Spread your love for outdoor adventures with the younger generations in your family by creating simple ways to get them involved with cooking in the great outdoors. Here’s a list of 10 fun and easy camping breakfast ideas for kids.
1. Breakfast Foil Packs
2. Pie Iron Breakfast Pizza
3. Campfire Cinnamon Rollups
4. Cast Iron Egg Bake
5. Omelets in a Bag
6. Banana Pops
7. Camping Donuts
8. Campfire Pancakes
9. Campfire French Toast
10. Breakfast Burritos
Of course, the more prepared you are for cooking and camping the more fun the chore of cooking can be. Be sure you come prepared with all necessary cookware and ingredients. Whether you are using a cast-iron skillet, pie iron, tin foil, or simply cooking sticks, having materials ready to go will make the experience more enjoyable for everyone!
Spend time with the kids joining you on your camping trip to preplan breakfast meals. Preplanning can make it simple to layout ingredients, cookware, and allow you to prep any ingredients needed before you leave!
Knowing what you’ll be cooking can allow you to pre-chop ingredients, add egg or pancake batter to squeeze bottles, and measure spices or other ingredients. Benjamin Franklin always said, ‘Success is the residue of planning,’ and preparing fun and easy camping breakfast for kids is no different!
Breakfast Foil Packs
Foil packs are a quick, easy, and fun way to engage your kids in the cooking process while camping. Prepare your packs at home and freeze for an even quicker, more efficient morning meal. If your kids happen to be picky eaters or prefer different types of breakfast food, foil packs are the best option for creating a customized breakfast.
Even better, your morning cleanup will be a breeze without dishes! Use a grill or the coals from the previous night’s bonfire to heat up your pack. All you need to do is lay out the ingredients, give each child a foil pack, spray the foil for nonstick, crack your eggs, add additional items like cheese, veggies, bacon, sausage, or hashbrowns, close the pack and place it on the grill or hot coals for 10-15 minutes until eggs are cooked through! No more complaining about what’s for breakfast or who is on dish duty when you use foil packs!
Pie Iron Breakfast Skillet
Pie iron breakfast skillets are meant for slower-moving mornings while you soak up the scenery and quality time with your kids. For this recipe you’ll need butter, bread, your cooked eggs, ham/bacon/sausage, cheese, and you can even add veggies for additional flavor and crunch! You’ll start by prepping your pie iron with some non-stick spray or butter. Then butter one side of each piece of bread.
Putting the bread butter side down in your pie iron you can begin layering your additional ingredients. Finally, place the other piece of bread butter side up and close your pie iron. Your kids can help you turn the iron to cook on both sides for 4-6 minutes. You can open the pie iron and check progress before putting it back on the fire. You will absolutely love your new cooking tool!
Campfire Cinnamon Rollups
Cinnamon roll-ups should be your go-to breakfast for an easy, fun cooking experience with your kids. The best part about this recipe is minimal ingredients: a package of crescent rolls, cinnamon/sugar, and wooden skewers. You can bring some powdered sugar to mix with water for a delicious glaze. First, have your kids crack open those crescent rolls and wrap them around the wooden skewers.
Take your mixture of cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle each rollup. Roast those babies just like you would a marshmallow, turning frequently for about 3-5 minutes. Add the glaze if you wish, but honestly, these don’t even need it! Pair with a cup of coffee for a sweet breakfast to start your day in the wilderness!
Cast Iron Egg Bake
The cast iron egg bake is also famously known as the ‘Mountain Man Breakfast’ among avid campers. You’ll want hot coals for cooking this big breakfast! Cook your meat and veggies in the cast iron skillet first, this will produce some oils for a no-stick end result! Ground sausage is easiest as you won’t have to remove and cut it into smaller pieces.
Next, add hash brown potatoes until cooked. Complete the dish by pouring over a dozen mixed eggs with salt, pepper, and additional seasoning of your choice. You’ll need to cover the cast iron and let the eggs cook for 30-40 minutes or until firm. Remove your cover and add your favorite cheeses, you can continue cooking until the cheese is melted. Once the cheese is gooey, take off the coals and serve up your ‘Mountain Man Breakfast’!
Omelets In A Bag
Another easy, no fuss breakfast with little cleanup is omelets in a bag! When the kids wake up in the morning, have them start by putting a pot of water on a bed of hot coals. While the water is heating, each kid should pour their mixed eggs, seasoning, and additional ingredients into a plastic bag.
