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I’ve shared before one of my favorite tricks for encouraging young kids to try new things in the kitchen. Sometimes all it takes is relating it to something they know and love. Caribbean Rubbed Pork Chops with Mango Salsa instantly became cool when I told my three boys it’s Captain Jack Sparrow’s favorite dinner. Hummus and Tandoori chicken? “Just like Aladdin eats!” Green smoothie? “Shrek Shake.” You get the picture. My little trick turned into fun theme nights and my family loves making an event out of a dinner and movie combo. It’s a great way to add a little excitement around meal prep and have fun with the family! Because of this, Kate and I jumped at the chance to create some recipes inspired by the new DreamWorks Animation movie coming out this month. Like, we sent each other about 48 texts in the span of a few hours with all sorts of crazy caveman ideas.
Have you guys seen the trailer for The Croods? My kiddos are excited about it, it looks super cute. And can I just say, I’m so glad to live in a time where animated films are just as entertaining for adults as they are for kids. I love finding movies that we can all go to and equally enjoy. Some of my favorite movies are animated!
Kate and I thought it would be fun to make a themed dinner, which is why she posted her awesome Cranberry-Cola Glazed Babyback Ribs recipe, meant to be eaten caveman style (hands only- the messier the better!) (Click Here for the Recipe)
Now you just need dessert. When I was thinking about this, I instantly thought of my cub scout days (like, when I was volunteering with cub scouts, not when I was a cub scout. Because I was never a cub scout. Obviously.) We used to do a little activity to teach fire-building skills where we used pretzels for the wood, and marshmallows to make a little rock pit, and coconut for fire, etc. That idea quickly transformed into these darling little edible campfires I thought it would be adorable to do this on a cookie or cupcake for a dessert!
Set up a little station with some sugar cookies (I totally bought mine already baked from my grocery’s bakery, but here’s our favorite from-scratch recipe.) Some chocolate frosting, some crushed Oreo cookies, and your rock candy.
Three simple steps here: Spread on some frosting, sprinkle the top generously with dirt (Oreos!), and then surround your fire pit with rocks (safety first.)
You can do them multi-colored, or pick out the same color rocks. I think I like the ones with a uniform color.
Now we need some fire!
I just took a handful of coconut and put it in 3 separate bowls. Drop a couple drops of liquid yellow food coloring in one, red in another, and orange in the last one. Use a fork to stir and smash until the coconut is colored. At first it will look like nothing is happening, but just keep smashing it around and soon it will distribute. Place the coconut on a baking sheet and we’ll toast it in the oven.
The nice thing is that the food coloring prevents most browning, so the coconut stays vibrant and bright, but has that perfect toasted crunch to it. It also holds its shape like little fiery flames. Just place a little fire right in the center of your fire-pit.
These are pretty darn cute just like that, don’t ya think? In addition to being fun for a themed movie day- these would be great for an activity with boys in cub scouts, or girl scouts, or girls camp, etc.
And what I think is even cuter, is adding a few little mini pretzel sticks so you have some wood to burn. I gave my pretzels a quick dip in chocolate, mostly because I think things that start with the phrase “chocolate-dipped” are a general improvement over things that don’t start with the phrase “chocolate-dipped.”
You get the buttery sugar cookie, creamy chocolate frosting, crumbly cookie crunch, and flavor and texture from the toasted coconut. My kids loved picking off the “rocks” and “wood” and eating those one at a time. S0 much fun!
Campfire Cookies
Description
These campfire cookies are a lot easier to make than they look! Quick, easy, and fun, this is a great treat for summer time!
Ingredients
- *quantities vary by the size of your cookies, how many you’re making, etc.
- Round sugar cookies
- Chocolate frosting
- Crushed chocolate cookies (like Oreos)
- Candy coated chocolate rock candy
- Coconut
- Small pretzel rods (optionally dipped in chocolate)
Instructions
- To color coconut, separate coconut into 3 separate bowls. Working with one bowl at a time, add a few drops of liquid food coloring (one bowl yellow, another orange, another red) and stir and smash with a fork until color is distributed. Place coconut on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 5-8 minutes, stirring once, until lightly toasted. Cool completely.
