3 Homemade Breakfast Bar Recipes for Hikers

The Elvis

Sweet, salty, and savory—this bar hits all the right notes. Makes 9 bars

• 6 strips bacon
• 2 very ripe bananas
• ½ cup peanut butter
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 cups rolled oats
• ¼ cup peanuts, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup dates, roughly chopped

At home: Heat oven to 400°F. Arrange bacon in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet and cook until very crispy, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool on a paper towel-lined plate. Meanwhile, reduce oven heat to 350°F. Combine bananas, peanut butter, maple syrup, and salt in a mixing bowl and mash until smooth. Chop bacon and add to banana mixture along with the oats, peanuts, and dates, and mix well. Smooth mixture into a greased, 9-by-9-inch baking dish. Bake 30 minutes, then let cool at least 2 hours. Cut bars into nine squares and wrap individually. (Green tip: Swap out plastic wrap for eco-friendly beeswax food wrap. Carry in, carry out, reuse.)

Weight* 1.6 oz.
Protein 9 g

Calories 256

Molé Molé Bars

Upgrade your usual nuts-and-seeds bar with a kick from flavorful Ancho chiles. Makes 9 bars

• 1 cup almonds
• 1 ½ cups rolled oats
• ½ cup green pumpkin seeds
• 1 cup chopped dates
• ½ cup almond butter
• ¼ cup Mexican chocolate, roughly chopped
• ½ cup agave syrup
• 3 Tbsp. Ancho chile powder
• ¼ cup coconut oil

At home: Heat oven to 350°F. Pulse almonds in a food processor until roughly chopped (or buy a 6-ounce bag of chopped nuts) and mix well with all other ingredients. Spoon into a greased, 9-by-9-inch baking dish and press down firmly with a spatula or the bottom of a smaller baking dish. Bake 30 minutes, then let cool at least 2 hours. Cut bars into nine squares and package separately.

Weight 2.5 oz.
Protein 7.5 g
Calories 406

The Barista

Each of these bars contains nearly as much caffeine as a cup of coffee—that’s multitasking at its finest. Makes 9 bars

• 1 cup cashews
• 1 ½ cups rolled oats
• ½ cup honey
• ¼ cup coarsely ground coffee
• ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• ¼ cup chocolate chips

At home: Heat oven to 350ºF. Pulse cashews in a food processor until roughly chopped and mix well with all other ingredients. Scoop into a greased, 9-by-9-inch baking dish and press down firmly. Bake 30 minutes, then let cool at least 2 hours. Cut bars into nine squares and wrap.

Weight 2.4 oz.
Protein 4.5 g
Calories 231