How to make a delicious Dutch oven cherry cobbler with canned cherry pie filling and a scrumptious homemade crumble topping. Quick and easy, old-fashioned campfire cobbler recipe that the whole family will love!
We do a lot of Dutch oven cooking. I may be partial to my Dutch oven blueberry cobbler, but there's nothing better than a bowl of cherry cobbler, fresh off the crackling fire and served with a piping hot cup of campfire coffee on a cold night camping high up in the mountains.
You don't even have to be camping to enjoy this easy recipe. My family loves the occasional campfire, and we make tons of campfire meals and desserts right here at home. Another one of our favorites is this campfire peach cobbler.
You can also just make this recipe in the oven, or you can make my more traditional sweet and tart dark cherry cobbler instead. If you're looking for more traditional cobblers to make at home, you'll also love my recipe for homemade blueberry cobbler and this best ever homemade peach cobbler in a cast iron skillet.
What's the Difference Between a Cherry Crisp and a Cherry Cobbler?
Cherry crisp and cherry cobbler have a lot of similarities, but there are a few key differences…
For one, cherry cobbler is a free-form dish, which means that there is no pie crust base. You dump the pie filling into the pan and drop globs of biscuit dough, pastry dough or even cake batter on top. It is normal for at least some of the fruit filling to be visible on top.
In contrast, cherry crisp usually has a pie crust base, which is then filled with the fruit filling. Cherry crisp also has a much fuller topping, usually covering the filling entirely. This is usually a golden brown streusel crumb topping of some sort.
There is also a big difference in texture. Cherry cobbler has a gooey, melt-in-your-mouth texture, while as cherry crisp has more of a “crisp” texture, hence the name. Both cherry cobbler and cherry crisp are best served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Cherry cobbler is an old-fashioned dessert originating in the 19th century. Did you know that it's called “cobbler” because the appearance of the sparse topping, once baked down and melted into the fruit filling, resembles the appearance of a cobblestone street? Cool name, right?!
Why You'll Love This Dutch Oven Dessert Recipe
- Dutch oven cobblers are quick and easy to make. It usually takes 5 minutes to throw this dish together, and around 20-30 minutes to bake.
- This is a perfect Dutch oven dessert to cook over the campfire. I'll also show you how to make it with charcoal briquettes or even right at home in the oven.
- Cherry cobbler is one of the best comfort foods that I know. There's nothing better than a steaming hot bowl of this delicious dessert served fresh off the crackling fire.
- This recipe uses only 6 simple ingredients, so it's lightweight and easy to pack for your next camping trip.
- Campfire cobbler is a great recipe to make ahead. Simply mix everything up the night before, pack it up and bake the next day.
- Don't like cherries? No worries, you can use any flavor pie filling you want for this recipe!
Ingredients Notes & Substitutions
This recipe uses only 6 simple ingredients. You may even already have everything you need…
- All-Purpose Flour – I recommend using all-purpose flour for the crumble topping. You can also make this a gluten-free cherry cobbler by swapping out the regular flour for a cup for cup gluten-free all-purpose flour. Just be sure to check all of the other ingredients over to ensure that they are truly gluten-free.
- Cane Sugar – Although you can use granulated sugar, I prefer pure cane sugar.
- Sea Salt – Regular table salt works just fine, but I love the flavor of this “real” Redmond sea salt.
- Unsalted Butter – I make my cherry cobbler with softened unsalted butter, but salted butter works too. If you do use salted butter, be sure to drop the actual salt in the recipe by about 1/8 teaspoon. This makes up for the extra salt in the butter.
- Whole Milk – I highly recommend whole milk for this recipe, but you can use 2% milk or even skim milk in a pinch.
- Canned Cherry Pie Filling – You may prefer to make your own homemade cherry pie filling with fresh cherries, but for the sake of ease, I just use a can of cherry pie filling from the grocery store. Remember, you can swap this out with whatever flavor fruit pie filling you want. If you're gluten-free, you'll want to be sure to use a gluten-free cherry pie filling.
You can scroll down to find a full ingredients list with instructions in the recipe card below.
How to Make Dutch Oven Cherry Cobbler
Before getting started, get your campfire ready. You'll also want to grease up a cobbler dish with nonstick cooking spray. Rather than dump the cobbler directly into the Dutch oven, I like to use foil pie plates that are then placed inside. This makes for easier cleanup, and the foil pans don't crack when you set them down into the hot Dutch oven.
You'll want to let your fire burn down to the hot coals with some flame here and there. Then set your Dutch oven on the coals so that it can heat up.
Alternatively, if using charcoal briquettes, you'll need to light 30-35 total. I use a chimney starter and a splash of lighter fluid for this. Once the charcoal is hot and glowing, spread it out, and set your Dutch oven on top to give it time to preheat while you assemble your cobbler.
Last but not least, you can also bake Dutch oven cherry cobbler in the oven at home. You'll want to preheat your oven to 375ºF with the Dutch oven inside. Let's get started…
Mixing Up the Crumble Topping
Now it's time to get your topping ready…
- Start by whisking the all-purpose flour, cane sugar and salt in a medium mixing bowl 'til well-combined, and then add the softened butter and milk to the flour mixture, stirring everything together with a fork.
- Your crumb mixture should come together into a soft, slightly sticky dough. Set aside.
Assembling Your Cherry Cobbler
Now that the crumble topping is all ready to go, let's assemble the cobbler…
- Go ahead and dump the cherry filling into the greased foil pan.
- Next, crumble the prepared topping over the top of the filling. You want to leave fairly large globs of dough on top of the cherries to cook down and spread out. This forms that “cobblestone” appearance that we talked about earlier.
