Winter Camping Recipes and Cooking Tips - Outward Bound Blog (2024)

Just because the snow is blowing outside, doesn’t mean you need to hang up your camping gear for the season. Students on winter Outward Bound expeditions embrace the cold for a chanceto explore snowy alpine ridges, glassy frozen lakes, and miles of still, snow-covered forests.

Whether you are on an expedition with Outward Bound or embarking on your own winter camping trip, here are some of our favorite winter camping recipes to keep you warm and give you energythroughout the day.

Breakfast

A warmbreakfast with a hot drink will wake you upin the cold hours of dawn and give you energy totake on whatever adventure lies ahead.

Hot Chai

• 1 1/2 c. hot water
• 1-2 T milk powder
• 1 tea bag (black tea)
• Cinnamon, brown sugar, and/or honey to taste

Cooking Instructions:

Steep tea bag in boiling water. Add milk powder, sweetener and spices.

(Recipe via the Colorado Outward Bound Columbine Cookbook)

Hot Granola

• Granola
• Sweetener (honey, agave,peanut butter)
• Milk powder
• Boiling water

Cooking Instructions:

Place ingredients in a canteen cup or bowl. Pour boiling water over the mixtureand stir.

(Recipe via the Colorado Outward Bound Columbine Cookbook)

Oat Scones

• 2c. oatmeal
• 1/4c.honey or brown sugar
• 1/4 c. cooking oil or 1/2 c. margarine
• 2 c. flour
• 1 1/2 t.baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• Water
• Optional: toppings (fruit compote, cinnamon, etc.)

Cooking Instructions:

1. Melt margarine in a pot and stir in oatmeal to soak it up.
2. Add baking powder, salt and honey; mix thoroughly.
3. Add water and flour alternately until the mixture holds together well.
4. Form patties about 3″ by 3/4″ thick.
5. Add toppings.
6. Fry in a pan until done or bake about 20-25 minutes.

(Recipe via the Colorado Outward Bound Columbine Cookbook)

Tea Variations

• Peppermint tea bag to steep, stir in 2 T cocoa mix
• Orange spiced tea bag to steep, add 1 T apple cider mix
• Black tea bag to steep, add 1 T orange or lemon drink mix

(Recipe via the Colorado Outward Bound Columbine Cookbook)

Dinner

After an entire day of hiking, dog sledding, snowshoeing or skiing, your body is ready to recharge with a hot dinner. A meal with agood balance of carbs, protein and fats willhelp you stay full and warm throughout thenight.

Soup

Soups are extremely versatile and can be made without sticking to an actual recipe. They are alsoa great solutionwhen you are reachingthe end of your tripand have limited ingredients remaining.

Basic Components:

• Fat:Start with some kind of fat such as butter or olive oil for sautéing vegetables.
• Base: Use a bouillon cube,milk powder, or tomato base- feel free to mix and match.
• Meat:Bring canned or vacuum-sealed pouches of fish or chicken that are easy to transport, or meats such as summer sausage or pepperoni that don’t need to be refrigerated.
• Veggies: Dried vegetables such as onions, garlic, peppers, mushrooms, beans or lentils.
• Starch: Pasta, rice, or potatoes.
• Spices: Start with salt and pepper for all soups, then try different combinations to spice things up. Good combos include:
  • Sage, thyme, marjoram, and celery seed for chicken-based soups.
  • Basil, oregano, and fennel for tomato-based soup.
  • Chili powder and curry for bean soups.
  • Parsley and thyme for cream soups.

Cooking Instructions:

1. Rehydrate and sauté vegetables.
2. Add your base (except for milk powder) and dilute with water to desired consistency. Bring to boil.
3. Add any starch and/or beans & lentils. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the starch is cooked.
4. Add precooked meat and spices.
5. Five minutes before service, add reconstituted milk powder (if using) and bring to a boil; reduce heat.
6. Garnish with cheese, green onions, parsley, etc.

