Super Easy Dehydrator Hummus Backpacking Recipe - Mom Goes Camping (2024)

Along with my Sawyer Mini water filter, my favorite piece of backpacking gear is my dehydrator. No, I don’t lug my dehydrator around with me on the trail. 🙂 However, I do use it to make dehydrated backpacking meals. DIY dehydrated meals not only cut down on backpacking expenses, but also save you a lot of weight.

You can dehydrate practically anything. In addition to the obvious fruits for homemade trail mix, you can also dehydrate things like tomato sauce, cooked veggies, and beans.

I even dehydrate entire meals on my dehydrator. Then I can just add water on the trail to rehydrate them. If you are interested in learning how to make dehydrator backpacking meals, get my ebook. It has over 50 recipes, plus tons of advice on meal planning and nutrition for backpacking. Get the ebook now.

Super Easy Dehydrator Hummus Backpacking Recipe - Mom Goes Camping (1)

One of my favorite dehydrator backpacking recipes is hummus. It’s fast, easy, and dries very lightweight. How light? It might vary on the hummus recipe you use, but you can expect around 190 calories per ounce!!! That’s way over the 120 calories/oz recommendation for backpacking food.

Backpacking Dehydrator Hummus Instructions

Dehydrated hummus is really simple to make.

Step 1: Make hummus.

Use whatever recipe you like. Or buy readymade hummus.

Avoid hummus recipes which call for a lot of oil or tahini. Too much fat in your hummus will make it go bad faster. You can always bring a little bottle of olive oil with you backpacking and add it to your rehydrated hummus.

Step 2: Prepare your dehydrator sheets

Obviously you can’t just spread hummus on your dehydrator racks. It would fall through the holes. Instead, you’ve got to put a sheet down for it.

You can buy dehydrator sheets like these ones for fairly cheap. They are basically a mesh screen. The purpose is to let the air through without letting the food fall through. You can buy any brand of sheets and just cut them to fit your dehydrator.

Alternatively, you can just use parchment paper. The problem with parchment paper is that it blocks air flow, which means your hummus won’t dry out well. To solve this problem, you can poke a bunch of holes into the parchment paper.

Or, use small circles of parchment paper (as opposed to paper cut to fit your dehydrator trays). This allows for much better air flow.

Super Easy Dehydrator Hummus Backpacking Recipe - Mom Goes Camping (2)

Step 3: Spread hummus on the sheets

I spread it to be about ¼ to ½ inch thick. Try to make the thickness uniform across so they dehydrate evenly.

Step 4: Dehydrate

I’m not too scientific about this. I dehydrate pretty much everything at 104 degrees F (40 degrees C). Hummus usually takes about 12 hours to dehydrate. It helps to rotate the trays at least once. Otherwise the hummus on the bottom will dehydrate first.

You’ll know it is done when the hummus is very dry. It will look a bit like bark.You should be able to break it easily. If you used a lot of oil in the hummus, it might bend more than break.

Step 5: Grind Up (Optional)

This step is optional, but I find it helpful to grind up the dried hummus in my high-speed blender. This creates a hummus powder. The reason for doing this is because the hummus will rehydrate a lot faster and without clumps.

If you skip this step, at least crumble your hummus up as much as possible before you rehydrate.

Rehydrating Your Dried Hummus

Again, this is easy. Just add water to the dried hummus. Let it sit for a few minutes. Stir to get out any clumps.

How to eat on the trail?

  • On bagels
  • In tortillas
  • With couscous
  • As pasta sauce

How Long Does Dehydrated Hummus Last?

Dehydrated hummus will usually last at least 4 to 6 weeks if kept at room temperature in a closed zip plastic bag. However, the shelf life can be a lot shorter, especially if the hummus has a lot of oil in it or the temperatures are high.

Oil does not dehydrate. If your dehydrated hummus has a lot of oil, it will be moist. The moisture can cause the hummus to go bad faster. The oil itself can also start to go rancid. It isn’t dangerousto eat rancid oil (it won’t make you sick like spoiled meat or dairy will), but it gets a gross sour taste.

Also remember that dehydrated foods will absorb the taste of whatever they are stored next to. So don’t store your dehydrated hummus right next to your dehydrated bananas unless you like banana hummus!

Other Dehydrator Backpacking Recipes

Below you can see some pictures of dehydrator backpacking meals I’ve made. All of the recipes are available in my eBook. There’s also tons of advice on backpacking meal planning and nutrition.

Get it here for 50% off

These dehydrator meals pack in over 130 calories per ounce dry weight. Just add water to rehydrate! Get the recipe ebook here at 50% off!

Super Easy Dehydrator Hummus Backpacking Recipe - Mom Goes Camping (2024)

FAQs

How to dehydrate hummus for backpacking? ›

Spread in an even layer on your dehydrator trays that have been lined with a fruit leather insert or parchment paper. Dehydrate at 125F for 4-6 hours, or until the hummus is completely dry and turns powdery if rubbed between your fingers.

