Who doesn't love cooking outdoors? Dutch Oven Campfire Cornbread will be a big hit when your crew comes in from the field!
I love homemade baked goods. Who doesn't?? They are made with love and customized to your liking. It's the perfect vehicle for some freshly whipped butter as well!
This is really not much different than baking in the oven, except you just need to be a bit more attentive. Campfire cooking takes practice because the heat isn't at a consistent level. But that's ok, just be ready to peek at it!
Not ready to cook outside? I haven't tested it, but you can likely follow my Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread directions for cooking this recipe in an oven. Or you can simply use that recipe which has the bonus of being gluten-free!
Key Ingredients
Flour - Regular old all-purpose works well here.
Corn meal - Pick this up at the store or grind your own!
Eggs - This adds leavening power and makes a great crumb.
Buttermilk - The perfect tang! Use cultured buttermilk here, not substitutes.
Sweetener - Brown sugar is our main option but a drizzle of honey inside is also perfect.
How to Make Campfire Cornbread
***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***
Step 1: Heat up coals or charcoal and then let your dutch oven "preheat."
Step 2: Whisk dry ingredients well to combine.
Step 3: Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until your batter is smooth.
Step 4: Pour into parchment in your preheated Dutch oven, then "bake."
Step 5: Carefully use the paper to remove the cornbread to cool and enjoy.
Campfire Cooking
This is perfect for camping because technically being lined with parchment, your Dutch oven won't even get dirty! This means you can bake your cornbread first, then turn around and use the same pot to make either Braised Spare Ribs or Dutch Oven Venison Roast.
Invest in two pots and you can also make dessert, like Dutch Oven Brownies!
FAQs
You'll want to invest in a Dutch oven that's made for camping. It has a flat lid that is also indented on one side so you can load it up with hot coals. This is essential to turn it into an oven for baking or roasting. It also has a handle that works with a lid lifting hook to safely remove the hot lid.
I love this as it's so easy to prepare ahead. You can add your dry ingredients to either a gallon bag or a mixing bowl with lid. Label well so you know what you are bringing with you! A grease marker or china pen works well on dishes and of course sharpie on a bag. Liquid ingredients work well in mason jars, which again can be labeled with china crayon. Then you easily combine in either the bag or bowl and you're ready to bake!
If you want to attempt making this recipe gluten-free, I would pick up a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour. This means it is measured cup for cup in place of all-purpose flour. It should work just fine here, though I haven't tested it myself.
Photos by Dante from Shire by the Sea
More Campfire Recipes
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Dutch Oven Campfire Cornbread
Equipment
- 1 Dutch Oven I used a 9 quart
- 20-24 pieces charcoal
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup corn meal
- 1 cup cultured buttermilk
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Honey to drizzle
Instructions
- Melt butter and let cool a bit.
- Whisk flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl until well mixed. If you want to bring this mix camping put into a ziplock bag, label and add wet ingredients at camp.
- Start your fire and make a nice bed of hot coals. You can also use charcoal (20-24) or a combination of both.
- Add eggs, buttermilk and a drizzle of honey to dry mix either in bag or in a bowl. Bag is convenient if you don’t want to dirty a lot of dishes. I prefer bowl. Mix well.
- Place bed of 16 hot coals evenly dispersed underneath parchment lined Dutch oven once coal are hot. Put on lid and remaining coals on top of lid distributed evenly for preheating.
- Let Dutch oven preheat for 15-20 minutes.
- Carefully with oven mittens and lid lifter take off lid and place to one side. Pour mixture carefully into parchment in Dutch oven and replace lid carefully with coals on top still.
- Cook cornbread for 20-30 minutes, checking at 15 minutes to see how it is cooking. Because fire cooking varies so greatly the food needs to be tended more than in a more temperature controlled environment.
- Prick with a toothpick to see if anything is sticking. When it comes out clean it’s done.
- Lift out of Dutch oven carefully with parchment paper and place on a plate to cool.
Notes
- Serve with more butter and honey for a true treat!
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