10 Easy Hiking Snack Recipes

If you love hiking then there are some excellent trails in Byron Bay, so be sure to pack your hiking boots when you come for a holiday! Since some of these hikes might require a couple of hours or even a half day to finish, you might also want to pack one of these delicious snacks with you.

We’ve got 10 recipes for you to make ahead of time, and bring along to eat and enjoy while you’re out hiking or doing other fun activities in Byron Bay.

If you’re looking for ideas on what hikes and walking trails are the best in Byron Bay, check out our blog post on the topic:

• Best Hikes & Walking Trails in the Byron Bay Area

1. Date and Coconut No-Cook Energy Balls

Image source: Go Faster Food

Makes about 20 balls

Ingredients:

• 80g jumbo mixed raisins
• 20g desiccated coconut plus 2 tbsp to coat
• 120g dates
• 20g porridge oats
• A few drops of coconut oil

Method:

1. Place the dates and raisins in a food processor and pulse until the mixture starts to stick together.
2. Add the coconut, oats and coconut oil and give the mix a quick blast to combine.
3. Take small handfuls of mixture, about 12g each, and roll into balls in the palm of your hands.
4. Spoon 2 tbsp desiccated coconut into a bowl and then toss the balls in the mix to cover completely. Refrigerate.

These yummy balls will keep for a couple of weeks, stored in a plastic bag or airtight container.

Recipe: Go Faster Food 

2. Black Pepper Jerky

Image source: foodandwine.com

Ingredients:

• 3 cups amber ale or lager
• 2 cups soy sauce
• 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons cracked black peppercorns, plus 2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper, for sprinkling before drying the meat
• 1 kg trimmed beef top round or bottom round, about 4 cm thick

Method:

1. In a large bowl, combine the ale or lager with the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and the cracked black peppercorns.
2. Cut the beef into 1/4-inch-thick slices, either with or against the grain.
3. Add the beef to the marinade, a few slices at a time, stirring well to coat each slice with the marinade.
4. Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours.
5. Preheat the oven to 200 C°.
6. Set a large wire rack on each of 3 large rimmed baking sheets.
7. Remove the beef from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels.
8. Arrange the beef on the racks, leaving 1/4 inch between slices. Sprinkle with coarsely ground black pepper.
9. Bake for about 4 hours, until the jerky is firm and almost completely dry, but still chewy.

Let cool completely on the racks before serving.

Recipe: Food and Wine

3. Walnut Cranberry Ginger Power Bars

Image source: The Kitchn

Makes about 8-10 bars, depending on how you cut them

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/4 cups chopped toasted walnuts
• 1/2 cup oat bran
• 1 1/2 cups puffed cereal you like, pounded into smallish bits
• 1 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
• 3 pieces of dried crystallised ginger, finely chopped
• 1 cup brown rice syrup
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:

1. First grease a 20 x  20 cm baking tin with the oil.
2. In a large bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients.
3. Combine the brown rice syrup and vanilla together into a small bowl.
4. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds or cook on stove in a small pot until slightly warm and a little thinner in texture.
5. Pour onto dry ingredients. Press the mixture into the greased pan.
6. Freeze for about 45 minutes, until hardened.

Cut slices as big or small as you like. Store in the fridge.

Recipe: The Kitchn, adapted from Heidi Swanson’s Book, Super Natural Cooking

4. Scroggin

Image source: The Rural

The below will make 1 ¼ cups. Pick out what you like of the following: 

Ingredients:

• ⅓ cup nuts eg:
  peanuts
  almonds
  cashews
  Brazil nuts
  walnuts
  (Note: watch the salt content on the salted varieties, roasted, unsalted nuts are best)
• ⅓ cup dried fruit eg:
  raisins
  sultanas (the yoghurt covered variety can add a little sweetness if you are adding less chocolate)
  dried apricots, chopped into quarters
  dried cranberries
  dates, chopped into quarters
  banana chips
  crystallised ginger
• ⅓ cup grains & seeds eg:
  sunflower seeds
  pumpkin seeds
  pinenuts
  muesli
  bran
  oats
• ¼ cup chocolate eg:
  dark chocolate chips
  m&ms
  chocolate covered peanuts
  chocolate covered raisins

Method:

Chuck your scroggin into a ziplock bag (best double up the bag in case of breakages), and you are ready to go!

