Camp Cooking: How To Make Granola For Outdoor Adventures
Camp Cooking Series
Missing the taste of camp food? Next in our “camp cooking” blog series we’ll share another favorite you can make at home.
This time it’s granola, just like what we take backpacking, or on our many outdoor adventure trips.
Where do we eat this?
Granola is an easy snack or breakfast food that we take on adventure trips around Western North Carolina and the surrounding area. Granola is ideal for these trips since it’s non-perishable, requires no cooking or utensils to enjoy, and is easily portable.
These outdoor adventures are offered to boys during our 2-Week, June, and Main Camp sessions. Under experienced leadership, campers choose from a variety of out-of-camp adventure trips, including Backpacking, Paddling, Rock Climbing, and Mountain Biking. These trips range in skill level from introductory to advanced, and from one-day trips to five-day trips.
Good food is an important part of any outdoor trip, and this granola is great adventure fuel!
You can watch this recipe in video format here!
Directions
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1.) Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
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2.) In a large bowl, combine oats, seeds, coconut, cinnamon, sugar, and salt.
- 3.) In a separate bowl, whisk coconut oil, syrup, and vanilla until smooth. Pour over dry mixture and stir until just moistened.
- 4.) Evenly spread granola mixture onto prepared sheet pans and pat flat.
- 5.) Bake granola for 45 minutes or until lightly golden and edges start to brown (do NOT stir granola while baking or afterwards).
- 6.) Remove from oven and let granola cool completely. Break granola into clusters and transfer to an airtight container.
Notes: This recipe is very forgiving! If you’re out of seeds, don’t worry about it! You can substitute honey for the maple syrup. If you want larger “clumps” of granola, you can add an egg white or two.
Ready to Make Granola?
Here’s a video version of this recipe. You can see more camp videos on our Falling Creek YouTube page!
Camp's YouTube
Why do the boys like it?
In addition to being a great fit for these outdoor trips, granola is popular at camp because it’s a good mix of carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats. It’s a nutrient dense snack option that helps boys keep their energy up during outdoor activities. Plus the boys (and camp counselors!) say it tastes good and has a nice crunch.
This seeded granola version is fairly allergen friendly as well, since it’s nut free and pure oats are naturally gluten free. This way most of the boys at camp can enjoy it without the need for dietary substitutions. It also happens to be vegan, and since we make it in-house, we know it’s natural and has no added preservatives or chemicals.
If you make this summer camp favorite at home, you can customize it to your liking, including any add-ins that you prefer. Don’t forget, granola tastes best when eaten in the great outdoors, so take some outside with you on your next hike, bike ride, paddling trip, or climbing session!
Why is cooking an important skill for boys to learn?
Boys who become interested in cooking at a young age will become adults who cook!
Cooking is an important life skill for everyone. It can help teach self-sufficiency, strengthen relationships, boost self-confidence, and the best part is that you end up with something delicious that brings back memories of camp!
Snacks that are easy to bring on outdoor trips, while being nutritious (like this one) are also important to learn how to fuel a lifetime of outdoor adventures.
This is part of our ongoing summer camp recipes series. See how to cook s’mores empanadas here, our red velvet cookies here, or chicken fajitas from cabin overnights here.
