Another great recipe from our friends at Fresh Off the Grid:

When we’re camping in the backcountry, we often find ourselves missing certain textures. Most backpacking foods invariably take on a soft, mushy texture. (Think protein bars, oatmeals, boil-in-bag meals). Mush! All of it mush!

There’s nothing wrong with mush, it’s just sometimes we need a break. We need something crunchy, something with some chew. Enter: Coconut Chocolate Granola.

What we love about this backpacking breakfast is how many calories it packs in. It contains over 600 calories per serving, with half of the calories coming from carbs and half coming from fats and proteins. So you get a quick hit of fast-burning energy to get you going in the morning, but then a slow-burn that will carry you all the way to lunch.

With more calories than instant oatmeal and a divinely crunchy texture, this coconut chocolate granola is a great backpacking breakfast to try out on your next hike.

In terms of homemade granolas, this one is fairly simple to make and uses ingredients you may already have in your pantry.

Simply mix the rolled oats, nuts, cacao powder, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and pinch of salt together in a large bowl until everything is evenly coated.

Spread the mixture onto a lined baking sheet, and then pop it into a 300F oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove and add the flaked coconut. Return it to the oven for an additional 5 minutes to toast the coconut.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the granola cool completely before breaking it up and dividing it between 4 bags. Add a tablespoon of powdered milk and a handful of dried raspberries to each bag.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup rolled oats
• ½ cup chopped nuts
• ¼ cup cacao powder
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup coconut flakes
• 4 tablespoons powdered milk
• 1 oz freeze dried raspberries, or other freeze-dried fruit

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 300F
• In a large bowl, combine oats, nuts, cacao powder, maple syrup, and salt until everything is evenly coated.
• Spread the mixture in an even layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven, add the coconut, then return to the oven for an additional 5 minutes.
• Remove the granola from the oven and let cool completely.
• Divide the granola between 4 zip top bags. Add 1 tablespoon powdered milk and ¼ oz freeze dried raspberries to each bag.
• In camp, add ½ cup water (hot or cold) the bag and mix. Enjoy!