Dutch Oven Raisin Bread Pudding
Cinnamon raisin bread, eggs, and coals. A camp dessert that feeds a whole patrol.
- calories
- 330
- weight
- 5.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 60
- protein
- 9 g
- serves
- 8, scales
- prep
- 10 min
- cook
- 50 min
- total time
- 60 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dessert
- Dutch oven
- Campfire coals
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Vegetarian
- Nut free
- One pot
- Grab and go
- Needs a cooler
- Basic
Ingredients
| Cinnamon raisin bread | 8 slices | stale is better than fresh |
|---|---|---|
| Eggs | 4 | |
| Milk | 2 cups | or 1/2 cup whole milk powder plus 2 cups water |
| Sugar | 1/4 cup | |
| Butter | 1/4 cup | melted, plus a little for the pot |
| Raisins | 1/2 cup | |
| Vanilla extract | 1 tsp | |
| Ground cinnamon | 1 tsp |
Method
- Build a coal bed and set a 12-inch dutch oven to preheat toward 325°F. Roughly 8 coals under and 17 on the lid.
- Beat the eggs, milk, sugar, melted butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and raisins together in a bowl or pot. Everything except the bread.
- Tear the bread into one-inch pieces and drop them into the greased oven.
- Pour the egg mixture over the bread and press the top pieces down so they soak.
- Lid on, coals on. Cook 45 to 50 minutes. It is done when the center is set and no longer wet under a knife.
- Pull the coals off the lid and let it sit ten minutes before serving. It firms up as it cools.
Bread pudding is a custard held up by bread, which makes it forgiving in a dutch oven. The egg-and-milk mixture sets slowly and evenly under lid coals, so a few hot spots in the coal bed will not ruin it. Stale bread soaks better than fresh — day-old slices hold their shape instead of dissolving into paste.
Coal placement matters more than exact temperature. Most of the heat goes on the lid so the top browns and the bottom does not scorch. If you have no cooler, milk powder does the job: the custard only needs the protein and sugar, not cold milk. Eggs are the one thing without a good shelf-stable swap here, so this stays a car-camping dessert.
Packing
Measure sugar, cinnamon, and raisins into one bag at home. Eggs ride in a hard case; milk powder replaces the carton if you have no cooler space.
Variations
- Swap the milk for 1/2 cup whole milk powder whisked into 2 cups water. No cooler needed for that part.
- Plain white or wheat bread works. Add another 1/4 cup raisins and an extra 1/2 tsp cinnamon to make up for it.
- A splash of bourbon or a handful of chopped dates in the custard, if you brought either.
https://www.boyscouttrail.com/content/recipe/raisin_bread_pudding-1232.asp