Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake | Backpacking Meal
By Rick Harrison, RD & Aaron Owens Mayhew, MS, RDN
Updated January 6, 2025
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You have to admit, there is no better pairing than the classic chocolate and peanut butter, and that’s why this backpacking meal replacement shake is a Backcountry Foodie fan favorite! Our chocolate peanut butter shake is great for refueling on the go or when your appetite hits the road.
Why a Backpacking Meal Replacement?
You might choose a meal replacement while you’re backpacking for many reasons. Sometimes, you don’t have the time or desire to pull over and get the stove out. Maybe you didn’t even bring a stove on this backpacking trip. Sometimes, you need to keep up your pace to reach your desired campsite before dark. Of course, you brought your headlamp and would use it if you needed to, but let’s be honest; we all enjoy being able to see the trail and the scenery in the daylight! And sometimes, you’re just not hungry. So, as always, we’ve got you covered with our chocolate peanut butter shake recipe below!
Your Appetite is Gone – Why?
While some may not consider backpacking to be a sport in the typical sense, backpackers are athletes without a doubt. Hiking and backpacking can be strenuous, total body activities, and when we perform long bouts of strenuous activity, our bodies release a hormone called cortisol. This hormone is released in response to physical or mental stress (HINT: hiking & backpacking), and one of the effects of cortisol on the body is the suppression of appetite. Hence, you might not be as hungry as expected on the trail!
Some Other Reasons Why:
- First, drastic changes in the timing of meals while on the trail can explain why you might not be so hungry. Most people eat three meals throughout the day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While on the trail, we must eat far more often than in our daily lives. So, our eating schedule is thrown off. If you’re hiking 8-10 hours each day and following our recommendation to eat every 60-90 minutes, you’re eating upwards of 8 times each day.
- Next, the foods on the trail may not be as appealing as those you cook at home. Let’s be honest: dehydrated backpacking food isn’t always the best, and you may not crave the food.
- Also, you have less time sitting still while in the backcountry. As mentioned earlier, you are always on the go, trying to make the most of the daylight. This leaves less time to think about food and, perhaps, idly snack. That is why we suggest a backpacking meal replacement such as this chocolate peanut butter shake. You can drink it while on the go and not lose any daylight!
- Finally, you may be dehydrated and/or lacking electrolytes. Either of these can cause a loss in appetite independently of one another. However, in combination, they will suppress your appetite even more. Ensuring that you drink regularly and consume electrolytes through your meals or beverages is important.
Already a fan of our chocolate peanut butter shake recipe?
You might also want to try our Peanut Butter Protein Shake backpacking meal replacement recipe.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake
Rate This Recipe
View Comments / Leave A ReviewNUTRITION (per serving)
INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup (68 g) milk powder, whole
- ¼ cup (32 g) peanut butter powder
- 1 packet (36 g) Carnation Breakfast Essentials™ drink mix, chocolate powder
- 8 oz (240 mL) water
OPTIONAL
- ½ cup (46 g) milk powder, non-fat (substitution), heart-healthy option
- 1 packet (20 g) Carnation Breakfast Essentials™ drink mix, Light Start chocolate powder (substitution), low-sugar option
INSTRUCTIONS (per serving)
FIELD
- Add 8 oz (240 mL) of cold water to the container. Add more or less water to reach the desired flavor.
- Stir or shake vigorously to mix well. See the meal prep tip below.
- Massage the bag with your fingertips or use a utensil to break up any lumps, as peanut powder may clump.
- Pour the shake into a cup or drink from the baggie, and enjoy!
NOTES
MEAL PREP TIP
- Meal replacement drinks often mix better when prepared in a hard-sided container.
NUTRITION
- Total sugar (per serving): 43 g, including 13 g of added sugar
- For a reduced sugar recipe, use the Carnation Breakfast Essentials™ Light Start (sugar-free) product. Added sugar will be reduced to 4 g per serving.
- For a heart-healthy recipe and reduce calories by 160, use non-fat milk powder.
- This recipe may be used as a meal replacement when consumed entirely.
Ready to expand your backcountry cookbook?
We’ve got you covered with unique ultralight backpacking meal ideas and other meal replacements!
Backcountry Foodie is your go-to resource for more than 200 ultralight backpacking dietitian-created recipes and a one-of-a-kind automated meal planning tool. The meal planner even creates itemized shopping lists for you! Meal prep has never been easier.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Rick Harrison, RD, is a Registered Dietitian and former nutrition intern at Bastyr University in Kenmore, Washington. He grew up in Ohio but moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2022 with only a car full of items and a huge sense of adventure! With a background in culinary and pastry arts, Rick hopes to help shape people’s relationship with food by making it more accessible through increased knowledge of cooking and confidence in the kitchen.
Aaron Owens Mayhew, MS, RDN, 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 of Backcountry Foodie, an online ultralight recipes and meal planning platform for backpackers. She also enjoys teaching hikers about backpacking nutrition via virtual masterclasses, YouTube videos, and podcast episodes. You can follow Aaron’s adventures in the kitchen and the backcountry via Instagram and Facebook.
4 Comments
I love these meal replacement shakes, but wonder is it possible to rehydrate them well in a ziploc bag? Any tips for that? Trying to avoid needing another piece of food prep equipment.
I usually drink mine from the baggie. Takes a bit of skill (aka practice at home) to keep from making a mess on the trail, but it can be done. If it’s a shake with chia seeds that needs to thicken, I’ll put the baggie inside my Vargo bot or cold soak jar to prevent any chance of punctures making a mess in my pack while it soaks.
Here’s a tip for drinking from the bag without dirty dishes. If you’re carrying a cookpot/cold soak jar (and it’s fairly narrow), put the baggie inside the cookpot/jar and fold the bag over the edge. This gives the bag a bit of structure = less chance of making a mess.
Would it be better to take this in the morning for breakfast or at the end of the day so the body can take advantage of the nutrients for repair?
Great question! Meal replacement shakes are great any time of day. If you’re not a fan of breakfast, it’s a great way to start the morning. If you don’t want to stop for lunch, add water and down the hatch. They’re also great for recovery at night! I lived on meal replacement shakes for over 200 miles on the Colorado Trail when I lost my appetite. Never hit the wall and stayed hydrated.