Overnight Cold-Brew Coffee Concentrate with Cinnamon and Vanilla (No-Cook Camp Recipe)
No fire or stove needed. Stir coarse-ground coffee, cold water, cinnamon sticks and vanilla in a lidded jar, then steep it sealed in the cooler for 12 hours. Strain it at camp, then pour over ice with milk or water. It takes 10 minutes of hands-on time plus the overnight steep.
Cold brew is the easiest coffee you can make at camp. You stir it together at night, go to sleep, and it's ready when you wake up. There's no fuel to burn, no kettle to wait on, and no boiling water at 6 a.m. in a cold tent.
This version uses cinnamon sticks and a little vanilla for a smooth, slightly sweet cup. It makes a strong concentrate. Mix it with cold milk or water and it stays good in the cooler for a couple of days, so one batch covers a weekend of mornings.
Overnight Cold-Brew Coffee Concentrate with Cinnamon and Vanilla (No-Cook Camp Recipe)
- Prep
- 10 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Heat
- No heat (12-hour cold steep)
- Pack weight
- 3 lb
- Campfire
- Camp stove
- Backpacking
- Cooler optional
- No stove
- Low water
- One-pan cleanup
- Prep ahead
Ingredients
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Gear you'll need
- half-gallon wide-mouth jar with a tight lid
- fine-mesh strainer
- paper coffee filters
- pitcher or second lidded jar
- measuring cup
- long spoon
- 4 camp mugs or cups
Steps
-
Combine in the jar
Add the ground coffee and cinnamon sticks to a clean half-gallon jar. Pour in the cold water and vanilla.
-
Stir and wet grounds
Stir with a clean spoon for 30 seconds. Make sure every bit of coffee is soaked, with no dry clumps floating on top.
-
Seal and steep cold
Screw the lid on tight and set the jar upright in the cooler, in a dry spot away from raw meat. Steep for 12 hours, or up to 14 for a stronger brew.
-
Strain the grounds
Set a fine-mesh strainer over a clean pitcher or second jar. Pour the brew through slowly to catch the grounds.
-
Filter a second time
Line the strainer with a paper coffee filter and pour the coffee through again. This takes a few minutes but removes the silt. You should have about 3 cups of concentrate.
-
Mix and sweeten
For each cup, mix 3/4 cup concentrate with 3/4 cup cold milk or water. Stir in a teaspoon or two of maple syrup if you like it sweet.
-
Pour over ice
Fill each cup with about 1 cup of ice and pour the coffee over. Return any leftover concentrate to the cooler in a sealed jar.
Trail Notes
Grind the beans coarse at home and carry them in a zip bag. You can also make the concentrate at home, strain it and pack it in the cooler. Use it within 4 days.
Keep the concentrate and any milk below 40°F in the cooler, and use the concentrate within 2 days of making it at camp. Use treated water if your source isn't potable: filter it, or boil it for 1 minute and let it cool fully.
In cool weather (under 60°F), steep the sealed jar in the shade for 8 to 10 hours. Use shelf-stable milk or plain water for mixing, and drink all the concentrate within a day. Don't steep in hot weather without a cooler.
Don't dump coffee grounds on the ground or in a stream. Scoop them into a zip bag with the used filters and pack them out. Strain wash water through your strainer and scatter it broadly, well away from water sources and camp.
Campers ask
Can you make cold brew coffee while camping without a cooler?
Yes, but only in cool weather. Steep the sealed jar in the shade for 8 to 10 hours and finish the concentrate within a day, since there's no way to keep it below 40°F.
What grind of coffee is best for camp cold brew?
Coarse, like coarse sand. Fine grounds make bitter, muddy coffee and clog your filter. Ask for a coarse or French press grind at the store.
How long does cold brew concentrate last in a camp cooler?
Use it within 2 days at camp if the cooler stays at or below 40°F. At home in a fridge, a strained concentrate keeps about 4 days.
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