RV Resources · RV Books · 15 cookbooks
Best RV Cookbooks for Travel & Life on the Road
Two burners, a small fridge and a dinette that doubles as the prep counter: an RV kitchen asks for a different kind of cookbook. These are the 15 best RV cookbooks for 2026, from books written for RV and van galleys to campfire, griddle and Dutch oven favorites.
Cookbooks
15
Checked one by one
Written for RVs
5
RV, van & trailer
List prices
$16–$30
Most under $25
Most recipes
394
Taste of Home
Editions and list prices checked October 3, 2026 · By RV-Roundup
Photo: Leo_Visions on Unsplash
At a glance
Our quick picks
Whether you want an RV or camper cookbook, these six cover most kitchens. Jump to any of them for the full review, or keep scrolling for all 15.
Best for big families
Taste of Home Ultimate Outdoor Cookbook
Nearly 400 reliable recipes. By Taste of Home.
Best for griddle owners
The Outdoor Cook
Tested griddle and grill recipes. By America’s Test Kitchen.
Best Dutch oven cookbook
Scout’s Dutch Oven Cookbook
Field-tested over coals. By Christine & Tim Conners.
The short answer
The best RV cookbook for most people is RV Cooking Made Easy by Heather Schlueter: 100 simple recipes written around a small RV galley, with a lay-flat binding that stays open on a tiny counter. Couples and van travelers should look at The Van Life Cookbook by Susan Marque, whose recipes serve one or two. Big families get the most for their money from the Taste of Home Ultimate Outdoor Cookbook (394 recipes), and RVers who cook outside on a griddle or grill should choose America’s Test Kitchen’s The Outdoor Cook.
Written for RVs
The best RV and van cookbooks
Five cookbooks written specifically for RV, camper van and trailer kitchens, where space, power and water are all in short supply.
RV-specific Lay-flat eBook
#1 · Best overall
RV Cooking Made Easy: 100 Simple Recipes for Your Kitchen on Wheels
By Heather Schlueter · Union Square & Co., 2022 · 100 recipes · 208 pages · List price $19.99 (checked October 3, 2026)
Most cookbooks assume a full-size kitchen. This one starts from an RV’s limits: a two- or three-burner propane stove, a small fridge, little water for dishes and not much cupboard space. Its 100 recipes lean on one pot, one pan or the grill, with make-ahead ideas and short shopping lists that fit a small pantry. The lay-flat binding stays open on a tiny counter, which matters more than you would think when the dinette doubles as the prep station.
What we like
- Written for real RV galleys, not home kitchens
- Lay-flat binding stays open while you cook
- Simple recipes that suit first-time RVers
Keep in mind
- Leans on convenience ingredients
- Experienced cooks may find it basic
Best for: New RVers and anyone cooking in a small galley
RV-specific Hardcover eBook
#2 · Best for couples
The Van Life Cookbook: Delicious Recipes, Simple Techniques and Easy Meal Prep for the Road Trip Lifestyle
By Susan Marque · Ulysses Press, 2022 · 128 pages · List price $19.95 (checked October 3, 2026)
Recipes in this one are sized for one or two people, so nothing goes to waste in a tiny fridge, and the early chapters cover stocking a small pantry and prepping meals before a drive day. It suits Class B vans and couples in small trailers, where every container and every dish counts. The recipes are short and approachable, with an emphasis on fresh food rather than cans.
What we like
- Portions for one or two, so no wasted leftovers
- Pantry and meal-prep guidance for small spaces
- Short ingredient lists
Keep in mind
- A slim book at 128 pages
- Families will need to double recipes
Best for: Couples, solo travelers and van owners
RV-specific Paperback eBook
#3 · Newest pick
Vintage Camper Trailer Cookbook
By Paul & Caroline Lacitinola · Gibbs Smith, 2026 · 140+ recipes · 192 pages · List price $15.99 (checked October 3, 2026)
Paul and Caroline Lacitinola publish Vintage Camper Trailers magazine, and this March 2026 cookbook gathers more than 140 family-friendly recipes from the rally and canned-ham crowd. Expect hearty breakfasts, campfire classics and potluck dishes that scale from two people to a whole campground loop, served with plenty of retro trailer style. It is the newest book on our list and an easy gift for any trailer owner.
