Coconut Chia Oatmeal (Backpacking Breakfast)
Oatmeal upgraded with slow-burning chia and coconut — over 600 calories that stick to the ribs until lunch, unlike a standard sugar-rush packet.
Source: Andrew Skurka, andrewskurka.com/breakfast-recipe-coconut-chia-oatmeal
Servings: 1 · Cook: ~5–10 min in the field · Per serving: 128 g dry weight
Ingredients
Base
- 28 g rolled oats
- 14 g chia seeds
- 14 g coconut milk powder
- 8.5 g turbinado (raw) sugar — don’t skip
- Salt, to taste — critical, don’t forget it
Toppings
- 28 g sliced almonds
- 20 g raisins
- 14 g coconut flakes
- Ground cinnamon, to taste
Method
- Pack — Solo: combine everything into one small bag. Batch-mix a season’s worth and portion individually if you backpack often.
- Boil — Bring 240–300 mL of water to a boil.
- Combine — Take the pot off the flame, add the bag of ingredients, and stir.
- Rest — Let sit 3–5 minutes. If you return it to the heat, stir constantly to avoid burning.
Notes
- Treat it as a template, but keep the total serving weight around 128 g, and never skip the sugar or salt.
- Swaps: dried blueberries, apple pieces, or strawberries for the raisins; macadamias for almonds (richer, more calorie-dense); vanilla protein powder for the coconut milk powder; regular whole milk powder also works if coconut milk powder tastes off to you.
- Oats: any variety works. Old-fashioned rolled oats want ~5 minutes sitting in the just-boiled water; quick oats soften with no cooking at all.
- Cold-soak / overnight oats: soak in water the night before — the oats and chia will be soft enough for a no-cook quick start.
- Cleanup: ~350 mL of water gives a looser consistency and an easier pot to clean; watch for splatter if reheating.
- Teeth tip: grind the chia seeds at home — whole ones lodge between teeth, and flossing on trail is a hassle.
- Tropical variation: dried mango for the raisins and cardamom for the cinnamon; macadamias complete the theme.
Nutrition (per serving, per source): ~622 kcal