- Frost sugar cookies with chocolate frosting and sprinkle crushed chocolate cookies on top. Line the outside edge of cookie with rock candy. Sprinkle cooled coconut in the middle and prop up 3-4 pretzel rods (trim to be shorter if necessary.)
*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.
This post is in partnership with DreamWorks Animation and Twentieth Century Fox’s The Croods. All opinions expressed are our own.
Sooo cute! Can’t wait to make these! This will be perfect for my yw girls camp kickoff gathering 🙂 thanks!
Oh my goodness! That is ridiculously cute! And not cute in a girly way – which is prefect for my 5 sons. I’m excited to try them!! Thanks!
Oh my gosh this is the cutest thing ever!
Carlee
Almost Endearing
Adorable!
So cute- I don’t like chocolate or coconut, but I might have to make these anyway for our family “campout” (in the living room).
This are so cute!
Love it! But sadly the cub scout cake auction was 2 days ago. We seriously would have put these on cupcakes and called it a day! No worries — lots more scouting events in our future.
These look really cute and delicious!!! I also think it’s amazing how you can photograph devoured ribs to look pretty. I’m weird. I know.
Very clever idea. I could see these be a hit at all kinds of events like a picnic or camping event or a theme party. Cute but clever in a way that it would be loved by kids and/or adults at an event. So simple and yet so creative and fun.
Last year we made graham cracker, marshmallow, licorice, animal cracker covered wagons for pioneer day. It would be fun to make a fire for them to circle around this year. Or it would be super cute for a pack meeting, but my only cub scout is a boy scout now and they don’t really do treats at a court of honor.
Kids would love these! They look just like little campfires and the ‘chocolate-dipped’ pretzel sticks and rocks are genius!
Can’t wait to make these…one boy in cub scouts and another coming up in May will surely provide an opportunity…
These are so creative! Love it!
Very cute cookies!!! Very creative!!!
These are so cute:)
Seriously adorable! The chocolate rocks and tri-colored coconut fire are totally genius!
This is one of the most creative cookies I’ve seen in a long time. You are so talented!
My kids will love that movie, and the theme meal will be a huge hit!
Great idea for an outdoor lovers cake too!
I love these cookies! I just hope I can find the rock candy so I can make them for my kids.
These are darling! I might have to have the kids make these for a fun activity at our family reunion coming up! Thanks for the fun idea!
I’ve totally done this for a Girl’s Camp prep activity before — but using the cookie base would’ve simplified it and been even tastier.
So stinkin’ cute!
What a cute idea! We do movie themes at our house too and this would work fabulously!
Those cookies are darling and sound so tasty too! We’ve just recommited ourselves to family movie night and I love the idea of having a themed dinner/dessert to go with it!
So fun! Would be perfect for a camping trip.
So adorable! Perfect for girls camp! Always looking for fun ideas!
What a great idea! I love these little cookies and I think I’m more excited about seeing this movie then my kids are! haha
I have seen versions of these before but yours are the cutest!!! LOVE the idea of the rock candy. Please say that this is going to be a new segment and that you are going to do fun dinner and dessert ideas for every new kids movie!! We love going to the movies and I loved themed food. So excited. Now I just have to wait for the movie to come to the cheep theater so I can take the whole fam. Thanks again lady’s for making me look like a fun mom.
Those are amazingly cute! So creative.
Very Cool…and look yummy too!
Super cute cookies!
Too cute to eat! 😉
Adorable cookies! You ladies are so creative!
My boys will love this. So cute. I think it would make a fun treat for a summer birthday party too.
I love Winco bulk section! We’ll have to try these when we go camping this summer. Thanks!
These would be so easy to build on a real camping trip too! What a fun idea!
I love the colored coconut fire. Seriously clever (and delicious!). Someday I’ll have kids who are old enough to care and I’ll make cute things like this.
those cookies are adorable! i hadn’t even heard of this movie until now but would like to take my husband and son.
