10 Easy Camping Pumpkin Recipes

Pumpkin Crunch Granola

This quick and easy pumpkin recipe makes use of the pumpkin seeds so nothing goes to waste. Have this for breakfast with some fresh yogurt, or as a snack to take while hiking during your camping trip.

Serves: 6
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1.  In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice together. Set aside.
2. 2.  Melt the butter in a skillet on medium heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and 1 teaspoon of the spice mix. Stir the pumpkin seeds until they are golden brown.
3. 3.  Add the honey and brown sugar. Stir for another two minutes.
4. 4.  Transfer the pumpkin seeds onto a large sheet tray, and allow this to cool. Break the seeds with a spatula every now and then to keep them from sticking to each other. Set aside.
5. 5.  In a Dutch oven, add the maple syrup and coconut oil. Bring this to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for two more minutes.
6. 6.  Add the oats, salt, and remaining spice mix. Stir until the oats are fully coated.
7. 7.  Add the candied pumpkin seeds. Cover the Dutch oven. Bake for 25 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit (that's equivalent to 6 coals under the Dutch oven and 18 coals on top of the cover of the Dutch oven).
8. 8.  Remove the granola and transfer this onto the large sheet tray to cool.

Pumpkin Waffles with Apple Cider Syrup

Start the day right with this healthy but delicious pumpkin recipe. If you don't have a waffle maker, don't worry! This breakfast pumpkin recipe can easily be used to make equally delicious pancakes that you and your family can enjoy.

Serves: 4-6
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1.  Preheat the waffle iron.
2. 2.  In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, salt and brown sugar. Set aside.
3. 3.  In another bowl, stir together the pumpkin puree, milk and egg yolks. Add the mixture into the dry ingredients a little a time. The batter should still be slightly lumpy.
4. 4.  Whip the egg whites in a third bowl until you get soft peaks. Fold in the egg whites into the batter quickly.
5. 5.  Cook the waffles based on the instructions of the manufacturer.
6. 6.  To make the syrup, mix together the sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon in a saucepan over a medium heat until the sugar melts. Add the apple cider and lemon juice. Allow the mixture to boil until it coats the back of your spoon. Take the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter until melted.
7. 7.  Serve the waffles with butter and drizzle this with the apple cider syrup.

Lunch / Dinner - Entrée

Pumpkin and Apple Soup

Nothing is more comforting than tucking into a steaming bowl of soup after a long day of enjoying the outdoors. The subtle sweetness coming from the apples used in this pumpkin recipe makes this hearty soup a delight for the kids.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1.  In a Dutch oven, heat the butter and olive oil until the butter has melted.
2. 2.  Add the onions and sauté them for 5 minutes.
3. 3.  Add the squash and apples, and cook them until they start to sweat, about 15 minutes.
4. 4.  Pour in the chicken stock until the squash and apple pieces are covered.
5. 5.  Stir in the sprig of rosemary, and then cover the dutch oven. Let this simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the squash pieces are tender that you can break them easily with a fork.
6. 6.  Mash the squash and apple pieces until the soup has the thickness and texture that you want. Season to taste.
7. 7.  Ladle into bowls. Add a spoonful of sour cream into each bowl, and serve with warm, toasted bread.

Roasted Pumpkin and Garlic

After Halloween, don't throw the carved pumpkins away. This quick and simple pumpkin recipe is a perfect way to make the most of your carved pumpkins. The almost candy-like taste and texture of the roasted pumpkin makes this a hit with the kids while the garlic gives it that bit of a kick that the grown-ups love.

Serves: 6
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized pumpkin, skinned, seeded and cut into strips.
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• Olive oil
• Goat cheese

Instructions

1. 1.  Spread the pumpkin strips on a large sheet tray. Sprinkle the chopped garlic on top of the pumpkin strips. Drizzle the olive oil on top of these.
2. 2.  Toss the pumpkin strips and chopped garlic until the pumpkin strips are well coated. Transfer the coated pumpkin strips into a Dutch oven.

