Fruit cobblers and pies are a classic summertime dessert. But during the height of berry season, nothing beats the sweet and sour tang of a Dutch oven blueberry cobbler. Unlike a made-from-scratch pie (that requires some dough know-how and a lot of patience), a cobbler is fast, easy, and leaves plenty of room for error.
Cobblers are among the oldest American desserts, supposedly invented by early Colonists who cooked biscuits on top of stewed fruit. The general idea hasn’t changed much since then. Cobblers are still made with a layer of cooked fruit and a topping that resembles biscuits or scones. They’re part of an entire family of stewed fruit desserts that—depending on your region—includes crisps, pandowdies, buckles, and slumps. (Yes, believe it or not, those are all actual words.) For a more comprehensive dessert history lesson, head here.
Because of their simplicity, cobbler is the perfect dessert to make for a group in the great outdoors. You can even cook it pioneer-style in a big cast-iron pot. The recipe below uses a 10-inch cast-iron Dutch oven. (Scroll to the end of the post for our recommendations.) In addition to the Dutch oven, you’ll also need a blazing fire that’s burned down to its coals. (Fireproof oven mitt optional but encouraged.)
Dutch Oven Blueberry Cobbler
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cup baking mix (such as Bisquick)
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 6 cups fresh blueberries
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
- Use the butter to grease the inside of the Dutch oven. This is also a good time to make sure you’ve got a fire going and it’s burning down to the coals.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the baking mix and milk until combined.
- Pour the sugar, flour, and lemon zest into the Dutch oven and stir together. Add the blueberries and vanilla and stir until they’re completely coated with the sugar mixture.
- Dollop the dough on top of the blueberries, making sure the whole surface is covered. Put the lid on the Dutch oven.
- Right next to your campfire, make a single layer of coals. Place the Dutch oven on top of the coals. Use a tongs to heap 10-12 additional coals on top. Cook for 30-40 minutes until the biscuit topping is cooked through. (You may have to rotate the Dutch oven during cooking to ensure it bakes evenly. (Note: Unlike in an oven, the top of the biscuits won’t brown with this cooking method.)
Cooking Equipment
This Dutch Oven is designed for campfire cooking with legs that keep it raised above the coals.
When you’re cooking for one or two, this Dutch oven is perfect for making mini desserts.
Since campfire cooking with a Dutch oven requires handling hot coals, you might want to make sure you have a pair of tongs on hand.
And speaking of handling hot coals (and hot cast-iron), you might want these too.
There’s nothing like enjoying something sweet after a long day of outdoor adventure and exploration.
Love sweet but not really a dutch oven blueberry cobbler fan? Check out our collection of 3 delicious dutch oven monkey bread recipes that are super simple to make and amazingly tasty. Two things that make cooking with a dutch oven so great is that the recipes are typically very simple to make, and they most often are able to feed any size group. With just a few simple adjustments you can go from a recipe that’s designed to feed a couple camping together in the woods to a large family gathering.
Check out the rest of our site for even more delicious dutch oven recipes, and check back soon because we’re always adding more!