These cookies are so cute! We will have fun making them.
I can’t wait to make these with my seven little grandsons! So cute and I’m sure yummy too. You are sooooo….. creative! I love reading your posts and have tried many of your ideas.
These are so fun! My kids will love to make these! Can’t wait to try them!
Way cute!!! I love you how make something look hard to do, but so easy and simple!! We can’t wait to make it them!!
Those are absolutely adorable!
These are so cute. I want to make these and smores!
How fun! Any ideas besides coconut for the fires??
Got to try these
These are way fun! I was just thinking that if you couldn’t find rock candy, the one where you did all brown rocks looks like honey roasted peanuts from a distance. Not quite as cute as the rocks but they would totally work. It has been so long since I watched TV that I didn’t even know this movie was coming out! Good job advertizing for them! :0 )
Before I read through the directions, I thought the rocks were made out of peanuts rather than candy. Soooo rather than wasting precious time (when you could be baking with your kidos) searching for edible rocks, use peanuts if necessary. Another idea is to sacrifice an animal cracker on top of the pretzels.
Oh I’m dying…why didn’t I think to sacrifice and animal?! That’s hilarious, lol!
Super cute for a camping trip!
When I looked at the top picture I thought the “rocks” were peanuts. Raisins would also work well for those of us not ambitious enough to hunt down chocolate rocks. 🙂 Too cute. I think we will make these soon to get pumped up for camping season!
These cookies are darling and your directions are simple to follow. Thanks!
I LOVE these! So cute and so easy! Can’t wait to make them!
These just may be the cutest, most fun cookies ever! I’m going to invite my daughter’s friends over and have them make these as a fun activity. They will love it as much as I will. Fun! Fun! Fun!
LOVE IT! Can’t wait to make them for my camping enthusiasts. Thanks!
These are adorable!!! And I love those lil rock candies I’ve used them on themed cakes before. Sounds like fun to make with the kiddies too!!
Very cute cookies! I think I need to start naming dishes like you do for my picky 3-year-old.
Super cute! I know my boys would love these!
Dang it! These would have been perfect for my son’s blue and gold Cub Scout banquet last week! I will have to remember these for next year 🙂
Reminds me of girl’s camp kick-off nights.
So cute and creative. Way to go, once again!
I have a son so I figure I’ll end up in cub scouts at some point. Thanks for a great idea for when the time comes.
What a great idea, take the grands to see the movie and then make these adorable cookies afterward!!
Such a good idea! I think I’ll have to make some for a camping trip this summer!
Perfect for Girls Camp!!!! So cute! 🙂
Perfect for a family reunion! So cute! 🙂
I needed this Wednesday night when I was scouring pinterest for a cute idea to go with my girls camp fire night!! We made the fires with marshmallows and pretzels but these would have been the perfect refreshments. Next time I guess!
Yummo!!!! Those cookies look delicious and I love sugar cookies. Can’t wait to try them.
These are adorable! I love them and will try them soon ( I am certain they will not be as cute as yours though)!
too cute! makes me want to rush out and volunteer to be a den leader!
This is a great idea to do during our annual camping trip! Thanks!!
Love these! My kids and I are so excited to make these cookies. I have to find those candy rocks first! And this movie looks darling. Thank you once again!
These would be great for our Cub Scouts! We’ll have to try them!
Love the camp fire cookies. I would take my family…party of 6.
These are too cute! And my kids love chocolate rocks.. my son always gets them on his frozen yogurt! 😉 Def. will be making these soon!
These are amazing! You come up with such clever ideas, it is very inspiring. I’m sure you kids loved eating these 🙂
What a fun way to make the evening extra special! Thanks! I love it!!!
These are the cutest cookies ever — could fit lots of themes — even a Luau. I’m so going to make these this summer — probably a couple times. I am so grateful I know about OBB and for being able to learn from all your wonderful ideas!!
