10 Vegan Hiking Meal Ideas

Being a vegan hiker can be difficult especially when trying to make a full menu that not only gives you the calories to hike all day but also meet your dietary requirements, so that's why we have decided to make this list of some of the best vegan hiking breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks and desserts. These meals can be enjoyed by not only vegans but everyone looking for something yummy to add to their hiking meal plan.

1. Vegan Hiking Pancakes (Breakfast)

Pancakes can be a bit of a luxury while out on the trail but this recipe makes getting a yummy treat like these as easy as can be and fits nicely into any meal plan that allows for a little cooking time in the morning.

Ingredients needed to make:

• 3 cups of flour

• 4 tablespoons of oats

• 2 tablespoons of chia seeds

• 1 tablespoon of corn-starch

• 3 tablespoons of sugar

• ½ a teaspoon of cinnamon

• ½ a teaspoon of salt

• 1 tablespoon of baking powder

• 3 cups of water

Equipment required:

• Resealable Freezer bag

• Hiking stove (with pan)

• Spoon for mixing and flipping

To prepare your pancakes first mix all dry ingredients together in a resealable freezer bag before setting off on your adventure. When cooking on the trail, add your 3 cups of water to the dry ingredients, mix and then let sit for 5 minutes. Pour mixture onto well-oiled pan, cook both sides until cooked and then serve with any toppings such as honey, dried fruits or sugar to eat.

2. Overnight Oats (Breakfast)

Overnight oats are always a fantastic breakfast to wake up to because they require practically no cooking and can be made beforehand, this vegan version of overnight oats simply replaces Full Cream milk powder with Soy milk powder and still keeps it's delicious and yummy flavours.

Ingredients needed to make:

• ½ a cup of Rolled Oats (Old Fashioned Oats)

• 1 teaspoon of chia seeds

• 1 tablespoon of Soy Milk Powder

• ¾ of a cup of water

Equipment required:

• Plastic Screw top Jar (old peanut butter jar)

• Measuring Cup

• Teaspoon

• Tablespoon (for eating and measuring)

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a small plastic jar and then add water with the powder, gently mix the powder with the water and dry ingredients until mixed and then leave it overnight in a cool, dry space.

For more ideas of what to add to your overnight oats like dried fruits and more visit our overnight oats article to get some inspiration here.

3. Veggie Wraps/Pita Bread Pockets (Lunch)

This hiking classic is a fantastic lunch that makes preparation and eating as easy as possible while providing you with the nutrition and energy you need to keep walking, when making your lunch you can choose from the classic standard wrap or go for something new such as a pita bread pocket.

Ingredients needed to make:

• Wrap of your Choice or Pita Bread Pocket

• Filling of your choice (Carrot, lettuce, tomato, plant based protein, etc.)

Equipment required:

• Knife for cutting ingredients

• Plate for serving (optional)

To make your lunch, get you wrap or pita bread pocket, fill it with what you would like and fold it up, it's that simple. If you are looking for something a little different in your wrap then you can also try peanut butter and banana which makes a great combination.

4. Crackers & Dehydrated Hummus (Lunch)

A simple lunch that can help give you the boost you need to make it to your next campsite, crackers and hummus are a favourite for most while sitting at home so it's natural that they should come with you out on the trail.

Ingredients needed to make:

• 15 – 20 Crackers (Ritz, Vitawheat, saladas, etc.)

• Dehydrated Hummus

• Water (enough for how much you will be making)

Equipment required:

• Spoon (for stirring)

• Bowl (for hummus)

To make your lunch is simple, mix up your dehydrated hummus with the water until it is of the right consistency and then get your crackers and dig in. If you would like something else with your lunch then you can consider adding a few carrot sticks with it because carrots last for a long time without spoiling and are also deliciously good for you.

5. Instant Noodles/Ramen (Dinner)

Quick noodles aren't a very common sight on the hiking trail but they can make a good hiking meal that fills you up with noodley goodness for the following day of adventure while remaining friendly for vegans. Make sure when buying to find brands that are vegan suitable as some contain animal products.

Ingredients needed to make:

• Instant Noodles

• 1 and a ½ Cups of Water

• Optional Toppings (Dehydrated Veggies, plant based proteins)

Equipment required:

• Stove (with pot to boil water)

• Spoon for mixing and stirring

• Bowl for serving

To make your noodles it's simple like most hiking dinners as adding some boiling water to the noodles and let them sit for a few minutes, most noodles will come with some optional flavour packets that can add a little more taste to some flavourless noodles. In addition to these flavour packets you can also consider adding some toppings such as dehydrated veggies or some plant based proteins.

