How To Make Campfire Bannock

Feb 4, 2021 | Farmhouse Food

This  homemade bannock recipe is so tasty, easy to make, and can be whipped together with pantry staples.  The recipe makes plenty to share with family and friends, or is enough to use in making campfire pigs in a blanket and bannock bites 

Bannock is a classic campfire food, traditionally made by indigenous peoples in Canada.  In history it was commonly made with just flour and water.  This traditional food has been modified over the year, but is still a tried and true campfire treat.  

I usually make bannock dough ahead of time and store it in the fridge until I head out to the woods. However, you could mix the dry ingredients ahead of time and just add the water at the campfire.  I have found this dough to be very easy to work with, it has even froze on me while outside in winter and still tasted great! 

I hope you enjoy this recipe and have fun making bannock out in nature around the campfire!


Campfire Bannock Ingredients

2 cups flour 

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 Tbsp lard (or other fat such as butter, coconut oil, shortening, etc.)

1 Tbsp maple syrup (or other sweetener such as sugar or honey)

3/4 cup cold water (more or less depending on climate)

Making The Bannock Dough

1. To a bowl add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until combined. 

2. Add lard (or other solid fat). Cut into flour with a pastry cutter or two knives. This is the same as you would for biscuits or pie crust. 

3. Add in 1/2 cup cold water. Stir to combine. 

4. Add in maple syrup ( if using dry sweetener add it with step 1). Mix to combine. 

5. Add in more water, a little at a time, until the dough comes together and has no dry crumbs.  The dough should be firm but not too sticky. If you add too much water and have a sticky dough just add a bit more flour.  The exact amount of water will depend on the sweetener you use and the climate.  This dough is for rustic campfire cooking so don’t worry about getting it perfect. 

6. Store in a container on the counter for a short time or in the fridge to use within 2-3 days. 


campfire pigs in a blanket

Bannock Campfire Cooking Directions

1. Find a roasting stick. 

2. Grease the end of the stick with butter, or other grease. *OPTIONAL

3. Take a handful of bannock dough and roll/stretch it into a long log. 

4.  Wrap the bannock around the stick, stretching as you go so the bannock is wrapped in a thin layer. 

5.  Hold the bannock stick over the fire until it is golden brown and cooked through. 

6.  If you greased the stick the bannock will slide off when cooked. 

7. If you did not grease the stick simply pull off bits of bannock and enjoy!


Tips For Cooking Bannock Over A Fire

Bannock over a fire is delicious, however raw bannock is not amazing.

The first step to having perfectly cooked bannock is to wrap it around the stick in a THIN layer. Putting the bannock on too thick will result in an over cooked outside and raw inside. 

The second step to perfectly cooked bannock is roasting it low and slow.  If you hold the bannock too close to the fire it will be raw inside, and too far away will take forever to cook.  To find the right spot for roasting hold your hand over the fire. If you can hold it in place for 10 seconds it is a good distance for roasting your bannock. 

Remember to rotate your bannock as it cooks so all sides brown evenly. 

If your arms get tired, use a stick with a “Y” to prop up your roasting stick over the fire. 

campfire bannock recipe

Ways To Enjoy Your Bannock:

After your bannock is cooked you can eat it plain or have it with dip or toppings.  One great way to eat bannock is dipping it in maple syrup! Another is putting a little butter on the warm bannock and sprinkling it with cinnamon and sugar. 

 Here are some other delicious campfire foods that use this bannock recipe: 



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Hey, I’m Maggie. I hope you will join me and my family in getting back to the land.  Here you will learn about making things yourself, cooking homegrown food, and beginning a homesteading journey.


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