Camping Cookbooks for a Variety of Camping Styles and Diets (2023)

Looking for camping cookbooks?

Before choosing a cookbook, it’s important to know what to look for in a camping cookbook.

Not all camping cookbooks are good for all campers.

Meals that are suitable for car camping when coolers are around and storage is ample are not necessarily practical for backpacking. Similarly, you don’t want to buy a book full of recipes cooked with coals and a Dutch oven if you want to make all your meals on a camping stove.

Regardless of the camping and cooking styles involved, the best camping cookbooks include tips in addition to recipes because cooking at camp is fundamentally different from cooking at home. Everything from food storage to washing dishes is different in the outdoors.

With these factors in mind, I compiled a list of the best camping cookbooks on the market.

These cookbooks are appropriate for a variety of camping styles and diets so there’s something for everyone on this list.

1. Cook It Wild: Sensational Prep-Ahead Meals for Camping, Cabins, and the Great Outdoors

Cook It Wild is the perfect cookbook for any camper who wants gourmet yet camp-friendly recipes.

This cookbook is ideal for campers with a sophisticated palette. The 80 recipes include a few classic camping meals like pancakes and mac ‘n’ cheese, but otherwise go above and beyond the typical American camper’s diet. Campers seeking more gourmet meals and international dishes like paella, risotto, and dan dan noodles won’t find another camping cookbook like this.

But don’t be intimidated if these meals sound too fancy because Cook It Wild makes these recipes incredibly quick and easy!

The secret to bringing fancy meals to the outdoors is to prep as much as possible at home. This eliminates the need to bring individual ingredients and extra dishes while reducing the risk of raw ingredients spoiling. Win-win! 

With most of the cooking done in advance, campers can have many of these elevated dishes ready to eat in under half an hour.

Cook It Wild truly offers something for a wide range of campers. It includes recipes that are appropriate for all styles of camping from backpacking to RV camping. And while the majority of meals have been created for omnivores, there are vegetarian and vegan dishes in the mix, too.

Best of all, Cook It Wild is incredibly easy to use. Each recipe includes symbols to note the camping style it’s ideal for and color-coded instructions to indicate which steps occur during prep and at the campsite. Plus, the book is intentionally designed so you can take a picture of just the instructions you need at camp so you can leave the cookbook back at home.

Between the variety of dishes and the user-friendliness for all campers, Cook It Wild is hands down the best camping cookbook for anyone seeking to elevate their camping meals with quick yet delicious recipes.

2. Feast by Firelight: Simple Recipes for Camping, Cabins, and the Great Outdoors

Make any camping trip feel like glamping with the simple meals in Feast by Firelight.

This camping cookbook offers quick yet delicious recipes for everything from meals to snacks and cocktails. The 70 recipes include some gluten-free and vegetarian meals so several diets can be accommodated.

Feast by Firelight makes cooking at camp easy for anyone by including several practical features.

The cookbook starts off with tons of advice on packing food, acquiring kitchen equipment, and camping responsibly using the leave no trace principles. This information sets up campers to use the book and cook with confidence.

Many recipes in the book clearly indicate which steps to take at home in order to make the meals as camp-friendly as possible.

One of the most helpful features in this camping cookbook are sample menus. These menus not only speed up meal planning, but also help campers identify which recipes are suitable for their camping style whether they need recipes for the backcountry or for a big family affair.

Any camper who wants cooking at camp to be simple yet tasty should order a copy of Feast by Firelight today.

3. The New Camp Cookbook: Gourmet Grub for Campers, Road Trippers, and Adventurers

The New Camp Cookbook is useful for a variety of camping cooking methods.

The 90 recipes in this camping cookbook include meals to make on a camp stove, on a grill, in a Dutch oven, or over coals. Icons make it easy for campers to identify the recipes that are designed for their preferred cooking style.

These camping recipes are thoughtfully designed to use a standard set of cookware so campers can simplify their packing list.

On top of the recipes, this cookbook includes plenty of advice on planning, packing, and cooking camping meals. This makes the cookbook useful for both new campers and experienced campers who just want to try out new cooking methods.

Any camper who wants to step up their meals from breakfast through dessert will find something to love in this broad-ranging cookbook.

4. The Family Camp Cookbook: Easy, Fun, and Delicious Meals to Enjoy Outdoors

The Family Camp Cookbook is an excellent cookbook for families who go car camping with kids.

