This Dutch oven berry cobbler is as easy as it gets—thanks to store-bought biscuit dough. Whether you’re cooking over coals or baking at home, I’ve got you covered.
Find more of my cast iron campfire Dutch oven recipes.
We are a scouting family. We have learned so much through scouting, and we are blessed to go on this journey with other AMAZING families. In fact, today we just returned from our adventures with the pack and our camping trip to Anza Borrego State Park in Southern California.
When we camp with the scout families, the pack usually provides the Saturday night dinner. Over the years, I have taken over the planning of our family-style camp dinners.
No more boring hot dogs for us. This particular weekend I made some chicken cacciatore in the dutch oven. Another favorite campfire meal is my cowboy chili with cornbread and dutch oven pot roast.
As always, when I plan a menu I usually choose dessert first. S’mores are always a hit with the scouts, as well as these campfire eclairs. But tonight I decided to try something fruity. The summer weather was begging me to make this berry cobbler.
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Recipe highlights
- Dutch Oven: Think of a Dutch oven as a small oven. You can cook with it as you cook in a regular pot on your stove at home. It is also incredibly easy to bake with one, too. From a pineapple upside down cake to a peach crisp, it is easy to bake desserts in a dutch oven!
- Simple: Fruit cobblers are super simple to make. And this one I created is even easier to make because you use refrigerated biscuit dough for the topping. Stash a few cans of Reddi Whip in your cooler and you have one fabulous dessert!
- Flavor: You can make a cobbler with almost any kind of seasonal fruit. I used a variety of sweet summer berries. When cooked, the berries create a wonderful sweet syrup. And the topping is fluffy, buttery and just sweet enough to remind you that earned this treat!
Ingredients you need
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- Berries: You can use one type of berry or a variety. I used a variety of fresh strawberries, blueberries and blackberries.
- Refrigerated biscuit dough: This is the buttery, flaky topping for the cobbler. You can also use refrigerated crescent rolls.
- Lemon juice: The acid keeps the berry colors bright and keeps them from browning and oxidizing.
- Lemon zest: I love the touch of lemon flavor you get from zest.
- Pantry staples: Granulated sugar, all purpose flour and brown sugar.
Step-by-step directions
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- Heat up the coals. Using a chimney charcoal starter, light up 23 coals. Keep coals in chimney until coals are glowing orange.
- Combine berries. In a large bowl, stir the berries, granulated sugar, flour, lemon juice and zest with your hands until combined. Pour fruit mixture into a 10-inch cast iron dutch oven and spread evenly.
- Add topping. Open and separate refrigerated biscuit dough and cut into quarters. Place biscuit pieces in a bowl and coat evenly with brown sugar. Top berry mixture evenly with sugared biscuit pieces and close pot with the lid.
- Bake. Place dutch oven in a fire pit or fire safe grill. Use long handled tongs to place 7 of the hot coals underneath it. Scatter the remaining 16 hot coals evenly onto the lid of the dutch oven lid. Bake until biscuit topping is golden and fruit is bubbling. Serve warm. A lid lifter can help you lift the hot lid to peek in without burning your fingers.
Recipe tips and FAQs
There is something about camping that reignites me. Maybe it is because we are all unplugged and enjoying each other’s company. Kids are running around, climbing rocks and you hear their chatter and laughter.
Want to bake this at home? No problem! You can use a cast iron skillet or any baking dish and bake at home at 375ºF for 30-40 minutes or until biscuits are lightly browned and fruit is syrupy.
Need more campfire or Dutch oven recipes? Then I have a new book for you: The Camp & Cabin Cookbook (Countryman Press 2018). I have 100 recipes that are all prepared outdoors and over fire using multiple techniques, including the beloved Dutch oven. Learn more about my camp cookbook!
Storing/Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: Store any leftover cobbler in an airtight container and refrigerate (or place in a cooler) for up to 4 days.
TO FREEZE: If you are home, you can also freeze leftovers. Transfer to a resealable bag or freezer safe container and freeze for up to 4 months.
