Homemade Camping Food

Blend dried fruit and nuts into a portable camping recipe.

Ideal camping foods are those which are easy to transport and do not require refrigeration. While many camping recipes include ingredients such as raw hamburger or chicken, these ingredients must be kept cold until you are ready to cook, which is not always possible on a camping trip. Instead of hauling along heavy ingredients and worrying about food safety, mix up a batch of lightweight energy bars which are easy to carry and eat.

Things You'll Need

• 1 cup peanuts
• 1 cup coconut
• Food processor
• Mixing bowl
• Non-stick cooking spray
• 3 cups dried fruit
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• Wooden spoon
• 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan
• Aluminum foil

Instructions

1. Chop 1 cup peanuts and 1 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour the crumbs into a large mixing bowl.

2. Spray the blades of the food processor with non-stick cooking spray. You will be grinding dried fruit in the processor which becomes sticky very quickly.

3. Chop 3 cups dried fruit in a food processor until the fruit is finely ground. Try to incorporate at least three different types of fruits such as raisins, dried cranberries and dried apricots, for optimal flavor. Pour the ground fruit into the bowl with the peanut and coconut crumbs.

4. Add 1 stick melted butter, 1/2 cup peanut butter and 1/2 cup honey to the bowl. Start mixing everything together with a wooden spoon. When the mixture becomes too difficult to stir, begin kneading it together with your hands until a stiff dough forms.

5. Line a 9-inch by 13-inch pan with aluminum foil. Spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray.

6. Transfer the dough to the pan and press it down firmly with your hands to fill the bottom of the pan. Refrigerate the pan for at least one hour.

7. Remove the pan from the refrigerator. Lift up on the sides of the aluminum foil to remove the aluminum and the dough from the pan.

8. Cut the solid mixture into bars. Wrap each bar in a piece of aluminum foil and store them in the freezer until needed.

Tips & Warnings

• These fruit and nut bars will stay fresh and delicious for several days without refrigeration but they may become sticky in hot weather.

• You may roll the bars in powdered sugar immediately after cutting if you prefer a sweeter bar.

References

• USDA: Food Safety while Hiking, Camping or Boating
• Mother Earth News: Camping Pocket Food