Gluten-Free Backpacking Recipes You Can Make at Home

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When Katie Gerber thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2014, she felt awful. It had nothing to do with the mileage, the elevation, or her motivation—she’d already completed the Appalachian Trail and was no stranger to the highs and lows of thru-hiking. Something was wrong; she just didn’t know what. Gerber, who is a health coach, often felt fatigued, experienced digestive issues, and struggled to recover after long days. It wasn’t until after she finished the trail that she found an answer: Gerber discovered she had an autoimmune condition as well as gluten intolerance.

For Gerber, removing gluten from her diet—along with making some other lifestyle changes—helped improve her symptoms dramatically. She was finally able to spend long days in the mountains again without constant fatigue.

Gluten-intolerance is estimated to affect about 15 percent of the U.S. population. When some backpackers decide to go gluten-free, they feel an immediate sense of overwhelm; while it’s pretty easy to stick to rice and potatoes in the frontcountry, many of the most popular backpacking foods contain gluten of some kind. Tortillas, Pop Tarts, ramen, cookies, pretzels, mac-n-cheese—all these classics are high in gluten.

The issue compounds on long trails, where hikers need a ton of food, particularly from carbohydrates, to keep them going on back-to-back high-mileage days.

“I think the biggest obstacle for gluten-free hikers, at least on long trails, is that they need to plan ahead a bit more and be prepared to meet all of their own food needs,” Gerber said. That means not counting on trail magic or hiker boxes, which rarely offer gluten-free options.

The good news, Gerber says, is that gluten-free backpacking foods are becoming more widespread than they were a few years ago.

“Jerky, nuts, tuna, and potato- or corn-based chips can be found in nearly every grocery and convenience store, even in small towns,” she says. With some careful label reading (and a little advanced planning), Gerber says any hiker can learn to craft a variety of nutritious, gluten-free meals.  Here are her tips (and some of her favorite recipes for gluten-free snacking.)

Make your own meals

While pre-packaged gluten-free backpacking meals do exist, they’re often pricey. Gerber prefers to create her own gluten-free backpacking recipes. “It’s more economical and cuts down on packaging waste when compared to purchasing premade meals,” she says. That said, she likes to keep things simple: Instead of dehydrating whole meals, Gerber purchases dehydrated meat, veggies, and instant grains in bulk online, and combines them with spices in zip-top bags at home. On the trail, she’ll add a fat like coconut or olive oil to give the meal extra flavor and calories.

Find gluten-free substitutes

The other benefit of making your own meals is that you can use many of the same backpacking recipes you already know and love, but with gluten-free substitutes. Gerber often packs gluten-free crackers, tortilla chips, and sweet potato chips instead of traditional crackers. Instant rice has become a staple base for many of her meals. So have oats, which she’ll cold-soak overnight with chia seeds, flax, and protein powder.

Get creative

Going gluten-free can feel like a huge shift, but Gerber encourages hikers to experiment with meals at home, try new things, and have fun with it. “Don’t let a gluten-free diet keep you from backpacking or hiking,” he says. “Once you start to explore options, it will likely be easier than you think to find delicious and nutritious foods that have you feeling your best while you continue doing the things you love.

Here are some of her recommendations for specific recipes, from both Gerber and other top Backpacker recipe authors.

Best Gluten-Free Backpacking Recipes for Beginners

Here are some of the best gluten-free recipes to try on your next outing—from grain-free granola and energy bites to hearty camp dinners.

1. Gluten-free Paleo Granola

Republished with permission from katiegerber.com

1 cup (4.5 oz) chopped pecans
3 cups (6 oz) coarse coconut flakes
1.5 ( 6 oz) cups sliced almonds
1 cup (6oz) pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup (4 oz) sesame seeds
1/2 cup (3 oz) sunflower seeds
1/8 cup (0.75 oz) chia seeds
1/4 cup (1 oz) hemp hearts
1 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice (blend of nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves)
1/2 cup (4 oz) olive oil or coconut oil
1/2 cup (6.5 oz) honey

Mix all the dry ingredients together. Melt honey and oil, and mix into dry ingredients. Spread onto parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes at 300°F or until lightly golden brown. (Be careful not to overbake! This can happen quickly.) Allow granola to cool, and break into clusters of whatever size you like. Add in dried fruit, such as blueberries or cranberries, if desired. Store at room temperature for up to 10 days.