I am taking my peeps! (My kids and husband)!
I love these!! I think I will make these on our extended family campout for a kids activity!! To the movie The CROODS, I’d take my 4 beautiful grandkids and their moms. THANKS.
One more reason for adults to look at me funny when I bring dessert to a pot luck…
These are so cute. I just started working with the cub scouts and I can’t wait for the opportunity to make these with them.
How cute! I agree with Stacey about the cub scout cake auction. We had ours last Sunday, and if we had a made a cake like this, it would’ve been perfect. I might just have to steal this idea for next year’s cake.
these are seriously one of the cutest things i’ve ever seen. LOVE it.
So adorable — love it!
Ingenious!!!! Now to go on a search for those rock candies somewhere around here…. ; D
Cute ideas you girls always have. Thanks for sharing them!
Another Winner. Love your recipes, your kitchen, they way you brighten my week. Keep up the good work!
Such cute ideas!! Friday night is usually movie night at our home, so these will be a perfect snack for my 3 boys. If I won the gift card, I know we’d all enjoy going to the big screen and have a great time together. Thanks again for the kid-friendly ideas!
Cute idea! My kids would love this!
As a parent of four and a scout leader, these cookies are a must for me to make. Thanks for the awesome idea! And who doesn’t love ribs? And animated films? We are going to have an awesome cave-family dinner and a movie.
These look like so much fun! Might actually use them at camping theme party coming up in September for our oldest boy! 🙂 So cool!
I just showed my kids the pics and they can’t wait to make them!
Cute idea!! I love the creativity. I would take my boys to the movie because sometimes they can be a little “crood” themselves!
I do the same thing to get my kids to eat things. And this movie looks cute! What a fun idea for a cookie!
Love it! I shared the idea with my son’s scout leader. I would also pick the rock candy off and eat that first.
I HAVE to make these for my kids AND my cub scouts!! My kids would love to go see The Croods!!
I can’t even win the giveaway since I’m in Canada but I don’t care because I just have to say that you guys are brilliant! I am constantly amazed and impressed with your creativity. The details you guys think of blows my mind. Seriously…coconut flames…GENIUS!
Every week I look forward to what interesting (and funny) things you’re going to post and I’m never disappointed. Some of our favorite recipes have come from here. Plus, every post makes me laugh! Thank you both.
What a fun activity for me and the kids during this looooooong winter!
My grandchildren & Me!
So stinky cute! I would be the bestest mom ever if we won the gift card. Thanks!
New Cub Scout leader! (I am excited to make these!) very clever… And I mean that even without the giveaway!
I’m going with my hubby and cute kiddos! My kids would love these cookies!
So I got thinking, there’s got to be a way to make your own river rocks. Chop a block of chocolate into little chunks and then dip them in colored candy coating. But WHAT is the recipe for that candy coating??? I googled this and came up with nothing. Maybe you ladies could crack the code one of these days…. 🙂 (Cute cookie idea BTW!)
My hubby & 4 kiddos
I would take my niece and nephews to the movie and have a fun day with them!!
So cute!
Sara, your brilliance never ceases to amaze me! If these aren’t the cutest things on the planet then I don’t know what is!
Super cute!!! Love it!!
made these this afternoon! I was looking for an idea for a special treat for kids dessert. Usually I can always count on this one local store to have the chocolate rocks, but they were out. I subbed a mixture of vanilla and chocolate clodhoppers with teeny bits of chopped peanuts. Quick and fun to assemble once I had everything ready to go. Came together easy since my 3 year old was out of the house. We’ll see how the kids like them tomorrow! Thanks for the great idea!!!
My grocery store just got those little candy rocks, I want to try this!
