Disclaimer; this is not a high class recipe, selling the beautiful products of our store… but… we love it so much!
I have started camping only 2 years ago, which is great timing, since we haven’t been able to travel for the past 2 summers! Of course, I like to bring some tasty food while going on vacation. But because we are tent camping, it needs to be easy and requires minimum preparation, ingredients and utensils.
One of the first thing I search for online before going on our first camping trip, was some fun recipes to make outdoor. And I came across this one on a camping forum. Let me tell you, it’s been a hit with every one I camped with so far!
The ingredients are super simple (only 4), cheap, easy to find and carry (as long as you have a cooler). For utensils, you only need a stove, a good pan, a pair of tongues, or even forks would do, and plates. You can have your first batch ready in less than 15 minutes!
Usually, where we camp (in BC, Canada), it’s always chill in the morning, so it’s a very warming breakfast, after a night of fresh air, to wake up to fresh donuts, and of course, coffee!
Hey! You don’t need to go camping to try them after all, just do it anytime you need a fresh donuts craving to be satisfied! The cinnamon sugar is the easiest to toss in while outdoor, but you could try to fill them with jam or nutella before frying, or glaze them after their are cool! Let me know how that turns out if you do!
See the recipe video on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or YouTube and give us a follow! This video was made during our last camping trip, so it is as good as it gets, lol!
In a pan at least 8" of diameter and 2" high, melt the shortening on medium heat. Cut in smaller pieces to melt faster. Let the oil come to a steady temperature. Should not be smoking. You can test if it's ready by dropping a little piece of biscuit dough: if it starts bubbling around the dough and it is coloring slowly, the oil is ready. If it's bubbling a lot and it's coloring very fast, it's too hot.
While the shortening is melting, open the biscuits tubes, separate them and lay them on a plate. With your fingers, create a hole in the middle to give them a donut shape. let them at room temperature for 5 min before cooking.
When oil and biscuits are ready, gently drop the biscuits in the hot oil, cooking about 6 at the time. Don't overcrowd your pan! It should take about 3 minutes to get one side golden. If it is too slow, turn up the temperature, if it is going too fast, turn it down. Once side is brown, flip them to the other side and fry for another 2 to 3 minutes.
In the meantime, in a large plate, mix the sugar and cinnamon.
Once your doughnuts are cooked on bother sides, place them in the cinnamon sugar plate and coat both side right away (if you wait too long, the sugar won't stick to the donuts).
Serve warm!
Recipe Note
I like to use a shallow cast iron pan for those, but any pan will do. If you happen to have a deep fryer thermometer, the temperature of the oil should be about 370F. If not, see the tips in the recipe. If your stovetop doesn’t have temperature control and it’s cooking too fast, just turn off the stove top for a couple minutes once in a while to cool down the oil. Once you are done cooking, let the shortening cool completely until solid again, then it will be easy to scoop out the pan and into the garbage. You can reuse it if you make more donuts the next day!
You could use canola oil instead of shortening, but I prefer the shortening for that recipe, and find it easier to carry and dispose when camping.
I freeze my shortening before going camping and I leave it, with the biscuits, in a cooler until use (don’t freeze the biscuit dough). I keep the sugar and cinnamon in a Tupperware, ready to go.
The recipe makes 20 small donuts, that feeds 7 to 10 people depending on many you eat!
