No-Cook Backpacking Breakfast: Dehydrated Yogurt
At home, I often have yogurt for breakfast. It is tasty, healthy and does not take long to prepare. It’s a pity, I thought, that I couldn’t eat it while hiking. However, my craving for experiments in the kitchen and the desire to eat my favorite dishes on the trail took over and soon a solution was found: yogurt can be dried.
Why dehydrate yogurt?
Dehydrated yogurt makes an excellent base for a no-cook backpacking breakfast. Combined with freeze-dried fruits, powders and cereals it creates a quick, easy and tasty morning meal.
Dehydrated yogurt drops also make a great hiking snack. They are delicious by themselves or could be used as a healthy replacement for sugary chocolate candies in trail mixes.
How to dehydrate yogurt
Choose plain yogurt with low fat content (3% or less), to prevent it from spoiling. You can add sweeteners and taste/aroma enhancers later, when you start assembling your trail meals.
Spread the yogurt on dehydrator tray covered with a non-stick sheet or parchment paper in an even, thin layer (about 1/8-inch thick).
Dehydrate at 135F/ 57C for about 6-8 hours until completely dry and brittle. Rotate tray every couple of hours and flip-over the yogurt bark halfway through the drying time.
Remove from the dehydrator and let cool.
Vacuum-seal and freeze until you’re ready to put it into a backpack.
Unrefrigerated and without vacuum sealing, dehydrated yogurt can last at room temperatures in a zip lock bag for about a week.
How to make yogurt powder
Grind dehydrated yogurt pieces into a fine powder using a coffee grinder.
How to rehydrate 1 portion:
- With yogurt bark: Slowly add water into the bag with dried yogurt bark (in ratio 1:1). Close the bag and gently knead until you get creamy and smooth consistence. Mix in your favorite filling (freeze-dried fruits, berries, granola) and enjoy!
- With yogurt powder: Pour yogurt powder into a mug. Add water and stir well.
Note: The dehydrated yogurt taste is slightly different than the fresh one. It’s sour enough and has a bit gritty consistency. Once you add granola, berries or fruits into yogurt, you will no longer notice these shortcomings and will be able to enjoy a quick and tasty breakfast.
Making dehydrated yogurt drops
You can use any commercially prepared flavored yogurts or make your own by blending plain yogurt with the fruits and berries of your choice.
Line the dehydrator tray with a non-stick sheet or parchment paper. Pour prepared yogurt mixture into a zip lock bag and close tightly. Cut off the corner of the bag and gently squeeze yogurt onto dehydrator tray making small dots.
Dry at 135F/C for 8-16 hours until nice and crispy.
Vacuum-seal and freeze until you’ll be ready to put it in a backpack.
I did this for our latest canoe trip and the rehydrated yogurt was like sour gritty water. It did not thicken up or get creamy at all. What do you think I did wrong?
What kind of yogurt did you use? For best result I usually take the ones with creamy texture and make dried yogurt drops.
i have an abundance of yoplait in my 2 refridgerators,,I am going to try this and make rabbit treats. how long can they be out of the fridge? do you think they would last longer in a canning jar?
Is there any way to keep them from getting flattter
Only to choose yogurt with more viscous consistency
Do you need to use regular yogurt for this or is Greek yogurt ok too? Excited to try.
You can use Greek yogurt too.
How do you vacuum seal ?
Can you add agave before you dry it?
To vacuum seal dehydrated food you’ll need special device >> https://amzn.to/2TBwNhx
Do not add any liquid to food before sealing. Better to do it after rehydration.
Does this work well with non-dairy (vegan) yogurts?
Do you know how long these can can last out of fridge?
Hi Erin! It depends on the climate conditions you are hiking on. For longer shelf life, pack yogurt powder or drops into vacuum-sealed bag and keep in the fridge until you’ll be ready pack it for the trail.
Do you think the 135F kills all the good probiotics?
Live probiotic cultures are usually destroyed at around 115°F.
Do the drops get bigger
Not really. I’d say they become flatter.
my yogurt barked turned out mostly yellowish, not white like pictured. There were patches of white, but mostly it was discolored. Is it OK?
Last response, but did you eat it?
Are you alive?
Yep! I ate it and still alive )) As I wrote already in the post, the taste of rehydrated yogurt is a bit sour and slightly differ from just made or store-bought.