Nothing beats lifting the lid on a Dutch oven and finding a bubbling, golden cobbler underneath. That is why these Dutch oven desserts are the 22 cobblers, cakes, and dump cakes I have baked in cast iron, from a quick weeknight skillet to a camp oven set in the coals. Because every one uses simple pantry ingredients, most are ready in about an hour.
If you want the full dinner and dessert menu, start with my best Dutch oven recipes. When you are cooking outside, pair these with my Dutch oven camping recipes, or go straight to the easiest bakes of the bunch in my dump cake recipes.
Quick Look at this Page
- ✅ Total Recipes: 22 Dutch oven cobblers, cakes, and dump cakes
- 🕒 Ready In: About an hour for most, with 5 to 15 minutes of hands-on prep
- 🍳 Cookware: Dutch oven, cast iron skillet, or camp oven
- 🍑 Flavors: Peach, cherry, berry, apple, pumpkin, lemon, and chocolate
- 🔥 Works Over: Your home oven or campfire coals
- ⭐ Why You'll Love Them: Every dessert is tested in cast iron, with coal counts to match
Summarize and Save the Recipe
Jump to:
Why You'll Love These Dutch Oven Desserts
- One pot, no fuss. Most of these bake in a single Dutch oven or skillet, so cleanup is short and the dessert goes straight from heat to table.
- Crisp edges, bubbling centers. Cast iron holds steady heat, so cobblers get a browned edge while the fruit underneath stays jammy.
- Oven or campfire. The same pot that bakes a cobbler in your kitchen also bakes one in the coals, and I give you the coal counts below.
- Something for every season. Peach and berry cobblers suit summer, while apple and pumpkin suit fall, and chocolate works any day you need it.
How to Bake Desserts in a Dutch Oven
A Dutch oven is built for slow, even heat, and that is exactly what a cobbler or cake wants. Because the thick walls hold temperature and the lid traps steam, fruit cooks down while the topping browns. If you enjoy cast iron for dinner, desserts work the same way, and my guide on what to cook in a Dutch oven covers the rest of the menu.
Oven Baking Basics
- Preheat the pot. For batters and biscuit toppings that need a crisp bottom, set the empty Dutch oven in the oven while it heats. For dump cakes, however, a cold pot is fine.
- Bake with the lid on, then off. Keep the lid on for the first part so the fruit softens, then take it off for the last 10 to 15 minutes to brown the top.
- Check the temperature. Most recipes here bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, so my Dutch oven temperature chart helps if you are converting a recipe.
Campfire and Coal Baking
Treat coal counts as a starting point, not a rule. For a 12-inch camp Dutch oven at about 350 degrees, light roughly 24 coals (oven diameter times 2), then split them top-heavy for baking at about 3 to 1: around 18 on the lid and 6 underneath. Most of the heat should come from above, so the topping browns before the bottom can scorch.
- Read the fire. White-gray ash means steady heat. Bright orange means it is running hot, so pull a coal or two from the bottom. Dark gray and dull means it is time to add fresh coals.
- Rotate together. Give the oven and the lid a quarter turn together every 15 minutes to even out hot spots.
- Adjust for the day. On a hot day, pull 2 to 3 coals. On a cold or windy day, add 2 to 3 and replenish every 20 minutes. At higher elevations, plan on a longer bake.
My Dutch oven temperature chart explains why cooking by feel beats a fixed coal count, and how elevation, temperature, and wind change the numbers.
Keep the Bottom From Scorching
- Line the pot with parchment. Because a parchment round makes cakes and brownies release cleanly, it also protects the sugars on the bottom.
- Use fewer bottom coals than you think, since sugary fruit burns fast. Lean on the lid for heat.
- Lift the pot off the ground. A trivet or a ring of foil keeps the base from sitting directly in hot coals.
- Peek early. Check around the 30 minute mark, because a cobbler is done when the fruit bubbles at the edges and the topping is golden.
Dutch Oven Cobblers
Cobbler is the Dutch oven dessert. First, fruit goes in the bottom, then a biscuit or pie crust topping goes on top, and finally the lid does the rest. These six cover biscuit and pie crust styles, and every one works in a skillet if you do not own a Dutch oven.
Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler
Juicy, cinnamon-spiced peaches sit under a golden, buttery biscuit crust. This is the cobbler I make first when someone asks for dessert, and it works just as well in a camp oven over coals. Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler
Cast Iron Cherry Cobbler
Canned cherries and a buttermilk biscuit topping make this an any-month cobbler, so there is no pitting required. The edges bake up crisp while the middle stays jammy. Cast Iron Cherry Cobbler
Skillet Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler
Sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb bake under a golden biscuit topping. Since cast iron holds heat so well, you get browned edges and a bubbling center in about an hour. Skillet Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler
Peach Blueberry Cobbler
Bourbon-kissed peaches and blueberries sit under a flaky buttermilk biscuit topping. Because the skillet goes from oven to table, the cobbler stays warm while you serve. Peach Blueberry Cobbler
Cast Iron Skillet Berry Cobbler
This mixed berry cobbler works with fresh or frozen fruit, and the pie crust topping is cut into stars for the Fourth of July. However, it is just as good any other night of the year. Cast Iron Skillet Berry Cobbler
Southern Blackberry Cobbler
Juicy blackberries bake under a flaky pie crust, Southern style. Serve it warm, then let the ice cream melt down the sides. Southern Blackberry Cobbler
Dutch Oven Cakes and Skillet Cakes
Cast iron bakes a cake with a crisp edge and a moist crumb that a glass pan cannot match. These eight run from simple fruit cakes to mini lava cakes, and each one goes from oven to table in the same pan.
