Trailside Tiramisu | Backpacking Dessert Recipe (2024)

By Aaron Owens Mayhew, MS, RDN, CD

Updated January 6, 2024

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What’s the best way to make friends with other backpackers? Share your dessert with them, of course! Backcountry Foodie’s backpacking tiramisu dessert recipe makes 3 extra servings. But you could also eat it all yourself. We won’t judge. You might want also to check out our Mixed Berry Crumble, Brownie Batter Hummus, and White Chocolate Coconut Pudding recipes. They’re just as delicious!

If you’ve ever made tiramisu at home, you know it’s a multi-step process. That’s not so with this backpacking dessert recipe. All you need is a mixing bowl. Combine all the ingredients at home, package them for the trail, and then add water and shake when it’s time to indulge. Easy peasy!

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Trailside Tiramisu | Backpacking Dessert Recipe (5)

Backcountry Foodie Recipe

This is a delicious treat for coffee and dessert lovers! The recipe even makes extra servings that can be shared with friends.

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NUTRITION (per serving)

cal/oz 128

cal/gram 4.6

Calories 319 kcal

PROTEIN 9 g

CARBS 46 g

Fiber 0.2 g

Added Sugar 0 g

Fat 11 g

Sodium 504 mg

INGREDIENTS

1 box (3.4 oz) (96 g) instant pudding, vanilla
1 cup (120 g) milk powder, whole
1 tsp (1 g) coffee, instant
1 tsp (2 g) cocoa powder, unsweetened
¼ tsp (0.7 g) cinnamon, ground
12 oz (360 mL) water
40 wafers (60 g) vanilla wafers, mini

OPTIONAL

1 box (3.4 oz) (96 g) instant pudding, sugar-free vanilla (substitution), no-added-sugar option
1 cup (70 g) milk powder, non-fat (substitution), reduced-calorie option
20 wafers vanilla wafers, gluten-free (substitution), gluten-free option

INSTRUCTIONS (per serving)

HOME

Put all ingredients, except the vanilla wafers, in a mixing bowl. See meal prep tip below.
Stir to mix well making sure the cocoa and coffee are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
Divide the pudding mixture into four equal servings, approximately ⅓ cup each.
Store the mixture in bags or containers to be used in the backcountry.
Pack 10 vanilla wafers (15 g), per serving of pudding, in a separate bag or container to be consumed when the pudding is prepared.

FIELD

Add 3 oz (90 mL) cold water to the pudding mixture.
Stir to mix well and shake vigorously for 2 minutes.
Let stand for approximately 3 minutes or until the desired consistency is achieved.
After thickening, add the vanilla wafers to the pudding mixture.
Eat by the spoonful and enjoy!

NOTES

MEAL PREP TIP

The volume of instant coffee needed to reach the desired flavor will vary based on the brand of coffee used.

NUTRITION

Total sugar (per serving): 36 g
The added sugar content cannot be quantified due to instant pudding and vanilla wafer product labels not having added sugar listed.
To reduce added sugar content, replace instant pudding with sugar-free instant pudding.
To reduce calories by 100, replace whole milk powder with non-fat milk powder.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Aaron Owens Mayhew, MS, RDN, CD,is a registered dietitian and ultralight long-distance backpacker with over 20 years of nutrition and backpacking experience. She’s also the founder and owner ofBackcountry Foodie, an online ultralight recipes and meal planning platform for backpackers. She also enjoys teaching hikers about backpacking nutrition viavirtual masterclasses,YouTube videos, andpodcast episodes.You can follow Aaron’s adventures in the kitchen and the backcountry viaInstagramandFacebook.

5 Comments

Is the amount of milk powder really correct at 1 cup? There are 12 oz. of water in the recipe, and my whole milk powder tells me to use 3/8 cup of powder with that amount in order to make the equivalent of whole milk.
Reply
- Great questions! Yes, the measurement is correct at 1 cup of milk powder split over four (1/4 cup milk each) servings with 3 oz water added per serving (12 oz total). Disregard the milk preparation instructions on the container. The amount of water needed to rehydrate recipes is dependent upon the ingredients used and rarely matches the instructions. For example, I always use less water than what is recommended when making smoothies to create the smoothie consistency. Thanks for asking. 🙂
  Reply
What do you mix and shake it in? Thx
Reply
- I add water to the zipper-top baggie it’s stored in, shake it, and eat from it.
  Reply
Wow. This is delicious! Can’t wait to take it on trail. Thanks for the great recipe!
Reply