There’s something about dessert at camp that feels extra special, especially when it is warm, chocolatey, and made with basically zero fancy effort. And if I'm being honest, I absolutely LOVE anything chocolate.
This Dutch oven chocolate lava cake is my favorite “let's have a date night” move. It truly is that perfect Valentine’s Day camping dessert. It bakes up with a rich brownie like edge, a soft center, and that gooey chocolate moment when you scoop in. And if you would rather keep it even simpler, you can use the exact same batter to make a skillet brownie instead.
Bonus: You can prep the dry mix at home, pack it in a bag, and look like a campsite baking genius later.
This gooey Dutch oven chocolate lava cake is the kind of cozy campsite dessert that turns an ordinary night outside into a full on date night.
What You’ll Love About This Dessert
• Cozy, warm, and very “treat yourself”
• One bowl batter, no complicated steps
• Easy to scale for two people or a whole crew
• Works as lava cake or a fudgy skillet brownie
• Perfect with coffee, cocoa, or a scoop of ice cream
Gear You’ll Need
• 10 inch Dutch oven with lid (cast iron)
• Charcoal briquettes (or campfire coals)
• Lid lifter and heat resistant gloves
• Mixing bowl and spoon or whisk
• 8 inch round cake pan (optional, but makes baking easier)
• Small trivet or a few loosely crumpled foil balls (to lift the pan)
• Parchment paper or a light coat of oil for the pan
• Optional but helpful: instant read thermometer, small cooling rack, serving spoons
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Table of Contents
Dutch Oven Chocolate Lava Cake
Ingredients (Serves 2-4)
For the batter
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Optional: 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder (makes the chocolate taste deeper)
For the Lava Center
• 4 squares of chocolate, or 4 teaspoons chocolate hazelnut spread, or a handful of extra chocolate chips
Toppings for Campsite Cozy Mode
• Powdered sugar
• Strawberries or raspberries
• Whipped cream
• Ice cream (if your cooler setup can handle it)
Step-by-Step: Camp Dutch Oven Method (Coals/Campfire)
1) Get Your Coals Ready
Light a full chimney of charcoal and let it burn until mostly ash covered. While the coals heat up, you can mix your batter.
2) Prep Your Baking Setup
If you have an 8 inch cake pan, lightly grease it and line the bottom with parchment. Place a small trivet or a few foil balls in the bottom of your Dutch oven so the pan sits slightly elevated. This helps prevent the bottom from overbaking.
No cake pan? You can bake directly in the Dutch oven, but grease well and watch the bottom closely.
3) Melt the Chocolate and Butter
In your Dutch oven (off heat) or a small pot on your camp stove, melt the butter and chocolate together, stirring until smooth. Let it cool for a minute or two so it does not cook the eggs.
4) Mix the Wet Ingredients
Whisk in the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir until glossy and smooth.
5) Add the Dry Ingredients
Stir in cocoa powder, flour, and salt (and espresso powder if using). The batter will be thick, like brownie batter.
6) Build Your Lava Center
Pour about half the batter into your prepared pan. Add your chocolate squares or small spoonfuls of spread in the center area, spaced out. Cover with the remaining batter and gently smooth the top.
7) Bake
Set the pan into the Dutch oven on the trivet. Put the lid on.
For baking, you want more heat on the lid than underneath. A simple starting point is a 3 to 1 split, with most coals on top and fewer under the oven.
Bake about 18 to 26 minutes, depending on heat. Rotate the Dutch oven a quarter turn every 8 to 10 minutes, and rotate the lid the opposite direction to prevent hot spots.
8) Know When It's Done
For lava cake, you want the edges set and the center still a little soft. The top should look baked, but the middle should have a slight jiggle when you gently tap the pan.
If you want it more like a skillet brownie, bake a bit longer until the center is set.
9) Rest and Serve
Let it rest 10 minutes. Then scoop into bowls and add desired toppings. This is a two spoon dessert, and I fully support that.
Camp Stove Method
This version is perfect when you do not feel like managing coals.
Make the same batter as above.
Grease an 8 or 10 inch cast iron skillet.
Spread batter into the skillet and add the lava centers if you want them.
Cover tightly with a lid or foil.
Cook on the lowest heat your stove can manage for 20 to 30 minutes.
Dutch Oven Heat Tips (So You Don’t Burn Dessert)
• For baking, keep most of the heat on the lid and less underneath.
• If the bottom is cooking too fast, remove a couple coals from underneath and add one or two to the lid.
• Rotate the oven and the lid every 8 to 10 minutes for more even baking.
• Using a pan inside the Dutch oven (with a little air gap under it) makes desserts way more forgiving.
Check out my article on the 10 Must-Have Camping Cookware for Outdoor Cooking. It's packed with essential gear recommendations to make your camping meals even more delicious and hassle-free!
Serving Ideas (Campsite Date Night Edition)
You can easily make this a campsite Valentine’s date night by adding any of the following:
• Two mugs of coffee or cocoa
• A lantern, a blanket, and a shared spoon situation
• Add berries for a perfect romantic camping dessert upgrade
• If you have ice cream, you basically win camping
Make-Ahead & Storage Tips
Make-ahead: Mix all dry ingredients at home (flour, cocoa, salt, sugars, espresso powder) and pack in a zip bag. At camp, just melt butter and chocolate, then stir everything together with eggs and vanilla.
Storage: Cover leftovers and store in a cooler. Best within 2 days. Rewarm slices in a covered skillet over very low heat.
Easy Variations
• Peanut butter lava: press in a few peanut butter cups
• Cherry chocolate: fold in dried cherries
• Mexican hot chocolate: add cinnamon and a tiny pinch of cayenne
• Campfire s’mores brownie: add marshmallows on top near the end, then sprinkle crushed graham crackers
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