15 No-Cook Camping Breakfast Ideas (Perfect for Backpacking!)

Today, I’m going to share my very favorite camping breakfast ideas – that don’t require any cooking.

These make-ahead camping breakfast recipes are perfect for on-the-go campers who, like me, just want to roll out of their sleeping bag and start the day!

Don’t mind cooking? Here are our favorite camp breakfasts for when you have a little extra time (and don’t forget to make a cup of camp coffee while you’re at it!).

My Favorite No-Cook Camping Breakfast Recipes

I have a big family – so I have a ton of practice cooking up large breakfasts at the campsite.

Over the years, I’ve found what works and what doesn’t for a busy family always on the go, including meals that don’t require any cooking at all.

These make-ahead camp meals are perfect for early mornings on family road trips or hitting the trail early for a morning hike. They also make the perfect backpacking breakfast.

1. Outdoor Overnight Oats

My family loves a big bowl of camping oatmeal for breakfast. Plus, you can do almost all of the preparation ahead of time at home.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry oats
• 1 tablespoon milk or soy powder
• ¼ cup dried berries, coconut shreds, chocolate chips, etc
• 1 tablespoon sugar or pinch of stevia
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 cup cool water

All you have to do is combine the first five ingredients in a small container or plastic bag at home.

Once at the campsite, just cold add water and let everything sit together for at least three hours before consuming.

Not only do oats taste great, but they have a wonderfully balanced macro-nutrient profile. They’re high in zinc, manganese, and B vitamins – all of which boost your energy for a long day of camping fun!

For those looking for more protein, check out chocolate protein overnight oats which have 14g protein per serving.

2. Backpacker’s Banana Sandwich

You can make this yummy backpacking meal at home before your trip to enjoy as an easy breakfast on the trail.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole wheat tortilla
• 1 banana
• 2-3 tablespoons peanut butter

Spread peanut butter over half of the tortilla and add the chopped banana on top. Fold the bare half of the tortilla over to form a taco shape.

Tortillas are flat and dense. This makes them better for backpacking than ordinary sandwich bread which will be easily squashed in your pack.

3. Sunrise Cereal

Cereal is always a good choice for a quick breakfast, at home or at the campground.

Ingredients:

• 1½ cup of your favorite cereal
• 2 tablespoons milk or soy powder
• 1 cup water

For this easy camp breakfast, you can use actual milk or powdered milk (or, alternatively, soy milk or soy milk powder).

With milk, just add the milk to the cereal. If you’re using milk powder, add it to the cereal and then add water.

My family likes to add a handful of dried fruit for a huge boost in flavor as well as nutritional content.

4. Power Pudding

You can make a small bowl of powder pudding with very few ingredients at the campsite.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons chia seeds
• 3 tablespoons milk or soy powder
• A few drops liquid vanilla or chocolate stevia

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl or jar and let sit for at least 15 minutes.

Liquid stevia usually uses only natural flavors and is very easy to find online. It will add a mighty punch of flavor to your meals and drinks. A tiny bottle of it can last you years.

Chia seeds are an excellent nonperishable source of Omega-3 fatty acids.

5. Nomadic No-Bake Bars

Granola bars not only make an excellent camp breakfast, but are great to pack along for a snack on hikes as well.

Ingredients:

• 1½ cup trail mix (nuts, berries, chocolate chips, etc)
• 1½ cup dry oats
• ¼ cup agave, honey, or maple syrup
• 1/4 warm coconut oil

Thoroughly combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.

Then, form the mix into bar shapes and let them set. As the coconut oil cools, the bars will harden.

After an hour or two, transfer the bars to a plastic bag and chuck it in your pack!

You will want to make this recipe ahead of time, but it makes for an instant, satisfying breakfast on the trail.

Check our our full no-bake camping granola bars recipe here!

6. Date Boats

This easy camp meal is a family favorite, especially for backpacking. It provides a lot of fuel for the trail.

Ingredients:

• 10-20 pitted dates
• peanut butter
• almonds/hazelnuts

Spread a small amount of peanut butter on the inside of a pitted date.

Then, stick almonds and hazelnuts to the peanut butter and eat! It’s as simple as that.

Dates are great because they have a very long shelf life. They’re probably one of the best sources of carbohydrates you can get on the trail.

7. Walking Water

Walking water is among the most simple camping breakfasts we can think of. It’s not exactly the most delicious, but it certainly helps fill you up in the morning.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons raw protein and vitamin powder
• 2 cups water

Combine the powder and water in a bottle and shake.

A ton of different nutritious protein powders exist today. Choose your favorite. Or, if you’re like me, look for one that is plant-based and free of any ingredients you don’t recognize.

8. Chocolate Champ Balls

A quick trail breakfast is all about packing in a lot of nutrition and calories into a small package. Our chocolate champ balls do that like, well, a champ!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups mixes nuts of choice
• 1 cup cacao powder
• 15 pitted dates
• pinch of salt
• ¼ cup agave, honey, or maple syrup

Add the ingredients one at a time to a food processor and blend until well combined.

