Camping Pancakes: Apple Bourbon Style
This post was originally published on November 4, 2020. It has been updated for comprehensiveness and accuracy.
The only thing better than waking up to pancakes is waking up to campfire pancakes in the wilderness. This recipe is quick to put together and with an apple bourbon topping, it’s sure to warm your soul and fuel your camping adventures. Pancakes also make a great trail snack. If you have any extras, throw them in your pack for later.
Apple Bourbon Camping Pancakes
Serving Size: Two Campers
Equipment Needed for Camping Pancakes
- Campfire
- Cast iron skillet
- Grill grates
- Measuring cups
- Ladle
- Spoon
- Knife
- Spatula
Ingredients
Pancakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 cup buttermilk or milk with a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice
1 egg
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Apple Bourbon Topping
2 peeled apples, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons bourbon
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Directions
1. Combine the Dry Ingredients
Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar.
2. Add the Wet Ingredients
Then, add the rest of the pancake ingredients. Stir until well-combined but try not to over stir.
3. Get Your Topping Ingredients Ready
Slice the apples and gather the remaining ingredients together and set them aside.
4. Start Your Fire
Not sure how? Read up on best practices in the post below.
Read Next: How to Build a Campfire
5. Let it Burn
Once the fire has burned down about a third in size, the temperature of the fire should be ready to go. Lay a cast-iron pan on the grill grates that were either provided with the campfire ring or that you brought yourself. Allow the pan to heat up for a minute or two.
6. Start Your Topping
Once hot, melt the butter, add apples, and stir. Cook the apples until slightly softened. Sprinkle cinnamon on them and stir again, allowing the apples to cook for another couple of minutes.
7. Add the Bourbon and Maple Syrup
Because alcohol is flammable, I recommend removing the cast-iron pan from the fire first. Then, set it on some extra logs and add the bourbon and maple syrup to avoid any flames catching the alcohol and igniting. Once bourbon and syrup are added, return your skillet to the grill grate and stir until the liquid cooks down. Because the fire and the pan are extremely hot and because the apples soak up the liquid fast, this should only take a minute.
8. Remove From Fire
Take the skillet out of the fire and set it aside.
9. Cook Your Pancakes
Place another cast-iron skillet or griddle (or quickly scoop your topping into a bowl and reuse your first) on the grate and allow it to heat up for a minute or two. Add a small amount of oil to the pan—enough to coat the bottom.
Like making pancakes over the stove, you want the skillet to be hot, but obviously not too hot that the oil or the pancakes burn. If you need to, pour a tiny test pancake to see if the skillet is the right temperature. When ready, pour a ladle full of pancake batter onto the skillet. Repeat until you’ve run out of space. Once the batter begins bubbling, flip the pancake with a spatula. Allow each pancake to rise and cook for a minute longer and then remove them from the skillet.
10. Eat Your Delicious Camping Pancakes!
Stack pancakes on one another and top with the apple bourbon pancake topping. For an extra treat, top with whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon. We also served our pancakes with a side of veggie bacon.
Looking for more camping recipes? Check out these yummy favorites below.
Read Next: 5 Food and Wine Pairings for Camping
Kendra Clapp Olguín is a traveler, writer, content creator, and one-half of one y one, a creative agency whose studio is the great outdoors.
Photo credit: Tyler Way