Breakfast, as you know, is the most important meal of the day. But it is never more vital, or pleasurable, than when you are out on the road in your campervan. The best camping breakfasts should be easy to do, but they also need to be fun and nutritious. They’ve got to keep you going until lunchtime, after all.
We’ve put together some ideas for camping breakfasts to suit all tastes and travel set-ups. There are dishes you can cook on an open fire as the sun rises and there are options that you can enjoy when the weather doesn’t cooperate, or you don’t have cooking facilities.
Here are some top tips for easy and delicious camping breakfasts.
Full English/Irish breakfast - veggie or non-veggie
This is one of the best camping breakfast ideas to have up your sleeve, especially on group holidays when your efforts will undoubtedly make you the party favourite for at least a day (meaning you get to duck out of washing up duties).
Whether meat-based, veggie or vegan this brekkie is filling and pretty straightforward to do if you get your timings right. It’s also a dish to which you can add your own unique spin. So, alongside your sausages, eggs, mushrooms and so forth, you could include halloumi and sweetcorn fritters, homemade guacamole or add some chipotle, chilli, or other spices to your baked beans.
Whatever version you decide on, the glorious aromas wafting from your pitch are bound to make you the envy of every camper onsite.
Cereal variety pack
Good friends tell me that they have refused to go on camping trips unless there’s a variety box of cereal on the packing list. Other brands are of course available, but I think we can agree that it is all about Kellogg’s. These eight boxes may be small but they are perfectly formed for an easy camping breakfast.
Once you have won/lost the arguments about who gets what, you can tuck into Coco Pops or Cornflakes with some fruit, nuts, honey, sugar or yoghurt to sweeten the deal. Or how about some peanut or cashew butter on your Frosties or toasted almonds and/or seeds on your multigrain shapes?
A healthier option for those readers who want to prioritise sustenance over nostalgia is a generous bowl of granola or muesli covered in any or all of the above toppings. Need to warm your tummy? Try some heated milk over your grains.
Campfire Frittata
There is nothing like cooking on an open fire. Grab a cast iron skillet and impress your group or neighbours with this quick and easy camping breakfast. As with the full English/Irish, the frittata practically demands you put your own stamp on it. Mushrooms and chorizo are always a winner, then at least one type of cheese, some spinach…whatever you have in your stash.
If you are holidaying in springtime, why not impress your friends and onlookers by foraging around for some wild garlic? Hand-shred and sprinkle in a generous handful a few minutes before the mix sets and you’ll enjoy a tasty addition to your campfire breakfast.
Monkey Burgers
Don’t panic, we would never hurt our wonderful simian friends. Monkey Burgers are an invention my partner Steve and I created on one of our campervan adventures in Wales. Take a hot cross bun (toasted or untoasted, whatever you prefer/have facilities for) slather one side with peanut butter, add half a banana, slice it lengthways for optimal flavour release, reacquaint it with its lid, add a dose of honey on the cross for extra sweetness and press firmly together. Absolutely delicious, and very simple.
If you can’t get hold of hot cross buns, saffron buns are a splendid alternative (especially if you are travelling in Cornwall where they are a traditional treat). If those two options aren’t possible, visit a nearby bakery and improvise!
Chickpea hash with veggies and optional fried egg
Chances are you’ll be doing a fair bit of hiking, kayaking, cycling or other exercises on your travels. This delicious recipe is one of the best camping breakfasts for ensuring you have plenty of energy for the day ahead. It goes without saying that this brekkie is highly adaptable and is a great choice for using up leftovers.
Fry up some onions, garlic and plenty of veg (optional chorizo, ham, bacon etc) until they’re sizzling nicely. Add your chickpeas and reduce the heat. Keep stirring gently until it's slightly soft to the bite, scoop the mix onto a bowl and keep warm while you fry your egg in the delicious juices.
Banana bread pancakes
Thicker American-style pancakes are generally easier to cook over a campfire than the thinner kind we Brits enjoy on Shrove Tuesday. One of the bonuses of this campfire breakfast is that the pancake mix can be made in advance, or on the day. Another is that it can double as an experiment to entertain kids.
Prepare your mix (or retrieve it from your sealed container). The mix consists of 2 eggs, 1 1/2 cups of whole milk, 2 cups of flour, ¼ cup of brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of salt.
Chop two soft-ish bananas in a bowl and mash them until fairly smooth. Add the eggs and milk and beat until silky smooth. Pour in your dry mix and combine. Don’t worry about small lumps.
Warm your skillet or pan over medium-low to medium heat. Add a good blob of butter and make sure the pan is fully coated. Pour in your mix and heat until it begins to bubble and turns a little golden around the edges. Flip over (and revel in the glory as it lands in one perfectly-formed disc) and cook the other side until golden.
Tasting notes: you can add all manner of lovely things to this mix. Blueberries, cherries, raspberries, walnuts… If you cook over a fire it is far better to wait until your campfire is at the ember stage rather than licking flames so you get a nice, even heat.
If your mouth isn’t watering by now, you must simply not be a breakfast person! But seriously, we hope these ideas for the best camping breakfasts have fired up your appetite for tasty treats to enjoy on your next adventure. Whether you are lucky enough to get beautiful dry mornings to cook outdoors or you have to resort to making your breakfast under shelter you’ll be glad you had your own campervan to pack all the extra treats and of course, your cooking equipment.
If you don’t have your own vehicle and would like to enjoy some extra comfort and convenience, check out our motorhomes for hire.
Here’s to the next road trip and the next campfire breakfast. Bon voyage et bon appétit!
