Intro:
Hiking is an awesome exercise and hobby.
What’s better than walking through the beautiful countryside, experiencing nature, and getting some fantastic exercise at the same time?
As an exercise, hiking tends to burn between 430 and 550 calories per hour, depending on how much you weigh.
But here’s the thing:
If you’re going on an extended hike, you’re probably going to need some snacks to help replenish some of that energy.
But if you have a sweet tooth, you may be wondering…
“What types of snacks are healthy, but also tasty and hike-friendly?”
So in this post, you’re going to get some seriously tasty inspiration—in the form of 6 incredible sweet treat ideas that you must consider for your next hike.
Let’s dive in and discuss it.
1. Trail Mix
Trail mix is awesome because you can pretty much make it out of anything you want.
You can add dry nuts, M&Ms, raisins, and other types of dried fruit; anything that you might like.
Not only does this kind of snack provide you with tons of energy, but it also tastes delicious. Plus, it’s easy to carry.
Here’s an ingredient list for one of the most popular types of healthy do-it-yourself trail mix:
- Pecans
- Cashews
- Sunflower seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Unsweetened cherries
- Raisins
- Sea salt
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Maple syrup (for some sweetness)
Want the in-depth recipe for this mix? Check it out here.
2. Granola Bars
There’s no shortage of awesome granola bar options on the market.
If you like sweet hiking snacks, consider getting a dark chocolate bar, or a bar that contains either chocolate chunks or bits of caramel.
If you want to go super healthy with it, you could even make your own.
This is surprisingly easy to do. All you need is some natural ingredients. Rolled oats, natural peanut or cashew butter, vanilla extract, sea salt, crushed peanuts, honey, and mini chocolate chips will get you all set up.
3. Power Cookies
If you love cookies, but also want healthy nutritious energy while hiking, consider making some power cookies.
These delicious snacks are high in fiber, high in protein, low in fat, and absolutely delicious!
Are you into cannabis, but aren’t sure if you want to smoke while you’re out on the trail? Consider looking into making edibles.
Homemade power cookies make incredible edibles. Just swap in some cannabis butter, and you’re good to go.
Not interested in baking powder cookies yourself? Grab some Lenny & Larry’s cookies. They carry several different flavors, and all of them are great.
(Hot take: The Chocolate Chunk are the best ones. They pack in 18g of protein and 6g of prebiotic fiber. Plus, they manage to taste amazing using only 1g of sugar!)
4. Stroopwafel
A stroopwafel (which translates to ‘syrup waffle’) is a wafer waffle that’s made from two thin layers of baked dough that are joined together by caramel filling.
These delicious, tasty, and surprisingly energy-packed snacks can be made at home, and the recipe isn’t even that crazy.
The only thing to watch out for with this one is the sugar content. They admittedly pack in a lot of sugar. So you may want to save this one for a ‘celebration snack’ at the height of the trail.
5. Peanut Butter Pretzels
Peanut butter pretzels are basically baked, crunchy pretzel balls filled with peanut butter filling.
The great thing about these snacks is that you can bring them with you and eat them easily while on the trail. They taste great (if you like peanut butter), and they can even give you a solid boost of energy if you’re starting to wear out.
Believe it or not, you can also make these yourself.
And not surprisingly, they’re so much better when they’re homemade.
Here’s an awesome and popular recipe.
Not interested in making them yourself?
Buy the Trader Joe’s version.
They’re preservative free, and contain no artificial colors or flavors.
6. No Bake Energy Balls
The first time you eat a no-bake energy ball, your mind is going to be blown.
But what’s even more amazing about them is that they’re incredibly easy to make right at home.
No-bake energy balls can be made with just a few simple ingredients.
Oats, shredded coconut, creamy peanut butter, ground flaxseed, semisweet chocolate chips, honey, vanilla extract, and chia seeds are awesome ingredients to start with.
Check out this recipe for step-by-step instructions on how to make them yourself.
They’re delicious, nutritious, and make the perfect sweet snack for an afternoon on the trail.
Conclusion
There you have it!
6 sweet snacks to keep you energized for a full day of hiking, site seeing, and becoming ‘one’ with nature.
Just don’t forget to bring your water bottle as well!
Drinking out of puddles probably won’t do you any favors.
Now get out there and have an adventure!