55 No Cook Camping Meals
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Enjoy delicious, satisfying camp meals without ever lighting your stove! Whether you’re navigating a fire ban or just aiming to keep things simple, these no-cook camping meals need minimal prep and absolutely no stove!
Let’s face it: while campfire-cooked meals are iconic, they are not an option on every camping trip. With increasing fire bans, it’s handy to have a few delicious no-cook options up your sleeve. Plus, they can be real time-savers! Imagine spending more time hiking and exploring, rather than hovering over a camp stove or fire.
In this post, we’ve rounded up our top picks for no-cook camping meals that don’t skimp on flavor or substance—while allowing you to leave the stove and campfire cooking gear at home.
No Cook Camping Breakfast Ideas
These no-cook breakfast ideas are easy and quick to prepare (not to mention tasty!) and a great way to fuel up in the morning.
Yogurt with Fruit & Granola
Layer up yogurt, fresh fruit, and granola to create a brunch-worthy bowl. You could add nuts, chia seeds, or hemp hearts for an extra nutritional boost.
Breakfast Banana Split
Transform the classic dessert into a fun breakfast! Peel and split a banana, and place it on a plate or bowl with the cut sides facing up. Top with yogurt, fruit, and granola. Add a handful of chopped dark chocolate if you’re feeling extra decadent.
Overnight Oats
Mix oats with your favorite milk or yogurt the night before and wake up to a ready-made breakfast. Add peanut butter, fruit, or nuts for extra flavor and texture. This effortless and wholesome meal is perfect for a busy camping morning.
Muffins, Croissants, and Scones
Stock up on muffins, croissants, or scones from a local bakery or grocery store for a no-fuss, grab-and-go breakfast option.
Egg Muffins
Egg muffins are a great make-ahead option, packed with protein and veggies. This is another great idea for eating on the go. We love this recipe, which is full of vegetables and cheese and can easily be stored in the cooler for a few days.
Bagels & Cream Cheese
Spread cream cheese on a bagel for a classic, satisfying breakfast. Add lox for an extra protein punch.
Hard Boiled Eggs
Slice them up and layer them in an English muffin or croissant with ham and cheese for a no-cook breakfast sandwich. Or enjoy them on their own for a quick and easy protein-packed breakfast.
Rice Cakes with Peanut Butter, Bananas, and Honey
Spread peanut butter on rice cakes, top with banana slices, and a drizzle of honey. This combination offers a balance of protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates. It’s a quick, tasty, and energizing option for busy mornings at camp.
Avocado Toast
Mash avocado onto sturdy bread for a simple breakfast. If you’re missing the crunch of a classic avocado toast, try it on rice cakes as a great alternative.
Cereal with milk
It doesn’t get any easier than this! Serve it with sliced apples and peanut butter on the side for a little more staying power.
Lunch & Dinner Ideas
Cold Cuts Sandwiches
Sandwiches are a camping staple for a reason: they’re easy, portable, and delicious. Here are a few ideas that are great no cook camping meals:
“Lunchables”
If you’re heading out on a hike or to the lake to hang out for the day, pack these adult “Lunchables” snack boxes! We’ve made two different kinds–a take on the classic meat, cheese & crackers, and mini-pizzas. Here’s what we include in each one:
Meat, Cheese & Crackers
- Fancy crackers
- Sliced cheese
- Smoked turkey slices
- Deli ham slices
- Assorted nuts
- Dried apricots
- Seedless grapes
Mini Pizzas
- Naan rounds (you can also use thin sandwich rounds or English muffins)
- Tomato Sauce
- Shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese blend
- Spicy pepperoni/salami
Charcuterie Board
Charcuterie boards are one of our favorite no cook camping meals! Using a cutting board or a large plate, arrange a selection of meat like salami, prosciutto, and pepperoni. Add a variety of cheeses–-hard and semi-firm cheese like cheddar, Gouda, Manchego, and Pepper Jack will pack best. Add color and variety with crackers, olives, pickles, nuts, and sliced fruits.
Pinwheel Sandwiches
Spread fillings on a tortilla, roll it up, and slice it into bite-sized pieces. These are great for sharing and are a fun twist on traditional sandwiches. Try this club-style pinwheels for an easy lunch!
Chickpea Salad
Smash chickpeas with some mayo and mustard to create a chickpea salad. We also like to add a hint of curry powder to ours. Use it in a wrap with veggies, as a sandwich filling, or on crackers for a meat-free meal.
