So listen—Cherry-Chocolate Pudgy Pie may sound like something your grandma made in the 60s while chain-smoking Virginia Slims and sipping instant coffee in a sunflower apron. And honestly? That vibe feels right. Because this dessert? It’s vintage chaos. Sticky, messy, weirdly simple—and lowkey the best thing you’ll ever eat with burned fingertips and dirt under your nails.

And yes, it must be made by a campfire. That’s non-negotiable. But before you start thinking, “Cool story, I don’t even camp,” let me tell you about the time I made this glorious pudgy pie in my apartment with a George Foreman grill and zero shame.

A Pudgy What Now?

Okay so for those of you unfamiliar with pudgy pies (first of all—welcome to the club, we don’t judge), it’s basically this wild invention where you smash fillings between two slices of buttered bread in a cast iron pie iron and shove it into the flames until it’s golden, gooey, and impossible to eat without using your shirt sleeve as a napkin.

Think: campfire grilled cheese, but dessert. This one’s got cherry pie filling and chocolate. Like, a lot of chocolate. It’s like a Pop-Tart went to summer camp and came back changed.

Why I Fell in Love with Cherry-Chocolate Pudgy Pies (And Nearly Set My Shirt on Fire)

Let me paint the scene: I was on a camping trip with three of my most chaotic friends, one of whom brought a full French press setup but forgot his tent poles. We had beer, zero plans, and one pie iron.

I’d vaguely heard of pudgy pies from some midwest camping blog with a questionable header font and way too many ads, but I was curious. We found a dusty can of cherry pie filling, a Hershey bar, and some sandwich bread we weren’t totally sure was still fresh.

We buttered the bread, slapped in the cherries and chocolate, and tossed it in the fire. Five minutes later—boom. I took a bite and burned the roof of my mouth so badly I couldn’t taste for two days. Zero regrets.

That bite was all crispy bread, warm melty chocolate, and gooey cherries that somehow didn’t taste canned (probably the fire magic??). It was decadent and nostalgic and borderline illegal-feeling. I’ve been obsessed ever since.

Ingredients: AKA The Things That Live in the Back of Your Pantry

This is the part where you realize you probably already have everything you need.

What you need:

  • 2 slices of white bread (wheat works too, but let’s not pretend this is health food)
  • Butter or margarine (spreadable, not frozen like mine always is when I need it)
  • 2–3 tablespoons cherry pie filling
  • A few squares of chocolate (bars work, chips work, I even used a rogue mini Snickers once—no notes)
  • Pie iron (you can grab one online or from your nearest slightly unhinged camping store)

How to Make a Cherry-Chocolate Pudgy Pie (The Fire Version and the “Oops I Don’t Camp” Version)

Campfire Version (aka The Way God Intended):

  1. Butter one side of each bread slice like your life depends on it.
  2. Place one slice butter-side down in the pie iron.
  3. Layer on the cherry filling and chocolate (don’t overdo it or you’ll have a lava flow situation).
  4. Top with the second slice, butter-side up.
  5. Close the pie iron tightly and trim any bread hangover if you want to be cute.
  6. Stick the whole thing in the fire—not the flames, but over the hot coals. Cook 3–5 minutes per side.
  7. Open carefully (it will be HOT), and marvel at your creation.

Let it cool. Seriously. I am begging you.

Indoor Version (No Judgment):

  • Use a panini press, George Foreman, or even a skillet (flip it like grilled cheese).
  • Follow the same butter-bread-cherry-chocolate-layering situation.
  • Press or grill until the outside is crispy and the inside is melty.
  • Boom. You’re a rebel with a sweet tooth.

Important: The Mess Factor

You will get cherry on your fingers. Possibly your shirt. Maybe your face. That’s part of the charm. This is not a clean dessert and not a Instagram food. This is “let’s eat by the firelight and pretend we have it together” food.

Side Quest: Things I’ve Tried (and Lived to Tell About)

So once you make this once, you start to get ideas. Dangerous ideas.

Here are some other filling combos that slapped:

  • Apple pie + sharp cheddar (don’t knock it—trust me)
  • Peanut butter + banana + chocolate chips (Elvis would weep)
  • Marshmallows + Nutella + crushed graham crackers (aka s’mores 2.0)
  • Strawberries + cream cheese + dark chocolate (for when you’re trying to impress someone but only have 3 minutes)

Why It Hits So Hard

There’s something about this dessert that just works. Maybe it’s the crispy buttery bread against that gooey middle. Or the fact that it requires just enough effort to feel like an accomplishment, but not so much that you abandon the idea and go eat trail mix instead.

Also? It’s nostalgic. Like, retro-kid-summer vibes with a side of “remember when dessert didn’t need to be complicated?”

Real Talk: I Made This in My Apartment at 11PM

Not gonna lie—there was a night last month when I was watching Great British Bake Off reruns, wearing my sad sweatpants, and decided I needed cherry-chocolate pudgy pie right now. No campfire. No outdoors. Just a single girl and her waffle iron.

I buttered the bread, filled it up, pressed it in that waffle iron like it owed me money, and… wow. Still hit and messy. Still delicious. 10/10 would destroy again. https://potatonion.com/peach-crisp-parfait-pops/.

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