By Aaron Owens Mayhew, MS, RDN, CD

Updated May 16, 2022

This post may contain affiliate links.

Do you like overnight oats for breakfast? Well, you can have them on the trail as well! This cold soak backpacking recipe is our version of overnight oats.

Unlike some cereals, Backcountry Foodie’s Nut Butter Morning Oats recipe…

✔️Packs in 23 grams per serving.

✔️ Provides 66 grams of complex carbohydrates for fueling your muscles.

✔️ It’s also an excellent source of fiber, with 13 grams per serving!

We suggest soaking the oats for up to an hour. Muesli fans, however, will enjoy it with less soaking time. Nut Butter Morning Oats makes a great starter recipe for cold soak beginners. It’s easy and will be tasty no matter how long you let it soak.

Looking for a hot oatmeal recipe? Maybe give our nutrition-packed and flavorful Lemon Blueberry Oatmeal recipe a try.

Nut Butter Morning Oats

Backcountry Foodie Recipe

This is our backpacker-friendly version of the popular overnight oats recipes. If you prefer to go stoveless or not a fan of hot breakfast, we’ve got you covered. This protein-rich calorie bomb will certainly kickstart your day!

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NUTRITION (per serving)

cal/oz 122

cal/gram 4.4

Calories 623 kcal

PROTEIN 23 g

CARBS 66 g

Fiber 13 g

Added Sugar 13 g

Fat 34 g

Sodium 159 mg

Home Prep Time 3 minutes mins

Field Prep Time 15 minutes mins

WT/SERVING 5.1 oz (143 g)

MEAL PREPCold Soak, Dehydrator Not Required

Diet TYPESBariatric, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Low-Sodium, Low-Sugar, Reflux-friendly, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings1 serving

INGREDIENTS

 

0.5x1x2x3x

• ½ cup (40 g) oats, old fashioned rolled
• ¼ cup (30 g) milk powder, whole
• 1 Tbsp (15 g) chia seeds
• 1 Tbsp (12 g) vanilla powder, Cook's® brand
• 1 Tbsp (14 g) brown sugar
• ⅛ tsp (0.3 g) cinnamon, ground
• 2 Tbsp (32 g) honey almond butter, or nut butter of choice, equivalent to 1.15 oz nut butter packet
• 5 oz (150 mL) water

OPTIONAL

• ½ cup oats, gluten-free old fashioned rolled oats (substitution), gluten-free option
• ¼ cup (17 g) milk powder, non-fat (substitution), reduced-calorie option
• almond milk powder (substitution), vegan, reflux-friendly option
• soy milk powder (substitution), vegan, reflux-friendly option
• brown sugar substitute (substitution), no-added-sugar option
• ¼ cup peanut powder (substitution)

INSTRUCTIONS (per serving)

HOME

• Put all dry ingredients in a bag or leakproof container to be used in the backcountry.
• Pack 2 Tbsp (32 g or 1 x 1.1 oz packet) nut butter of choice to be added to the meal when consumed.

FIELD

• Add 5 oz (150 mL) cold water to the bag or leakproof container with the dry ingredients.
• Stir to mix well.
• Add 2 Tbsp (32 g or 1 x 1.1 oz packet) nut butter to the mixture and stir to mix well.
• Let the mixture stand for at least 15 minutes allowing the oats to soften and mixture to thicken. Allow the meal to stand for up to 60 minutes to reach the consistency of overnight oats. See meal prep tip below.
• When the desired consistency is reached, stir to mix well and enjoy!

NOTES

MEAL PREP TIP

• We recommend consuming the meal within two hours of adding water, if reconstituted at >40℉ (4℃), to reduce food spoilage risk. Shorten this time period to 60 minutes if >90℉ (32℃).

 

NUTRITION

• Total sugar (per serving): 28 g including 13 g added sugar
• For a no-added-sugar recipe, replace brown sugar with a brown sugar substitute.
• Keep in mind the level of sweetness provided by alternative sweeteners. Adjust serving size accordingly.
• To reduce calories by 100, replace whole milk powder with non-fat milk powder.

Did you make this recipe? We’d love to see it!Share photos from your kitchen or the backcountry below.

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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 of Backcountry Foodie, 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.