What we like
- More than 140 recipes for a low price
- Scales from breakfast for two to a rally potluck
- Fun, nostalgic trailer design
Keep in mind
- Comfort food first; not a health-focused book
- New in 2026, so there are few reader reviews yet
Best for: Trailer owners, families and rally regulars
RV-specific Hardcover
#4 · Most adventurous
Van Life Cookbook: Resourceful Recipes for Life on the Road
By Danny Jack & Hailee Kukura · Pavilion, 2022 · 80+ recipes · 160 pages · List price £16.99 (UK) (checked October 3, 2026)
Danny and Hailee cooked these 80-plus recipes in the camper van they built themselves, so every dish has been made on a small stove with limited space. The book leans plant-forward and resourceful, with one-pot meals, open-fire cooking and tips on foraging and using up what is left in the cupboard. It is a British book, so it is the most creative and least predictable pick on this list.
What we like
- Recipes tested in a real self-built van
- Creative, plant-forward one-pot meals
- Open-fire and foraging ideas
Keep in mind
- UK edition: some measurements and ingredients are British
- US price and stock vary; check the listing
Best for: Adventurous and vegetarian-leaning cooks
RV-specific Paperback Kindle
#5 · Best on a budget
RV Camping Cookbook: 100+ Recipes to Make on the Road
By Editors of Fox Chapel Publishing · Fox Chapel, 2022 · 100+ recipes · About 80 pages · Price varies (checked October 3, 2026)
A slim, inexpensive collection of more than 100 RV and campfire recipes, including 15 s’mores variations that will make you very popular with the kids at the next site. It is an easy book to keep in a drawer for ideas rather than a deep cooking course, and the low price makes it a good stocking stuffer for new RV owners.
What we like
- Low price for 100+ recipes
- Kid-friendly, including 15 s’mores ideas
- Thin enough to keep in a drawer
Keep in mind
- Thin book with few reader reviews
- Some recipes need more prep and storage than a small RV allows
Best for: Families and casual weekend campers
Cook once, eat twice
Double the chili, curry or pasta sauce on night one and freeze half flat in a zip-top bag. It stacks in a small RV freezer, thaws fast and gives you a no-dishes dinner on a long drive day.
Camp & campfire
Best camp cookbooks for RVers
Our favorite camp cookbooks. Their car-camping, camp-stove and campfire recipes work beautifully at an RV site.
Hardcover Campfire
#6 · Best gift
The Campout Cookbook: Inspired Recipes for Cooking Around the Fire and Under the Stars
By Marnie Hanel & Jen Stevenson · Artisan, 2018 · 75+ recipes · 224 pages · List price $25.00 (checked October 3, 2026)
The prettiest book on the list and a favorite gift for new campers. Its 75-plus recipes cover breakfast skillets, foil packets, campfire cocktails and desserts, mixed in with campsite games and practical advice on packing a camp kitchen. Most recipes use a fire, a grill grate or a cast-iron pan, so they move easily to the fire ring or grill at an RV site.
What we like
- Beautiful hardcover that makes a great gift
- Fun extras: campsite games and cocktails
- Most recipes need only a fire and a skillet
Keep in mind
- Some recipes are more weekend project than weeknight dinner
- Heavy hardcover for a small rig
Best for: Gift-giving and groups around the fire
Paperback eBook Car camping
#7 · Best for healthy eating
Dirty Gourmet: Food for Your Outdoor Adventures
By Aimee Trudeau, Emily Nielson & Mai-Yan Kwan · Skipstone (Mountaineers Books), 2018 · 120+ recipes · 256 pages · List price $24.95 (checked October 3, 2026)
Three outdoor cooks behind the Dirty Gourmet blog organize more than 120 recipes by the kind of trip, and the car-camping chapters translate directly to an RV stove and grill. Expect bright, global flavors (shakshuka, curries, tacos and grain bowls) with make-ahead steps that keep campsite cooking fast. If your RV meals have slipped into hot dogs and chili, this is the fix.
What we like
- Fresh, global, vegetable-friendly recipes
- Make-ahead steps shorten cooking at camp
- Organized by trip type, with a big car-camping section
Keep in mind
- Backpacking chapters many RVers will skip
- Some ingredients are hard to find in small towns
Best for: Healthy and adventurous eaters
Hardcover Road trips
#8 · Best for foodies
The New Camp Cookbook: Gourmet Grub for Campers, Road Trippers, and Adventurers
By Linda Ly · Voyageur Press, 2017 · 136 recipes · 224 pages · Price varies (checked October 3, 2026)
Linda Ly wrote this one for road-trippers who still want to eat well. Its 136 recipes run from campfire breakfasts to skillet suppers and grilled dinners, with menus and planning advice for multi-day trips. It feels more like a good home cookbook moved outdoors than a collection of camp shortcuts, which is exactly what food-loving RVers want.