Is hummus good for backpacking? ›

This hummus bowl is a great no-cook backpacking lunch option. Feel free to get creative with the toppings and dippers - this is a loose recipe that can be endlessly customized.

Is dehydrated hummus good? ›

Dehydrated hummus is a healthy, filling, no-cook backpacking lunch that you can eat with a variety of trail foods like pretzels, tortillas, or sturdy crackers.

What is the shelf life of homemade hummus? ›

For starters, homemade humus will almost always spoil faster because store-bought, which is prepared in sterile and contamination-controlled environments. Homemade varieties will generally last anywhere from 3-4 days, whereas store-bought brands generally lasts 6-7 days after opening.

How do you dehydrate chickpeas for backpacking? ›

Place the chickpeas on fruit leather trays and sprinkle with a touch more sea salt. And put the chickpeas in the dehydrator. Dehydrate at 135 degrees for approx 10-12 hours. Store in an airtight container.

Is it better to make hummus with wet or dry chickpeas? ›

Dried chickpeas provide better flavor than canned. Overcooking the chickpeas in water with baking soda makes them easier to blend. Puréeing the chickpeas while they're still hot lets you use a blender instead of a food processor for smoother texture.

What bacteria can grow in hummus? ›

Hummus is very nutritious, but has a high water activity that supports the growth of several microorganisms, including spoilage microorganisms like Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, and Escherichia coli [6]. In addition, it is susceptible to microbial cross-contamination during preparation and post-processing [3].

What is the healthiest thing to eat with hummus? ›

Hummus is a fantastic addition to big leafy salads with crisp seasonal veggies, warm pita bread, olives, and pickled red onions. It's a wholesome and colorful meal for anyone who loves Mediterranean food.

Can you dehydrate store-bought hummus? ›

Hummus is super easy to dehydrate. Just spread it out on the trays (with teflon sheets on top of the mesh) and let it go. I typically take the lazy route with hummus and just use my favorite store bought brand, but The Dehydrator Cookbook for Outdoor Adventurers has a great recipe for it.

Why can't you eat hummus after 2 days? ›

But both varieties should last up to 7 days in the refrigerator (for prepared hummus this applies once the container is opened). Like any food, hummus is perishable and is prone to spoilage. When the product no longer smells or tastes the same as it did when originally purchased or prepared, it is time to throw it out.

What to avoid in hummus? ›

When you're shopping for hummus in the store, watch out for artificial preservatives like sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate.

What thickens hummus? ›

If , for some reason, you ended up using more liquid than you should have or if you still want a thicker consistency, you can add a bit more tahini. And if you chill the hummus for an hour or so before adding any garnish, that should help as well.

How to tell if homemade hummus is bad? ›

Hummus that has gone bad smells sour, and it also tastes sour. Hummus that is fresh shouldn't have a real scent unless it has been seasoned with something strong like garlic or lemon. Once the sour smell and taste set in, it will likely develop the telltale signs of something expired: mold (via Eat by Date).

Can I freeze my homemade hummus? ›

Hummus freezes well for about four months. The longer you freeze hummus, the more likely it is to change flavor and texture. If you have a lot of hummus to freeze but want to thaw it out in small amounts, use several freezer bags to divide it. Place your desired amount in the bag and press out as much air as possible.

How long does hummus last in the fridge if not opened? ›

So although you can keep hummus refrigerated for a couple months unopened, you only have seven days from opening to finish it off. (Or you can easily freeze your humus for up to 4 months if you want to store it for longer periods!) Don't dip directly in the container.

Do chickpeas dehydrate well? ›

You can dehydrate any plain, canned chickpeas. However, extra sugar and other ingredients may affect the final product if they are seasoned or flavored. Canned chickpeas do not have to be cooked before dehydrating. You can also dehydrate raw chickpeas after cooking them at home.

How do you package dehydrated food for backpacking? ›

Oxygen-absorber suppliers usually sell Mylar food storage bags, which can be used together with oxygen absorbers. Mylar bags are an option for storing dehydrated food. You don't need a vacuum sealer if you pack meals in Mylar bags. You can seal them with an iron.

How do you dehydrate sauce for backpacking? ›

Choose a sauce that doesn't have large chunks of tomatoes or use a blender to puree. Avoid cheesy or creamy sauces. Spread in a thin, even layer on nonstick sheets or parchment paper. Dry at 135°F for 6-8 hours, flipping at about 5 hours when you can easily peel the leather off.

How do you make shelf stable hummus? ›

“You can add lemon juice to reduce the pH and add preservatives, but these usually only extend the shelf life for a couple of weeks in chilled storage. As an alternative, you can pasteurize the hummus and this can extend the shelf life to up to 6 weeks in chilled storage.

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