Tuna Salad
Mix canned tuna with mayo and your favorite add-ins for a classic no-cook meal. It’s easy to prepare either ahead of time at home or at the campsite and can be enjoyed on its own or as a sandwich filling. Here’s a great tuna salad recipe to start with!
Chicken Salad
Prep chicken salad before your trip for a quick and satisfying meal. Enjoy it as a sandwich filling, with crackers, or mixed in with a big green salad. Here’s one of our favorite recipes. We love the grapes in it, which add a pop of sweetness!
Wraps
Roll up a combination of veggies, proteins, and sauces in a tortilla for a fuss-free meal. Try this turkey wrap, using deli-sliced turkey and cheese with a honey mustard sauce!
Black Bean and Corn Salad
Black Bean and Corn Salad is a great plant-based lunch idea. Drain a can of black beans and mix it with fresh corn sliced off the cob or thawed frozen corn, diced red bell pepper, quartered cherry tomatoes, and chopped cilantro. Make a quick lime vinaigrette using olive oil, lime juice, and salt, and toss everything together.
Caprese Salad
Layer sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, and balsamic vinaigrette to make a simple (and beautiful!) salad. If you’d like, slices of prosciutto or salami are the perfect way to add protein!
Mezze Platter
A mezze platter is an easy light lunch or dinner option. Just pair some chopped veggies, pita chips or flatbread, and olives with a generous dollop of hummus. Toss in some feta cheese, and you’ve got yourself an even more satisfying meal!
Cold Soaked Pasta Salad
This is one of our favorite backpacking lunches, and it would be great for car camping too! We dehydrate pasta and veggies at home, and then a few hours before lunch, add water to rehydrate. You can get the step-by-step instructions here!
Pita Stuffed with Veggies and Feta
Fill pita bread with a mix of tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, peppers, red onion, chickpeas, and feta cheese. Add a dollop of Greek yogurt or hummus for creaminess.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches
Go back to basics with this classic combo. We like to make ours on thick slices of brioche bread and use berry preserves to make it feel a little more grown-up.
Trail Mix with Nuts, Dried Fruit, and Chocolate Chips
Trail mix is a classic that’s easy to customize with your favorite nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. It’s super portable and packable, so it’s great to have on hand as a lunch option on hikes or excursions from the campsite. Our favorite is this sweet and salty maple trail mix.
Or, if you’re feeling creative, here are some mix-and-match ingredient ideas to help you come up with your own recipe:
Nuts: Almonds, cashews, pistachios, peanuts
Seeds: Pumpkin seeds (pepitas), sunflower seeds
Fruit: Raisins, dried cranberries, dried apricots, shredded coconut, banana chips
Fun add-ins: Pretzels, chocolate chips, M&M’s, dehydrated marshmallows
Sliced Fruit and Nut Butter Sandwiches
Spread nut butter and layer sliced fruit between slices of bread for a crunchy and sweet sandwich. Some of our favorite combos are:
- Peach & almond butter
- Apple & peanut butter
- Strawberries & chocolate hazelnut butter (aka Nutella!)
- Blackberries & peanut butter
Bagels with Cream Cheese and Veggies
Top bagels with cream cheese and sliced veggies for an easy sandwich. Try dicing bell peppers and mixing it into the cream cheese, then layer sliced tomatoes and cucumbers on top.
Croissants with Turkey and Cheese
Ditch the sliced bread and use buttery, flaky croissants as a sandwich base! Cut them in half and spread mayo and whole grain mustard on them, then layer on deli-sliced turkey (or ham) and cheese.
Hummus and Veggies or Pita Chips
Whether homemade or storebought, hummus is great to have in your cooler for a no-cook lunch. Bring sliced veggie sticks, pita chips, or crackers to scoop it up.
English Muffin “Pizzas”
Top English muffins with sauce, cheese, and pepperoni to make no-cook “pizzas”. Okay, okay, we know this is kind of a poor substitute… but these mini pizzas are kind of fun and kids love them!
Avocado Halves Stuffed with Tuna Salad
Fill avocado halves with tuna salad for a no cook meal that’s full of protein and healthy fats. This Tuna Avocado Boat recipe from Dad with a Pan incorporates fresh veggies and a hint of spice.
Peanut Butter, Banana, and Honey Sandwiches
Sandwich peanut butter, banana slices, and a drizzle of honey between slices of bread to make sandwiches that are a hit with kids (and adults!).
Egg Salad
Make a batch of Egg Salad before your trip, and use it as a filling for sandwiches, pita pockets, or tossed with extra greens for a protein-packed salad. It’s so versatile for no-cook camping trips and stores well in a cooler for up to three days.