What we like
- 136 recipes, from quick to impressive
- Trip menus and meal-planning help
- Written with road trips in mind
Keep in mind
- Ingredient lists can run long for a small pantry
- Most recipes are for a stove or fire, not an oven
Best for: Cooks who want restaurant-style meals at camp
Hardcover eBook
#9 · Best for RV kitchens with an oven
The Camp & Cabin Cookbook: 100 Recipes to Prepare Wherever You Go
By Laura Bashar · Countryman Press, 2018 · 100 recipes · List price $24.95 (checked October 3, 2026)
Laura Bashar wrote these 100 recipes to work wherever you happen to be cooking: a cabin stove, an RV galley or a campfire. That flexibility makes it one of the most practical choices for RVers who have an oven and a grill and like to switch between them. Comforting breakfasts, one-pot dinners and simple baked desserts are the heart of the book.
What we like
- Works indoors in the RV and out at the fire
- Comforting, family-friendly recipes
- Clear, uncomplicated instructions
Keep in mind
- Some recipes assume a full-size oven
- Fewer quick 15-minute meals than other picks
Best for: Families who cook inside and outside
Hardcover Updated 2025
#10 · Best camp-stove upgrade
Outdoor Gourmet: Recipes to Bring Your Love of Good Food to the Campsite, the Backyard, and Beyond
By Robin Donovan · Quirk Books, 2025 · 100+ recipes · 192 pages · List price $16.99 (checked October 3, 2026)
A refreshed 2025 edition of Robin Donovan’s camp-cooking classic (first published as Campfire Cuisine). More than 100 recipes take camp-stove and fire-pit cooking a step past burgers, and the gear and food-storage advice is genuinely useful for keeping a cooler or RV fridge organized. The modest price makes it an easy add-on to any RV library.
What we like
- Updated edition of a well-loved camp cookbook
- Helpful gear and food-storage advice
- Good value at about $17
Keep in mind
- A new cover on an older book: skip it if you own Campfire Cuisine
- Backyard recipes mixed in with camp ones
Best for: Food lovers who cook on a camp stove
Cook outside on hot days
Running the oven or stovetop heats a small RV fast. On warm evenings, move dinner to the picnic table: a griddle, a portable grill or the campground fire ring keeps the heat (and the smell of fish or bacon) outside.
Griddle, Dutch oven & big batches
Best griddle, Dutch oven and outdoor cookbooks
For RVers who cook for a crowd, travel with a flat-top griddle or bring a cast-iron Dutch oven to the fire.
Paperback eBook Griddle
#11 · Best for griddle owners
The Outdoor Cook: How to Cook Anything Outside Using Your Grill, Fire Pit, Flat-Top Grill, and More
By America’s Test Kitchen · America’s Test Kitchen, 2023 · 150 recipes · 352 pages · List price $29.99 (checked October 3, 2026)
If your RV travels with a Blackstone-style flat-top griddle, a portable grill or a fire pit, this is the book. America’s Test Kitchen developed and tested 150 recipes for cooking outside, with its usual clear explanations of why each technique works. Smash burgers, griddle breakfasts, kebabs and skillet desserts all come out the same at a campsite as they do at home.
What we like
- 150 recipes tested by America’s Test Kitchen
- Strong flat-top griddle chapter
- Explains the why, so you become a better cook
Keep in mind
- Backyard-leaning rather than camp-specific
- A big 352-page book to store
Best for: RVers who cook outside on a griddle or grill
Paperback 394 recipes
#12 · Most recipes
Taste of Home Ultimate Outdoor Cookbook: 394 Tested Recipes for Grilling, Picnics, Campfires, and Every Summer Gathering
By Taste of Home · Trusted Media Brands, 2025 · 394 recipes · 320 pages · List price $22.99 (checked October 3, 2026)
Nearly 400 home-cook-tested recipes for grilling, campfires, picnics and potlucks, each with nutrition facts and quick-prep icons. Taste of Home recipes use familiar grocery-store ingredients, which is a real advantage when your nearest store is a small-town market. For big families, campground potlucks and anyone who just wants a lot of reliable ideas, it is hard to beat.