2. Matcha Energy Bites

Republished with permission from katiegerber.com

1.5 Tbsp Matcha Powder
1.5 Tbsp honey
4 Tbsp almond flour
1 dash of cinnamon (optional)
2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 cup coconut flakes, unsweetened, finely shredded (plus coconut to coat outsides)
110 grams Medjool dates, pitted

Put all ingredients except coconut oil and dates into the bowl of a food processor. Process the mixture for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until well combined. Add dates, one a time, through the lid, while the processor is running. While the processor continues to run, pour in coconut oil through the lid. Allow mixture to blend thoroughly, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove the lid and dump contents into a bowl. Add 1/2 cup coconut flakes to a separate bowl. Either with or without a scale, measure out chunks of ‘dough’ about the size of a golf ball, or 35 to 40 grams each. Roll into a ball, toss the ball in the coconut flakes to coat, and place on a napkin-lined tray. Transfer to an airtight container and store in fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for longer.

3. Rice Noodle and Shiitake Soup

By Nick Cote

1 tsp. Chinese five-spice
1 tsp. sugar
2 cubes gluten-free chicken, beef, or veggie bouillon
4 oz. rice noodles
1 Tbsp. tamari sauce
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
1 cup dried shiitake mushrooms, chopped
Sriracha and limes to taste

At home, pack Chinese five-spice, sugar, bouillon, and rice noodles in a zip-top bag. Combine tamari, rice vinegar, and peanut butter in a leak-proof container. Pack other ingredients separately.

In camp, place mushrooms in a pot with three cups of cold water and soak until they are soft, about 20 minutes. Add all other ingredients, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer until rice noodles are soft and the other ingredients have dissolved into the broth, about 10 minutes. Top with lime wedges and Sriracha to serve.

4. Toasted Chipotle-Cumin Quinoa Wrap

By Jennifer Bowen

1 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp chipotle powder
2 tsp granulated onion
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 avocado
2 gourmet gluten-free tortillas (like spinach flavor)
Generous handful underripe grape tomatoes
1 small lime
1 Tbsp cooking oil
8 oz. packet precooked quinoa
Dried or fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

At home, lay tortillas on a piece of plastic wrap large enough to extend 5 inches on both ends; fold one end over the wraps and roll tightly like a fruit roll. Wrap avocado and tomatoes in paper towels, then in a small brown bag; pack in a pot.

In camp, halve avocado and slice inside skin. Cut lime in half. Cut tomatoes into halves. Add oil and spices to a pan and heat over a low flame, stirring continuously until spices are toasted and aromatic. Remove from heat and add quinoa and a splash of water (to keep pan from drying out on the bottom). Heat quinoa, stirring continuously until warm. Add tomatoes, cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. Divide avocado between wraps, add quinoa, squeeze lime over each, and roll like a burrito.

5. Coconut Cashew Curry

By Alisha McDarris

½ cup diced onion
½ cup shredded carrot
½ cup chopped mushrooms
2 gluten-free vegetable bouillon cubes
2 tsp. curry powder
4 Tbsp. coconut milk powder
¼ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. crushed red pepper
½ tsp. sugar
¼ tsp. salt
1 ⅔ cup water
1 cup instant rice
4 tsp. coconut oil
½ cup roasted cashews

At home, combine vegetables, bouillon, curry powder, coconut milk powder, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, sugar, and salt in a zip-top bag. Package rice, coconut oil, and cashews separately.

In camp, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Add rice, cover, and remove from heat. Let sit for 5 minutes. Boil the remaining water and stir in vegetable-curry mix. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add oil. Pour curry sauce over rice, top with cashews, and serve.