Good food brings people together, warms hearts and puts smiles on faces. The only thing better than enjoying the great outdoors with people you love is doing so with a cooler full of scrumptious, nourishing snacks. In this diverse camping snacks list, you’ll discover premade options, kid-friendly treats, healthy choices and late-night campfire favorites that will make your next camping trip unforgettable.
1. Make-Ahead Camping Snacks
Prepped camping snacks save time and effort at the campsite, so you can spend more time exploring and making memories. The best snack foods for camping stay fresh and crispy with only a cooler.
Sweet Homemade Snacks
If you are craving something sweet while adventuring outdoors, these homemade treats are sure to hit the spot:
- Dried fruit: Dry your apple, peach, pear and fig slices using a home dehydrator. Use them in recipes or pack them in airtight bags for later nibbling.
- Granola bars: A classic make-ahead snack, homemade kitchen-sink granola bars are perfect for a quick, craving-busting energy boost.
- Rice crispy treats: These ooey-gooey cereal bars are simple to make, satisfyingly sweet and unendingly crowd-pleasing.
Savory Homemade Snacks
For campers who prefer salty foods, these flavorful options offer nutrients and convenience:
- Herby muffins: Make fluffy, savory muffins with your favorite herbs, spices, veggies and cheese for a delicious yet portable bite.
- Roasted chickpeas beans: Crunchy and toasty, roasted chickpeas are packed with plant-based protein and gut-healthy fiber.
- Spicy Mexican snack mix: This peanut, raisin, shredded wheat and chili spice combo is a satisfying aromatic twist on a classic savory trail mix.
2. Yummy Camping Snacks for Kids and Toddlers
Keep your little campers happy with these kid-approved snack ideas. These options are fun to eat, easy to transport and full of essential nutrients.
Fun Snack Options for Toddlers
Must-have snacks for camping with toddlers should be mess-resistant, convenient, appropriate for little mouths and loaded with slow-release energy:
- Soft fruit puree pouches: Toddlers can easily grasp these portable pouches while getting a convenient serving of fruit.
- Toddler bars: Pick soft-baked, low-sugar snack bars made with whole grains, fruits and veggies for a healthy and satisfying snack.
- Frozen yogurt tubes: Freezing yogurt tubes makes a cool, refreshing treat that is perfect for warm camping days.
Snack Ideas Kids Will Love
These are some tried-and-true between-meal favorites that even picky kids adore:
- Animal-shaped cookies: This classic snack adds fun and flavor to your kids’ day and comes in sweet and savory varieties.
- Mini muffin bites: Bake and wrap pocket-sized breakfast muffins flavored with blueberries, bran, chocolate chips, nuts and dried fruit.
- String cheese: String cheese is a fun snack rich in naturally occurring calcium that kids can easily carry in pockets or backpacks.
3. Healthy Snacks for Camping Trips
When considering what good snacks for camping to pack, health is likely one of your biggest deciding factors. Keep your friends and family energized with wholesome munchies.
Electrolyte-Boosting Camping Snacks
These electrolyte-rich snacks are just what you need to stay hydrated during active outdoor adventures:
- Coconut water: Naturally replenish vital vitamins and minerals like manganese with a can of real coconut water.
- Pistachios: These crunchy nuts provide on-the-go electrolytes.
- Pickles: A tangy, probiotic, low-calorie snack, pickles and pickle juice replenish sodium, potassium and magnesium better than some sports drinks.
High-Fiber Snacks for Digestive Health
Keep your digestive system happy with these fiber-rich snacks:
- Instant oatmeal packets: You only need some hot water and a bowl to prepare this filling and heart-warming snack, although you can liven it up with dried fruit, nuts and cinnamon.
- Apples, mandarins and bananas: These well-travelling fruits boast fiber and vitamins in impressive quantities and only need a quick rinse or peel before eating.
- Veggies with hummus: Cucumber, carrot, bell pepper and celery all taste amazing dipped in hummus, whether prepared at home or prepackaged.
Nutritious Low-Sugar Snack Options
Whether you are watching your sugar intake or your dental health, low-sugar choices can be both delicious and satisfying:
- Unsweetened applesauce pouches: No-sugar-added applesauce is convenient and naturally sweet.
- Nuts and seeds: Roasted or raw, nuts and seeds provide healthy unsaturated fats, fiber and plant-based protein.
- Hard-boiled eggs: Hard-boiled eggs offer easily digestible proteins and amino acids, help control your appetite, are easy to prep at home and travel well in coolers.
4. Best Camping Snacks to Buy on the Road
When you are en route to your camping adventure and realize you are short on snacks, grab these tasty, easily storable, single-packaged bites.
