Baked oatmeal is one of Steve’s favorite recipes to bake for breakfast when we are camping with friends. It is easy to prepare and is a healthier alternative to bacon, which I love so much. In this recipe, I added fresh blueberries and bananas and substituted maple syrup for sugar. Since this is not very sweet, I served it with maple syrup on the side so that those with a sweet tooth can add as much sweet as they like.
Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries and Bananas
Print Recipe
This easy and healthy breakfast dish is quick to prepare and hides a juicy and bright suprise at the bottom. You can substitute any fresh fruit in season. Frozen fruit works well too.
Servings
Prep Time
8hungry friends
15minutes
Cook Time
35-40minutes
Servings
Prep Time
8hungry friends
15minutes
Cook Time
35-40minutes
Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries and Bananas
Print Recipe
This easy and healthy breakfast dish is quick to prepare and hides a juicy and bright suprise at the bottom. You can substitute any fresh fruit in season. Frozen fruit works well too.
Spray a 10-inch camp Dutch oven with Pam or apply a light coat of oil around the inside of the oven. Layer the banana slices to cover the bottom of the oven.
Spread blueberries on top of the bananas.
In a large bowl, mix oats, one cup chopped pecans, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Pour oat mixture on top of blueberries.
In a small bowl, whisk together milk, maple syrup, eggs, butter, and vanilla. Pour on top of oat mixture. Sprinkle remaining chopped pecans on top.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit by making a ring of 8 hot charcoals to fit underneath the Dutch oven and then placing 13 hot charcoals around the lid of the oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
This recipe is not very sweet. If you like a sweeter option, add 1/2 to 1 cup brown sugar.
Steve and I first made this cake in preparation for one of our dessert entries for the World Championship Cook Off in Sandy, Utah. The cake sits on top of a chocolate cheesecake and is sinfully decadent. The cake is so moist and has a tender crumb that is rich and not-too sweet, making it the perfect delivery system for the creamy cheesecake and the coconut and pecan topping.
We decided to make just the cake and topping when we were asked by a novice Dutch oven cook, Teri, from the Chisholm Trail Chaparrals, a newly formed chapter of the Lone Star Dutch Oven Society, to be her mentor at their upcoming Dutch Oven Gathering (DOG). She said she loves German chocolate cake, so we agreed that she should try this recipe. In this post, I will share the recipe and in the next post, I will tell you about Teri and her first-time experience of baking outdoors in camp Dutch ovens. Here’s the recipe:
Camp Style German Chocolate Cake
Print Recipe
Baking this cake takes some time but the results are worth it!
Servings
Prep Time
16hungry friends
20minutes
Cook Time
Passive Time
45minutes
25minutes
Servings
Prep Time
16hungry friends
20minutes
Cook Time
Passive Time
45minutes
25minutes
Camp Style German Chocolate Cake
Print Recipe
Baking this cake takes some time but the results are worth it!
Fire up a chimney of charcoal. Prepare two 10-inch camp Dutch ovens by cutting out parchment liner to fit the bottom of the oven. Spray with Pam.
Set out two medium size bowls and a sifter. In one bowl, add flour, sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder (delete if using warm coffee), baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Place sifter in empty bowl. Scoop dry ingredients, place in sifter, and sift dry ingredients together. Sifting the dry ingredients together insures an even distribution of the baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa, which will make the crumb of the cake light and uniform. If you don't have a sifter, make sure to thoroughly whisk the dry ingredients together.
In another medium size bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, warm water (or warm coffee if substituting for espresso powder), oil, and vanilla. Pour into dry ingredients and mix together until all the dry ingredients disappear and batter is glossy and smooth.
Divide batter evenly between the two prepared 10-inch camp Dutch ovens. The depth of the batter will only be about 1/2 an inch. Distribute the batter evenly across the bottom of the oven with an off-set spatula.
Bake the cakes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit by placing seven hot charcoals in a circle underneath each oven and 14 hot charcoals around the lids. Total baking time should be about 20 minutes. After 15 minutes, keep a close eye on the ovens and use your nose to smell for chocolate. The cakes are done when a toothpick comes out cleanly with only bits of crumb (no unbaked batter), the edges of the cakes pull away from the sides of the ovens, and the center of the cake springs bake immediately when pressed gently.
Let the ovens cool until it is safe to touch them without burning your hand. Gently run a flexible spatula around the edges to make sure the cake isn't sticking. Turn the cakes out of the ovens onto cooling racks. Chill.
Filling and Topping
Place any size camp Dutch oven over a pile of hot charcoal. Toast the coconut until it starts to turn brown. Toast the pecans until they are fragrant and edges are golden brown. Place the toasted coconut and pecans in a large bowl, add butter, salt, and set aside.
In a bowl, whisk together cream, sugar, cinnamon, and egg yolks. Place an 8-inch camp Dutch oven over a pile of hot charcoal and add cream mixture. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir constantly until the mixture reaches 170 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pour hot mixture over the coconut and pecans and stir until the butter melts and the filling is a smooth, creamy consistency. Place in an ice bath to quickly chill and thicken the filling.
When the cakes are cool, pour half of the filling on top of one layer. Add the second layer and pour the remaining filling on tops. Use an off-set spatula to smooth out the topping and let some drip over the sides. Decorate the top with whole pecans.
Baked oatmeal is one of Steve’s favorite recipes to bake for breakfast when we are camping with friends. It is easy to prepare and is a healthier alternative to bacon, which I love so much. In this recipe, I added fresh blueberries and bananas and substituted maple syrup for sugar. Since this is not very sweet, I served it with maple syrup on the side so that those with a sweet tooth can add as much sweet as they like.