Dutch Oven Apple Cake
This moist, easy apple cake is one the whole family will enjoy any time of year. Serve it with vanilla ice cream, and watch the pan empty. Dutch Oven Apple Cake
Apple Skillet Cake
Tender apples, warm spice, and buttery flavor come together in a simple one-pan cake. Slice it straight from the skillet while it is still warm. Apple Skillet Cake
Bourbon Berry Brown Sugar Cake
Jammy berry pockets sit under a crackly turbinado crust. Also, the brown sugar and a splash of bourbon give this skillet cake real depth. Bourbon Berry Brown Sugar Cake
Pumpkin Spice Cake
Real pumpkin and warm spices make a moist cake with cream cheese frosting on top. Since it feeds a crowd, it is a hit at any potluck. Pumpkin Spice Cake
Angel Food Cake
This angel food cake is light, fluffy, and made from scratch. It is the right pick when you want something airy after a heavy dinner, especially with fresh berries. Angel Food Cake
Mary Todd Lincoln's White Almond Cake
This from-scratch, double-almond bundt has a tender white crumb and bakes in a cast iron bundt pan. Although it has a Civil War era story, the flavor earns the attention on its own. Mary Todd Lincoln's White Almond Cake
Mini Lava Cakes
Because cast iron holds heat, these mini lava cakes get crisp edges and a gooey chocolate center. Better yet, you get a restaurant-style dessert without the restaurant bill. Mini Lava Cakes
Skillet Caramel Brownies
German chocolate cake mix and a gooey caramel center bake up right in the skillet. Because it starts with a mix, it is easy enough for a weeknight and rich enough for company. Skillet Caramel Brownies
Dutch Oven Dump Cakes
Dump cakes are the easiest dessert on this list because you layer fruit, dry cake mix, and butter, and the oven does the mixing. They are also the best fit for a campfire, since there is no batter to measure. For more of these, see my full collection of dump cake recipes.
Caramel Apple Dump Cake
Caramel and apple pie filling sit under a moist, spiced, buttery cake topping. Although it is a fall favorite, I would happily bake it in July. Caramel Apple Dump Cake
Camp Oven Peach Dump Cake
Simple ingredients and almost no prep make this a camp favorite. Then you serve it warm and scoop it right out of the pot. Camp Oven Peach Dump Cake
Lemon Blueberry Dump Cake
Tangy lemon and sweet blueberries sit under a golden cake topping. Because it bakes in a Dutch oven over hot coals or at home, it is a bright pick for summer camping trips. Lemon Blueberry Dump Cake
Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake
Sweet pineapple and tart cherries sit under a buttery cake topping with minimal prep. Since the combination is a classic, it works in any season. Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake
Pear Raspberry Dump Cake
Juicy pears and tangy raspberries sit under a golden cake topping. As a result, dessert is effortless. Pear Raspberry Dump Cake
Skillet Pumpkin Dump Cake
This quick, easy fall dessert deserves to be baked all year. Because pumpkin, spice, and a crisp buttery topping all come together in one skillet, cleanup is easy too. Skillet Pumpkin Dump Cake
Skillet Cherry Chocolate Cake
This skillet cake looks unusual, but the first bite wins everybody over. Chocolate cake mix and cherry filling bake into something close to a warm black forest dessert. Skillet Cherry Chocolate Cake
Cola Chocolate Cherry Cake
Adding cola takes this dump cake up a notch, so it bakes into a rich, sticky chocolate cherry cake. As a result, it disappears fast. Cola Chocolate Cherry Cake
Dutch Oven or Skillet: Which Is Best for Dessert?
Both work, and most recipes on this page can go either way. A Dutch oven gives you depth and a lid, so it is ideal for tall cobblers and campfire baking. A cast iron skillet, on the other hand, gives you more surface area, which means more browned edges for cookies, brownies, and crisps. If you want more skillet sweets, browse my cast iron skillet recipes or the full dessert recipes collection. New to cast iron? Start with how to keep your pan in shape in my cast iron care guide.
Dutch Oven Dessert FAQs
Pot and Pan Questions
Almost anything you would bake in a deep baking dish. Cobblers, dump cakes, apple cake, brownies, bread pudding, and cinnamon rolls all work well, and the thick walls and lid hold even heat, which suits fruit desserts especially.
A 5 to 6 quart Dutch oven handles most of these recipes. For camping, a 12-inch camp Dutch oven works for cobblers and dump cakes, and if you only have a skillet, a 10 or 12-inch cast iron skillet is a good substitute for many of them.
A well-seasoned cast iron Dutch oven usually does not need grease for dump cakes and cobblers, because butter and fruit juice prevent sticking. For cakes and brownies, however, grease the pot or line it with parchment.
Campfire Questions
Line the pot with parchment, then start with about 24 coals for a 12-inch Dutch oven at 350 degrees, split roughly 3 to 1 with more on the lid (about 18 on top and 6 underneath). Rotate the oven and lid together a quarter turn every 15 minutes, and adjust using your coal color. Coal counts are a starting point, since elevation, temperature, and wind all change the heat.
Use parchment, keep most of the coals on the lid, and then lift the pot off direct heat with a trivet or ring of foil. In the oven, lower the rack one position, and check the dessert a few minutes early.
Yes, as long as you bake in a home oven. Because camp Dutch ovens have legs and a flanged lid to hold coals, use one of those over a fire. An enameled Dutch oven is fine in the oven, but keep it off direct campfire coals.
More Delicious Cast Iron Desserts
If you baked any of these Dutch oven desserts, let us know how they turned out! Leave a 🌟 star rating on the recipe you tried and share your 📝 comments with your thoughts.
Leave a Reply