Last-Minute Store-Bought Snacks
Look for these crowd-pleasing road trip staples that will keep your passengers fueled and comfortable:
- Fruit cups: Munch on a refreshing serving of your favorite fruit from a conveniently sealed container, or pop it in the cooler for later.
- Ginger candies: Studies show that sucking or chewing on a zesty ginger candy can help ease nausea, which is common with car sickness.
- Drinking yogurt: A perfect snack-drink hybrid, bottles of drinking yogurt are yummy and gut-healthy and keep well when sealed in a cooler.
Shelf-Stable Snack Options for Longer Trips
If you are planning a camping trip spanning a week or longer, pack some snacks with excellent shelf life:
- Crackers: These versatile, long-lasting crisps come in many varieties and go great with cheese, jam, nut butter, soup, tuna — you name it.
- Nut butter packets: Single-serving almond, walnut and macadamia butter packets offer high-protein goodness when kept in a cool, dry place.
- Jerky sticks: Whether you prefer salty, spicy or smoky varieties, properly packaged jerky sticks have an exceptional shelf life and offer hearty, meaty protein.
5. Easy Snacks for Camping and Hiking
When hitting the trails, pack lightweight, easy-to-eat, nutrient-dense options that fare well in warmer temperatures.
Lightweight Backpack-Friendly Bites
These snacks weigh very little, making them ideal for long hikes:
- Dried mango slices: Dried mango slices are dainty yet nutritious, giving you a quick and delicious fructose-fueled energy boost.
- Fruit leather: A favorite among hikers, kids and foodies alike, fruit leather is a chewy, naturally sweet snack that easily fits in a backpack.
- Rice cakes with nut butter: Rice cakes are light and airy, while nut butter provides protein and healthy fats for long-lasting stamina.
Portable High-Protein Munchies
Relieve hunger pangs and power through your hike with these satiating snacks:
- Beef jerky: High in protein and shelf-stable, classic beef jerky is perfect for a quick and satisfying bite in a conveniently sealed bag.
- Protein bars: Whether you prefer organic vegan pea protein or meal-replacement whey-style varieties, these portable bars keep you feeling full and energized on the trail.
- Nut and seed trail mix: A classic camping staple, the right trail mix combination offers essential plant-based protein sources alongside a cheeky treat here and there.
6. Late-Night Snacks for Campfire Cooking
Enjoy a freshly toasted tasty treat under the stars. These iconic snack recipes need hardly any utensils and are perfect for sharing around the fire — just refresh your campfire-building skills and fire safety knowledge before lighting the first match.
Classically Sweet Campfire Treats
For a dessert-inspired sweet treat, make these camping rites of passage:
- Roasted marshmallows: You only need a stick, a plump marshmallow and an open flame to experience one of camping’s most beloved snacks.
- Fancy s’mores: S’mores are a classic campfire treat that you can upgrade with peanut butter, fruit, cookies and more.
- Campfire churros: For an outdoorsy take on decadent churros, wrap crescent roll dough around a stick, toast it until golden brown, dip it in butter and cinnamon sugar, and serve with chocolate sauce.
Satisfying Savory Campfire Snacks
To balance out the sweetness with something savory, try out these yummy options:
- Fireside nachos: To make delicious grilled camp nachos, use a grill basket to melt cheese over crispy tortilla chips, then add your favorite toppings and salsa for a warm and melty snack.
- Caprese s’mores: For a healthier alternative to classic s’mores that will enchant any fireside foodie, sandwich burrata, basil and roasted cherry tomatoes between wheat crackers and drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette.
- Campfire popcorn: Use a lightly oiled Dutch oven or a popcorn popper over the fire for a fun and satisfying snack that everyone will enjoy.
Discover the KOA Difference for Your Next Camping Trip
With more than 500 locations across North America, Kampgrounds of America makes camping convenient, so you can focus on the important things — like curating the perfect camping snack menu! Every KOA campground includes a KOA camp store stocked with refreshments and essentials, and select KOA Resorts offer crowd-pleasing food services to satisfy every craving.
Browse more camping snack recipes online, or pick a destination and start planning your next adventure today.
About the Author: Kampgrounds of America
Kampgrounds of America is the largest system of open-to-the-public campgrounds in the world, with over 500 locations across the United States and Canada. Founded in Billings, MT in 1962, KOA’s family of campground brands – KOA Journey, KOA Holiday and KOA Resort – today serve more than a million camping families each year. KOA is dedicated to “connecting people to the outdoors and each other” by providing people with a variety of camping experiences and the information they need to make the most of their camping trip. Read more of their camping and travel resources by visiting KOA.com/blog.