6. Couscous with dried veggies (Dinner)

This vegan hiking meal is a delicious and carbohydrate filled meal that is sure to become a staple of your next dinner on the trail, this recipe is different from what most people expect when hiking and is sure to provide with a flavoursome and filling kick at the end of a long day.

Ingredient needed to make:

• ½ A cup of couscous (100g)

• ¾ of a cup of water

• 2 teaspoons of raisins

• ⅓ cup of dehydrated veggies (mushrooms, tomatoes, etc.)

• Pinch of salt

• 1 Teaspoon of cumin for flavour

• Optional 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes for spice

• Optional 1 teaspoon of chia seeds for nutrition

Equipment required:

• Stove (with pot)

• Spoon (for stirring and serving)

• Measuring cup (can be premeasured)

To make this recipe simply add all the dry ingredients together in a bag or pot (can be done before setting off at home) and then get your water up to a boil in the pot. Add the water into the dry mix and lightly stir, wait until all ingredients are soft and then serve.

7. Homemade Energy Bite Balls (Snack)

These Pecans and Dates Energy Bite balls are the perfect snack you can make at home and take with you for the trail, they require no cooking and give you tons of energy to keep pushing towards your next campsite or towards the end of your hike.

Ingredients needed to make:

• 1 cup of Pecans

• 1 cup of Pitted Medjool Dates

• ¼ of a cup of shredded coconut for the mix

• ¼ of a cup of shredded coconut for rolling the balls

Equipment needed:

• Food Processor (Home)

• Freezer (Home)

• Tablespoon (Home)

To make these balls, pulse the pecans until fully chopped, then add ¼ of a cup of shredded coconut and the dates to the processer and process until mixed together into paste, then get your tablespoon and scoop out 10 equal scoops and make them into balls, roll each ball in the remaining ¼ cup of shredded coconut and place in freezer for 90 minutes or more. Store in an airtight container of your choice and enjoy while hiking on the trail.

8. Protein Bars (Snack)

Vegan protein bars can be a delicious and calorie packed snack which is exactly what you might need while on the trail, plant based bars come in a range of flavours and from a range of brands so why not take some with you for a snack.

Ingredients needed to make:

• The Protein bar of your choice

When eating your protein bar make sure that you dispose of the wrapper appropriately and always follow the 7 principles of leave no trace hiking, remember to watch the sugar content of some of the bars as they can be quite high and not very good for you.

9. Banana Boats (Dessert)

If you love bananas, chocolate and marshmallows then we have a recipe that will surely satisfy your cravings. This recipe is a simple and delicious dessert that does require a few ingredients but becomes certainly worth it after you bite into your chocolate, marshmallow and banana end of day delight which can be suitable for vegans.

Ingredients needed to make:

• A Banana

• Vegan Chocolate Chips or A few Vegan Chocolate Squares

• 2 – 3 Vegan Marshmallows

• Any Extras (Crushed Vegan Cookie/Biscuit, Berries, Etc.)

Equipment required:

• Optional Aluminium foil

• Flame/Fire (to Cook)

To prepare this dessert is simple, just cut you banana open while leaving the peal on, then stuff the inside with all your fillings such as your vegan chocolate chips, vegan Marshmallows and anything else such as cookie or biscuit chunks that can add a little crunch to the banana. After you have stuffed your banana you can then either wrap it in aluminium foil and place in a fire or over stove for optimal banana cooking or leave the little bit of aluminium foil at home and cook directly over the fire which can get a little messier and make it not as nice especially when cooking using a stove.

10. Campfire Popcorn (Dessert)

A great after dinner snack is some campfire popcorn, this dessert can be a good option for anyone who wants something not as sweet but rather savory for their after dinner treat. This dessert may not sound like your typical hiking dessert but is certainly worth a try for anyone looking for something new to spice up their hiking menu.

Ingredients needed to make:

• 80g of corn cornels

• Extra Salt (Depending on your preference)

Equipment required:

• Bowl to serve

• Stove with pot (to Cook)

To prepare your campfire popcorn you will need to have either a pan for pot and place it over a heat source (E.g. Camp stove, Campfire) and then place your corn cornels into the pan/pot with the lid on. Wait a few minutes and you should have relatively well popped popcorn but may find some cornels at the bottom of the pan simply because of the environment you are cooking them in. You can either eat straight out of the pan/pot for place them onto a plate or bowl and enjoy your end of day, savory and delicious snack.

So those are 10 vegan hiking recipe ideas that are all great for the trail, when creating your meal plan for your next adventure consider adding some of these great suggestions to spice up your cooking plans. It's important you get all the right nutrients and enough energy while hiking so make sure to pay attention to what you are planning to cook before you get off as not having enough can cause much bigger problems on the trail than just being a little hungry.

Written by Josh Welch