Think of a Dutch oven as a smaller version of the oven you have in your kitchen. The cast iron is a great retainer of heat, allowing the food inside to be surrounded with heat. You cook most anything in a Dutch oven and even bake cookies and cakes over the campfire!
If you are an avid camper and you are cooking for more than 2 people, a cast iron Dutch oven is an essential piece of equipment for your camp kitchen. Start with a smaller 10-inch oven as it can be used for soups, stews, quiche and even bread and cakes.
When choosing a Dutch oven for camping, make sure your pot has little feet underneath it. This allows for hot coals to be placed below the pot without burning the food. It also allows air to flow underneath the pot. Also make sure that the lid is flat and has a rim around the edges to keep the ash from spilling in your food inside.
Campfire Dutch Oven Berry Cobbler
Ingredients
- 2 lb strawberries quartered
- 1 lb blueberries
- 1 lb blackberries
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 refrigerated package of biscuit dough
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
Instructions
- Using a Chimney Charcoal Starter, light up 23 coals. Keep coals in chimney until coals are glowing orange.
- In a fire pit or fire safe grill, place your 10-inch cast iron Dutch oven with 7 of the hot coals underneath it.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir the berries, granulated sugar, flour, lemon juice and zest with your hands until combined.
- Pour fruit mixture into Dutch oven and spread evenly.
- Open and separate refrigerated biscuit dough and cut into quarters.
- Place biscuit pieces in a bowl and coat evenly with brown sugar.
- Top berry mixture evenly with sugared biscuit pieces and cover with Dutch oven lid.
- Scatter the remaining 16 hot coals evenly onto of Dutch Oven lid.
- Bake until biscuit topping is golden and fruit is bubbling. Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback.
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Written by Laura Bashar
Hi, I’m Laura, a certified professional cook and cookbook author living in San Diego. I have been sharing my family’s favorite recipes inspired from all over the world since 2008. Let’s cook up something fun!
Merci! I am definitely going to try this!
Do you have a recipe for the dutch oven lasagna? Looks delicious!
No, I do not. But, it’s easy to make. I layered store bought spaghetti sauce, then uncooked lasagna noodles, sauce, some ricotta mixed with parmesan and shredded mozzarella, zucchini slices, noodles, sauce, ricotta mix, frozen spinach thawed and squeezed of water, fresh basil, noodles, sauce, ricotta mix and shredded mozzarella. Bake at 350ºF (number of coals decided by Dutch oven size, see formula in post) for about an hour. I will make this again and post the recipe. I’ll email you when I have it up. Depending on the size of Dutch oven you’ll need 2 jars of spaghetti sauce,… Read more »
What an awesome way to explain this-now I know eviyrtheng!
ha ha! Good luck and let me know how you do!
lovely theme and lots of fun I haven't used a dutch oven like this
Us scout dads are experts at the chili's, potatos and cobblers. Now we might have to step it up a bit. Well done and impressive.
Your berry cobbler looks amazing. Cooking with cast iron is the best, and now I want to go camping! Thanks for sharing.
wow! amazing food and the pictures are stunning..I want to go camping after reading this..it must me such a refreshing experience!
I cannot tell you how COOL this is! It looks like you had an amazing time! Congrats on the 24×24!
what a fantastic idea!this must have been so much fun! beautiful photos.
What a neat idea! I have been looking at dutch ovens for a while now. This may just inspire me to finally bite the bullet. It looks like you had a beautiful evening with your family.
Ha – great minds think alike:-). I only wish I'd had that chart from Lodge before I started my meal on Saturday – it would have been helpful. Oh, well – winging it worked for me too. Thanks for sharing this wonderful meal for this month's 24×24.
That must have been so exciting!!! What a great hosting!
wow, that's a great way to host a 24×24 🙂 you really had me wanting to go camping and try dutch oven cooking
I so want to go camping after reading this post! I love dutch oven cooking. Looks delicious.