You can add meats, cheeses, and a variety of vegetables to your bags for customized and delicious omelets for the whole family. Seal your zip lock bags with as little air as possible and then have those kids shake and mix them up! Place each baggie in the pot of hot water on the coals.
Try to keep the bag’s zipper side up to avoid spills and move baggies around so nothing is sticking to the side of the pot. Cook time ranges from 8-12 minutes based on your pot size and the number of omelets you cook, so keep your eyes on your bags! Remove and pair your omelets with fresh fruit for a delicious camping breakfast!
Banana Pops
Banana Pop breakfast is a no-cook option for those camping mornings where you want to get out and go right away! Kids can easily peel their bananas and place them on a wooden stick. You’ll want to prepare a variety of toppings for your kids to dip their banana pops in: graham crackers, mini chocolate chips, peanut butter, coconut flakes, crushed cashews or almonds, candy sprinkles, or any other topping your kid would love!
Don’t forget to have them glaze their bananas in honey so their toppings will stick! Kids can prepare their plates with the topping of their choice and simply start rolling that banana in them. There’s no need to wait either, they can eat this breakfast right away and go back for seconds!
Camping Donuts
No one is going to say no to donuts when they are camping, especially when they are this easy to make! Biscuit dough, vegetable oil, sugar, and cinnamon are all you’ll need for this early morning treat. Using your cast iron skillet, ask the kids to place it on hot coals and pour in about a ¼ cup vegetable oil in your skillet.
While the oil is heating have your kids take out each biscuit and break it into fourths. Add the biscuits to the hot oil and cook for about a minute, be sure to flip the donuts for even cooking! When golden brown you can remove the donuts to a paper towel and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Another quick, easy, and fun breakfast idea for kids on the campground!
Campfire Pancakes
Another great make-ahead option for a fun and easy breakfast with your kids is campfire pancakes. You can simplify this recipe even further by bringing store-bought pancake mix and simply adding water. Either way, prepare your pancake mix with all dry ingredients in a ziplock bag prior to your trip. Mark on the bag with a sharpie to indicate the wet ingredients needed to complete the recipe.
For store-bought it might just be water, if you are doing homemade it might include whisking some eggs, vanilla extract, or whichever other wet ingredients you like to include in your homemade batter. Preheat your cast-iron skillet on some hot coals and add a stick of butter. You can transfer pancake mix to a squirt bottle, or simply cut a hole in the corner of the Ziplock bag.
Kids can make their own pancake designs or simply squeeze out good old-fashioned circle pancakes. Cook until you see bubbles and flip your pancakes. When each side is a golden brown you can even throw your pancakes to your kids to catch on their plates! Add butter and syrup and enjoy!
Campfire French Toast Sticks
Campfire French toast sticks are another fun and fast way to get your day started on your camping trip. Begin by creating your family’s favorite French toast batter with a variety of eggs, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. As always, this step can be prepped before your trip even begins.
The next step is to cut your Texas toast into three parts to create your toast sticks. Make sure to preheat your cast iron skillet on hot coals or a grill and add butter so your sticks don’t stick! The kids should take each cut piece of toast and coat it in the egg batter and place it in the skillet. Cook evenly on both sides until eggs are cooked through or golden brown. Don’t forget the butter and maple syrup for serving!
Breakfast Burritos
The best thing about breakfast burritos when you’re camping is that you don’t have to do anything but place your burrito on some coals and warm that breakfast up! Breakfast burritos are the best thing to prepare before your trips. Just freeze and enjoy a fun and easy breakfast.
At home, cook 8-12 scrambled eggs, a pound of breakfast sausage, and 3 cups of homemade or frozen hash browns. You’ll also need shredded cheese and some medium tortillas of your choice. Once all ingredients are prepped simply make your burritos, wrap in foil, and freeze until your trip!
On one of those exhausted mornings at the campground, pull out your burritos and place them on hot coals or a grill, flipping occasionally to warm throughout, and enjoy! It’s a breakfast that the kids can handle on their own while you enjoy your coffee!
Best Cooks In The Campground
Use these simple, fun, and kid-friendly breakfast recipes and be the best cook in the campground! Share your secrets with your fellow camping parents!