Fruity Plantain Chip Breakfast

Jump to the recipe for Fruity Plantain Chip Breakfast…

I am heading down to Oregon in a week to tackle the Timberline Trail around Mount Hood with a blogging friend from The Adventure Continues, Greg Smith and a few others. He has been circumnavigating Wy’East for the last few years and I am committed to joining him even though the knowledge of 12 or so possible “difficult water crossings” is a bit daunting. At least on the Wonderland Trail they install bridges!

If you have been with me awhile you know that one of the more powerful, the Sandy River, and I have a tumultuous past and I can only assume with the heat wave we have been having that she and all the rivers and creeks will be higher than normal.

When section hiking the Oregon section of the Pacific Crest Trail, my southbound trek from Bridge of Goods was thwarted by the Sandy…

as well as my northbound trek from Timberline.

Not to be bested, I eventually forded the Sandy River the next year after a more central section but further down on the Sandy River Trail near Zig Zag as a day hike just to prove I could. Whether it was the fact I was solo or that silty water where I can’t see the bottom of the river, mentally I was not able to cross until my third attempt (and I had to do it twice!).

God willing, a hike on the Timberline Trail with a group this year (as well as more years of river fording experience) will see me up to the challenge!

I have been enjoying Fruity Plantain Chip Breakfast the past 6 months, whether on a car camping trip or out in the wilderness and several servings will be going with me on the Timberline Trail. The simple meal is hearty, satisfying and easy to throw together. I also have a car camping kit and keep a jar of dehydrated plantain chips along with a jar of coconut milk powder and package of dried fruit as they store well.

#dehydratedplantainchips #driedfruit #coconutmilkpowder

One of the very first posts here was my breakfast of boiled plantains and coconut milk, easy and filling. Over the years I have tried different ways of bringing this porridge like meal on the trail and Fruity Plantain Chip Breakfast does the job.

If you haven’t used plantains before, they are basically a starchy banana. Green, firm ones are best for things like tostones or mofongo (yum!) and yellow, ripe ones are good for sweeter dishes like Dulce de Platano. The more green, the more starchy. The more yellow, the more soft and sweet. Plantains are still good even when they have black spots, just like the best bananas for bread are the black ones.

Most of the plantain chips found in grocery stories are fried making them not usable for rehydrating so dehydrating them yourself is called for. If you happen to find a source for baked or dried plantains without any oil, you may be able to try them.

Peeling plantains is a mixed bag. Sometimes they just peel off easily and other times those darn peels resist you. Don’t take it personally, you may just have to use a paring knife to help get all the peel off.

I remove the tips of the plantain and cut a slit down the length. Then, depending on how firm the plantain is, I cut slices with a knife or mandolin. An average plantain will give me 40-45 slices. You want the slices as thin as you can so they will rehydrate more efficiently.

The slices take 8-10 hours to dry depending on how thin you cut them, you want them to be completely dry and stiff. They should snap when broken in two.

A good portion is about 20-25 slices or half a plantain, typically measuring about 1/2 cup when dry. At home I add 1/4 cup dried fruit and powdered coconut milk for an individual serving.

Over the last few adventures, I have tried different fruit. I like the tangy ones best, like cranberries. Even strawberries can be tart in contrast to the starchy plantains!

Because I mix the dehydrated plantains, dried fruit and powdered milk together at home and cover with hot water at camp, the consistency of the milk is more like a 2% low fat milk.

If you would like a more creamy milk, you can package the plantains and fruit separately from the milk, rehydrate them at camp, drain some of the water and then add the milk powder for a thicker mixture.

I tend to like the thinner milk as I can drink it at the end and swish my cup clean, plus I use less packaging that way.

I suggest trying a portion of Fruity Plantain Chip Breakfast at home first to see what amount will work for you, you may need a smaller or larger meal. Also, if you want to reduce you individual plastic use, you can package a few servings together. Knowing how much makes a serving for you will help when dishing out at camp.

Some variations to the recipe could be to add shredded coconut or nuts (if you tolerate them). You can also skip the fruit and add a savory spice like curry or onion powder and salt to make it a lunch or dinner meal!

I have not tried this meal as a “cold soak” yet and if that is your jam, I would suggest a version where you “rice” the plantains instead of slicing and steam for a few minutes before adding to the dehydrator to facilitate rehydration.

Need more healthy breakfast ideas?

Dehydrated plantains and fruit with coconut milk make for a hearty backpacking breakfast.

Prep Time
20 minutes

Dehydrating Time
10 hours

Total Time
10 hours, 20 minutes

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Autoimmune Protocol, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Nightshade Free, Nut free, Paleo, Primal, Soy free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole Food

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

2 semi ripe plantains
1 cup dried fruit
1 cup powdered coconut milk
shredded coconut (optional)
nuts (optional)

Instructions

Dehydrating The Plantains
Using plantains that have started to turn yellow but not spot yet, carefully remove the peel. Sometimes a knife may be necessary.
Thinly slice the plantains, using a mandolin if you have one. I get about 45 slices per plantain.
Lay out on the dehydrator trays in a single layer and dry for 8-10 hours until complete dry and crisp. Let cool.
Assemble The Breakfast A Home
For one meal, add about 20-25 plantain chips, 1/4 cup of dried fruit and 1/4 cup powdered coconut milk. Shredded coconut and nuts are optional. Store in an air tight container.

Preparing at Camp

At camp, add enough hot water to the breakfast ingredients to cover. Let sit 5-10 minutes until the chips and fruit are soft. If you want a thicker milk, you can rehydrate the chips and fruit separately, drain some of the water and then add the powdered milk.

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