(Recipe via Outward Bound Backcountry Cooking)

Cumulus Dumplings

Dumpings make for a savoryand filling additionto anysoup.

• 2 c. fl
• 1 t. salt
• 2 T. oil
• 3 t. baking powder
• 1 c. milk
• Optional: chopped onions and cheese

Cooking Instructions:

1. Mix ingredients using enough milk to make a stiff dough.
2. Pat dough out 1/2 inch thick.
3. Dip spoon into water, then spoon dough into simmering soup.
4. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes.

The trick to good dumplings is to keep them steaming on top of a simmering liquid. Never boil. Don’t crowd them in a pot and keep the lid on at all times. NO PEEKING!

(Recipe via the Colorado Outward Bound Columbine Cookbook)

One-Pot Chili

• 1 jar medium chunky salsa
• 1 large canstewed tomatoes with peppers
• 2 small cans black beans
• 2 small cans white beans
• 2 small cans red beans
• 1 large can hominy
• 1 large can tomato sauce

Cooking Instructions:

1. Put everything into a large pot.
2. Cook for 20-30 minutes stirring occasionally.

(Recipe via the BWCA.com)

Fried Pasta

• Dried vegetables (onions, garlic, peppers, mushrooms)
• 1 lb. pasta
• 4-6 c. water
• Garlic powder, other spices to taste
• Oil or margarine
• Cheese

Cooking Instructions:

1. Bring water to a boil with vegetables, add pasta and bring to a boil again.
2. When boiling, remove from heat and cover for about 10minutes.
3. Pour the pasta into an oiled pan and add garlic powder and spices.
4. Fry for 5 minutes, add cheese, fry a little longer.

(Recipe via the Colorado Outward Bound Columbine Cookbook)

Hot Cocoa

The perfect way to cap off a hard day and a bigdinner.

Serving size: 6

• 1cup dry milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• Dash of salt
• Optional: 1 t. cinnamon

Cooking Instructions:

1. Mixingredients together.
2. Add 1/4 – 1/3 cup mix to each mug.
3. Stir in hot water.
4. Enjoy!

(Recipe via the Colorado Outward Bound Columbine Cookbook)

Winter Cooking Tips

• Protect your fire.If you’re cooking withfirewood, put down a layer of medium-sized sticks on the base to helpprevent melting snow from drowning the fire.Whencooking with a stove, put a pad underneath. This will slow down the heat transfer from the stove to the ground and reduce the amount of melting snow underneath.

• Choose the right equipment. Use plastic or wooden utensils when cooking instead of metal. Metal utensils can cause the temperature of whatever you’re cooking to drop, requiringalonger cook time and more fuel. In addition, usebowls instead of plates tohelp keep your meal warmer for longer.

• Eat up.In the winter, it is best to eat a high calorie diet with alittle extra fat. Depending on the temperature, you can consume approximately 3,000 calories or more per day (the colder the temperature, the higher the caloric intake). High energy foods such ascheese, butter, nuts, peanut butter,and quick burning sugary foods like chocolate, candy and granolahelp the body stay active and generate heat throughout the day.
• Prepare in advance.The more ingredients you can mix, pre-cut and pre-cook, the less time you will have to spendmixing and chopping in the cold.

• Stay hydrated.It is important to stay hydrated during all camping trips, and winter is no exception. Drink 32 ounces of water to kick-start your body each morning andcontinue to drink water throughout the day. Do not eat snow as an alternative to drinking water.

(Via Outward Bound andcampingroadtrip.com)

Do you have any winter campingrecipes of your own? Leave them in the comments below!

To learn more aboutOutward Bound,visitwww.outwardbound.org or call 866.467.7651 to speak to an admissions advisor today. With a rich selection of expeditions, a wide variety of age groups, stunning locations across the country, and courses that run throughout the year, there’s anOutward Bound expeditionfor everyone.