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Dutch Oven French Toast

Dutch oven French toast with cubed bread soaked in a cinnamon-vanilla custard and baked low over campfire coals until the top is golden and slightly crisp. The center stays soft and eggy in every scoop, making it an easy crowd breakfast for camping mornings.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 340
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

French bread
  • 1 loaf French bread, cubed Use day-old or slightly stale bread for better custard absorption.
Egg mixture
  • 6 eggs Use large eggs.
  • 2 cup milk
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp butter, melted
Serving
  • 1 maple syrup, for serving Serve warm.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Prepare the dutch oven
  1. Grease the inside of a dutch oven with melted butter so the bread cubes release easily.
Assemble the custard soak
  1. Layer the cubed French bread evenly in the dutch oven to create an even bake.
  2. Whisk together eggs, milk, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon until smooth, then pour evenly over the bread so all cubes are moistened.
  3. Drizzle the top with the remaining melted butter for browning and flavor.
Bake over campfire coals
  1. Cover the dutch oven and set it over campfire coals with additional coals on the lid, baking for 30-40 minutes, rotating occasionally, until set and golden on top.
Serve
  1. Serve the French toast warm with maple syrup.

Notes

Pro tip: use day-old or slightly stale French bread so it soaks up the custard without turning mushy. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container up to 3 days; reheat in a covered pan over low heat until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended because the custard texture can turn watery after thawing; for a dairy-light swap, use lactose-free milk (texture stays close to classic).