This past weekend while I was camping with my scouting group we tried a new recipe: campfire donuts. They were a BIG hit with everyone and really simple to make.
Ingredients:
- Oil for frying (about 2 cups is sufficient)
- Refrigerated biscuits (like Pillsbury’s Grands)
- Cinnamon and sugar (1 cup of sugar to 2 tablespoons cinnamon)
- Brown paper bag (like you would use to pack a lunch)
- Cooking pot (I used cast iron)
Step 1: Heat the oil until it is just about to boil; the temperature is right when little bubbles are forming on the pot. You do not want a rolling boil. (At first I had the oil too hot and it turned the first donut black in under 10 seconds!)
Step 2: Cut each biscuit in half (down the middle) so that each pre-sliced biscuit makes two round dough circles. Then poke a hole in the middle of each dough circle.
Step 3: Deep-fry the donut biscuits until both sides are golden brown.
Step 4: Place the cinnamon and sugar in the brown lunch bag and shake to mix. When you remove the cooked donut from the oil, let any excess oil run off, then put it into the bag and shake until the donut is coated.
Step 5: Enjoy!
So happy to find another Scout parent. I am constantly trying to get my son’s patrol to do something different every time we camp. I can only convince them after I have brought/made something different and it comes out amazing. Going to have to try this next! (Pst, let me know if you are ever coming through Missouri!)
~Amanda
Hi Amanda! Thanks for stopping by and reading! 🙂 Jarrett also loves to experiment with camp food. He has a scout camping weekend coming up this month, and I know he’s already looking for some new ideas to try. 😉 So check back, because I’m sure we’ll be posting more ideas in the near future. Happy Camping!
I make fried dough boys (elephant ears, scones, dough gods) at camp and they are always a hit. I make the basic dough at home, then at camp flatten out with a rolling pin or stretch by hand then fry in oil, coat with sugar and enjoy. This works well with large or small groups. If there is dough left over I make buns in the morning for breakfast. The smell of the buns really gets the appetite fired up.
Hi Patrick–thanks so much for stopping by and reading! And thanks for sharing a great camp recipe idea! Sounds awesome–we’ll have to try that sometime!
Do you have a good recipe that you would consider sharing?
We use frozen bread dough.
That’s a great idea! 🙂
We loved to go camping! I would buy 2 rolls of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough, a 8oz package of cream cheese, beat with some vanilla and a little sugar. Slice one roll of cookie dough and layer in a 8 or 9 inch baking dish. Spread with cream cheese mixture, cut 2nd roll of cookie dough and put on top. Bake @ 350 till cookies are done, I still make these at home, only now they are for Grandchildren!!
Those sound super good! Thanks for sharing the recipe with us! 🙂
Will you please share your dough recipe. I am new to camping
Hi Anne–thanks for stopping by! I’m not sure what Patrick’s dough recipe is, but many people use the frozen bread dough as well as the refrigerated biscuit dough. Good luck and happy camping!
This looks really good. I’ve been camping all summer with my family, and we’re trying out some new recipes. I’m wondering, though, what do you do with all that oil when you’re camping? I seems like it would be pretty messy.
Hi Tara! Thanks so much for stopping by! Great question! We funnel the used oil right back into the container it came out of. Usually we then pitch it, or if we are going to fry something else soon, we’ll save it for the next time. Just keep in mind that the oil will have “donut” residue in it and the oil can go rancid if not properly stored. Happy camping!
Thanks for this idea! Annual group Labor day float this weekend, I’m going to give these a try!
Ps: fellow MO camper 🙂
Hi Steph! Thanks for stopping by and reading! Have a great weekend!!! 🙂
Scout Parent here as well.
We cut biscuits into 4ths and dry them without making them look like traditional donuts.
We do a brown paper grocery bag of cinnamon super & a brown paper grocery bag of powdered sugar.
Camp Stove Donuts are a huge hit! We have others making Mountain Man Breakfast Bake in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven with charcoal as well, because Scouts need protein for an active morning before lunch.
Enjoyed your website, I’ll be back!