This camping cookbook includes a wide range of recipes to appeal to families with a variety of tastes and cooking methods. Each of the nearly 75 recipes includes an icon to signify whether the recipe is good to cook ahead of time, over a fire, on a camp stove, or in a Dutch oven.

The camping recipes cover everything from meals to desserts and beverages – including cocktails for the grown-ups. Families can start with basic recipes like egg sandwiches and grow into more elaborate meals as their children’s taste buds and patience expand.

In addition to the family-friendly recipes, this cookbook includes tons of tips from how to cook with fire to sample meal plans.

It’s the ideal cookbook for parents who want to make camping a simple yet memorable experience with their kids.

5. The Campout Cookbook: Inspired Recipes for Cooking Around the Fire and Under the Stars

If the word “camping” evokes images of sitting around a campfire to cook in foil packets and play nighttime games, check out The Campout Cookbook.

This cookbook is a good choice for car campers who love all of the traditions of camping.

New and rusty campers alike can create classic camping memories with the guidance in this book.

Need help figuring out where to start? The cookbook offers advice on everything from stargazing to how to cook over a fire.

The recipes in this book cover typical camping foods like beans and banana boats while including variations to keep things interesting.

The Campout Cookbook encourages campers to experiment with cooking styles as they become more comfortable with cooking on a campfire. The 75 recipes include options to be made at home and/or at camp so campers can select whatever options are most convenient for them.

Whether campers want to create nostalgia for childhood camping trips or go car camping for the first time, The Campout Cookbook will help accomplish just that.

6. The Campfire Foodie Cookbook: Simple Camping Recipes with Gourmet Appeal

The Campfire Foodie Cookbook is a wonderful cookbook for all campers whether they plan to cook over a campfire or not.

The title is a bit deceiving since the book acknowledges camp stoves in both recipe instructions and sample packing lists. But tips for campfire cooking are provided if campers want to dabble with that cooking method, too.

The versatile recipes in this cookbook are appropriate for any style of camping. The recipes even include the weight per serving for backpackers who need to be conscious of their pack weight.

There’s something for everyone in this book with over 100 recipes encompassing major meals plus breads, appetizers, sides, desserts, and beverages.

These photo-rich recipes divide instructions into steps to take at home and at the campground. This helps to simplify the challenge of cooking at camp.

Between the number of recipes that are suitable for a range of cooking and camping styles to the handy format, this cookbook is an incredibly useful resource that should make every camper’s bookshelf.

7. Weekend Camping Cookbook: Over 100 Delicious Recipes for Campfire and Grilling

Weekend Camping Cookbook is a fantastic cookbook for casual campers who want more ideas for easy comfort foods.

The 100 recipes in this cookbook can all be made over a grill or campfire using a grill, foil, skewers, or a pie iron. (For anyone unfamiliar with this last tool, this is a pie iron.)

By using these cooking methods, campers can streamline their packing lists, save money on cooking equipment, and stick to simple recipes.

This book covers the basics of each cooking method so any camper can take advantage of these inexpensive and uncomplicated cooking styles. Just take caution with some of these instructions (like the advice to stick a hand over the fire to gauge its temperature).

The cookbook covers plenty of basic but tasty foods such as burgers, sandwiches, sides and appetizers, and desserts.

For the camper who wants to keep cooking as basic as possible but still delicious, this is the perfect camping cookbook.

8. The Outdoor Adventure Cookbook: The Official Cookbook from America’s Camping Authority

Who better to learn camping recipes from than the iconic camping brand Coleman?

In this cookbook, Coleman compiled 100 recipes for car campers who don’t want to make any sacrifices just because they’re away from home.

These meals, snacks, sides, and desserts use plenty of ingredients. (Campers seeking light packing lists, beware.)

The recipes are suitable for cooking over a camping stove or a campfire.

On top of these recipes, the camping experts at Coleman put together tons of advice to make eating at the campground as stress-free as possible. Topics cover everything from keeping kids entertained at cooking time to building a fire to managing critters.

For family-friendly camping meals that don’t skimp, check out this cookbook from Coleman.

9. Backpack Gourmet: Good Hot Grub You Can Make at Home, Dehydrate, and Pack for Quick, Easy, and Healthy Eating on the Trail

Backpack Gourmet is full of hearty but lightweight dehydrated meals for backpacking.

It’s the perfect cookbook for backpackers who don’t want to rely on prepackaged dehydrated meals either due to the cost or taste.

