Easy Dutch Oven Pineapple Upside Down Cake Camping Recipe
Isn’t it great when you find Dutch oven camping recipes the entire family just LOVES? This Dutch Oven Pineapple Upside Down Cake Camping Recipe was the dessert of choice when we celebrated our annual combination birthday celebration for 5 of our family members who all have birthdays within the same month!
I never thought we could agree on just one cake … but we did and there was not a morsel left after the party was over!

Psst we’re compensated…see our disclosures.
How To Make Pineapple Upside Down Cake In Dutch Ovens
This is one of our favorite winter camping recipes because it uses canned fruit which is available all year long.
Step 1. Start the campfire or charcoal briquettes. You will be baking this Dutch oven camping dessert in a regular-depth 12-inch oven. You can use campfire coals or charcoal briquettes for cooking. I like using my Rapid Fire Chimney Starter when I am cooking with charcoal. Check out our VIDEO to see how to use a charcoal chimney.
Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter
Step 2. Preheat the Dutch oven. For this recipe you will need your oven at 350 degrees which will require approximately 25 total coals = 17 top/8 bottom. If you are using a different oven size, you may need to make some adjustments to your Dutch oven cooking with charcoal.
Step 3. Melt the butter then the brown sugar. Don’t let it bother you that this recipe uses an entire stick of butter! You’ve got to splurge once in a while … right?
You’ll melt the butter in the pre-heated oven first. Now, evenly sprinkle the brown sugar over the melted butter.
Step 4. Add the pineapple rings and cherries. Line the bottom of the Dutch oven with the pineapple rings. Make sure you reserve the juice for the batter! Place a cherry inside of each pineapple ring.
Camp Cooking Tip: Work fast here. You don’t want to have to light a second set of coals (if you are using briquettes) during the baking process. If you are using campfire coals, the timing is not as critical … as long as you have a big enough fire (which we always do!)
Step 5. Mix the batter. In a bowl, you will mix all of the ingredients for the batter: eggs, vanilla, pineapple juice/water, cake mix, pecans and coconut.
Step 6. Pour batter over pineapple topping. Now it is time to pour the batter evenly over the pineapple topping. It will be a thin enough consistency that you can pour the batter around the Dutch oven without having to spread it with a spoon.
Step 7. Cover and bake. Place the cover over the Dutch oven and add the top coals for baking. Remember, you’ll be using approximately 25 total coals = 17 top/8 bottom.
Step 8. Rotate during cooking. To ensure even baking of this Dutch Oven Pineapple Upside Down Cake Camping Recipe, just rotate the lid and oven 1/4 turn in opposite directions every 10-15 minutes or so using a Camp Dutch Oven Lid Lifter.
Temperature and elevation play a role in baking time but you should expect this recipe will be done in approximately 25-30 minutes.
Step 9. Let cool, flip, slice and eat. The flipping is the slightly messy part of this easy camp recipe! When the cake is finished baking, you’ll remove it from the heat and remove the lid to let it cool slightly.
Then you’ll run a knife around the edges to loosen the cake. Put on your heat-proof gloves because the oven will still be quite warm! Now, place the serving plate on the oven and flip it over. Gently tap the oven to loosen as much of the topping as possible before you lift off the oven.
DON’T FREAK OUT … this can look a little ugly at first! (if you need proof, watch my video!) LOL
Just use a fork to replace any of the topping that has fallen off of the cake or stuck to the bottom of the Dutch oven. Now it is time to slice and serve this yummy camping dessert!
Scaling Servings
Cakes make wonderful sweet endings to easy camping meals for large groups. This upside down cake feeds 6-8 adults. If you serve ice cream on the side, it can serve 10-12 adults. To make more cake, do multiple batches rather than trying to make a gigantic cake that is difficult to handle.
More Sweet Endings
This cake is just one option if you are looking for one pot camping meals for breakfast, dinner and dessert!
Even though this is a real crowd pleaser, you can’t always make the same thing! Try these camping dessert recipes too!
My Dutch Oven Apple Dump Cake is a sweet, gooey mess that requires almost no effort at all. You just “dump and bake” this easy campfire recipe.
In the mood for chocolate? 5 basic ingredients create a simple homemade batter for these individual Dutch Oven Chocolate Lava Cakes that’ll make you think you’re eating in a five-star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ restaurant!
Looking for a special cake for unique occasions? Try this adorable Camper Cake!
Meal Planning
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Dutch Oven Pineapple Upside Down Cake Camping Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 (20 oz.) can pineapple slices will use approximately 8 slices
- 8 maraschino cherries
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Reserved pineapple juice and additional water to equal 1 1/4 cups of liquid
- 1 (16 oz.) box yellow cake mix
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
Instructions
- Preheat a standard depth 12-inch camp Dutch oven to 350 degrees (25 total briquettes = 17 top/8 bottom).
- Melt butter in bottom of oven.
- Sprinkle brown sugar over melted butter.
- Place pineapple slices over sugar to cover bottom of oven and place a cherry inside the hole in each pineapple ring. Approximately 8 slices will fit in the bottom of the Dutch oven. Reserve the pineapple juice in the can.
- In medium bowl, stir the eggs, vanilla, reserved juice and water, cake mix, pecans and coconut until combined.
- Pour batter over pineapple slices and bake at 350 degrees (25 total = 17 top/8 bottom) until cake is done. Baking time will depend on temperature and elevation but this recipe should take approximately 25-30 minutes.)
- When cake is done, remove Dutch oven from coals with lid removed.
- Let cool slightly.
- Run a spatula or knife around the edge of the cake to loosen from sides of the camp Dutch oven.
- Wearing heat resistant gloves, place the inverted serving plate over the Dutch oven and carefully flip it over to turn out the cake onto the plate.
- Tap the Dutch oven to help loosen the cake from the oven then carefully lift the oven from the serving plate.
- Be prepared, this gets a little messy!
- The cake should gently fall onto the serving plate but you may have to “pretty it up a bit” if any of the toppings stick to the Dutch oven.
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipe Ideas
I really like this Dutch Oven Pineapple Upside Down Cake Camping Recipe because it is fast, easy and a real crowd pleaser!
If you’re looking for awesome ideas for yummy camping food, you’re in the right place! Here’s our entire camping recipes list.
What do you think?
Leave me a comment, question or suggestion below. I’d love to hear from you so let’s chat.