Finally, transfer your cobbler into the preheated Dutch oven, taking care not to burn yourself. I like to fashion an aluminum foil sling underneath the pie plate as pictured below, which allows me to drop the cobbler into the Dutch oven while holding the foil sling from above. I also use this to lift it back out later on!
How to Cook a Dutch Oven Cobbler
Now that your cherry cobbler is in the Dutch oven, put the lid back on and place it back onto the hot coals. You'll also want to place an even, single layer of coals across the top of the lid. If you're using charcoal briquettes, that'll translate to 15-20 briquettes underneath the Dutch oven, and roughly 10-15 on top.
Let it “bake” for about 20-30 minutes, or 'til the crumb topping starts to turn golden brown and the filling has bubbled through. I recommend rotating the Dutch oven about 90º on the coals every 10 minutes as it bakes to promote even cooking. This Dutch oven lid lifter really helps with that.
Alternatively, if you're just baking your cobbler at home in the oven, you'll want to transfer your it into the pre-heated Dutch oven and bake at 375Fº for about 20-30 minutes. Again, it's fully baked when the topping starts to turn golden brown and the filling has bubbled through.
When your cherry cobbler is done, take it off the coals or briquettes and serve while warm! You can top it off with homemade whipped cream, or you can serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It's so sweet and delicious!
Expert Recipe Tips and FAQ's
Yes, you can make any cobbler ahead of time by mixing everything up the night before for baking the next day. Go ahead and prep your cobbler, and get everything layered in your pie plate; then cover it with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator or in an ice chest until you're ready to bake. Once your Dutch oven is pre-heated, remove the plastic wrap from the cobbler and bake as instructed in the recipe card below.
This is likely because your pie filling lacks thickening agent, resulting in a runny cherry cobbler with a soggy topping. Canned cherry pie filling from the store should already have a thickening agent, but if you're using a homemade cherry pie filling, you may need to add a couple tablespoons of cornstarch.
Keep in mind that an undercooked cobbler can also be runny. This is because the thickening agent within the pie filling needs to reach the boiling point order to activate and subsequently thicken the filling. So cherry cobbler can also get runny if it's undercooked.
Once fully cooled, leftover cherry cobbler should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator or in an ice chest. Kept this way, it should last up to 4-5 days.
You can reheat your cherry cobbler similarly to how you baked it in the Dutch oven, or you can reheat it 'til warm in an oven-safe dish in the oven at 350ºF. Don't ever reheat fruit-based cobblers in the microwave, as it will make them soggy.
You can also freeze cherry cobbler in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. You probably don't have a freezer available to you if you're making this over the campfire, but it's a good option if you're making it at home.
To thaw your frozen cobbler, simply let it thaw in the refrigerator or in an ice chest overnight, and then warm it up similarly to how you baked it in the Dutch oven or in an oven-safe dish in the oven at 350ºF.
Dutch Oven Cobbler Variations
Looking for ways to switch up the recipe? Here are some ideas that come to mind…
- Remember that you can swap the pie filling to whichever flavor pie filling you want. You could use strawberry pie filling, blueberry pie filling, blackberry pie filling, peach pie filling or even apple pie filling.
- Many people like to add lemon-lime soda to their cobblers!
- If you like a little spice, try adding a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg to the pie filling before layering it in your cobbler dish.
- Try adding a homemade yellow cake mix batter or even a homemade biscuit mix topping to your cherry cobbler!
More Campfire Dessert Recipes
If you're looking for more great recipes, here are some more of my favorite desserts to cook over the campfire…
- Grilled Banana Campfire S'mores
- Toasted S'mores Dip
- Campfire Cinnamon Rolls
- Campfire Sugar Cone S'mores
If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And subscribe to my email list too!
Dutch Oven Cherry Cobbler
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour*
- 2 tablespoons cane sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 21 ounces cherry pie filling
Instructions
Prepping the Campfire
- Before getting started, get your campfire ready. You'll want to let the fire burn down to the hot coals with some flame here and there. If you're using charcoal briquettes instead, you'll need to light around 30-35 total, preferably using a chimney starter and splash of lighter fluid.
- Set your Dutch oven on the hot coals or briquettes so that it has time to preheat.
- Also go ahead and grease up your foil pie plates with nonstick cooking spray.
Mixing Up the Crumble Topping
- Start by whisking the all-purpose flour, cane sugar and salt in a medium mixing bowl 'til well-combined.
- Then add the softened butter and milk to the flour mixture, stirring everything together with a fork. It should come together into a soft, slightly sticky dough.
Assembling the Cherry Cobbler
- Dump the cherry pie filling into the greased foil pan.
- Next, crumble the crumble topping over the cherry filling.
- Finally, transfer your cobbler into the preheated Dutch oven, taking care not to burn yourself. I like to fashion an aluminum foil sling underneath the pie plate, which allows me to drop the cobbler into the Dutch oven while holding the sling from above. I also use this to lift it back out later on!
How to Cook Dutch Oven Cobbler
- Now that your cherry cobbler is in the Dutch oven, put the lid back on and place it back onto the hot coals or charcoal briquettes. You'll also want to place an even, single layer of coals or briquettes across the top of the lid.
- Let it "bake" for about 20-30 minutes, or 'til the crumb topping starts to turn golden brown and the filling has bubbled through. I recommend rotating the Dutch oven about 90º on the coals every 10 minutes as it bakes to promote even cooking.
- When your cherry cobbler is done, take it off the coals and serve while warm!
Notes
To thaw your frozen cobbler, simply let it thaw in the refrigerator or in an ice chest overnight, and then warm it up similarly to how you baked it in the Dutch oven or in an oven-safe dish in the oven at 350ºF.
