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Rock your next camping trip with this giant Dutch oven cinnamon roll. Everyone will love it! Not a camper? It can also be baked in the oven in your very own kitchen.
Dutch Oven Cinnamon Roll
This is a guest post from our brother, Devin. Before we go on, the Dutch Oven Cinnamon Roll pictured above was made from this recipe tripled. So if you are afraid it will make too much, the regular recipe will be one-third this size. Now, back to Devin’s big idea.
I have been looking for a new Dutch oven dessert for a long time now. Cobbler is delicious but can get boring, so in my spare time I have been thinking, or perhaps obsessing, about just what I can do to make Dutch oven desserts fun again. Then one night I had a dream. No a vision!!! No, let’s call it divine inspiration. Whatever you call it, behold, here is my new creation: a Dutch oven cinnamon roll!
What’s so special about a Dutch Oven?
When it comes to cooking tools, the Dutch oven is arguably one of the most versatile pans to have in your kitchen arsenal. While most people think of them as synonymous with outdoor cooking, that’s not the only way they can be used. It’s a great way, but not the only way.
Dutch ovens can be used on the stovetop or in the oven as well as over a bed of hot coals on your campfire. Our favorite recipe is a classic Dutch Oven Potatoes, but Dutch ovens can be used for making soups and sauces, boiling water for pasta, frying chicken or braising other meat, (try our Dutch Oven Chicken and Sausage) and for baking bread. Think pioneer-style bread baking on the plains. It worked then, and with the new styles and varieties available it works even better now. Our Dutch Oven Bread is crisp on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside and so delicious.
Ingredients in Dutch Oven Cinnamon Rolls
This ooey, gooey, cinnamon roll recipe is so easy because we take out all of the hassle with yeast, eggs, salt, mixing with a dough hook, etc. by using frozen bread dough! Trust me, once you get it covered with all the yummy toppings, you’ll never be able to tell! So here’s what you need:
- Two loaves of frozen bread dough
- Half cup butter melted
- About a quarter cup (or so) of packed brown sugar and another quarter cup of white sugar
- A half tbsp of cinnamon (add more or less, depending on your preference)
- Pecans or walnuts, chopped. You’ll need about a third of a cup for a single batch, and another few pecan halves to sprinkle on top.
- Don’t forget about the delicious cream cheese frosting on top! Mix a little room temperature cream cheese with some powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract and drizzle on top. Or you can opt out of the cream cheese and just make a powdered sugar glaze.
Easy Breakfast for Camping
We love making this cinnamon roll recipe on family camping trips. The ingredients are easy to pack in a cooler and they taste scrumptious mixed with cool mountain air! Here’s all you need to do:
- Cut each rectangle loaf into four pieces, then roll each piece into a rope about 18 inches long.
- Brush each rope on all sides with melted butter.
- In a small bowl, mix together sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the mixture on some aluminum foil or plastic wrap and roll each rope in the mixture.
- If possible, spray the Dutch oven with cooking spray.
- Shape ropes into a coil in the center of a 10 inch Dutch oven, and repeat until all four ropes are layered in, matching the long edges end to end.
- Sprinkle on any remaining sugar mixture and the nuts on and then close the lid.
- Let it rise for 30-40 minutes, then bake! If you’re cooking outside, cover the top of the lid with hot charcoals. Or bake in oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
- Remove pieces of cinnamon roll with a knife or tongs, and serve! Make sure you keep some paper towels handy, because these cinnamon buns are so gooey and yummy!
More Camp-Style Creations
Since people often equate Dutch oven cooking with camping, or at least outdoor cooking, there are some great things to consider pairing with your Dutch Oven Cinnamon Roll. Cajun Shrimp Foil Packets or these Grilled Ranch Potatoes in Foil make for great dinner options over the fire. If you want something transportable, and easy to eat while you’re hanging out in your camp chair, these Locos Tacos in a bag are perfect.
*Dutch Oven Cinnamon Roll pictured was made from this recipe tripled.
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More Dutch Oven Recipes
How To Make Dutch Oven Cinnamon Roll
Devin’s Dutch Oven Cinnamon Roll
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
Cinnamon Pecan Ring:
- 2 loaves frozen bread dough thawed
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans
- pecan halves optional
Glaze:
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 1/2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Cut each loaf of bread dough into 4 pieces. Form each piece into a rope about 18” long. Brush each rope on all sides with melted butter.
- In a small bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Place mixture on aluminum foil. Roll rope in sugar mixture. Shape rope into a coil in the center of a 10” Dutch oven.
- Repeat with the next rope and continue the coil in the Dutch oven. When finished sprinkle the remaining sugar mixture and chopped pecans over the coil.
- Cover and let rise 30-40 minutes.
- Bake in the oven at 350 degrees, or with top and bottom charcoal heat, for 30 minutes or until done.
For the Glaze
- Stir glaze ingredients together in a bowl. If the glaze is too thick add milk a little at a time until it reaches the desired thickness.
- Allow cinnamon roll to cool about 15 minutes after baking. Spoon the glaze evenly over the cinnamon roll.
- Sprinkle pecan halves over glaze (optional).
Hello! I don’t have a lot of experience with bread dough…do I let it go through the full rising process before roping it, or does it just need to be thawed? Thanks!
It just needs to be thawed. I apologize, it wasn’t clear on the recipe. Thaw the bread dough according to the package directions, then you can cut and rope the dough. The dough will rise again in the Dutch oven after it is roped. Enjoy! Merry Christmas!
I use similar recipe to make cinnamon buns. My recipe calls for 2/3 stick of butter and 1 cup brown sugar per loaf of frozen dough. Can’t imagine less to get good results.
What specific type of bread would you use? Sandwich bread or cinnamon roll bread? I am really confused. Also if we tripled the recipe, do we need more time for it to cook?
It is frozen sandwich bread dough. I haven’t tried tripling the recipe before, but I am guessing it will need to cook a little longer and possibly at a lower temperature to make sure the inside cooks fully.