Who says campfire food can’t be fancy? This Dutch oven blueberry clafoutis puts a rustic twist on a classic French dessert—complete with tips for cooking it outdoors or in your home oven.
Recipe from my new camping cookbook: The Camp & Cabin Cookbook. Find more of my cast iron campfire Dutch oven recipes.
My adventures with camping the camping recipes I created began when The Professor joined Cub Scouts when he was in first grade. That same little guy also became an Eagle Scout just last year, as did my Middle Child.
Through our almost 15 years with scouting, we have gone on many camping trips with our scouting family and with friends. I took over our camp menu early on and experimented a lot with my campfire recipes.
One of my favorite ways to cook outdoors is with my cast iron dutch oven. From basics like cowboy chili to gourmet meals like osso buco with lemon gremolata, I have cooked it all.
And of course desserts! I love baking in a dutch oven. Today I am sharing one of my fancier dessert recipes, a blueberry lemon clafoutis – baked in cast iron dutch oven.
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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: Despite this being a fancy French custard like dish, it is very easy to whip up and bake a clafoutis. You don’t need fancy equipment to make the batter, just a bowl and whisk. And you can make this recipe at home or over hot coals.
- Flavor: A clafoutis is a creamy flan-like dessert. It is traditionally made with cherries, but I used one of my favorite fruit combinations, lemons and blueberries. It is mildly sweet and velvety smooth. Although it is technically a dessert, I have served it alongside a hearty breakfast. Nobody minded their breakfast dessert and the teenage boys I fed made sure no crumbs were left behind!
Ingredients you need
- Blueberries: I prefer to use fresh blueberries, since thawed frozen blueberries will get mushy. You can also use other berries or pitted cherries, too.
- Lemon: I add both the juice and grated zest from a fresh lemon. I love how it compliments the blueberries.
- Heavy cream: This is a creamy custard based recipe so you need heavy whipping cream and not regular milk.
- Eggs: Custards are made with a combination of eggs and heavy cream. It makes the dessert rich and creamy.
- Powdered sugar: I dust the final dish with some powdered sugar. This is a mildly sweet dessert, so adding a little more sugar doesn’t make it overly sweet.
- Pantry staples: All purpose flour, granulated sugar, vanilla extract and kosher salt.
Step-by-step directions
- In a chimney, light up 22 briquettes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, salt and flour.
- Add cream, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla extract into the egg mixture and whisk until smooth.
- Pour the batter into a 10-inch dutch oven lined with parchment paper. Scatter blueberries over the batter.
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- Cover the pot and place 8 coals underneath the dutch oven and 14 coals on top (350°F) and bake for 40 minutes. The top will be lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center will come out clean when done.
- Remove the lid and let the clafoutis cool, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. It will puff up while baking and deflate while it cools. Prior to serving, dust with powdered sugar.
Expert tips and recipe FAQs
This recipe is featured in camping cookbook. The Camp & Cabin Cookbook is tribute to my family and our culinary adventures cooking outdoors. We learned new cooking techniques from our scouting family, entertained a lot of fabulous friends on weekend trips to the mountains.
There was the big food fest and photo shoot at the beach which gave us lots of envious looks from strangers walking by!
I am so very proud of how this new cookbook has turned out. My goal was to produce a beautiful cookbook that would make a perfect coffee table read. And that is exactly how my cookbook turned out.
It is also my wish that this cookbook inspires you all to get outdoors, unplug, light that fire and get cooking. There is something magical that happens when you connect with nature.
Storing/Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: Store any leftover clafoutis 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.
When choosing a Dutch oven for campfire cooking, 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. Depending on how many people you are serving, you can use a 10, 12 or 14-inch pot.
You can bake most anything over coals using a cast iron dutch oven. From simple things like upside down cakes, cobblers and crips to a French clafoutis and yeast breads, all can be baked in a cast iron dutch oven. I have also baked chocolate chip cookies and galettes in a dutch oven. You are only limited by your own imagination!
Dutch Oven Lemon Blueberry Clafoutis
Ingredients
- 5 large eggs
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 ¼ cup heavy cream
- Grated zest from 2 lemons
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups blueberries about 7 ½ oz
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar optional
Instructions
- In a chimney, light up 22 briquettes.
- Press a large sheet of parchment paper into a 10-inch Dutch oven.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, salt and flour.
- Whisk cream, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla extract into the egg mixture. Whisk until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared Dutch oven. Scatter blueberries over the batter.
- Cover the pot and place 8 coals underneath the Dutch oven and 14 coals on top (350°F) and bake for 40 minutes. The top will be lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center will come out clean when done.
- Remove the lid and let the clafoutis cool, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. It will puff up while baking and deflate while it cools.
- Prior to serving, dust with powdered sugar.
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.
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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!
This recipe is exquisite! I’ve been making clafoutis for years and will definitely be adding your lemon-blueberry recipe to my repertoire. Thanks for posting it for everyone to try.
Ah, thank you Laurie, for your sweet words! It really is an easy and delicious treat!
Laura
My kinda dessert: custard and fruit. Yes please!