't overfill. If the iron won't close fully, the edges won't seal and you'll lose the chocolate to the coals.
- A double iron cooks two at once — that's the whole campsite done in about 15 minutes.
- Leftovers (if there are any) keep warm wrapped in foil near the fire for up to an hour.
This is the dessert for the nights when the fire's already going and nobody wants to leave it. Ten minutes, one iron, and the sort of camp memory that gets repeated on the next trip. If you're running a 12V fridge to keep the chocolate and ice cream cold, it slots straight into your existing power setup — have a look at the [12V accessories range](https://outcamp.com.au/collections/12v-accessories) to keep the whole camp kitchen humming off-grid.
