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5 Fall-Themed Snacks to Fuel your Outdoor Adventures

Monday September 30, 2019

It’s a fact: the strongest desire for a big, greasy burger comes directly after a long day on the trail (or up in the trees on the ropes course). Sound familiar, Frequent Flyers? Our instructors know that’s true!

Outdoor enthusiasts may be familiar with the phrase, “Hiker Hunger”: an intense desire to wolf down anything and everything after a strenuous outdoor activity. Luckily, with a little creativity, autumn can provide the comfort food you crave without compromising energy-dense nutrition. Spice up your snacking with cinnamon, nutmeg, and even an inventive take on a charcuterie board below:

Pumpkin Spice Nuts

It’s the flavor of the season for a reason! Though convenient, these nuts don’t compromise on taste and can quickly fuel your date with Mother Nature.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups mixed nuts (we recommend walnuts, almonds, and pecans)
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup maple syrup
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (make your own with ¼ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp allspice, and ¼ tsp ground cloves)

Instructions

  1. Heat water, sugar, syrup, and spices in a sauté pan over medium heat until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute.
  2. Add nuts and stir to coat. Heat until water evaporates, and nuts are coated fully, about 2 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and spread nuts on a baking sheet to cool.

Apple Cider Trail Mix

No risk of a sticky cider spill here! The salty seeds will remind you to stay hydrated, while the sweet treats will reward you for taking on a new outdoor adventure.

Ingredients

  • Apple chips
  • Pumpkin Spice nuts
  • Caramel candies
  • Roasted pumpkin seeds
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Bonus seasonal add-ins: Bugles (think of them as mini cornucopias), candy corn, popcorn, and dried cranberries.

Cranberry-Apple Granola Bars

A handheld staple. These granola bars are almost as easy to make as purchasing a box, but have twice the amount of flavor and no weird unpronounceable ingredients!

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups mixed nuts (we recommend walnuts and almonds, or our Pumpkin Spice nuts)
  • 1 cup apple chips
  • 1 cup dates
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • ½ tsp cinnamon

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a food processor until everything is equally distributed. Remove and spread evenly into a baking pan. Slice into bars, portion, and refrigerate.

Butternut Squash Hummus

For those who are just as adventurous in the kitchen as they are outdoors. It’s spooky how delicious homemade hummus is. If squash has you feeling squashed, opt for a sweet potato or a pound of pumpkin instead!

Ingredients

  • 1 butternut squash**, peeled and diced
  • 1 can (15.5oz) chickpeas
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 2-4 T water
  • 3 tsp minced garlic (3 cloves)
  • ½ cup tahini (sesame paste)
  • 2 T extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup lemon juice (1-2 lemons)
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp chili powder*
  • 1 T maple syrup
  • 1 T pepitas (roasted squash seeds)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake squash until tender, about 20-30 minutes.
  2. While baking, boil chickpeas and baking soda in several inches of water until chickpeas’ skin fall off, about 20 minutes. Place chickpeas in colander to drain and place under cool water for 30 seconds.
  3. Blend garlic, lemon juice, salt, tahini in a food processor or blender until smooth and well-incorporated. Add water while processing to thin hummus.
  4. Add squash, chickpeas, cumin, and chili powder. Blend until smooth. Add more water as necessary.
  5. While blending, drizzle in EVOO.
  6. Top with a drizzle of maple syrup and pepitas to perfect the fall flavor and snack away with your favorite chip or cracker.

*exclude chili powder if you prefer a less adventurous flavor.

**squash can be substituted with a sweet potato or approximately 1lb. pumpkin for those looking to vary up their fall flavors.

BONUS: Go Ape Banana Bun
Because every season is banana season!

Some carry snacks in pockets, backpacks – even fanny packs. For us, the banana is the ideal and most edible way to carry our favorite snacks on the trail (and even up into the trees)!

  1. Find a perfectly ripe and delectable banana.
  2. Peel, then slice down the center of the banana. Think of it as a banana bun.
  3. Fill with your favorites, whether that be peanut butter and jelly, Nutella, graham crackers, and mini marshmallows – even a hot dog. We don’t judge!

Eager to build a campfire, not fire up a food processor? Slice up an apple and grab your favorite smoked meats and cheeses to make a humble charcuterie. Peel a mozzarella stick and wrap the strings around that pepperoni to make pepperoni mummies, or pile gouda, turkey jerky, and apple on a cornbread crisp cracker for a Thanksgiving flavor you’ll be very thankful for.

Kitchen looking a little scarce? Don’t worry: less time in the kitchen = more time for adventures. Our friends at Gorilly Goods have organic, no fuss, high-quality snacks to help you conquer that trail, paddle, or treetop adventure. We’re partial to the Forest, a snack pack of dark chocolate covered bananas and nuts, but seasonal favorites include the spicy lime pumpkin seeds with cilantro or savory pumpkin seeds with kale. You’ll be glad you stuffed a few of these in your pockets, backpack, fanny pack, or banana bun. And as an official Go Ape partner, you can get 20% off Gorilly Goods products when you use code GoApe on their web site.

Now get out there, fuel in tow!