Some say that bannock, a traditional staple in aboriginal diets, is one of Canada’s oldest known foods. Leavened with baking soda instead of yeast, it’s traditionally fried in heavy pans and comes out flat, warm, and filling.
The warm and filling part is what makes it great for camping – especially for breakfast!
While many seasoned campers have their own version of campfire bannock, this Canned Soup Mom easy version is great for throwing together before the kids get up in the morning or easy enough that they can help if you need a few extra minutes to get the coffee going in the back country.
It also comes together quickly so your hands don’t freeze for those of us who are crazy enough to go winter camping.
I mix the dry ingredients at home in a large Ziploc bag to make for easy packing and mixing with less mess, too!
I also let my kids add chocolate chips, but you could add berries, cheese, and fresh rosemary, or even just make it plain and serve with jam. No matter how you eat it, this Campfire Bannock is warm, flaky, and did I mention filling?
Simply mix dry ingredients in a large Ziploc bag and store until you're ready to bake.
At your campsite, add lard or butter and water, seal bag and squish to combine.
Scoop onto foil and add chocolate chips if using.
Fold foil into a pouch.
Cook in the campfire.
Carefully remove from fire let rest then open to cool a bit more.
Enjoy in the summer...
... or in the winter!
Ingredients
3 cups flour
2 tbsp baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ cup chocolate chips (optional)
½ cup lard or softened butter
1 ½ cups water
Non-stick cooking spray
Directions
Add flour, baking soda and salt into a large Ziploc bag, seal and shake a little to combine then store with your camping dried foods until ready to use. You can also add your chocolate chips into the dried mixture, but I prefer to let the kids add them just before baking, that way you use less chocolate chips and can also choose if you want them with or without.
When ready to bake, add lard and water to the bag, seal and squish the bag gently (very gently!) to combine. Although I don’t use lard for anything else, it’s my go-to for campfire bannock because it travels well and doesn’t need to be softened before adding to the dry mix.
Using a spoon, or your hands (they will get sticky so make sure you can wash them soon after), scoop approx. ½ to 1/3 cup portions onto squares of foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Wrap in foil packs, leaving a bit of room at the top for the bannock to rise, but no seams for the steam to escape from (if you need a how to fold a foil pack, here’s my step-by-step guide).
Place foil packs into fire, sitting them on the outside away from the flames but up against the warm logs and embers. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes turning with tongs at the halfway mark. Cooking time can vary depending on how hot your fire is. I often test mine at the 15 minute mark by squishing the foil pack gently with tongs to see how firm it is. If it’s still fairly squishy it needs a few more minutes.
When ready, use tongs to remove foil packs and let rest 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully (they’re hot!) open foil packs, let steam escape and serve when cooled slightly.
Happy Camping!
Looking for kids’ favourite camping recipes? Check out my Dad’s campfire potatoes and my kids’ camping favourite homemade hamburgers.
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