First of all, I was totally a cub scout. I don’t know when they started letting girls in, but I would have been around 9 years old, so… 1999-ish? I’m also in Canada, though, there might be different rules in the U.S. I remember being happy I was allowed in boy scouts, though. The girl guide I knew were having sleepovers at the church with homemade facials and pancakes in the morning and I was out in the woods cooking up hotdogs and marshmallows over a fire. After being a counselor at a girl guide camp, I realize that my impression of girl guides at 9 years old was totally wrong and it was just the leaders not wanting to do outdoorsy stuff… but still, boy scouts was the better of the options I had. Plus I won the father-child cake baking contest! (yes, I still have the ribbon…)
Second, these are super cute! I hadn’t heard of this movie yet, either, will have to keep an eye out for it. We’ve recently started up a family movie night. Maybe we’ll start having matching themed food, looks like fun – and more things to do with my son on my rare days off.
Love the cookies! I would take my family and our cousins!
Thanks
I would take 3 of my 4 kids to see the movie. Don’t think my 2 year old would sit still long enough.
Super Cute!
These are adorable! Too bad I don’t like coconut.
Adorable! I think you could also “roast marshmallows” over your fire with a couple more of those pretzel sticks and some mini marshmallows stuck on the end. Such a fun idea!
How cute are these!!! I immediately started trying to think of a topic I can teach to my Activity Days girls so that we can make these cookies together. We may just have to have a movie night together and make these for our treat!
Wow! Adorable! Makes me excited for camping this summer as a family!
I made cupcakes that were very similar to these for my son’s birthday. I couldn’t find those candy rocks ANYWHERE so I used icing. We have a local pretzel bakery that makes pretzel “shorties” that were perfect for the logs and I even roasted some mini marshmallows on toothpicks (cut the toothpicks in half) over the stove and put them beside the fire on the cupcake.
Super Creative! I’m a Cub Scout leader right now… I’m going to remember these!
I’ve never taken my kids to a movie. This would be SO fun to make a family date night out of. Ideas brewing….
I LOVE this!
I teach 21 preschool kids and these will be PERFECT for our camping theme. 🙂
love these. scouts are practicing building fires in our firepit this week. they will love it when i surprise them with this treat at the end. (may try the same later atop cupcakes, too!)
Oh I find myself constantly wishing I could find these posts a few years down the road when I have children. I hope you ladies are still coming up with these amazing ideas when my hubby and I finally decide it’s time to become responsible. 🙂
I would take my 4 year old, a few of his friends, and my hubby (I’d need the help with all the kids!)
Super cute! My kids will love this. I live in the middle of nowhere so it is hard to find things like cany rocks. In the past I have used crumbled chips ahoy cookies. They make gret rocks.
I love you campfire cookies. What a great idea for a total evening of fun. I would love to do this with my grandchildren.
This is totally Adorable!!!! :))
I love how these turned out! It’s such a fun idea!
My 8 and 10 year old kids would love to see this movie!
I wanted to reach into my computer and eat these…mmm.
These are so cute! My kids would love them as they love camping!
can’t wait to take the fam to this movie!!
I wish I had just a bit of your creativity, you gals are great!!
I found these completely on accident when searching for your cream cheese frosting recipe (which is awesome, btw!). I’m SOO glad I found them because they are absolutely adorable and they will be perfect for the baby shower I’m co-hosting next week….my friend is naming her baby girl Scout, so we’re making it a camping theme! Can’t wait to make them!! Thanks so much for your fun and creativity! Haven’t seen the movie yet, but I’m sure we’ll make these again when we eventually have a Redbox movie night at home (the cheapie way to do it!) 🙂
So cute! My son has been begging for a Croods birthday party and since it isn’t out on DVD yet, I can’t find much in the way of party ideas. I think I’m going to use this idea and modify it a bit. Since we’ll already be having cake, I was thinking pineapple slices for the ring, raisins for the stones, pretzels, and fruit roll ups for the fire! Thanks for the idea!
Just stumbled across the link to your awesome treat while searching for crafts. Can’t wait to try these for my grandkids.
What else could u use for the “fire” couldn’t you use gummys or whatever else is that color
Adorable !
I’m definitely going to do these when I can for a Cub Scouts dinner! I hope Webelos does desert next one we have! 😉 I only do fruits and veggie snacks when he’s Denner!