Turtle Cheesecake Campfire Pudgy Pies

This pie iron dessert takes like turtle cheesecake but is simple to make and toasts up hot over the campfire.

I love planning different camping desserts for our trips. Of course, it’s always most fun to cook dessert over the campfire, which is why we love pie irons in my family. Each person makes their own little pie and everyone is a happy camper.

Turtle cheesecake hobo pies have only five ingredients, so they are easy to plan, pack and make. But don’t let the simplicity fool you. These handheld desserts are so good!

Cast iron pie irons are an easy way to make desserts while camping because they act like mini ovens to cook everything through quickly. I’ve heard pie iron recipes called pudgy pies, hobo pies, mountain pies, or toasties. Regardless of what you call this type of campfire dessert – they’re good!

We don’t only make dessert pies in our pie irons, we also use them to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner. Here are our favorite pie iron recipes for every meal!

Looking for more camping desserts cooked in different ways? Here’s a post of my all-time favorites!

Turtle Cheesecake HOBO Pie Ingredients

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Equipment Tips and Tricks

Cast Iron Pie Iron (Camp Cooker): Pie irons are made of aluminum or cast iron, but I highly recommend using cast iron as they withstand much higher temperatures for longer periods of time.

However, aluminum pie irons do not require seasoning and can be cleaned like all other dishes, so there are benefits to using them as well.

• Round cast iron camp cooker
• Square cast iron camp cooker
• Double cast iron camp cooker – allows you to make twice as many sandwiches with half the work prepping and cleaning!
• Aluminum pie iron camp cooker – although I don’t like the way they cook as much, they are easier to use because they don’t need to be seasoned and can be cleaned like all your other dishes.

Portable Over the Fire Cooking Grate: While cooking in hot coals or embers is ideal for cast iron pie irons, you can also cook over a fire by using a fire grill grate. It’s perfect for a wide variety of campfire pits and can easily be adapted to work at your site.

It’s also great if you just started your fire and want to get cooking right away! Simply place your pie irons on the grate and turn halfway through cooking.

Steps to Make Campfire Turtle Cheesecake Pies

1. Prep the pies

Unroll a refrigerated pie crust and cut into pieces to fit into the pie iron. You make need to push some pieces together to form squares if using circular pie crust. Spread butter on one side of each piece of pie dough. Place one piece of pie dough with the butter side down into one half of the pie iron.

2. Assemble the pies

Place some pieces of caramel on the pie crust. Add chocolate chips and pecans. Dollop small dots of cream cheese across the top (or spread an even layer on the inside of the piece of pie dough). Cover with the second piece of pie dough, butter side up, and then close up the pie iron.

3. Cook over campfire

There are two options when cooking with a pie iron: in the coals or over the flame. I find that cooking in the coals is faster, but sometimes can result in over cooking/burning more easily. Cooking on a grate over the fire is usually a few minutes slower, but you have a bit more control over the temperature.

• Hot coals: Place pie iron directly in the hot coals and embers from your fire. If your fire has been going for awhile, simply pull a pile of coals a bit to the side and place the camp cooker on those hot coals.
• Over the flame: Use a grill grate to create a flat cooking surface over the fire. Place the camp cooker on the grate and let it cook.

4. Enjoy!

Let me know if you try out these turtle cheesecake pudgy pies on your next camping trip!