All of the meals in this book are cooked and then dehydrated at home. With all of the work done ahead of time, this keeps cooking on the trail as simple as possible.

New to dehydrating food? Don’t worry because the book contains information on how to dry food using a dehydrator or oven as well as how to store the finished meals.

This cookbook is packed with over 180 recipes ranging from soups to pastas to casseroles. Of course, all types of dishes from breakfast to snacks are included, too. The book even includes some vegetarian and low-fat recipes so there’s quite a variety.

For the backpacker who wants to keep cooking on the trail as easy as possible, Backpack Gourmet is an invaluable resource with filling and delicious meals.

10. Lipsmackin’ Vegetarian Backpackin’: Lightweight, Trail-Tested Vegetarian Recipes for Backcountry Trips

Vegetarians, rejoice! While other camping cookbooks may include a handful of meat-free meals, Lipsmackin’ Vegetarian Backpackin’ is dedicated entirely to vegetarian and vegan recipes.

The vegetarian meals in this book were compiled by long-distance backpackers, so the recipes are thoughtfully designed with backpackers’ needs in mind.

The meals, snacks, breads, and desserts in this cookbook are all marked with an icon to indicate the low-key cooking equipment required to prepare the dish. The meals either need a pot, a pan, a dehydrator for prep, or no cooking at all. This helps backpackers identify what gear to bring in order to cook each meal.

In addition to the cooking method, each recipe includes essential information to help backpackers develop the ideal meal plan for their trip. The recipes all come with information on the meal’s weight and nutrition as well as how difficult the recipe is to make.

Best of all, this cookbook can be left at home to prevent carrying excess weight. Backpackers can head to the cookbook’s website to print out packable cooking instructions for just the recipes that will be brought on each trip.

The thoughtful features and entirely meat-free meals in this cookbook make it an essential tool for vegetarian backpackers.

11. Dirty Gourmet Plant Power: Food for Your Outdoor Adventures

Don’t skip over this camping cookbook if you’re not vegan.

Even if you don’t follow a vegan diet, meals without meat and dairy are perfect for camping because they drastically reduce food safety concerns. Meals without animal products are less likely to spoil and don’t need to be cooked to a specific temperature, so they’re great to rely on for several days in the outdoors.

And if you are vegan: celebrate because this cookbook proves that classics like scrambled eggs and hot dogs aren’t the only camp-friendly meals.

This cookbook includes vegan meals that are great for multiple camping and cooking styles.

The 126 recipes are divided into chapters based on purpose so campers can easily find suitable meals whether they need streamlined meals for the backcountry or more elaborate meals for car campers.

Additionally, each recipe lists out all of the cooking equipment that is needed for the recipe. This makes it quick to identify what kitchen equipment needs to be packed based on the meal plan chosen for each camping trip.

This cookbook is approachable for campers of any experience with vegan cooking or camping. The initial chapters provide plenty of information on vegan ingredients and brands plus sample menus and cooking tutorials.

The thorough guidance and variety of meals make this cookbook valuable for any camper no matter their dietary preferences.

12. Camp Cocktails: Easy, Fun, and Delicious Drinks for the Great Outdoors

Have camping cooking nailed down, but just want to elevate the experience with fancy drinks? Check out this book of camp-friendly cocktails!

The cocktail recipes in this book are organized by camping style. An assortment of boozy concoctions can be brought on every trip from backpacking to cabin camping.

Most of the recipes are designed to make a single serving so they can be scaled up if desired or left as-is to pack minimal quantities of ingredients.

In addition to the recipes, this cocktail book provides tips on transporting liquor and suggestions for camp-friendly barware.

Stop settling for boxed wine or flasks of liquor and try making these camping cocktails instead.

13. So Much s’More to Do: Over 50 Variations of the Campfire Classic

If s’mores are a non-negotiable staple of all your camping trips, why not try s’mores with a twist?

Campers who want to switch things up can do so with more than 50 variations of this classic camping dessert.

The suggestions in this book include s’mores with additional ingredients, s’mores with swapped out ingredients, themed s’mores for holidays, and booze-infused s’mores for adults.

On top of the excellent array of s’mores to choose from, this recipe book includes plenty of guidance for foolproof s’mores. Campers will find essential tips for toasting marshmallows, building a campfire, cleaning up, and more.

Never tire of the same dessert every camping trip with all of these s’mores recipes on hand.

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