Hi Konnie–thanks for stopping by and reading! That’s a great idea to cut them up–I bet they cook more evenly that way. And the Mountain Man Breakfast Bake sounds intriguing! Is there a recipe for it floating around the internet, or is that a personal creation?
Fry, not dry…
Even this *correction fairy * reply had my dumbphone replacing it with “felt” ugh!!
No worries! Autocorrect is my nemesis! 🙂
A really nice idea for when I go camping with my grandchild. Always looking for something different to do instead of marshmallows or hot dogs over the camp fire.
Looks like an easy way to try something extra tasty for breakfast. Thanks for sharing. Going to have to try this when we go camping with our group this summer.
Hi Vicki–thanks for stopping by! Glad you enjoyed the recipe idea–I hope you have fun making these on your next camping trip! Happy camping!
When I was a Brownie, they taught us to roll the biscuits into a rope and tie into a knot. Then we dipped them into melted margarine and rolled it in the cinnamon sugar mix. Baked them about 13 minutes or so, following directions on can. Have to watch they don’t burn on bottom. This was over 60 years ago. I will make your recipe, sure looks good.
Hi Hedy–thanks for stopping by and reading! That sounds yummy too–like an Auntie Anne’s pretzel! We will have to try that sometime! 🙂 Happy camping!
Can you use regular biscuits or does it have to be the Grands?
Hi Allison! Any of the canned biscuits should work (but not products like crescent rolls). We usually buy the Aldi version and it’s cooked fine. Cutting the dough into bite-sized pieces also works if you want donut holes instead of bigger donuts. Hope that helps–happy camping!
This looks awesome! I am also a scout parent and my sons’ Boy Scout troop camps every month. We’ve been doing a lot of dutch oven cooking over the fire. I am looking for some new recipes to try out on our campouts. Thanks for sharing. I’m going to suggest this one for our next campout.
Hi Karen–thanks so much for stopping by and reading! Yay for dutch oven camp cooking! 🙂 I hope you all enjoy them as much as we do. We also have a gluten-free donut hole recipe on the site that is super yummy! We are going to be experimenting with some new dutch oven recipes on our next campout–can’t wait to try them! 🙂
Morning All,
Idaho float trips, camp cinnamon rolls, using the Pillsbury Bread in the tube, Roll out, lightly butter, sprinkle cinnamon and sugar mix, roll up and cut two inch or so sections, place in a Dutch cast pot with lid, if you have syrup pour over rolls!
Put the lid on, about 10 to 12 charcoal brickets on top of the lid as well on the bottom( the charcoal should be already hot) takes about a good 15 to 20 mins.!
They are a hit!
Hey Brad–Thanks for stopping by and sharing your recipe! These sound awesome–sure to win rave reviews with the kids too! 🙂
You can take bisquick make bisquit dough form it on a wooden dowel the size of a broom dowel. Roast it over the camp fire. It takes awhile .Slip the bisquit off. Roast a hot dog and take some mustard catsup or what condiment you like slip the hot dog into the bisquit and you have instant hot dog in a blanket.
Hi Vickie–thanks for stopping by! What a fun idea–my kids would love that! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
For our Mountain Man Breakfast Bake, I precook sausage, peppers, onions and garlic and freeze it in a ziplock bag. Then at camp, preheat the Dutch oven, cook O’Brien hash browns, add the sausage mix and let it cook for a few minutes. Then I crack half a dozen or so eggs on top, put the lid on and let it cook. I check every 5-10 minutes because I like the runny yoke 🙂 Oh, I always line the pot with parchment paper too! Makes for a very easy cleanup!
Hi Keri! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your recipe! That sounds fantastic!
Hey, for your camp cooking – before using, rub a HARD BAR of soap over the bottom and sides of your Dutch oven – coat it well with the soap. Cook whatever delicious meal you have in mind, knowing that cleaning the soot and ash off of your oven will be a breeze using hot water! Saves so much time and trouble! Been camping since a small child – in and out of Scouts – with kids, grandkids, and perfect strangers! Am 68 now, but still plan on a lot of camping!
Great tip! Thank you! 🙂