Let’s talk dessert. From my experience in hiking and backpacking, this is an area people don’t think out deep enough. On many group trips I was often the only one who had brought a dedicated dessert. And there was never a lack of people willing to help me enjoy it. Including those sanctimonious hikers. The “I don’t like sweets” hikers. Go away and drink some apple cider vinegar, far away, so I can enjoy a little treat for all that sweating I did! The other group is “I eat a square of dark, bitter chocolate every night” in 80* temps, in summer. Talk about needing a glass of water after that.
Trail pudding hits for me that halfway spot. It’s cool, creamy and sweet. Not quite ice cream, that you have fantasized about all week, but neither is it dehydrating n’ bitter chocolate.
Tuck in a bag of Mom’s Banana Puddin’ in case you want something sweet (and it shares well). It’s a great calorie booster, if you find a hike is a lot harder than you expected. We used to eat a lot of pudding on winter trips, just to get 400 to 600 calories in us before bed, so we’d stay warmer all night.
This isn’t health food. By any means. It is though pretty darn delicious! It’s creamy, is bananariffic in flavor, and the cake croutons are not shareable. Cold water and 10 minutes are all that is between you and dessert. You can go scrub up in that time, and then enjoy something very tasty while everyone else chokes down their chocolate square. And you’ll find you are not longing for ice cream anymore!
~Sarah