Cornbread in a Dutch Oven: A Camp Recipe With Coal Counts

By Tran Vu Tuan · Updated November 12, 2026

Preheat a 10-inch Dutch oven to about 425°F, melt butter in it, pour in a simple cornmeal batter, and bake with most of the heat on the lid for 20 to 25 minutes. About 24 charcoal briquettes (7 under the pot, 17 on the lid) are intended to give about 425°F, so check for doneness rather than relying on the count. It’s among the simpler dishes in the camping recipes library.

What you need

The heat is the hard part, so start with the gear:

• A 10-inch, 4-quart cast iron Dutch oven with a lid that has a rim (on a flat lid, coals can slide off)
• About 24 charcoal briquettes, lit and covered in gray ash (timing varies with fuel and weather)
• A lid lifter, long tongs and heat-resistant gloves
• A level, fire-safe surface that isn’t dry grass, with a windbreak if it’s gusty

Check for fire restrictions or burn bans before you light anything. Many burn bans also cover charcoal, so check with the campground or land agency. Use charcoal only outdoors in open air, never inside a tent, camper or other enclosed space, because burning charcoal gives off deadly carbon monoxide.

The recipe below is sized for a 10-inch pot. For a 12-inch pot, scale the batch by 1.5x to 2x, and expect thicker slices if you’re feeding about 10 people.

Cornbread recipe (serves about 6)

Prep takes about 5 to 10 minutes, plus time to light the coals. Cook time is 20 to 25 minutes over coals.

Optional toppings: one 4-oz can green chiles, drained, and 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar.

Published recipes range from 1 Tbsp of sugar up to 1/3 cup. This one uses 2 Tbsp. More sugar changes the batter, so adjust it only if you’re comfortable experimenting.

Yellow and white cornmeal both work. There’s no real difference; yellow is just the more familiar choice.

Steps

1. Light the coals. Start them well before you want to bake and wait until they’re covered in gray ash.
2. Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
3. Mix the wet ingredients. Whisk milk, egg and honey in a second bowl. If you’re putting melted butter in the batter, let it cool to warm first so it doesn’t start cooking the egg.
4. Combine. Fold wet into dry until just mixed. Lumps are fine, and overmixing makes the crumb tough.
5. Heat the empty pot. Set the Dutch oven on a ring of 7 coals, put the lid on, and pile 17 coals on top. Preheat until the pot is hot. The coals are meant to bring the inside to about 425°F.
6. Add the fat. Lift the lid straight up, drop in the butter and tilt the pot to coat the sides. Pour in the batter once the butter is melted and foaming but not browned.
7. Add toppings. Scatter chiles and cheddar over the batter if you’re using them, then tap the pot on a flat surface a couple of times to knock out air bubbles.
8. Bake. Put the lid back on with the same 7 under and 17 on top.
9. Rotate. At 10 and 20 minutes, turn the pot a quarter turn one way and the lid a quarter turn the other way. Coals always create hot spots, and this evens them out.
10. Check for doneness at about 20 minutes (see below). If the center isn’t set, replace the lid and give it 5 more minutes.
11. Rest. Brush the ash and coals off the lid before you open it, take it off, and let the bread sit briefly before cutting.

Coal counts

For a 10-inch pot, use 7 briquettes in a ring under the pot and 17 on the lid, 24 in all. Keep most of the heat on top. Cornbread browns from the top first, and heavy bottom heat scorches the base before the middle sets.

If you’re renewing coals, add them to the top first.

Kent Rollins takes a different route. He sets the pot on a trivet about 5 inches off the ground, with coals around the trivet and on the lid but none directly underneath, and he recommends hardwood lump charcoal rather than briquettes. That method doesn’t use the 7 and 17 counts above.

If the edges cook much faster than the center, lift a few coals from under the pot and move them to the lid.

How to tell when it’s done

You want all four of these:

• The top is golden and may be slightly cracked
• The edges pull away from the sides of the pot
• A toothpick in the center comes out clean
• The center doesn’t jiggle when you thump the edge of the pot

Most batches take 20 to 25 minutes. If the heat is fading, add fresh coals to the lid first.

Fixing common problems

Sticking is often a sign of too little fat or poor seasoning. Coat the sides well with butter and let it pool slightly in the base.

If the bottom is burnt and the top is pale, there’s too much heat under the pot. Move coals to the lid, and check that the pot isn’t sitting on the hottest part of the fire.

