camp meals

Camp French Toast, No Eggs

Powdered egg and milk turn stale bread into breakfast in a skillet.

calories
520
weight
5.5 oz
cal / oz
95
protein
18 g
serves
2, scales
prep
5 min
cook
10 min
total time
15 min
water
180 ml boiled
cost
$

Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.

  • Breakfast
  • Campfire coals
  • Grill grate
  • Canister stove
  • Car camping
  • Basecamp
  • Canoe / raft
  • Vegetarian
  • Nut free
  • One pot
  • Pre-mix at home
  • Shelf stable
  • Basic

Ingredients

Sturdy bread 6 thick slices day-old is better than fresh; it soaks without falling apart
Whole egg powder 6 tbsp reconstitutes to about 3 eggs
Powdered whole milk 3 tbsp any milk alternative powder works the same way
Water 3/4 cup
Cinnamon 1 tsp
Sugar 1 tbsp
Salt a pinch
Ghee or oil 2 tbsp ghee keeps for weeks without a cooler
Maple sugar or syrup packets to serve

Method

  1. Stir the egg powder, milk powder, cinnamon, sugar, and salt into 180 ml of warm water in your pot. Whisk with a fork until no dry lumps remain, then let it sit two minutes to hydrate.
  2. Heat a skillet over the fire or a low flame and melt in half the ghee.
  3. Dip each slice in the batter, both sides, and give it a couple of seconds to drink. Do not let it soak or it will collapse.
  4. Cook three to four minutes a side until the surface is set and brown. Add the rest of the ghee halfway through.
  5. Serve with maple sugar. Wipe the pan while it is still warm.

Home french toast needs eggs and milk, which is two refrigerated things you are not carrying. Whole egg powder and milk powder solve both, and they hydrate into a batter that behaves close enough to the real one. The ratio matters more than the brand: too much water and the bread turns to mush in the pan.

Stale bread is the other half of it. Fresh bread is already saturated with its own moisture and falls apart on the flip. A dry, dense loaf soaks up the batter and holds together. Cook it slower than you think, over coals rather than flame, or you will get a burnt shell around a raw middle.

Packing

Combine egg powder, milk powder, cinnamon, sugar, and salt in one bag at home. Ghee travels in a small screw-top jar. The bread rides on top of the food bin or it arrives as crumbs.

Variations

  • Cube the bread and scramble the whole thing into a pan pudding if slices are too fragile.
  • Swap the cinnamon for cardamom and a little orange peel powder.
  • Coconut milk powder in place of the dairy makes it dairy-free.

https://www.cleverhiker.com/camping/easy-camping-recipes