S’mores Pudgy Pies

When I moved from the Midwest to the East Coast, I was shocked to find out that pudgy pies weren’t a nationally celebrated camping dish. No one had sandwich irons to whip up pudgy pie recipes over the campfire, nor had they even heard the adorable name for this camping dessert. So, when my new friends and I had our first camping weekend, I introduced them to the concept by way of s’mores pudgy pies.

I knew any pudgy pie recipe would do, but a s’mores one felt perfect for our fall camping trip to the Hudson Valley, surrounded by trees in every shade of red, orange and yellow. I showed them how to build a s’mores pudgy pie with cinnamon swirl bread, Nutella, crushed graham crackers and mini marshmallows. We closed the pie iron around the sandwich and toasted it right over the fire. Out came a beautifully golden brown, toasted pudgy pie. The Nutella oozed with the melted mini marshmallows, and the graham cracker crumbs gave the whole pie a little more texture.

Three pudgy pie converts emerged from the Catskill Mountains that weekend. Now, we all have our own pie irons for our biannual camping trips. Many other pudgy pie combos have been made since, but the s’mores pudgy pie will always be the favorite—we’re a sentimental bunch.

Ingredients for S’mores Pudgy Pies

• Cinnamon bread: Sweet cinnamon bread is best here. It’s hypnotic cinnamon-sugar swirl complements the s’mores flavor, and the bread is as soft as sandwich bread.
• Nutella: Instead of chocolate bars or chips, our chocolate component comes from Nutella spread. It is easy to smear onto bread quickly when you’re at a campsite and closes well for storage. Not a fan of Nutella? Try one of the other best hazelnut spreads.
• Graham crackers: Crush up one half of a graham cracker as finely as you can. Just as in a regular s’more, graham crackers add toasty flavor and crunchy texture to the inside of our pudgy pies.
• Mini marshmallows: Mini marshmallows fit into the pudgy pie better than regular-sized marshmallows. If the store has only the regular size, cut it up into mini-sized pieces. Splurge on the best marshmallows to really make camping count, or use marshmallow fluff instead.

Directions

Step 1: Spread the bread with Nutella

Grease your sandwich iron, then place one slice of bread inside. Spread the slice of bread with Nutella.

Step 2: Add the marshmallows and graham crackers

Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on top, followed by the mini marshmallows. Top the marshmallows with the remaining bread slice. Close the sandwich iron.

Editor’s Tip: Depending on the size of your iron, trim any excess around the edges when closing it to avoid burning and sticking.

Step 3: Roast

Cook the pudgy pie over a hot campfire until it’s golden brown, turning occasionally, for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes. Carefully open the sandwich iron with an oven mitt and knock out your pudgy pie. Let it cool for at least five minutes, then enjoy!

Editor’s Tip: Keep the pudgy pie level so nothing spills out during cooking.

Recipe Variations

• Use a different bread: Feel free to use white or wheat sandwich bread instead, or go the decadent route with thinly sliced challah or brioche. Try not to cut the slices too thick or the marshmallows and Nutella won’t warm.
• Try a different spread: There are so many great dessert spreads to use here instead of Nutella if you want to change it up, but just know it won’t have as much of a s’more vibe anymore. If that’s OK with you, add in pistachio cream, Nutella Peanut, cookie butter, or a pie filling like cherry or strawberry.
• Go for candy bars: Forgo the Nutella for broken-up candy bars. We love to use Symphony bars, Reese’s, Snickers, or tried-and-true Hershey’s. Or, just use a bag of the best chocolate chips.

How to Store S’mores Pudgy Pies

Leftover s’mores pudgy pies won’t keep very well. They’re best eaten fresh, when the Nutella is warm, the bread is toasty and the marshmallows are melted. Keep them in the fridge or cooler overnight, but the bread will get soggy and the insides sticky and hard.

S’mores Pudgy Pie Tips

Where do I get a sandwich iron for pudgy pies?

You can find sandwich irons for pudgy pies online through Bass Pro Shop, Target, Cabela’s, Walmart or Amazon. Find square or round-shaped ones, or go for the double sandwich pie iron to do two at once.

Where over the fire should I roast my s’mores pudgy pie?

Place your sandwich iron directly over the campfire. Just make sure to keep rotating it for even cooking. To be on the safer side, you can cook your pudgy pie over indirect heat instead, near coals or toward the side of the fire instead of over the flames.