These Butternut Squash and Honey Apple Cakes Are a Sweet Way to Eat Your Veggies
Get a hearty dose of fruit and vegetables right on the trail.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Editor’s note: Sure, freeze-dried meals are great and all, but after a long hike, we often find ourselves craving something a little fresher. Fruits and veggies don’t pack well in their raw state, which makes them tricky to carry on backpacking trips. But if you’re willing to put in the effort, they can add a zing to your dinner that nothing from your dehydrator can replicate. This vitamin-packed dessert or side dish cooks up easily on a camp stove, and mixes butternut squash with paper-thin apple slices and a drizzle of honey. While it’s good any time, Monday also marks the start of the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, where apples and honey—a symbol of the wish for a sweet new year—take center stage at family meals. —Adam Roy
Ingredients
- 1 small butternut squash, halved and seeded
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 2 to 3 cups flour
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Thinly sliced Fuji apple
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
- Honey, for drizzling
At Home
Chop squash into two-inch chunks, leaving skin on, and boil for 20 minutes until tender. Strain and allow squash to cool. Scrape the flesh into a large bowl (discard the skin) and mix in egg, salt, nutmeg, and 1½ cups of flour until a soft dough forms. Add more flour until the wet dough sticks together, then place dough in a zip-top bag (lasts up to two days).
In Camp
Heat one teaspoon of oil in a skillet on medium-high heat. Spoon a quarter of the dough onto the skillet and cook until golden, about one minute each side. Top with apple slices, pecans, and a drizzle of honey.
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Price $1.75 Weight 12 oz. Serves 4
Calories 377 | Fat 11 g | Carbs 60 g | Protein 9 g
(All info per serving.)
Originally published October 2011; Updated September 2021