Trailside Tiramisu | Backpacking Dessert Recipe
By Aaron Owens Mayhew, MS, RDN
Updated September 13, 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!
Trailside Tiramisu
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View Comments / Leave A ReviewNUTRITION (per serving)
INGREDIENTS
- 1 3.4 oz box (96 g) instant pudding, vanilla
- 1 cup (136 g) milk powder, whole
- 1 tsp (1 g) coffee, instant
- 1 tsp (2 g) cocoa powder, unsweetened
- ¼ tsp (0.7 g) cinnamon, ground
- 40 wafers (60 g) vanilla wafers, mini
- 12 oz (360 mL) water
OPTIONAL
- 1 1 oz box (28 g) instant pudding, sugar-free vanilla (substitution), low-sugar option
- 1 cup (92 g) milk powder, non-fat (substitution), heart-healthy option
- 1 cup (104 g) cashew milk powder (substitution), vegan option
- 20 wafers (90 g) vanilla wafers, gluten-free (substitution), gluten-free option
INSTRUCTIONS (per serving)
HOME
- Put all dry 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) of 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. If possible, put the bag or container in cold water or snow to encourage the pudding to thicken further.
- 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): 37 g, with 13 g added sugar
- For a low-sugar recipe, replace instant pudding with sugar-free instant pudding.
- For a heart-healthy recipe that reduces calories by 90, replace whole milk powder with non-fat milk powder.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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.
11 Comments
We tried it at home tonight. Great! But we may buy one of those sample bottles of Kahlua to add to it on the trail. Wouldn’t that be awesome!
Can’t wait to try this this Spring
Question, and this may be a silly one. But it says to mix ALL ingredients minus the wafers, does this include the water as well, or is the water mixed in when you’re ready to eat it? Just want to make sure I prep it right before packing.
Good question and thank you for pointing it out. When the recipe was originally uploaded to the site, water wasn’t included in the ingredients list. When water was added later, I forgot to change the instructions to say, “Put all DRY ingredients…”. I’ll go back and make sure the other recipes are updated as well. Thanks.
Would this work with nonfat milk powder?
Absolutely! Nonfat milk powder would work just fine.
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.
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. 🙂
What do you mix and shake it in? Thx
I add water to the zipper-top baggie it’s stored in, shake it, and eat from it.
Wow. This is delicious! Can’t wait to take it on trail. Thanks for the great recipe!