3 Kid-approved pie iron recipes to try on your next camping trip

3 things kids can make in a pie iron!  

There’s something satisfying about cooking over the fire, especially when you bake fresh bread in a pie iron! To keep things simple, use bannock dough and your favorite toppings to make sweet or savory treats. You can also make the best grilled cheese ever. My kids are hooked on pie iron cooking and have three easy recipes to share. Enjoy!

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Recipes by: Miya Ung

Cooking Notes

For bannock dough, you can use this bannock recipe from Allrecipes (our fav):

• Combine the dry ingredients and store them in a Tupperware. (It’s a big recipe so we usually only make 1/3-1/2 at a time).
• For every 1 cup of mix, add 1/2 cup of water, and a tablespoon of butter or oil. 1 cup of mix will make 2 “pies” or pizza pockets.
• Mix well and knead 10 times.

Substitutions:

• Substitute Bisquick, gluten-free Bisquick, or your favorite biscuit recipe for bannock.
• If you are vegan, use avocado oil (good for high heat cooking) or Becel vegan margarine instead of butter.

Cooking time can vary depending on how hot/big the fire is. 

The pie iron and cooked items will be HOT! Never touch metal parts of the pie iron with your bare hands, and let food cool down a little before eating it.

Now without further ado, here are our favorite kid-approved pie iron recipes. Enjoy!

1. Hot dog pocket

The pie iron is perfect for this savory pocket. You can cook the hot dog and bannock at the same time! 

Ingredients & Supplies:

• Pie iron
• Butter or oil
• Bannock dough
• Sliced hot dogs, smokies, or fully-cooked sausages
• Optional ingredients: Cheese, tomatoes, condiments
• Variations: Make a pizza pocket with cheese, pepperoni, and pizza sauce 

Directions

1. Prepare your pie iron by oiling or greasing with butter (this will prevent sticking).
2. Shape a ball of bannock dough into a square and put it on the pie iron. It should be about 1 cm thick. Make another bannock square and set aside.
3. Arrange hot dog slices over the bannock in pie iron. Add other toppings if desired.
4. Place the other bannock square on top and seal it by pinching the dough together (sealing prevents any juices from leaking out).
5. Close the pie iron, and cook for 5-8 minutes on each side or until bannock is browned. 
6. Once thoroughly cooked, flip onto a plate. If the bannock is stuck, run a butter knife around the edge of the pie iron to release it. Add condiments of your choice then serve warm!

2. Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Make this cheesy, toasted sandwich over the fire!

Ingredients & Supplies

• Pie iron
• Oil or butter
• Oven mitts
• Bread
• Cheese slices (cheddar, mozza, marble, gouda work well)
• Optional ingredients: Mayonnaise, Tomato, Cooked Bacon, Avocado, deli meats
• Variation: My mom’s favorite grilled cheese (before she found out she was celiac) is sourdough bread with aged cheddar, tomato, mayonnaise, and fresh ground pepper.

Directions

1. Trim bread slices to fit in your pie iron.
2. Butter the outsides of the bread (this will prevent them from sticking to the pie iron), OR oil the pie iron.
3. Place the first slice buttered side down on the pie iron, then add slices of your favorite cheese (and other toppings, if desired).
4. Put the other piece of bread on top, buttered side up, then close the pie iron.
5. Cook for 2-4 minutes on each side or until bread is toasted. 
6. Flip onto a plate, and serve while the cheese is still gooey!

3. Blueberry Pie

Make this delicious dessert with simple ingredients!

Ingredients/Supplies:

• Pie iron
• Butter/oil
• Oven mitts
• Bannock dough or Pillsbury Original Crescent Dough Sheet
• Blueberries 
• Sugar

Variations:

• Apple pie: Apple slices and cinnamon sugar, or canned pie filling
• Spiced plum pie: Plum slices and cinnamon sugar
• Use your favorite jam, canned pie filling, or fresh fruit

Directions

1. Prepare your pie iron by oiling or greasing with butter (this will prevent sticking).
2. Shape the Bannock dough (or Crescent dough) into squares that fit in your pie iron, then place one in pie iron and set aside the other for later use. Bannock should be 1 cm thick.
3. Add 2-3 tablespoons of fruit and sprinkle sugar on top (or fill with jam or pie filling).
4. Place the second bannock square (or Crescent dough) over filling, then seal by pinching. Make sure none of the filling is sticking out, or it will be hard to clean off the pie iron.
5. Close pie iron, then cook 4-7 minutes on each side or until the bannock is browned. (Crescent dough will cook a lot faster because it’s thinner; check it every couple minutes.)
6. Once completely cooked, you can use a butter knife to help pry out the pie. Flip onto a plate, and enjoy your mini pastry!

Pie Iron Care Tips

• It’s best to wash your pie iron after use then coat with oil. 
• If you can’t wash your pie iron while camping, simply wipe it out with paper towel then grease with oil.
• After using the pie iron, it can be stored in a paper bag to prevent soot from staining other objects.

I hope you enjoy the recipes. Please leave a comment below to let me know which one was your favorite! 🙂

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