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    Home ยป Recipes ยป Dessert Recipes

    Dutch Oven Cinnamon Rolls

    Published: May 8, 2021 ยท Modified: Aug 24, 2021 by Ned Adams ยท This post may contain affiliate links ยท 30 Comments

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    Branded image for Dutch Oven Cinnamon Rolls

    Easy and delicious Dutch Oven Cinnamon Rolls have the ooey-gooey classic flavor you love, whether camping or at home.

    Looking for more delicious desserts? Try our Cola Cherry Chocolate Cake or our Caramel Apple Dump Cake in a Dutch oven. They will not disappoint.

    Dutch Oven Cinnamon Rolls plated and in the DO still; ready to eat.
    Jump to:
    • How to Make Dutch Oven Cinnamon Rolls
    • Other Related Cast Iron Dessert Recipes
    • Get the Recipe
    • Quick and Easy Desserts

    Disclaimer, just so you don't get mad at me later!

    These are addictively delicious! And dripping with the most amazing cinnamon-sugar frosting mixture.

    Now that the warning or disclaimer is out of the way, these Dutch Oven Cinnamon Rolls are not a tradition cinnamon roll. You know the swirling bread with a layer of cinnamon-sugar between it's fluffy layers.

    Our version is a riff on those, created for a tasty dessert or sweet breakfast while camping.

    A speared baked cinnamon hole on a fork.

    We wanted that classic taste we all know and love, but something much simpler while cooking outdoors.

    Turns out, these are so amazing, I might not ever make them in the traditional way again...you might not either.

    How to Make Dutch Oven Cinnamon Rolls

    Ingredients to make the recipe: cinnamon, pecans, frozen dinner rolls, brown sugar, butter, prepared cream cheese frosting, and the Dutch oven.

    These cinnamon holes, which is what they really are, are really easy to make, but they do require a bit of forethought.

    We use frozen dinner rolls. Yes you read that right. Frozen Dinner Rolls. NOT frozen cinnamon rolls (although, we've done that once and they're delicious too.)

    Depending on how warm your kitchen or campsite is, the dough needs to sit in the Dutch oven (or skillet) for 2-3 hours to rise.

    Butter coating the inner surfaces of the Dutch oven and frozen dinner rolls placed inside.

    Use about a tablespoon of softened butter to coat the inside of the DO or skillet. I like to be generous since removing them is easier the more it's coated and the extra butter just helps with the their richness.

    Place the frozen dough balls in, however you can make them fit.

    Frozen dough balls arranged in the coated pot to rise.

    However, the more space you leave them, the bigger and fluffier they'll bake up. Our regular 6 quart DO and 12-inch skillet can fit between 21-24 frozen dough balls.

    The smallest package of rolls I could find was 36, so perhaps you want to make a double batch or just toss the rest back in the freezer for another use.

    Brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans top the frozen dough.

    Top the dough with brown sugar, taking a bit of care to get it in the nooks and crannies between the rolls.

    Then sprinkle the cinnamon over the brown sugar.

    And finally, if you're using pecans, spread them over the top as well.

    Drizzle the melted butter all over the top of the sweetened dough. The butter-coated sides along with the melted butter will create the tasty sticky sugary sauce you'll have at the end.

    Melted butter is being drizzled over the topped bread dough.

    Once they're all arranged and topped, cover them with either the DO or skillet lid or a kitchen towel. Allow them to sit out and rise. They will increase in size as they thaw.

    The more space they have to expand, the more room they'll take...much like a child or pet who crawls into your bed at night.

    Insert the Jeopardy music while they rise over the next 2-3 hours.

    The Dutch Oven Cinnamon rolls are fully cooked.

    Pre-heat your oven to 350°F about 10 minutes or however long your oven takes to heat up, before you want to bake them.

    If cooking over coals, prepare them in advance, so it's ready to go when you are.

    Cover with the Dutch oven with its lid or foil and bake for 20 minutes. They could take up to 30, depending on your oven or coals consistency and how well you packed the pan.

    Prepared cream cheese frosting thinned with cream being drizzled over the hot baked sweet bread.

