Dutch Oven Berry Cobbler is a dessert that can be made in a camp oven, is easy to make and can use fresh or frozen berries. This recipe for Dutch Oven Berry Cobbler came from my friend Russ Miller, who has been writing about outdoor cooking since the 70s. This Dutch oven berry cobbler is meant for the true blueberry lover. Not only are fresh berries used, but you also get a delicious cobbler topping with chunks of buttery pound cake and streusel.
Dutch Oven Berry Cobbler Camping Recipe
Don’t you just love sweet treats only Dutch oven camping recipes can provide? Who knew camp cooking skills would come in handy preparing for a cross-country move? Moving is no easy task … especially if its over 1,500 miles from point “A” to point “B”.
When our parents decided to make Arizona their full-time home, my sister and I flew out to Chicago to help with the packing. We packed the entire house before we started on the kitchen. Our challenge: use whatever was in the fridge, freezer and pantry before the moving van arrived.
That’s where this super easy (always great for camping) throw-together Dutch Oven Berry Cobbler Camping Recipe came from.
How To Make Easy Dutch Oven Cobbler
Campsite equipment options include a Dutch oven, camp oven or RV oven.
If you are using charcoal briquettes with your Dutch oven, a chimney starter is great because it is a fast, efficient and clean way to light your charcoal.
Step 1. Preheat the oven. Whichever oven you decide to use, you’ll be baking this berry cobbler Dutch oven dessert at 350 degrees F which is a standard temperature for baked camping dessert recipes.
How Many Coals?
Are you always wondering how many charcoals briquettes you need to maintain specific temperatures when you are baking in your camp Dutch oven? Well, it depends on the size of your oven! Find the answer here
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. NOTE: If you are using a Dutch oven, baking times vary depending on outside air temperature, elevation and humidity so be ready to make adjustments as necessary. See my Dutch Oven Camp Cooking Tips for more information.
Step 2. Prepare the pan. You are going to melt the butter in a 9-inch baking pan that you will be placing in the oven for cooking.
As an alternative method, you can make this cobbler directly in your camp Dutch oven. If you want easier cleanup, you can use a foil liner insert or a parchment paper liner.
Step 3. Make the batter. Now you will be mixing the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to create the dry ingredient base for this recipe.
Next you’ll add the wet ingredients: milk and vanilla extract and whisk until the batter is smooth.
Step 4. Add batter and berries to pan. It is time to pour the batter into the prepared pan. Then you will place the berries and remaining sugar over the batter.
Step 5. Bake the cobbler. This recipe is fast to prep but a little slower to bake. It will take about 50-60 minutes to get the fruit bubbly and the batter nicely browned.
Step 6. Serve this yummy dessert. You need to let the cobbler cool slightly before you serve it. The best flavor and texture comes with serving this dessert warm. It is totally awesome as is … but … if you want to take it up a notch, add some ice cream or whipped cream to top it all off. Enjoy.
Dutch Oven Blueberry Cobbler
Delicious blueberry filling, a fluffy biscuit topping, and a dollop of whipped cream, this Dutch Oven Blueberry Cobbler is a perfect summertime camping dessert.
One of our favorite parts of summer is the abundance of fresh berries, particularly, fresh blueberries!
Living in Oregon, we’re fortunate to have access to both incredible camping and tons of U-Pick blueberry farms—often located close to one another! During berry season, we like to make it a habit to stop by a U-pick farm on our way out to our campsite so that we have farm-fresh blueberries to use throughout the weekend.
Back at camp, we had Blueberry Cobbler on the menu. With a warm fluffy cobbler top and sweet blueberry filling, this recipe is a fun and easy dessert to make for a small group. Once the cobbler is assembled, the cooking process is fairly hands-off, so it can be cooked while you eat dinner.
We made this cobbler in our cast iron Dutch oven in the campfire, however, if campfires are not allowed where you are camping, you can easily make this meal using an Omnia stovetop oven on a propane camp stove.
Why we love this recipe:
- Tastes like summer!
- One pot dessert is perfect for small groups
- Dry ingredients can be mixed ahead of time
- Great way to put your blueberry harvest to good use!
Equipment Needed
Dutch oven: This recipe was sized for a 10” / 4-qt dutch oven. You will want to 1.5x this recipe if using a 12” / 6-qt oven.
Omnia stovetop oven: If you’re unable to have campfires in your area, consider picking up an Omnia Oven. Many Dutch oven recipes can be adapted to be made on your camp stove using this handy piece of equipment!
Mixing bowl: You can use one mixing bowl for prepping both the filling and topping of this cobbler.
