Cold Soak Coconut Chia Seed Breakfast Pudding

A cold soaked breakfast can assist in hitting the trail early, but nourished. This coconut chia pudding is a delicious alternative to the typical backpacker fare of oatmeal or bars, made all the better by the fact that, unlike overnight oats, it’s intended to be served and eaten cold.

The advantage of cold soaked backpacking meals is that they allow you to the skip the stove and reduce pack weight. Even if you’re not keen to forego hot meals in the backcountry (I can relate – I rarely camp without my Jetboil), having a few cold soaked recipes in your repertoire can be handy in case you have an issue with your stove or run out of fuel. On longer trips, I make sure to carry at least one meal that can be cold soaked just in case.

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Chia seeds are a decent source of protein and minerals like magnesium, calcium and iron. Perhaps even more importantly for backpackers, they’re a fantastic source of fiber, which many traditional backpacking meals lack. Chia seeds will quickly absorb upwards of 10 times their weight in water, resulting in a gel-like consistency. The longer you let the chia seeds sit, the more water they’ll absorb. You can also increase, or decrease, the amount of water to create a thinner or thicker pudding texture.

I generally soak these overnight, either directly in my camping cup or bowl if I’m in an area with a designated bear or fox box, or in a Talenti container if I’ll be using a bear hang. If you needed a reason to get some fancy grocery store gelato, here you go. The containers are somewhat of a cult favorite among thru-hikers and for all the right reasons. They’re lightweight, seal exceptionally tight and fit perfectly in the side pouch of a pack.

Cold Soak Coconut Chia Seed Pudding Recipe

• 2 Tbsp chia seeds
• 1-2 Tbsp coconut milk powder
• 2 Tbsp freeze-dried or dehydrated fruits
• granola, nuts or other crunchy topping (optional)
• 1 cup cup water

Preparation Instructions: Add all pre-portioned dry ingredients except for the granola topping into a small bag and label with rehydration instructions. Store the granola topping separately.

Serving instructions: Break up any residual clumps in the coconut powder to help with distribution. Add half the water into the desired cold soak container to the dry ingredients and stir vigorously to distribute the water and coconut milk powder. Add the remaining water and stir again. The pudding will begin to set in 10-15 minutes and will continue thicken over time. Top with the crunchy granola just before eating.

Chia Seed Pudding Flavor Variations

The possibilities are endless, but here are a few of our favorite varieties to get you inspired:

Coconut Blueberry Chia Pudding: Add 2 Tbsp freeze dried or dehydrated blueberries with 1 Tbsp coconut powder. Top with a blueberry vanilla granola.

Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Chia Seed Pudding: Add 1 Tbsp dark chocolate powder, 1 Tbsp coconut powder and a hearty pinch of sea salt. Add cocoa nibs for texture.

Banana Walnut Chia Pudding: Omit the coconut milk powder. Crush 2 tbsp freeze-dried bananas into a fine powder before adding to the bag. Add 1-2 Tbsp walnuts.

“Kitchen Sink” Chia Pudding: Prepare the chia pudding with just chia seed and water. Then top with your favorite assortment of fruits and nuts, like dried cherries, cranberries, chopped almonds and pecans, chocolate chips, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, or shredded coconut.

 

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Have you tried our cold soaked coconut chia seed pudding? Let us know how we did and share your suggestions with fellow hikers. We love to hear all the places this recipe has been enjoyed.