Smoked Caramel Apple Cream Cheese Dippers

At hunting camp, desserts can be troublesome. Time is usually short, everyone is tired, and there’s dinner to be made and dishes to be cleaned after the meal. That’s what makes this one so great. If you have a few apples, a pack or two of your favorite cookies, a couple blocks of cream cheese, and a pellet grill, you’re in business. It’s quick and easy, and there is no mess once everyone is finished.

Surround the smoked cream cheese with sliced apples and cookies for dipping.

We cook this one in a disposable aluminum pan on the pellet grill. Serve it up with sliced apples if you want to stay on the healthy side of things, or apples and your favorite cookies if that sounds better.

To balance the sweetness of the cinnamon sugar and caramel, I like to use a tart apple like a Granny Smith as a dipper. To keep the apples from turning brown, drizzle the slices with a bit of lemon juice.

Sliced Granny Smith or other tart apples are the perfect dipper.

Place both blocks of cream cheese in the aluminum pan. Start by cutting thin slices into the top of both blocks in a crosshatch pattern. This isn’t necessary for the flavor; it just looks visually appealing and helps hold on to the toppings.

Score the top of the cream cheese for additional surface area to hold cinnamon sugar and caramel.

Mix the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the cream cheese blocks. Drizzle over the caramel.

Top the cream cheese blocks with the cinnamon sugar blend and drizzled caramel syrup.

Place the pan on a preheated grill at 225 degrees for 60-90 minutes. I like to have everything ready, then pop it on the grill just as the main course comes off. That way the dessert will be ready about the time that everyone has finished eating and most of the mess has been cleaned up.

Place the cream cheese on the grill and smoke for 60 to 90 minutes.

When the cream cheese comes off the smoker, surround it with sliced apples and cookies as dippers for the warm, soft cheese.

Dip the apples and cookies into the warm cream cheese.

Variations on the cinnamon sugar that work well are any fruit jellies or hot pepper jelly. Or try honey instead of caramel.