SUPER Easy Campfire Cinnamon Rolls
Why leave behind your favourite dessert when you head outdoors - bring it with you! Enjoy the ooey gooey goodness of cinnamon rolls, in a fraction of the time and mess!
Hello again, friends! It’s been a while since my last post, my apologies. The last few weeks have been busy working and studying for my CDRE (Canadian Dietetic Registration Exam). I wrote the exam last Monday and now just waiting for the results! Once I pass, I will be able to officially call myself a Registered Dietitian! Which is very exciting. In the middle of all the studying, I did sneak away to perfect this cinnamon roll recipe (the first time I tried it, I burnt it to a crisp. haha oops).
Now, you may be thinking something along the lines of “Dietitian…cinnamon rolls… aren’t those “unhealthy”? ”. Yes, I am a Dietitian, and yes, I eat all foods, including cinnamon rolls and other desserts! I don’t believe in restrictive diets (unless this is needed due to a medical condition) or labeling foods “good” and “bad”. I believe in listening to your body, enjoying foods that you like, and developing a positive relationship with food. I would LOVE to share more about this in the future, but for now, let’s talk cinnamon rolls.
I mean, who doesn’t love a good cinnamon roll, right? Whether you’re team cream cheese icing or caramel sauce, cinnamon rolls/buns are a wonderful treat to be enjoyed with friends and family, indoors AND outdoors!
To make this recipe SUPER camping-friendly, I opted for ready-to-bake cinnamon roll dough. This cuts out all the messy ingredients, dough rising, rolling, waiting, etc etc. Now I have to be honest, I’ve actually never tried store bought cinnamon rolls before this. I’ve grown up with my grandma’s special cinnamon bun recipe and have not strayed from that (they’re THAT good). I’m sure many of us can say something similar.
In saying that, this was more of an experiment to see if cinnamon rolls could be successful over the campfire. The verdict: a resounding YES. I was SO impressed by the dutch oven and how well it baked like a real oven. This was the very first thing I cooked in my dutch oven, and now I’m overflowing with ideas!
This is a 4-quart (10 inch) shallow dutch oven by Lodge. Shallow dutch ovens are apparently best for baking because they mimic how a real oven bakes the best. Like I said, I literally just bought this so I have a lot of learning to do. I’ve been doing some research on cooking with dutch ovens and look to Fresh Off The Grid for super helpful tips (and some REALLY delicious looking camp recipes).
Soooo my question is, would you guys be interested in a real homemade cinnamon bun recipe too?? I’m thinking whole wheat, maybe some chocolate-cinnamon-sugar spice, maybe even berries… maybe even more than one recipe! Let me know your thoughts below!!
More Dessert Ideas
SUPER Easy Campfire Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 2 packages ready-to-eat cinnamon rolls (we used Pillsbury Grands with cream cheese icing)
Instructions
- Prepare your campfire ahead of time to create some coals to cook with. You will need approximately 21 medium sized coals.
- Line your dutch oven with parchment paper.* Place the cinnamon rolls into the dutch oven, touching but not too squished. Cover with lid.
- Pull 7 coals from the fire and arrange in a small circle on the ground, place your dutch oven on the coals. Place 12-14 medium coals on the lid. Let cook for 25-30 minutes until golden brown, checking every so often to make sure they do not burn.
- Remove from coals and top with icing. Don't wait too long, enjoy them while they're warm!
Notes:
*TIP: to help your parchment paper fit best into your dutch oven, cut paper down the middle to create two long sheets. Place them in the dutch oven in a cross pattern.