What we like
- 394 recipes for about $23
- Familiar ingredients from any grocery store
- Nutrition facts and quick-prep icons
Keep in mind
- Covers grilling and picnics broadly, not just camping
- Large paperback takes up shelf space
Best for: Big families and campground potlucks
Paperback eBook Dutch oven
#13 · Best Dutch oven cookbook
Scout’s Dutch Oven Cookbook
By Christine & Tim Conners · FalconGuides, 2012 · 176 pages · List price $16.95 (checked October 3, 2026)
Written for scout leaders who feed a crowd, these field-tested Dutch oven recipes come with clear planning, cleanup and safety advice, and every recipe was cooked over coals before it went in the book. That makes it a dependable choice for RVers who travel with a cast-iron Dutch oven and like to cook big batches at the fire ring for family or friends.
What we like
- Field-tested Dutch oven recipes
- Clear planning, cleanup and safety advice
- Great for feeding a group
Keep in mind
- Batch sizes lean large for two people
- An older title (2012)
Best for: Groups, families and Dutch oven fans
Paperback eBook Dutch oven
#14 · Best Dutch oven basics
The Lodge Book of Dutch Oven Cooking
By J. Wayne Fears · Skyhorse, 2017 · About 168 pages · Price varies (checked October 3, 2026)
New to cast iron? Start here. Outdoor writer J. Wayne Fears covers choosing, seasoning and caring for a Dutch oven, then works through stews, breads, cobblers and one-pot dinners for camp. The technique chapters are the real value; once you understand heat control with coals, every other Dutch oven recipe gets easier.
What we like
- Strong on technique, seasoning and care
- Simple stews, breads and cobblers
- Good companion to a new Lodge Dutch oven
Keep in mind
- Some recipes lean on boxed mixes
- Plain design with few photos
Best for: Dutch oven beginners
Lay-flat Dutch oven Gift
#15 · Best classic
Camp Cooking, New Edition
By National Museum of Forest Service History · Gibbs Smith, 2024 · 100+ recipes · List price $15.99 (checked October 3, 2026)
Recipes from generations of Forest Service crews, fire lookouts and rangers, updated for this 20th-anniversary edition and mixed with stories and history from the backcountry. It is heavy on Dutch oven and open-fire classics like biscuits, stews and cobblers, and the hidden spiral binding lies flat at the picnic table. A lovely gift for anyone who camps in the national forests.
What we like
- More than 100 time-tested camp recipes
- Stories and history you will actually read
- Lies flat thanks to a hidden spiral
Keep in mind
- Old-school recipes; few quick weeknight meals
- Best with a Dutch oven and a campfire
Best for: Traditionalists and national forest campers
Side by side
Compare all 15 RV cookbooks
Author, year, recipe count, format and who each book suits. On a phone, swipe the table sideways.
| Cookbook | Author | Year | Recipes | Format | Best for | List price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RV Cooking Made Easy | Heather Schlueter | 2022 | 100 | Lay-flat print, eBook | New RVers and anyone cooking in a small galley | $19.99 |
| The Van Life Cookbook | Susan Marque | 2022 | Not listed | Hardcover, eBook | Couples, solo travelers and van owners | $19.95 |
| Vintage Camper Trailer Cookbook | Paul & Caroline Lacitinola | 2026 | 140+ | Paperback, eBook | Trailer owners, families and rally regulars | $15.99 |
| Van Life Cookbook (Jack & Kukura) | Danny Jack & Hailee Kukura | 2022 | 80+ | Hardcover | Adventurous and vegetarian-leaning cooks | £16.99 (UK) |
| RV Camping Cookbook | Editors of Fox Chapel Publishing | 2022 | 100+ | Paperback, Kindle | Families and casual weekend campers | Varies |
| The Campout Cookbook | Marnie Hanel & Jen Stevenson | 2018 | 75+ | Hardcover | Gift-giving and groups around the fire | $25.00 |
| Dirty Gourmet | Aimee Trudeau, Emily Nielson & Mai-Yan Kwan | 2018 | 120+ | Paperback, eBook | Healthy and adventurous eaters | $24.95 |
| The New Camp Cookbook | Linda Ly | 2017 | 136 | Hardcover | Cooks who want restaurant-style meals at camp | Varies |
| The Camp & Cabin Cookbook | Laura Bashar | 2018 | 100 | Hardcover, eBook | Families who cook inside and outside | $24.95 |
| Outdoor Gourmet | Robin Donovan | 2025 | 100+ | Hardcover | Food lovers who cook on a camp stove | $16.99 |
| The Outdoor Cook | America’s Test Kitchen | 2023 | 150 | Paperback, eBook | RVers who cook outside on a griddle or grill | $29.99 |
| Taste of Home Ultimate Outdoor Cookbook | Taste of Home | 2025 | 394 | Paperback | Big families and campground potlucks | $22.99 |
| Scout’s Dutch Oven Cookbook | Christine & Tim Conners | 2012 | Not listed | Paperback, eBook | Groups, families and Dutch oven fans | $16.95 |
| The Lodge Book of Dutch Oven Cooking | J. Wayne Fears | 2017 | Not listed | Paperback, eBook | Dutch oven beginners | Varies |
| Camp Cooking, New Edition | National Museum of Forest Service History | 2024 | 100+ | Paperback (hidden spiral) | Traditionalists and national forest campers | $15.99 |
Small-kitchen know-how
How to cook in a small RV kitchen
Six habits that make RV cooking recipes from any book on this list easier on the road.
