Dutch oven cinnamon rolls are one of the best campfire desserts you can whip up in the backwoods. Spend the day hiking, then you can return to your campsite, set up a roaring fire, and get those camping cinnamon rolls baking!

You can prepare the dough for these rolls at home, store it safely in a cooler, then start campfire baking in the evening. If you’ve got any leftovers, these cinnamon rolls make for a fantastic breakfast too!

Dutch Oven Cinnamon Rolls: Sweet Campfire Dessert

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Servings

6

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Ingredients

Ingredients for Dutch oven rolls dough

• 2 ¼ tsp of active dry yeast

• 1 tbsp of granulated sugar

• 1 ¼ cups of warm milk

• 4 tbsp of melted butter

• 2 large eggs

• 1 ½ tsp of salt

• 5 ⅓ cups of flour

Ingredients for cinnamon rolls fillings

• 6 tbsp of softened butter

• 1 ½ cups of light brown sugar

• 1 tbsp of cinnamon

• 1 cup of raisins

• 1 cup of pecan pieces

Ingredients for campfire cinnamon rolls glazing

• 3 tbsp of honey

• 1 cup of powdered sugar

Directions

At-home preparation

1. Your easy Dutch oven desserts start at home, where you can prepare the dough. Mix together yeast, ¼ cup of warm water, and 1 tbsp of granulated sugar in a large stand mixer. The mixture needs to stand for at least 5 mins before you move onto the next stage of the recipe.

2. Next, pour in your milk, melted butter, eggs, and a dash of salt. Use a dough hook to slowly combine your flour into the mixture, then put your mixer on low speed to slowly form the dough. This should take around 10 mins. If the dough is too sticky, you can add more flour; if it’s too dry, add a splash of water until you’ve got an elastic dough.

3. Now cover your ball of dough in a light layer of oil, and leave it to rise (while covered) for 1 hour. Your Dutch oven cinnamon roll dough should double during this time.

4. When your dough has risen, transfer it to a floured surface and spend the next 10 mins kneading it vigorously. When done, roll it into a large rectangle shape (roughly 12 inches by 24 inches in size).

5. Now you need to start adding your cinnamon roll filling. The first step is to butter up the dough. Next, mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins, and pecans in a bowl. Spread the filling over the butter, so your rectangle of dough is evenly covered.

6. Finally, you need to roll your dough ready for freezing. Start at the long bottom edge of the rectangle and roll the dough into a large log-shaped cylinder.

7. Cut your log into two, and store them both inside a lightly greased freezer bag. Place the freezer bag into the freezer, and leave your cinnamon dough until it’s time to go camping.

Campsite preparation

1. When it’s time to go camping, take your dough out of the freezer, keep it in the freezer bag and store it in a cooler. Don’t forget to pack your cast iron Dutch oven too.

2. Set up your campfire, and while you’re waiting for your red hot embers to form, you can cut your cinnamon logs into 6 evenly-sized pieces.

3. Grease up the inside of your Dutch oven with a light layer of butter to stop your homemade cinnamon rolls from sticking to it. Place your pieces of dough into the Dutch oven so they form a solid mass in the bottom. Close the lid, then let the dough rise again while your campfire gets going. Leave the dough to rise for up to 3 hours, giving you plenty of time for fire-making!

4. When your hot coals are ready, it’s time to start baking in a Dutch oven. Place the Dutch oven, with lid secured, into the coals, and bury it as best you can. Place more coals on top for an even bake.

5. The Dutch oven cinnamon rolls take around 45 minutes to cook, but this depends on how hot your coals are. When the rolls are brown on top, poke them with a skewer. If the skewer is clean when you remove it, then the cinnamon rolls are cooked through.

6. Let your easy Dutch oven cinnamon rolls cool down before adding your glazing. Give your honey and powdered sugar a good mix before spreading it over the top of your cinnamon rolls.

7. Remove the cinnamon rolls from the Dutch oven, and serve up fresh around your campfire!

Recipe Note

Prepare the dough and the Dutch oven cinnamon roll filling at home before transferring to a 2-gallon freezer bag and freezing.

Dutch oven cinnamon rolls FAQ

How do I bake on an open campfire?

Before baking our cinnamon rolls, we first need to prepare our campfire. You actually have two options. You can set up a full campfire with firewood and let the wood burn down into embers, or you can heat up a large pile of charcoal (similar to lighting a barbecue). Here’s how to prepare your campfire for baking:

1. Select an appropriate spot for your campfire. Many camping sites have designated fire pits. If not, look for an area of scorched ground that’s already been used for a fire. If needed, surround your fire area with bricks or rocks to contain the fire when it gets going. 
2. If you have firewood, pile it up in the center of the pit and use small pieces of kindling to light it. Keep adding progressively larger pieces of wood to the flames. Allow the flames to die down, then pile up your embers in the middle. If you’re using charcoal, simply light the coals using firelighters and let them heat up. 
3. When you have hot coals (from either method), pile some of them up to form an even layer on the ground (use tongs or a fire poker). Place your camping Dutch oven on this first layer of coals, then add another layer to the top of the Dutch oven. Pile any leftover coals around the edges. 
4. While your cinnamon rolls are baking, you can add more embers to the fire to keep it going. If you think it’s too hot, take some away. 
5. When you’re done cooking, remember to put your fire out.

How long do you cook cinnamon rolls in the campfire? 

The exact length of time it takes to cook cinnamon rolls depends on how you’ve constructed your fire and how hot the embers are. Cinnamon rolls could be ready in as little as 30 minutes; however, try to spread your coals evenly and cook for up to 45 minutes to ensure the rolls are cooked through to the center.

Is there a difference between cinnamon rolls and cinnamon buns? 

Cinnamon rolls and cinnamon buns (also known as sticky buns) are similar, yet there are several key differences. To cook pie iron cinnamon rolls, you need to first put your sticky glaze into the Dutch oven. You then place your dough on top of the glaze. The result is a sticky outer coating immediately after cooking.

To cook cinnamon rolls, you add the dough straight into the Dutch oven. You don’t add the glazing until the dough has been cooked!

How long can I store cinnamon roll dough in the freezer? 

You can keep your cinnamon roll dough in the freezer for up to 1 month once you’ve prepared it. Ordinarily, you’ll need to keep it in the freezer for a minimum of 6 hours (preferably overnight, though) before you take it camping. Freezing keeps the dough fresh while you’re in transit to your campsite!

Making desserts while camping? Why not! Try out our dutch oven peach cobbler or chocolate upside down cake recipe on your next camping trip!

Enjoyed this recipe? Then check out more dutch oven camping recipes!