Delicious Dutch Oven Cinnamon Rolls Recipes

When you’re at a campsite or on the trail, you don’t have to forgo a delicious made-from-scratch breakfast. Cold cereal or prepackaged food might be an easier option, but why choose that when you can make Dutch oven cinnamon rolls baked right in the campfire? With a cast-iron pot and a little prep, you can have a bakery-style breakfast in the amount of time it takes to drink that first cup of coffee.

There a few different ways to make campfire cinnamon rolls, and we’ve provided our favorite methods below—including a jumbo cinnamon roll! For each of these Dutch oven breakfast recipes (except for the cinnamon twists), you’ll need a 12-inch cast-iron Dutch oven.

Easy Dutch Oven Cinnamon Rolls

This quick method of making cinnamon rolls uses store-bought cinnamon roll dough. Keep the packaged dough in a cooler until you’re ready to use it.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 package refrigerated cinnamon roll dough (8-count)

Directions

1. Build a campfire and let it burn down until you have some good coals.
2. Butter the inside of a cast-iron Dutch oven. Separate the cinnamon roll dough and place rolls in a single layer on the bottom of the Dutch oven. Replace the lid.
3. Place the Dutch oven on top of the coals. Then heap some more coals on top. Let cook for 10-15 minutes or until fully cooked.
4. Remove the Dutch oven from the fire. Serve the cinnamon rolls on a plate and drizzle with icing.

Homemade Dutch Oven Cinnamon Rolls

If you prefer the taste of homemade rolls, you’ll need to do a little prep work before you head to the outdoors. Follow the instructions to make the dough and frosting at home ahead of time.

Ingredients

Dough

• ¾ cup milk
• ¼ cup butter
• 3¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 package instant yeast 
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup water
• 1 egg
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• ¼ cup butter, softened

Frosting

• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-3 cups powdered sugar

Make-Ahead Directions:

1. Stir together the milk and butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook until the butter melts and the milk is warm. Set aside and let the mixture cool to room temperature.
2. In a large bowl, mix 2 cups of the flour with the yeast, sugar, and salt.
3. Add the water and egg to the flour mixture and beat well. Add the remaining 1¼ cup flour a little at a time, stirring after each addition until the dough comes together.
4. Place the dough on a floured surface and knead it for about 5 minutes. (The dough will be very sticky at first.) Then let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
5. While the dough is resting, make the filling by stirring together the brown sugar and cinnamon.
6. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle that’s 9-by-12-inches. Spread the softened butter all over the dough rectangle. Then sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture all over the dough.
7. Starting on one of the shorter sides, roll up the dough into a log. Press the seam of the dough to hold it in place. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer (or cooler!) until ready to use.
8. Make the frosting: Use an electric mixer to whip together the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator or cooler until ready to use.

Camp Directions:

1. Remove the dough from the cooler and allow it to thaw before baking. (The amount of time depends on whether it has started to thaw in the cooler.) Meanwhile, start a fire and allow it to burn down so you have good coals.
2. Slice the dough into 8-12 equal rounds. Place the rounds in the bottom of a buttered cast-iron Dutch oven and replace the lid.
3. Place the Dutch oven in the burning coals and place more burning coals on the lid. Cook for 10-15 minutes until fully cooked.
4. Remove the Dutch oven from the fire and place the rolls on a plate. Let cool slightly, than spread frosting on top of the rolls.

Jumbo Cinnamon Roll

Follow the directions for the Easy Dutch Oven Cinnamon Rolls. Instead of placing each individual roll in the Dutch oven, try this:

1. Place the dough of one cinnamon roll in the center of the Dutch oven.
2. Unroll the next cinnamon roll and wrap it around the first roll.
3. Continue unrolling cinnamon rolls and wrapping them around the larger roll until there’s no room left or you run out of cinnamon rolls.
4. Cook according to the directions for Easy Dutch Oven Cinnamon Rolls.

Cinnamon Twists

Don’t have a Dutch oven but still want the taste of fresh cinnamon rolls? Try making cinnamon twists! Start with refrigerated cinnamon roll dough. Unroll one cinnamon roll and wrap it around a roasting stick. Roast it over a campfire until it’s cooked through. Then slide it off the roasting stick and drizzle icing on top.

If you plan to make cast-iron cooking a regular part of your outdoor experiences, here are a couple of Dutch ovens worth checking out.

With a handle and an integrated stand, this Dutch oven is designed for campfire use.

This basic Dutch oven model can be used both at home and outdoors.