- Plan the week before you shop An RV fridge holds about a third of a home one. Pick four or five dinners from your cookbook, write one list and buy only what those meals need.
- Prep at home or on a hookup day Chop vegetables, mix spice blends and marinate meat in zip-top bags. Flat bags stack in the fridge and turn into dinner in minutes.
- Cook in one pot or one pan One-pot pastas, sheet-pan suppers and skillet meals save propane, counter space and the water you would use on dishes.
- Move the heat outside A griddle, portable grill or the campground fire ring keeps the RV cool and the cooking smells outdoors.
- Wash dishes the dry-camping way Wipe plates with a paper towel first, then wash in a small basin. You will use a fraction of the water and fill the gray tank far more slowly.
- Secure the galley before you drive Latch the fridge and cabinets, pack the cookbook and anything breakable, and follow your RV’s guidance on propane while traveling and when refueling.
Cook safely with propane
Run the range hood fan or crack a window whenever you cook on the propane stove, and test your RV’s carbon monoxide and propane detectors before every trip. Never use the stove or oven to heat the RV.
Stock the galley
RV pantry staples checklist
Keep these 12 basics in the RV and most recipes in these cookbooks need only a quick stop for fresh ingredients.
- Olive oil and cooking spray
- Salt, pepper and one all-purpose spice blend
- Pasta, rice and quick-cooking couscous
- Canned beans and diced tomatoes
- Broth concentrate (far smaller than cartons)
- Tortillas, which outlast bread and squash flat
- Peanut butter and jam
- Oats and pancake mix
- Shelf-stable milk or powdered milk
- Coffee and tea
- Foil and zip-top bags
- A small wash basin and paper towels
No book needed
Free RV recipe websites
Popular free recipe sites RVers use alongside their cookbooks. Bookmark them before you lose signal.
Free Online
Fresh Off the Grid
A big free library of camp-stove, campfire and cast-iron recipes, plus meal-planning guides from two longtime camp cooks.
Free Online
Outdoorsy: Easy RV dinner ideas
The RV rental marketplace’s blog rounds up quick dinners that suit a small galley and a short ingredient list.
Free Online
Boondockers Welcome: Simple RV meal ideas
Simple meals from a community of RVers who often camp without hookups, so the ideas go easy on water and power.
Keep reading
More RV books and resources
Our other reading lists for life on the road.
Best RV Magazines
Every RV magazine still worth reading, including Vintage Camper Trailers magazine.
Best RV Books for Beginners
Guides, memoirs and how-to books for new and seasoned RVers.
Helpful answers
RV cooking questions, answered
The questions RVers ask us most about cooking on the road.
Our top pick
Start with RV Cooking Made Easy
One hundred simple recipes written for the kitchen you actually have on the road.
Thank you to the people behind these photos. Hero photo by Leo_Visions on Unsplash. Book covers are courtesy of the publishers, the Open Library and booksellers, and are shown to help you find each book. Titles and brand names are trademarks of their owners.
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How we choose. We looked for cookbooks that suit the way RVers really cook: small fridges, two or three burners, limited water and a lot of outdoor cooking. We confirmed each book’s current edition, author, publisher and list price with the publisher or major booksellers on the date shown. No publisher paid to be on this page, and a higher commission never moves a book up the list.
Prices and availability were checked on October 3, 2026 and can change at any time; the price you see at the time of purchase applies. List prices are the publisher’s; Amazon prices are often lower. RV-Roundup is not responsible for errors, omissions or changes made after publication.