Cucumber, Avocado, and Spicy Sandwich
Cool cucumber and avocado play against the heat of Sriracha mayo in this tuna sandwich. Make your own Sriracha mayo by combining 2 teaspoons Sriracha with ¼ cup mayo. Spread it over two slices of bread and layer sliced cucumbers, avocado, and trained canned tuna. We like to add a little cilantro to our sandwiches as well.
Veggies and Dip
Bring along your favorite dip and pair it with raw vegetables: sliced bell peppers, carrots, celery, cucumber, jicama, sugar snap peas, broccoli florets, and cherry tomatoes will store well in a cooler. This is great for a light snack or as part of a larger meal.
Chopped Italian Sandwich
This Chopped Italian Sandwich is a super satisfying meal for big appetites! The chopped salad can be prepped at home or at camp, and it requires zero cooking. Load up a big hoagie roll and enjoy!
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sliders
Spread peanut butter and jelly onto sweet Hawaiian bread slider rolls for a super simple but totally different PB&J.
Salad Kits
Utilize pre-packaged salad kits for quick and easy meals. These kits come with everything you need for a delicious salad, including dressing. This is a super convenient way to enjoy salads at camp, and you can even add chopped salami, deli turkey, or canned tuna to up the protein.
Make Ahead Pasta Salad
Prepare a pasta or tortellini salad before your trip for a meal that’s easy to pack into a cooler and doesn’t need any heat at the campsite. Add salami, cheese, or garbanzo beans to make it even more filling.
Cherry Tomato and White Bean Salad
Toss cherry tomatoes and white beans with a simple dressing for an easy salad. Want some extra protein? Make this Tuna White Bean & Tomato Salad for a more substantial meal.
Niçoise Salad
Niçoise salad might not be on your camping menu already, but it turns out it’s super camp-friendly! Hard-boil eggs and lightly steam some green beans at home, then at camp, toss them together with olives, canned tuna, and greens. Dress it with a vinaigrette of olive oil, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and a touch of honey.
Peach and Tomato Panzanella
Panzanella is a filling salad made from crusty bread (perfect if your favorite part of a salad is croutons!). We’re all about the summery vibes of Peach and Tomato Panzanella, and when the seasons shift, this Fall Panzanella with apples and a maple-mustard vinaigrette hits just right.
Taco Salad
Layer canned black beans, tomatoes, corn, lettuce, cheese, and avocado for a deconstructed taco salad. Add a cilantro dressing and tortilla chips for crunch.
Three Bean Salad
This 3 Bean Salad uses canned chickpeas, cannellini beans, and kidney beans for a high-protein, no-cook camping meal. Tossed with a simple, sweet, and tangy dressing, it hits all the right notes!
Lentil Salad
This Lentil Salad is a great make-ahead meal that will require zero cooking at camp! It’s one that just gets better after a day or two, once the lemony dressing really gets a chance to mingle with the lentils.
Easy Coleslaw
Mix shredded cabbage and carrots with a creamy dressing for a quick and easy coleslaw. This is a great side dish for all kinds of meals!
Potato Salad
Our favorite potato salad recipe can (and should!) be made at home before your trip, so it’s ready to add to any meal.
Fruit Salad
Fruit salad is a great addition to lunch and dinner, especially when paired with sandwiches, wraps, or a cheese plate. Use your favorite fruit–we love this one with summer berries, watermelon, mango, and pineapple!
Desserts
No cook desserts?! You bet! With a little prep before your trip, desserts don’t have to be left off the menu if you aren’t cooking at the campsite.
Ice Cream in a Bag
Ice cream in a bag is the ultimate no-cook camping dessert. This is a fun activity to keep the kids occupied, and the result is delicious ice cream, made right at camp in about 20 minutes. Serve it with fruit, or with one of these s’mores cookies. 👇🏻
S’mores Cookies
You won’t miss the campfire with these s’mores cookies! Bake up a batch before your trip and enjoy the taste of this quintessential camping dessert.
Cheesecake Berry Parfaits
Try these cheesecake berry parfaits for dessert! You can prep the cheesecake portion at home and place it in a plastic zip-top bag. When ready to use, snip a corner off and squeeze the whipped topping out into cups, layering it with the berries.
Rocky Road Rice Krispie Treats
Rocky Road Rice Krispie Treats are a fun way to make a s’mores-inspired dessert at home before your trip, so you can enjoy toasty marshmallows and chocolate even when you can’t have a campfire.