Cover the Dutch oven. Bake with 17 coals on top of the lid and 7 coals at the bottom of the oven for 45 minutes or until the pumpkin strips are soft. Add a wedge of goat cheese inside the pumpkin strip and serve immediately.

Lunch / Dinner - Main Course

Cheesy Pumpkin Polenta Fries

This pumpkin recipe is a healthy yet kid-friendly dish that will not make them miss the traditional potato version. It's a perfect accompaniment to the Healthy Chicken Bites with Pumpkin recipe. Just like it, you can make this in ahead of time, ready for your next camping trip.

Serves: 4-6
Preparation time: 4 hours, 10 minutes at home
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

At Home

1. 1.  Line a large 9x11 pan with parchment or wax paper. Set aside.
2. 2.  In a medium pot, bring the chicken stock and milk to a near boil. Add the olive oil, salt, and thyme.
3. 3.  Turn the heat down. Add the cornmeal, stirring constantly to prevent this from clumping.
4. 4.  Add the pumpkin puree and cheese. Cook for another five minutes, stirring constantly.
5. 5.  Pour the hot polenta mixture into the lined pan. Spread this out to make sure that the mixture is evenly distributed. Place in the refrigerator for 4 hours.
6. 6.  Before leaving for your camping trip, take the pan out and cut the polenta into long strips, like fries.

At the Campground

1. 1.  In a large saucepan, heat some oil until it's good for deep-frying. A great way to test this is by adding one small potato inside. The oil is hot enough when the small potato turns golden brown.
2. 2.  Deep-fry the polenta "fries" until they are golden brown. Place this on a plate lined with paper towels to drain away the extra oil. Serve immediately.

Chicken Pumpkin Stew

This hearty pumpkin recipe is not only a quick and easy meal to cook that you and your family would love. Each serving only contains about 290 calories per serving, perfect if you're trying to lose weight.

Serves: 6
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1.  Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat.
2. 2.  Saute the chicken for about 4 minutes. Place this on a plate and set aside.
3. 3.  Reduce the heat. Add the onion, pepper and garlic. Cook until they softened.
4. 4.  Add tomatoes, paprika, salt and 1 ¹/₂ cups of the chicken stock. Bring this to a boil. Stir in the chicken pieces along with the pumpkin and green beans.
5. 5.  Cover and let this simmer for about 12 minutes, or until the chicken and pumpkin are tender.
6. 6.  Meanwhile, mix together the remaining chicken stock, cornstarch and peanut butter in a bowl until well blended. Stir this into the stew and let it cook for another 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with a steamy bowl of rice or some warmed bread.

Healthy Chicken Bites with Pumpkin

No kid can resist chicken nuggets. Dredging the chicken pieces into the pumpkin puree before dipping this into the panko breadcrumbs makes this pumpkin recipe healthy and kid-friendly. You can make this in advance and store in the fridge or freezer until it's time to head out to your camping trip, and cook this.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1.  To make the pumpkin puree, boil the pumpkin cubes in water until they become soft.
2. 2.  Transfer the pumpkin pieces in a bowl. Using a fork or potato masher, puree the pumpkin pieces. Stir in some of the water into the pumpkin puree until it becomes the consistency of baby food. Set aside.
3. 3.  In another bowl, mix the flour, poultry seasoning and salt. Set aside.
4. 4.  Pour the panko breadcrumbs in a third bowl.
5. 5.  Dredge each of the chicken pieces first into the flour mixture followed by the pumpkin puree, and then the panko bread crumbs.
6. 6.  Heat the oil in a shallow skillet. Fry the chicken pieces 5 minutes on each side. Make sure that you don't crowd the skillet.
7. 7.  Place the cooked chicken bites onto a plate lined with paper towels to drain off the excess oil. Serve immediately.