Recipe: The Rural 

5. Homemade Clif Bars

Image source: Brown Eyed Baker

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dates (pitted)
• 1¼ cups crisp rice cereal
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• ¼ cup coarsely chopped peanuts
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch salt
• ½ cup peanut butter
• 1/3 cup brown rice syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Method:

1. Spray an 20×20 cm baking tin with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
2. Place the dates in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
3. Combine the pureed dates with the cereal, oats, peanuts, flaxseed, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.
4. Combine the peanut butter and brown rice syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until melted and completely blended.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the peanut butter mixture over the oat mixture and stir until well combined.
6. Gently stir in the chocolate chips.
7. Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and press firmly to pack the mixture into the tin.

Let the mixture sit until completely cool and set, at least 1 hour. Cut into bars, then wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

Recipe: Brown Eyed Baker 

6. Peanut Butter and Jelly Granola Bars

Image source: Off the Grid

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cup rolled oats
• ½ cup jam
• ¼ cup peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup chopped peanuts

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 9X5 loaf pan with parchment paper or foil.
2. Spread the oats on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 minutes, stirring at the 5 minute mark to ensure they toast evenly.
3. Remove from the oven and set aside.
4. Heat the jam, peanut butter, sugar, oil, and salt in a small saucepan.
5. Simmer for about 3 minutes over medium heat until slightly thickened, stirring constantly.
6. Dump the toasted oats into the pot and stir to thoroughly coat.
7. Transfer the mixture to the lined loaf pan in an even layer. Press the chopped peanuts into the top of the mixture.
8. Bake the bars for 15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
9. Remove the bars from the pan and cut into bars using a sharp knife.

Recipe: Fresh Off the Grid

7. Roasted Spicy Chick Peas

Image source: Outdoor Families

Ingredients:

• 2 x 400 grm cans chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, thoroughly drained and rinsed (about 3 cups)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
2. Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and toss with the remaining ingredients until evenly coated.
3. Spread the chickpeas in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Recipe: Outdoor Families

8. Strawberry Leather

Image source: Epicurious

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 strawberries, halved (4 1/2 cups)
• 3/4 cup sugar

Method:

1. Purée strawberries with sugar in a blender until smooth, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large heavy saucepan.
2. Bring purée to a boil, then simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally (more frequently toward end), until thick enough to mound slightly and reduced to 1 cup or 1 and 1/4 cups, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 200°F with rack in middle. Line a large baking sheet with nonstick liner.
4. Pour hot purée onto liner and spread thinly (as evenly as possible) into a 20 cm rectangle using spatula.
5. Leave purée in oven until it feels drier (it shouldn’t stick to your fingers) but is still slightly tacky, 2 to 3 hours.
6. Cool on liner on a rack until completely dry, at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours.
7. Place a sheet of parchment paper over leather, then peel leather off liner and roll up in parchment.

Recipe: Epicurious

9. Carrot Chips

Image source: All Recipes

• 4 carrots, washed
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees C.
2. Put one rack on the highest level in the oven and another on the bottom.
3. Peel carrots into thin strips using a vegetable peeler; put into a large bowl.
4. Drizzle olive oil over the carrot strips and toss to coat. Season with salt; toss again.
5. Spread carrots onto 2 baking sheets in a single layer, preventing overlap.
6. Put one baking sheet on the top rack and the other on the bottom.
7. Bake carrots in preheated oven for 6 minutes, switch racks, and continue baking until the carrots are crisp, about 6 minutes more.
8. Cool chips until cool enough to handle before serving.

Recipe: Allrecipes

10. Tangy Ranch Cashews

Image source: Food Apparel

Ingredients:

• 2 cups raw cashews
• 1/2 teaspoon oil
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon Ranch powder

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Toss cashews in oil, just enough to lightly coat each nut.
3. Mix together sugar and ranch powder, and then toss nuts in the mixture.
4. Spread out on a baking tray and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until starting to lightly brown, flipping once halfway through.

Recipe: Food Apparel

Bring Your Snacks and Stay at Broken Head Holiday Park

Come and stay at Broken Head Holiday Park for your Byron Bay holiday. If you enjoy hiking, then it makes sense to book a beach cabin, beach shack or powered or non powered campsite. You’ll have access to our excellent camp kitchen to make any of these yummy snacks (if you didn’t make them ahead of time), and an affordable spot to make your base while you’re on holiday. What are waiting for? Book your stay soon!