Chocolate Cherry Pudgy Pies

This chocolate cherry pudgy pie is a great addition to our camping desserts.

I was shocked the first time I made my chocolate cherry cake for my son, and he tried to eat half the cake in one sitting. I hadn’t realized how much he would enjoy the flavor combination of chocolate and cherry. So, the next time we went camping, I made sure to bring along some cherry pie filling and some chocolate chips, and we crafted our chocolate cherry pudgy pies. They were a hit with everyone who tried them.

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Who doesn’t love food cooked over a campfire? Actually, we know a lot of people who don’t and we just have to feel sorry for them. Because we love to cook over a campfire, especially in a pie iron. These are sometimes called camp cookers, pudgy pies, or even hobo pies, but we use the term pie iron. Whatever you choose to call it, know that these trusty tools make extremely delicious food cooked over the campfire.

What we love about Chocolate Cherry Pudgy Pies:

• Quick and easy to make
• A sweet treat to end the day
• Customizable to different flavors

The Ingredients for Chocolate Cherry Pudgy Pies:

• Cooking spray (so the pie crust won’t stick)
• Pie crust (we use the readymade for these)
• Cherry pie filling (or whatever fruit you want)
• Chocolate chips (any type you prefer)
• Cinnamon (optional)

The Process for Making Chocolate Cherry Pudgy Pies:

1. (Optional) Preheat your pie irons over the fire while getting your supplies ready. We recommend two square pie irons or one rectangle for this recipe.
2. Spray the insides of your pie irons.
3. Lay out your pie crust on a clean surface and cut into two or four equal pieces, depending on which pie irons you will use.
4. Sprinkle one side of the crust with cinnamon or other favorite spice and carefully place pie crust, spiced side out, in the base of your pie iron.
5. Dollop 2-3 tablespoons of cherry pie filling on top of your crust.
6. Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of chocolate chips or chunks on top of the pie filling.

7. Sprinkle one side of another piece of pie crust and carefully place on top of your chocolate cherry filling, spiced side out, and pinch together to seal the dough.
8. Close pie iron carefully and trim off any extra pieces of crust outside of the iron.
9. Place over the campfire and cook, flipping occasionally, until dough is cooked. Time needed will depend on how hot your fire is. We start with five minutes on each side and then start checking. It usually takes us about 10-15 minutes.

FAQ and How to Customize:

Q. We don’t like cherry pies. What other suggestions do you have?

A. We enjoy quite a few flavors, combined with chocolate, such as blueberry, raspberry, and even strawberry. However, to make it easy, we try to stick with canned pie filling flavors. Blueberry and strawberry are both readily available at our grocery store.

Q. Can I use homemade pie filling?

A. You can if it is gelled like the commercial canned variety. If your homemade pie filling is watery, it will leak, and you will have a mess to clean up.

Q.    What if my dough sticks to the pie iron?

A.    We spray our irons with cooking spray prior to putting our dough in and have never had a problem with sticking.

Q.  Can I use a different type of dough such as crescent roll dough?

A.  While a thinner dough such as crescent roll dough will bake faster, it will also be more apt to leak. We recommend sticking with pie crust for these pudgy pies.

Q. We don’t want to bring anything that needs to be refrigerated like pie crust. Any suggestions?

A. Yes! Many pie iron recipes are made with sandwich bread. These can definitely be made with bread. They won’t taste exactly the same, but they will still be delicious.

Q.    What if my pockets aren’t fully sealed?

A.    Pockets that are not fully sealed will begin to come apart when you open the pie iron, creating a mess. Use clean fingers to seal all edges of your pocket before cooking over coals. If they still don’t hold together well enough for you to eat them, then try adding less filling to your pocket next time.

Q. How do I clean my pie iron after cooking?

A. The best way to clean your cast iron pie iron is to allow it to cool off. Then, while it is still warm, use a damp paper towel or rag to wipe it clean. Do not use soap as you will need to reseason the cooker. The easiest way to clean a Teflon coated cooker is to use a little bit of camping safe soap and water. Make sure to get all the soap off before cooking with it again.

Equipment needed

• Pie iron(s): We have two cast iron double pie irons, two cast iron single pie irons, and two aluminum single pie irons. Pie irons also come in a variety of specialized types such as circles, hamburger (round with slots for draining grease), hot dog/bread baker, and (hard to find) waffle versions. Most of our pie irons come from Rome. We recommend a square or rectangle for this recipe.
• Cutting board and knife: You will want to have a clean surface to cut your pie crust into pieces that will fit inside your pie irons along with the knife to cut them. 
• Heat resistant gloves: If you are going to be working around a fire, at some point you will probably get burned. These gloves can help prevent that.

More Sweet Treat Recipes to Enjoy:

• Campfire Cones
• Cast Iron Cookies
• Pie Iron S’mores Sandwiches

Call them pudgy pies, hobo pies, or mountain pies, there is nothing so tasty as a pie cooked over the campfire.

We recommend making everything from breakfast through dessert in the pie iron and if you make these chocolate cherry pudgy pies or any sweet variation, tag us on Instagram @campinganswer and show us your own pudgy pie creations.