Backpacking Breakfast: Coconut Chocolate Granola Recipe

Start your day in the backcountry with something sweet. This vegetarian breakfast is loaded with nearly 500 calories per serving while remaining super lightweight. Half the calories come from easily accessible carbohydrates while the other half come from slower burning fats and protein, providing a blend of rapid energy for now and long-burning fuel for later.As far as homemade granolas go, this one is relatively simple to make at home. It uses pretty standard ingredients like rolled oats, coconut flakes, chopped nuts, cacao powder, maple syrup and coconut oil. Once combined, place the spread on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 300°F. There's a very thin line between perfectly baked and overbaked, so be sure to set a timer.Before you take this (or any meal really) into the backcountry, we recommend making a small batch and testing it at home. You want to be confident you're on board with your meals before committing to them. Once you get the recipe dialed into your liking, then you can make a large batch to save for later.If you enjoy your granola with a bit of milk, then a powdered milk is the way to go. When you portion out your granola into resealable containers or bags, add 1 tablespoon of powdered milk. Once out on the trail, just add water, shake, and voila: granola with milk.Coconut Chocolate GranolaYield: 4 servingsIngredients1 cup rolled oats1 cup coconut flakes½ cup chopped nuts¼ cup cacao powder¼ cup maple syrup3 tablespoons melted coconut oilpinch of salt4 tablespoons powdered whole milk1 oz freeze-dried raspberries (or other freeze-dried fruit)DirectionsStep 1Preheat oven to 300°F. In a large bowl, combine the oats, coconut flakes, nuts, cacao powder, maple syrup and salt until everything is evenly coated.Step 2Spread the mixture in an even layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove and let cool.Step 3Divide the granola between four resealable bags. Add 1 tablespoon powdered milk and ¼ oz freeze-dried raspberries to each bag.Step 4At camp, add ½ cup water (hot or cold) to the bag and mix.