Lunch / Dinner - Dessert

Pumpkin Custard

This is a great pumpkin recipe to try if you want a light but healthy dessert after a filling dinner, or as a tasty snack that your kids can enjoy any time of the day. If you feel making your own pureed pumpkin to be rather tedious, you can substitute this with 1 can (15 oz) canned pureed pumpkin.

Serves: 4-6
Preparation time: 10 minutes at home, 20 minutes in the campground
Cooking time: 1 hour, 15 minutes at home, 30 minutes in the campground

Ingredients

Instructions

At Home

1. 1.  Place the pumpkin pieces on a greased baking sheet and cover with foil.
2. 2.  Bake the pumpkin pieces at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about 45 minutes. Remove the foil and then bake it for another 30 minutes, or until the pumpkin pieces are very soft.
3. 3.  Put the pieces in a very fine sieve over a bowl. Top this with a heavy weight and allow the liquid from the pumpkin to drain away.
4. 4.  Pack this in an airtight container.

At the Campground

1. 1.  Add the pureed pumpkin, brown sugar, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and salt into a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring continuously until it thickens.
2. 2.  Add the light cream or evaporated milk and stir until it comes to a gentle simmer. Set aside to slightly cool.
3. 3.  Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add the heated pumpkin mixture slowly, making sure that you keep stirring to avoid the eggs from clumping.
4. 4.  Pour the mixture into small custard cups ³/₄ of the way. Place inside a Dutch oven, and cover it. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the custard is firm.

Pumpkin Fudge

Who said that dessert can't be healthy? Here is one pumpkin dessert recipe that your kids will enjoy while still getting all the vitamins that they need. You can make this ahead of time at home to bring with you on your next camping trip.

Serves: 6-8
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1.  Line a 9x9 inch pan with tin foil and spray with some cooking spray. Set aside.
2. 2.  Heat the olive oil in a skilled. Add the pecans and salt. Toast the pecans until they become darker in color. Set aside and allow to cool down.
3. 3.  Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the evaporated milk, pumpkin puree, corn syrup, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice.
4. 5.  Take the saucepan from the heat, and quickly stir in the marshmallow cream. Add the white chocolate chips, vanilla, and toasted pecans. Stir the mixture until the white chocolate has melted and the mixture becomes sticky and lighter in color.
5. 6.  Pour the mixture into the lined pan. Spread the mixture so that it's evenly distributed. Allow this to cool for at least 2 hours. Cut and serve.

Pumpkin Pie Crunch

Here is a twist to the traditional pumpkin pie usually served during Halloween and Thanksgiving. The most difficult part of this pumpkin recipe is to patiently wait for the cake to finish baking inside the dutch oven. You can prepare the mashed pumpkin meat in your home before leaving for your camping trip. Just make sure that you use this within the day, especially if you're tent camping or else it might get spoiled.

Serves: 4-6
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

Instructions:

1. 1.  Line your Dutch oven with aluminum foil. This will help make the cleanup easier, and speed up the baking time.
2. 2.  In a smaller pot, boil the pumpkin pieces in water until they can be easily broken with a fork. Strain away the liquid.
3. 3.  With a fork or potato masher, mash the pumpkin pieces. Set aside to cool.
4. 4.  In a large bowl, combine the yellow cake mix, evaporated milk, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, salt and sugar. Stir in the cooled mashed pumpkin.
5. 5.  Pour the mixture into the Dutch oven. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the mixture. Drizzle the melted butter on top.
6. 6.  Cover the Dutch oven. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If you're tent camping, this baking temperature can be achieved by putting 6 pieces of hot charcoal arranged in a circle on the outer edge of the bottom of the Dutch oven and putting about 18 pieces of charcoal on top of the Dutch oven lid.
7. 7.  To test if the cake is done, stick a barbecue stick into the middle of the cake. The cake is done if the barbecue stick comes out clean.