Easy Dutch Oven Bread Pudding with Blueberries for Camping

Are you looking for a yummy and easy Dutch oven bread pudding recipe?

This delicious cast iron Dutch oven bread pudding with blueberries is sure to please your family on your next camping trip!

Trust me, you don’t miss out on enjoying this perfect breakfast treat. This bread pudding is warm, sweet, soft, buttery, and slightly crisp on the edges. It uses simple ingredients making it the perfect treat.

My version of homemade bread pudding is reminiscent of the taste of French toast but without the fuss of all the steps involved in making it. The blueberries add a touch of sweetness and tartness that takes this dish over the top.

When planning car camping breakfasts I have two important requirements they must meet besides simply tasting good. The meals must be filling and they have to be easy to prepare.

The prep time for campfire bread pudding in a Dutch oven is super fast because it is practically a mix-and-dump dish. Making this camping breakfast from scratch is going to be easier than serving scrambled eggs to your crew!

🫐 How to Make Dutch Oven Bread Pudding with Blueberries

In under an hour, you will have an amazingly tasty, warm, and super tasty breakfast to serve your fellow campers! Keep in mind that ingredients can be altered based on my suggestions.

This recipe can also be made at home in your oven. Simply follow the ingredients and mixing instructions, ignoring the briquettes, and bake at 350ºF for 40 minutes.

Are you ready? Let’s make the BEST best bread pudding!

Equipment

✔️ Dutch Oven – The recipe outlined in this post uses a 4-Quart Dutch oven (which serves 4 people). You will, for example, need a 6-Quart Dutch oven to serve 6 people, an 8-Quart Dutch oven to serve 8 people, and so on.

You will want to avoid using an enameled Dutch oven if cooking this cast iron bread pudding as directed, using briquettes. However, an enameled Dutch oven would work beautifully in an oven indoors.

✔️ Parchment Paper – Just as it is advised to line your baking dishes with parchment when making quick breads at home, it is recommended that you line your camping Dutch oven with parchment paper, when baking, to avoid a big messy cleanup.

I like to rub butter along the bottom and lower inside edges of the Dutch oven before placing the parchment inside as it helps hold the parchment in place.

✔️ Charcoal Chimney – I really love using a foldable charcoal chimney starter because it is nice and compact when packing up the car for camping.

✔️ Briquettes – When using a chimney starter you will want to use natural charcoal briquettes without the instant light label.

Ingredients

BREAD – I think the best bread to use for this recipe is either challah or a brioche-style loaf, such as Bakerly, or any brand that you have access to in your local grocery store.

However, you can use any bread you want! You can even use gluten-free bread but it works better if stale.

SALTED BUTTER – Use 6 tbs or 3/8 cup butter to create the perfect salty-sweet combo in this dish. If you are dairy-free, use your preferred dairy alternative such as Earth Balance or Milkadamia. They will work just as well!

EVAPORATED MILK – Because this is a camping recipe I do my best to use strictly shelf-stable or room temperature-tolerant ingredients to minimize cooler usage or avoid using one at all. That is why I use evaporated milk.

However, you can certainly use fresh whole milk or half and half just as well.

For evaporated milk, even though my family eats dairy, I prefer to use Nature’s Charm Evaporated Coconut Milk because I enjoy the flavor and the very light sweetness it provides. It is not overly coconut-flavored and some may not even notice it is not dairy!

LEMON ZEST – This ingredient is optional BUT it adds a delightful freshness to the taste of the final dish. If you are not keen on zesting a lemon while camping, simply use lemon juice, 1/2 tsp of lemon extract, or skip it entirely.

EGGS – You can use fresh eggs or an egg replacer such as the one made by Bob’s Red Mill. The eggs or egg replacer hold the dish together so they are a must in the making of the bread pudding.

SUGAR – 1/4 cup sugar: white sugar, coconut sugar, or brown sugar can be used in this recipe.

SPICES – Cinnamon and nutmeg are my go-to spices for this bread pudding but you can also try allspice, ginger, or pumpkin pie spice and adjust them based on your final choice of fruit or other additions.

VANILLA EXTRACT – While this can be omitted if you don’t have it I will say vanilla adds a truly delicate fruity-sweet element to the final flavor of the bread pudding.

DEHYDRATED BLUEBERRIES (or 1 cup fresh) – You may absolutely choose to use fresh blueberries or any other fruit in this recipe.

I use dehydrated blueberries because I prefer to not have to transport fresh berries when camping. The dried berries or any other fruit will hydrate while cooking.

Alternative fruit ideas are strawberries, raspberries, apples or peaches. If you use peaches, you can also use almond extract instead of vanilla! I love that flavor combination.

Instructions

This is a quick prep, mix, and dump recipe! It’s really that simple and won’t take you any time at all to prepare.

The most important step is to start your briquettes FIRST before getting to your ingredients. The briquettes will be ready in 15 minutes and your Dutch oven will be ready with the ingredients inside by that time.

1. Light a charcoal chimney using 21 briquettes. Tuck the parchment paper into a 4-Quart Dutch oven so it covers the bottom and about 3 inches or more on the sides. Then place 5 slices of butter inside the Dutch oven, spaced evenly apart.

2. Tear 4 slices of bread into rustic bite-sized pieces placing them in the Dutch oven as you tear them. Sprinkle 1/3 of the dried blueberries over the torn pieces of bread.

3. Tear the remaining pieces of bread, dropping the small pieces into the Dutch oven. Sprinkle another 1/3 of the blueberries over the top.

4. In a mixing bowl, scramble eggs and whisk in evaporated milk. Blend sugar, spices, and lemon zest into the milk and egg mixture. You can mix all of the dry ingredients together in advance of your camping trip and store them in a secure container.

5. Pour the mixture over the bread and blueberries in the Dutch oven in a circular motion. Tuck any exposed bread under the mixture with a spoon. Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 of the blueberries on top.

6. Place the 5 remaining pats of butter in a ring over the top of the bread and blueberries. Place the lid on top of the Dutch oven.

7. Once the briquettes are ready to use (they will be mostly gray), create a ring of 7 briquettes in a contained fire ring or other appropriate location.

8. Place your Dutch oven over the ring of briquettes so that they are tucked just inside the outer rim of the pot, heating it from below. Then, place 14 briquettes on top of the lid of the Dutch oven.

9. Set your timer for 20 minutes and start another chimney of 21 briquettes right away. After 20 minutes add the next briquettes, splitting into 7 and 14 once again, to the bottom ring and on top of the lid of the Dutch oven to complete the cooking.

10. Continue the baking time for another 20 minutes. Remove briquettes and dust off the outer rim of the Dutch oven. Serve the bread pudding with a drizzle of maple syrup on top.

*️⃣ Tips and FAQS: Dutch Oven Bread Pudding Recipe

This is an easy bread pudding recipe, however, questions can still arise and I have answers for you!

🏕 Final Words on Dutch Oven Bread Pudding

I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as I enjoyed creating it for you. It is definitely a crowd-pleaser and besides being made as a camping breakfast it would be perfect for any outdoor brunch gathering or potluck dessert.

This dish is perfect for those who love sweet, creamy breakfasts, blueberries, and the warming flavor of nutmeg. Give this recipe a try on your next camping trip! If you have any questions or feedback, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me in the comments below.