If the center isn’t done, return the lid and coals and bake 5 more minutes.

For texture, more flour relative to cornmeal gives a lighter, cakier crumb, while more cornmeal gives a coarser one.

Ash in the batter is a wind problem. Brush the lid off with a gloved hand before you open it, lift it straight up, and shield the pot.

Baking it in a home oven

To practice at home first, bake at 400°F to 425°F in a greased cast iron Dutch oven or skillet, uncovered, and check at 20 minutes. Many cooks preheat the pan first; if you do, use oven mitts, because hot cast iron is easy to grab wrong. Sprinkle cheese on at the end and return it to the oven for 1 to 2 minutes until melted.

Stovetop is the weaker option. One reader reports success on low heat with the lid on, but that’s a single report, and an oven or a lid loaded with coals gives the top more heat to brown with.

Variations

• Bacon and green chile. Cook 6 slices of bacon, chop them, and save the grease. Use half the grease in the batter and half to grease the pot, then fold in the bacon and a 4-oz can of diced green chiles.
• Corn kernels. Stir in 2/3 cup of corn, fresh or well-drained canned.
• Extra cheese. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar over the finished bread and put the lid back on until it melts slightly.
• Oil or lard instead of butter. Either works as the fat in the pot, and either can replace butter in the batter.
• Gluten-free. One published version uses 2 cups medium cornmeal and 2 cups almond flour with 2 tsp baking soda, 2 cups buttermilk, 4 eggs, 2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar and 4 Tbsp butter. That makes 10 to 12 servings in an 8-quart pot set on a grill grate, with a bake time of about 25 minutes. It’s a pot-over-grate recipe, not the 7 and 17 coal method.

Make ahead and storage

Pack the dry mix at home: cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar if you’re using it, all in one sealed bag. Keep it in a cool, dry place and use it within a few days. Milk, egg and honey stay in the cooler until you bake.

The wet mix (milk, egg, honey) can be mixed ahead and kept cold in the cooler until baking. Combine it with the dry mix right before baking.

Cool leftovers, store them in an airtight container, and refrigerate or keep them in a cooler at 40°F or below within 2 hours (1 hour in hot weather). This bread contains milk and egg, and any cheese or chiles add to that, so eat it within 3 to 4 days and discard anything left out longer than those windows. To reheat, warm slices in a skillet with a little butter, or wrap them in foil and set them near (not on) the coals.

A cold slice goes well next to eggs the next morning, and camping breakfast ideas has more to pair it with. If you want other pot meals with coal counts, there’s a full set in Dutch oven camping recipes.

Serving it safely

Serve from the pot. Avoid sharp metal utensils if you want to protect the seasoning. Some cooks flip the pot over onto the lid to release the loaf, but a hot Dutch oven is heavy and can burn you or spill. If you do it, wear heat-resistant gloves, clear the surface first, and keep kids back.

Carry coals only with long tongs or a shovel, and drop them into a metal container, not onto the grass. Before you leave, drown the coals with water, stir, and feel with the back of your hand until they’re cold to the touch. Never dump hot coals into a fire ring that others will use, and never bury them.

Frequently asked questions

Can you cook cornbread in a Dutch oven on top of the stove?

It’s possible but less certain than baking. One reader reports success on low heat with the lid on. Without a hot oven or a lid loaded with coals, the top gets less heat to brown with, so an oven or a coal-topped Dutch oven is the better-supported route.

What is the secret to the best cornbread?

Preheat the pot, then melt the butter in it so the batter sizzles when it hits. That gives the crisp crust. Stir the batter only until the dry flour disappears, because leftover lumps bake out and overmixing toughens the crumb. Also keep lid-lifting to the 10-minute rotation.

Can you make the batter ahead of time?

Partly. The dry mix can be packed at home in a sealed bag. The wet mix (milk, egg, honey) can be mixed ahead and kept cold in the cooler until baking. Combine the two right before the batter goes into the hot pot, since baking powder starts working once it gets wet.

What size Dutch oven do you need for cornbread?

This recipe is built for a 10-inch, 4-quart pot and serves about 6. A 12-inch pot works if you scale the batch by 1.5x to 2x, which suits about 10 people. The gluten-free version in the variations makes 10 to 12 servings and needs an 8-quart pot.