One of my favorite snacks last summer was the iconic flavor combination of nut butter and jelly together in a portable stick. I took a poll on Facebook in our Paleo Hikers & Backpackers group and it turns out raspberry is the top desired jam, with strawberry coming in a close second. Honey was third (another amazing option) with banana and blueberry following after. Great, I thought. No shortage of raspberries at my house!
Previously when on the trail, I had just squeezed an almond butter packet together with some of my raspberry chia jam. But I got thinking about how to make something a little less messy. These came together nicely in time for my trip to Oregon in June (and the picture below turned out much less phallic than the one above), but I have already told you about my hike at Painted Hills.
So, let’s talk about my first overnight last summer up along the Deception Creek Trail, to the Pacific Crest Trail and north to Deception Lakes, and then back down again. The hike was on my list for 2020 as hikes I wanted repeat. I had hiked up the Deception Creek Trail a few miles and walked the PCT with a night at Deception Lakes but wanted to put it all together as an overnighter.
It was early enough in the season that I didn’t see too many people. the bugs were not bad and I only had to cross Deception Creek 50 million times. Okay, maybe not that many but I did have to ford about 10 times too many.
This trail is close to Stevens Pass along US SR 2 and the first few miles are a mellow river walk.
I camped about 4 miles in right next to the river.
From here, the trail weaves across the creek as it gains towards the Pacific Crest Trail and junction with Marmot Lakes. Decent foot bridges were nowhere to be seen and downed logs were not crossing friendly. I ended up just fording across in my Luna shoes. Over and over.
There was a bit of snow on the trail below the junction but the PCT had welcome bare patches for sunning when I got there. From there I headed north to spend the night at Deception Lakes which had only one other couple there when I arrived but they were on their way out so I had the place to myself!
Dinner was some turkey stroganoff, I am loving having a stove more and more…
Swinging in my hammock with the quiet sound of nature, the PB&J protein sticks were a great dessert and it was the perfect kick off to the summer season!
#raspberrypuree #almondbutterpowder #collagenpowder #almonds
This is one of the simplest recipes if you want to take your fruit leather up a notch. The tangy combination of raspberries and the nutty texture will have you wondering why you ever bothered with bread!
I typically have a freezer filled with raspberries so I used two cups defrosted and drained. If you have fresh or another fruit you like, feel free to experiment. You just want about 2 cups mashed.
For the nut butter, I opted to go with some almond butter powder. I have dehydrated regular almond butter into a leather but it does end up with an oily texture. The powder is not cheap so I don’t buy it often but it is fun to play around with in recipes. Reconstituted nut butter is NOT GOOD alone as it doesn’t have any of the fat. Carrying the real deal in is worth the weight.
Right now, I am using the Vital Proteins collagen peptides powder but any collagen powder will do. If vegan, I imagine your could use another protein powder. Blend these three ingredients all together in the food processor, easy peasy. If you are a chunky nut butter lover, toss in some chopped nuts for texture!
Instead of spreading the mixture out on the trays like I usually do, I opted to use a recycled ziploc bag with a corner cut out as a piping bag to make sticks. This did mean they were a little thicker than ideal but they end up with more surface space.
Let the sticks dry in the dehydrator at about 125 degrees (typically the fruit/vegetable setting) for about 12 hours. You want to start checking on them at the end for when you can start to peel them off and they are not tacky anymore. Drying for too long makes them a bit tough to bite off when eating, you want them to still be pliable.
To read more about my two night trip on the Deception Creek Trail up to the Pacific Crest Trail, you can head over here. If you haven’t visited the Painted Hills of Oregon, check out pictures here. This recipe is similar to my Berry Banana Kale Collagen Leather!
Paleo PB&J Protein Sticks
Take your favorite combination of almond butter and raspberry jam on the trail in this easy, protein packed treat.
Prep Time
10 minutes
Dehydrating Time
12 hours
Course: Snack
Cuisine: Gluten Free, Paleo, Whole Food
Servings: 20 strips
Ingredients
- 2 cups raspberries mashed
- 1/2 cup almond butter powder
- 1/2 cup collagen powder
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts optional
Instructions
- Add the first 3 ingredients to the food processor and blend well. Pulse in nuts if desired.
- Using a piping bag or a ziploc bag with a corner snipped, squeeze the mixture out onto lined trays in your dehydrator.
- Let dry on the fruit/veggie setting (125 degrees) for about 12-13 hours until the strips peel off and are dry through. They should be pliable but not tacky.
- Let cool completely and store in an airtight container.
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