The mixture should be malleable, but not pureed. With your hands, roll into golf ball shapes and throw into a plastic bag for the journey.

We like cacao because it’s a less processed version of cocoa. It also has higher vitamin and mineral content. All that with the same wonderful taste!

9. Trekker’s Cheesy Avocado Wrap

Honestly, this is probably my favorite no-cook camp breakfast on our list. It’s simply delicious.

Ingredients:

• 2 whole wheat tortillas
• 1 avocado
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
• garlic salt

Fill the tortillas with avocado slices and the seasonings before wrapping them up.

The nutritional yeast is an excellent source of vitamin B12 to keep your energy level high while out on the trail. It also has a “cheesy” flavor, but unlike real cheese, it won’t expire on you!

10. Appalachian Apple Pie

Appalachian Apple Pie is similar to our outdoor overnight oats but takes the recipe up another notch.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry oats
• 1 finely chopped apple
• 1 tablespoon milk or soy powder
• 1-2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon sugar or pinch of stevia
• 1 cup water

Make the same way as our outdoor overnight oats recipe, also adding apples along with the water.

Some don’t consider whole fruits a good backpacking food because of their perishability. However, as long as you’re not in an extremely hot environment, apples can last for weeks in your bag. Plus, they’re firm enough to not splatter all over your pack.

If the length of your trek allows, try to bring enough whole, raw fruit to have a piece on the trail every single day.

11. Acai Bullseye

Acai has a unique flavor and is very nutritional to boot – making our acai bullseye perfect for on-the-go campers.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons chia seeds
• 3 tablespoons milk or soy powder
• 1 tablespoon acai powder
• sugar or stevia to taste
• optional toppings such as coconut shreds, tree nuts, dried berries, etc

Make the same way as our powder pudding recipe.

Acai and chia are one of my favorite combinations, as their nutritional contents compliment each other to give you optimal strength and stamina for a long day on the trail.

12. Energizing Hot Chocolate

Now, our energizing hot chocolate might not be filling enough for a full trail breakfast, but it’s a great way to get you going in the morning.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1-2 tablespoons milk or soy powder
• 1 tablespoon cacao powder
• 1 tablespoon carob powder
• few drops liquid vanilla stevia

Combine all the dry ingredients in a plastic bag at home to simplify your mornings.

This drink can be enjoyed hot or cold.

Cacao and carob are both chocolate-tasting super foods that are going to give you an early morning boost of nutrition and energy.

For some added calories, consider adding a tablespoon of coconut oil to the drink.

13. Chocolate Hazelnut Hiking Heaven

Our chocolate hazelnut hiking heaven will fill your stomach and give you a taste of home, no matter where you’re camping.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup hazelnuts
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cacao powder
• 2 tablespoons milk or soy powder

Blend all the ingredients to a puree and transfer to a lightweight plastic container at home.

I personally like to always bring something super sweet, comforting, and quick when I go camping. Trust me, sometimes you will need it.

This spread tastes like the beloved Nutella that we all adore, minus the palm oil and artificial flavors.

You can even slap a tablespoon or two over a tortilla and enjoy. Sure, it might not sound delectable right now, but you’ll thank me later!

14. Banana Party

I love bananas. And bananas with a little peanut butter and a few goodies are even better!

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• topping such as coconut shreds, chocolate chips, dried berries, chopped tree nuts, etc

Spread the peanut butter over one side of a peeled (just in case you are having a really bad morning and needed the clarification) banana. To the peanut butter, sprinkle your toppings and hit the trail!

15. Good Old GORP

Trail mix – often called GORP in the hiking community – is an awesome trail snack. It can even substitute as a healthy camp breakfast in a pinch.

Ingredients:

• peanuts
• almonds
• hazelnuts
• chocolate chips
• dried berries

Combine equal amounts of all ingredients and fill a large bag.

Before a backpacking trip, I always tell myself to put a little more effort into my meals, but I don’t usually actually do that. I’m always glad that I brought extra GORP along!

When camping, you are freed from the usual requirements of civilization and society, like pretending to be a presentable human being.

GORP is for those mornings when you’ve been out in the muck for long enough that consuming your breakfast like the hulk would popcorn is totally acceptable. We don’t judge.

What’s Your Favorite Camping Breakfast Recipe?

There you have it – our 15 favorite breakfast ideas for camping that don’t require any cooking on the trail.

All of these meals are just as filling and nutritious as they are quick and easy to make. Of course, they taste great as well!

Did we miss your favorite make-ahead camp breakfast?

Let us know in the comments below…

Find More Delicious Camping Meals

Here are some other (non-breakfast) camping meal ideas to check out:

• Best Backpacking Meals
• Easy Camping Lunch Ideas
• Make-Ahead Camping Meals
• Must-Try Campfire Desserts
• Amazing Vegan Camp Recipes
• Easy Dutch Oven Camping Recipes
• No-Refrigeration Camp Foods
• 20 Easy Camping Recipes

Happy Camping!