    Once they're fully baked, remove them from the oven or coals and let sit. WITHOUT opening the lid or foil.

    While they're resting, slightly warm the pre-made cream cheese frosting. Once it's warm, stir in the cream to thin it.

    Drizzle the icing over the top of the still HOT cinnamon rolls.

    If you want to be really decadent, you can sprinkle a bit of cinnamon-sugar blend over the drizzled icing. But this isn't necessary to fully enjoy this delectable treat.

    A few cinnamon holes removed from the pot to show the sticky buttery cinnamon-sugar sauce that pools at the bottom.

    Serve (with a lot of napkins) and enjoy.

    Other Related Cast Iron Dessert Recipes

    • Cola Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake has cooled, garnished with fresh cherries and mint, and is ready to be served.
      Cola Chocolate Cherry Cake
    • Baked caramel apple cake garnished with scoops of vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce, fresh apple slices and mint along the sides.
      Caramel Apple Dump Cake
    • Chocolate chip cookie brownie on a white plate with a trio of berries.
      Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie
    • Sliced wedge of the cookie topped with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.
      Skillet Snickerdoodle Cookie

    If you tried these Dutch Oven Cinnamon Rolls or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!

    Get the Recipe

    Cooked and ready to eat cinnamon holes.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 27 votes

    Dutch Oven Cinnamon Rolls

    Easy and delicious Dutch Oven Cinnamon Rolls have the ooey-gooey classic flavor you love, whether camping or at home.
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time45 minutes mins
    Rising Time2 hours hrs
    Total Time2 hours hrs 50 minutes mins
    Course: Bread
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 994kcal
    Author: Ned Adams
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • 12-inch camp oven OR 6 quart Dutch Oven
    • 12-inch cast iron skillet

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon butter softened
    • 24 frozen, unbaked rolls We used Rhodes
    • 1 cup brown sugar
    • 1½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • ½ cup pecans chopped
    • ½ cup butter melted or see notes.
    • 2 tablespoon heavy cream half and half or milk will work too.
    • 8 oz cream cheese frosting
    • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon-sugar blend (optional)
    US Standard - Metric

    Instructions

    Assembly

    • Arrange frozen dinner rolls in the pot/pan
    • Sprinkle the brown sugar over the top of each dough ball; repeating with the cinnamon and the pecans.
    • Pour the melted butter over the top.
    • Let stand for at least 2 hours allowing the rolls to double in size.

    Oven baked

    • Pre-heat the oven to 350°F
    • Assemble the rolls. (see above)
    • Cover with a lid or foil and bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through.

    Outdoor camp oven

    • Heat coals in a charcoal chimney.
    • Once hot, place 12 coals on bottom (camp table, fire pit, etc).
    • Nestle camp oven on top of the coals.
    • Assemble the rolls. (see above)
    • Cover with the camp oven lid.
    • Place heated coals over the entire lid.
    • Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through.
    • When done, using a lid lifter, remove from coals.

    Glazing the rolls

    • Add the premade frosting to a heat-safe bowl, and warm slightly.
    • Stir in the cream to thin the icing.
    • Drizzle the icing over the warm cinnamon rolls.
    • If using, sprinkle with the optional cinnamon-sugar blend.
    • Serve warm; drizzled the buttery-cinnamon sauce from the pan over the rolls.

    Notes

    Cooler temperatures, either indoors or outside for camp cooking, will cause the rolls longer to rise, about 3 hours. 
    Over-crowding the pan will yield smaller cooked rolls, the more room they have to expand, the fluffier they will get. 
    Cube butter into small squares and place over the top of the rolls to melt while cooking over coals.
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 994kcal | Carbohydrates: 142g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 1137mg | Potassium: 305mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 63g | Vitamin A: 611IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 353mg | Iron: 7mg

    Dutch Oven Daddy is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.

    Did you try this recipe?Leave me a comment and rating below or Tag @DutchOvenDaddy on Instagram to show us your photos!

    Quick and Easy Desserts

    If you love these quick and easy Dutch Oven Cinnamon rolls, then you just might these other sweet treats pulling double duty as a breakfast (or snack) and dessert.

