Peanut Butter Protein Shake | Ultralight Backpacking Recipe
By Aaron Owens Mayhew MS, RDN, CD
Updated September 12, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links.
This delicious protein shake backpacking recipe makes for a perfect meal replacement! Yes, you read that right – protein shakes can be meals, too! You might think a shake could never fill you up on the trail. Actually, a well-balanced protein shake can be very satisfying and filling. Don’t believe it?
Here’s why you should consider Backcountry Foodie’s Peanut Butter Protein Shake for your next backcountry breakfast, lunch, or even dinner:
✔️ It’s fine to drink your meals as long as your drink counts as a complete meal.
- That is, it contains sufficient calories and is a good source of protein, carbs, and fat.
- With 40 g of protein and 70 g of carbs for a total of 677 calories, this one checks every box and rivels the nutrition profile of commercial freeze-dried hiker meals.
✔️ It’s faster and easier for many hikers to drink their calories.
- This is especially true if you hustle to cover the distance before sunset.
- This protein shake recipe is ready in two steps: add water and shake.
- If you are one of the many hikers who struggle with a low appetite, a meal replacement drink is a great solution. Intense exercise, heat, and altitude can all blunt your appetite for heavy, solid foods. This shake makes consuming hundreds of calories a breeze.
Still don’t think you’d want to sip a whole meal? Bring it as a snack instead! Long-distance hikers should be snacking every 60-90 minutes to avoid hitting the wall. Your muscles will thank you.
Not a fan of chia seeds? Consider giving our Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake recipe a try instead.
Peanut Butter Protein Shake
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View Comments / Leave A ReviewNUTRITION (per serving)
INGREDIENTS
- ¼ cup (20 g) oats, old fashioned rolled
- ½ cup (68 g) milk powder, whole
- ¼ cup (32 g) peanut powder
- 1 Tbsp (5 g) cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 1 Tbsp (14 g) brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp (12 g) chia seeds
- 8 oz (240 mL) water
OPTIONAL
- ¼ cup (20 g) oats, gluten-free old fashioned rolled oats (substitution), gluten-free option
- 1 Tbsp (20 g) oat flour (substitution), heaping Tbsp, replace ground oats
- ½ cup (34 g) milk powder, non-fat (substitution), heart-healthy option
- ½ cup (52 g) cashew milk powder (substitution), vegan option
- ½ cup (36 g) soy milk powder (substitution), vegan option
- brown sugar substitute (substitution), no-added-sugar option
INSTRUCTIONS (per serving)
HOME
- Put the oats in a coffee/spice grinder and blend until a fine powder forms. See the meal prep tip below.
- Put oat powder and remaining ingredients in a bag or container to be used in the backcountry.
FIELD
- Add 8 oz (240 mL) of cold water to the bag or container.
- Stir or shake vigorously to mix well and enjoy! See meal prep tip below.
- For a thicker shake, let stand 5-10 minutes allowing the chia seeds to absorb water.
NOTES
MEAL PREP TIPS
- For a smoother consistency, grind the chia seeds with the oats. However, this will reduce the meal’s shelf life to ~6 months.
- Grinding nuts and seeds into a powder increases the surface area for oxidation, increasing the risk of rancidity.
- Meal replacement drinks often mix better when prepared in a hard-sided container.
NUTRITION
- Total sugar (per serving): 44 g, including 13 g of added sugar
- For a no-added-sugar recipe, replace brown sugar with a brown sugar substitute.
- For a heart-healthy recipe and to reduce calories by 210, replace whole milk powder with non-fat milk powder.
- This recipe may be used as a meal replacement when consumed entirely.
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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, 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.
7 Comments
We brought this recipe to include in our breakfast rotation for our 10 day backcountry trip last month (2 adults, 2 teens). It was a hit, even during pre-trip recipe testing! It blends easily, is ready to drink very quickly, is tasty, satisfying and cup/bowl clean-up is easy too. I used the oat flour substitution. I also doubled the cocoa and added some cinnamon for personal preference. I have not found that it thickens noticeably after resting 15 minutes, but that was not a big deal for us. Now at home, I have already prepared a new batch for the kids (and I!) to use with the additional mix-in of a banana or frozen fruit for an anytime snack. That’s how much we liked it 🙂 . Thanks for the recipe!
Hi! I just got back from a 6 day trip on the AT in VT and I wanted to send you a message to say how much my friend and I loved the chocolate peanut butter protein shake from your recipe collection! We had mornings when we needed to get up and out of camp early and didn’t want to fuss with cooking. This hit the spot and kept us full for hours. I added coffee powder to mine for an extra boost. Thanks for giving us a healthy, inexpensive, easy recipe that is now a staple in my backpacking meal rotation! – Anne Duffner
How many calories do you think a person who might walk 10 miles a day, a 13-year-old girl should eat?
Great question! Our hiking calorie calculator is designed to provide that very answer. https://backcountryfoodie.com/hiking-calorie-calculator/
Hi do you have an alternative for the powdered milk? don’t think this recipe would be vegan with powdered whole milk. I saw in another section you said that powered coconut doesn’t work. any alternatives without dairy would be appreciated. thank you
Almond milk or soy milk powder would both work well with this recipe. I’m a fan of the Ecomil almond milk powder and NOW Real Food brand soy milk powder.
Following up… I just switched to using cashew milk powder – mild flavor and mixes well with cold water. The NOW brand is no longer being manufactured. https://amzn.to/3vFzFzG