This is a delicious treat for coffee and dessert lovers and the recipe makes extra servings that can be shared with friends. The ingredients are easy to find at local grocery stores and it’s quick and easy to prepare at home and on trail. For the instant coffee we used Cascadia Coffee Roasters but folks can use their brand of choice. There’s many cottage industry brands making instant coffee these days or there’s also the mainstays like Folgers Crystals or Starbucks Via.
On trail, the mixture needs to be shaken vigorously for about 2 minutes for it to thicken up and that’s it. Dessert can be ready before dinner’s even finished. We sprinkled cocoa powder over the top for the purpose of the photos but it’s already mixed in per the recipe.
Recipe courtesy Aaron and Chris, Backcountry Foodie. Backcountry Foodie is all about lightweight, easy meals that taste great, provide nutrition for vigorous backcountry activities, and can be made using backpacking stoves and cooksets.
Ingredients
1 x 3.4 oz packet instant vanilla pudding (96 g) 1 cup whole milk powder (120 g) 1 tsp instant coffee* (1 g) 1 tsp cocoa powder (2 g) 1⁄4 tsp ground cinnamon (0.7 g) 40 mini vanilla wafers (60 g) *Note: The volume of instant coffee needed to reach the desired flavor will vary based on the brand of coffee used. Substitution: Gluten-free wafers can be used in place of vanilla wafers.
Directions
At Home: 1. Put all ingredients, except the vanilla wafers, in a mixing bowl. 2. Stir to mix well making sure the cocoa and coffee are evenly distributed throughout the mixture. 3. Divide the pudding mixture into four equal servings, approximately 1/3 cup each. 4. Store the mixture in bags or containers to be used in the backcountry. 5. Pack 10 vanilla wafers (15 g), per serving of pudding, in a separate bag or container to be consumed when the pudding is prepared. At Camp: 1. Add 3 oz (180 mL) cold water to the pudding mixture. 2. Stir to mix well and shake vigorously for 2 minutes. 3. Let stand for approximately 3 minutes or until the desired consistency is achieved. 4. After thickening, add the vanilla wafers to the pudding mixture. 5. Spoon by the mouthful and enjoy!
