Lazy Peach Cobbler
Canned peaches, dry cake mix, butter, and a lid full of coals. Nothing to measure.
- calories
- 480
- weight
- 11 oz
- cal / oz
- 44
- protein
- 4 g
- serves
- 8, scales
- prep
- 8 min
- cook
- 45 min
- total time
- 53 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
- Canoe / raft
- Vegetarian
- Nut free
- One pot
- Grab and go
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Canned sliced peaches in syrup | 2 cans, 30 oz each | do not drain, the syrup is the liquid |
|---|---|---|
| Boxed cake mix, white or yellow | 1 package | dry, straight from the box |
| Butter | 1/2 stick | keeps unrefrigerated a day or two; ghee works longer |
| Ground cinnamon | a few shakes |
Method
- Get a bed of coals going and set a 12-inch camp dutch oven over about 15 briquettes.
- Dump both cans of peaches in, syrup included. Spread them flat.
- Pour the dry cake mix over the fruit in an even layer. Do not stir it in.
- Shake cinnamon over the top. Slice the butter thin and lay the pieces across the mix so it wets out as it melts.
- Lid on, then 10 briquettes on top in a checkerboard. Bake about 45 minutes.
- Check at 40. The top should be set and browning with fruit bubbling at the edges. Spoon it out hot.
The dry mix does two jobs at once. The bottom layer drinks up the peach syrup and turns into batter; the top stays powdery until the melting butter soaks down through it and browns. That is why nothing gets stirred. Stir it and you get one wet layer that steams instead of baking.
Heat placement matters more than time. Most of the coals go on the lid, because a cobbler needs to brown from above and the fruit on the bottom only has to bubble. Too many underneath and the syrup scorches before the top ever sets. This is car-camping food — canned fruit and a cast iron pot are heavy, and there is no lighter version of it worth eating.
Packing
Cans are heavy but need no care. Cake mix rides in its box or a zip bag. Butter goes in a small tub near the top of the food bin, not against the tent wall in the sun.
Variations
- Canned cherries or apple pie filling swap in one for one.
- A handful of dry oats over the cake mix gives the crust more grit.
- Instant vanilla pudding powder dusted on before the mix thickens the fruit layer.
https://www.lodgecastiron.com/blogs/recipe/lazy-peach-cobbler