Parchment paper: Lining your Dutch oven with parchment paper is the key to easier cleanup! The blueberry filling does get a bit sticky, but with a parchment liner all you’ll have to do is take it out and wipe up any spots where the filling may have bubbled over.
Lid lifter or heat-resistant gloves: A lid lifter is fairly inexpensive and makes handling the Dutch oven lid a lot easier. Or, you can pick up a pair of heat-resistant gloves.
Basics Of Baking In A Dutch Oven
- You’ll want to use a 10” / 4 quart dutch oven for this recipe. It’s best to use a camping-specific Dutch oven which has a raised lip around the lid and feet on the bottom. This makes cooking with coals much easier.
- You’ll be aiming for an oven temperature of 350°F. Start with 21 charcoals (or ember equivalent): 7 on the bottom and 14 on the lid.
- Dutch oven cooking isn’t an exact science, so you’ll want to take a peek around the 30 minute mark to gauge how things are going. You can add more coals to the lid if needed, or take a few off if it looks like the topping is browning too quickly.
What To Prepare At Home / Make Ahead Steps
There are a few ways to cut down on steps in camp by prepping ahead at home. Here are a few ideas:
- Mix the dry ingredients together and store in an airtight container. At camp, add the butter and milk.
- Alternatively, make the entire cobbler topping at home, then store in an airtight container in your cooler until you’re ready to use it in camp.
DUTCH OVEN BLUEBERRY COBBLER FROM SCRATCH
Dutch Oven Blueberry Cobbler is such a decadent dessert – but it’s also SO EASY!!! You can easily make this in the oven – just be sure you’ve got vanilla ice cream in the freezer – because everybody is going to gobble it up
I started with my Mom’s famous Peach Cobbler recipe to make this Dutch Oven version. I modified it by swapping the peaches for blueberries and using brown sugar for a richer taste! The Dutch Oven holds in the heat and is great in the oven or if you want to use it on the grill or even the campfire.
What’s in Blueberry Cobbler?
- Lots of blueberries (frozen or fresh)
- sugar
- brown sugar
- butter
- salt
- flour
- baking powder
- milk
- cornstarch
- boiling water
How do you make Cobbler from Scratch?
I’m making this blueberry cobbler in the oven and it couldn’t be easier!
- Pour 4 cups of blueberries straight into your Dutch Oven
- Cream brown & white sugar with softened butter – this just means to use the mixer until the sugar and butter are completely incorporated together – it’s key to have the butter softened!
- Add salt, flour, baking powder and milk to make a batter (if your batter isn’t spreadable – add a little more milk)
- Spread the batter over blueberries
- In a separate bowl, mix sugar, cornstarch & a pinch of salt
- Spread the sugar mixture evenly over batter
- Heat water in microwave for 40 seconds and then pour over ALL of sugar – be sure to cover every grain of sugar! This is where the magic happens! The sugar & water combine to make a crunchy sugar topping that is everybody’s favorite part!
- Bake uncovered for about an hour (or until the cobbler topping is done – test like you do cake – toothpick in the center – if it comes out clean – it’s done – should be golden)
Tips & Tricks
Can you use frozen, fresh or canned fruit?
My favorite is to use frozen or fresh blueberries – you could use blueberry pie filling but the fruit and batter make their own juice – so you just don’t need to use that gloppy canned stuff! The fruit flavor from fresh & frozen is WORTH IT!
Can I soften butter in the microwave?
Yes- you can – be sure to lower the power to LOW and microwave until soft but NOT melted. I prefer to leave the butter out on a sunny counter (on a plate) for a few hours.
What does “creaming” the butter and sugar together mean?
Use your hand mixer and beat the sugars and butter together until they’re fully incorporated and you don’t really see any sugar left. It takes 1-2 minutes.
Can you just use white or brown sugar instead of both?
Yes – definitely. I find the white sugar makes a better crust. I like the combination in the batter as it adds a bit of richness to the cake topping.
What is a Dutch Oven and what do you use it for?
Dutch Oven’s are one of my favorite kitchen tools! They are typically made of cast iron and the fancy ones are enamel coated to make them easier to care for! I like the enameled cast iron from Uno Casa – it’s more affordable than a Le Crueset but the same quality! It even came with handy pot holders to make it easy to take out of the oven!
Because a Dutch Oven is so heavy duty – it cooks food low and slow and holds the heat – which is why they’re great on a campfire – even if everybody isn’t eating the food all at once – it retains the heat after the fire has died down.
The enamel-coating also prevents rusting and chipping – which is great for maintenance! You can use a Dutch Oven to cook any type of soup, casserole, roast, desserts or even bread that uses a low & slow cooking method. I made this cobbler a couple days ago and now I’m prepping a 10 vegetable soup – both using the same cookware!