    • Skillet Cherry Clafoutis
    • Orange Cardamom Concha Bread (Pan Dulce) from The Complete Savorist
    • Slow Cooker Baked Apples from The Magical Slow Cooker
    • Easy Cherry Cheese Danish from Family Fresh Meals
    • Air Fryer Donut Bites from The Rockstar Mommy
    • Skillet Sweet Cherry Rolls
    • Chocolate Banana Oatmeal Muffins from The Complete Savorist
    • Slow Cooker Scalloped Apples from The Magical Slow Cooker
    • Strawberry Banana Bread from Family Fresh Meals
    • Cast Iron Cinnamon Apples

    More Irresistible Cast Iron Dessert Recipes

    • A cherry roll on a plate.
      Sweet and Buttery Cherry Rolls
    • Spoons digging into butterscotch brownies.
      Gooey Butterscotch Brownies
    • A cooked Dutch baby pancake in a skillet with bowls of fruit and powdered sugar to the side.
      Cast Iron Dutch Baby Recipe
    • Southern blackberry cobbler with pie crust in a bowl with scoops of ice cream.
      Southern Blackberry Cobbler with Pie Crust

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 27 votes

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Paula

      July 07, 2024 at 8:22 pm

      5 stars
      These cinnamon rolls were sooooo tasty!! Im obsessed!

      Reply
    2. Tara

      July 07, 2024 at 3:39 pm

      5 stars
      Oooh, you had me at ooey-gooey classic flavor! These cinnamon rolls look absolutely fantastic. Definitely the perfect comfort food.

      Reply
    3. Cathleen

      July 07, 2024 at 12:59 pm

      5 stars
      I am much too lazy to make cinnamon rolls from scratch, but when I saw this easy recipe I knew I needed to make them. They were a huge hit at my house, thank you so much for sharing ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
    4. suja md

      July 07, 2024 at 12:07 pm

      5 stars
      I made this rolls, definitely mind blowing recipe. Thank You.

      Reply
    5. Susan

      July 07, 2024 at 9:48 am

      5 stars
      Literally making me drool...that topping!

      Reply
    6. TAYLER ROSS

      June 25, 2024 at 7:24 am

      5 stars
      I made these cinnamon rolls for breakfast this morning and they were delicious! My new favorite breakfast treat!

      Reply
    7. Angela

      June 25, 2024 at 7:24 am

      5 stars
      Wow - you weren't kidding when you said how addictive these are! I love how soft and fluffy they were and well the flavour was something else! We demolished the entire batch so fast! Great recipe -thanks!

      Reply
    8. Mahy

      June 25, 2024 at 7:19 am

      5 stars
      Well, I can officially say that I can not say no to cinnamon rolls. Can't wait to try your recipe!

      Reply
    9. Anjali

      June 25, 2024 at 2:14 am

      5 stars
      Omg these cinnamon rolls are so amazing!! They're gooey and sweet, sticky, and totally irresistible. I made them for brunch and my family gobbled them up!

      Reply
    10. Harriet Young

      June 24, 2024 at 10:46 pm

      5 stars
      These were absolutely delicious! A perfect breakfast while camping. Thank you!

      Reply
    11. Beth

      May 06, 2024 at 9:55 am

      5 stars
      These are some of the best cinnamon rolls I've ever made. Cooking them in a Dutch Oven seemed to cook them more evenly, and they were so soft!

      Reply
    12. Charah

      May 06, 2024 at 9:31 am

      5 stars
      I never knew I can make this at home, this recipe is very easy. thanks for sharing

      Reply
    13. Paula

      May 06, 2024 at 9:03 am

      5 stars
      These dutch oven cinnamon rolls were absolutely incredible! Never want to go back to the traditional way again.

      Reply
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    the Dutch Oven Daddy! Iโ€™m a full-time computer nerd and part-time cook. My passion is cast iron cooking with tips, tricks, and delicious recipes. I love using my recipes to bring together family and friends. I believe everything is made better in cast iron!

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