Fried Chocolate Pies

If you grew up loving those packaged chocolate hand pies at the gas station or fair, you're going to flip for these homemade fried chocolate pies.

Best of all, they're made with shortcut ingredients like refrigerated pie crust and instant pudding mix, so you can have a batch ready in less than 30 minutes.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Nostalgic & fun - They taste just like the classic snack pies you loved as a kid.
• Crispy & gooey - Golden fried crust with a creamy chocolate center.
• Easy shortcut recipe - Uses store-bought pie crust and pudding mix.
• Crowd pleaser - Makes 20 mini pies, perfect for sharing.

Ingredients (with Notes)

• Refrigerated pie crusts (14.1 oz, 2-count box) - The easy base for a flaky, golden crust.
• Instant chocolate pudding mix (3.9 oz) - Gives you a smooth, rich filling.
• Half and half (1 cup) - Thicker than milk, so the pudding sets up firm enough to fry.
• Egg + water - Whisked together for an egg wash to seal the edges.
• Vegetable oil - For frying; canola or peanut oil also work well.
• Powdered sugar - Base for the glaze.
• Milk - Thins the glaze to a pourable consistency.
• Vanilla extract - Adds bakery-style flavor to the glaze.
• Light corn syrup - Makes the glaze glossy and smooth.

Instructions

• Unroll pie crusts and let sit at room temp for 10 minutes.
• In a bowl, whisk pudding mix with half and half. It will look grainy - that's fine. Chill in the fridge while you prep the dough.

• Roll out dough slightly and cut into 3-3.5 inch circles. Re-roll scraps until you have about 20.

• Place 1 tablespoon of thickened pudding in the center of each circle.

• Beat egg with water, brush around edges, fold dough into half-moons, and crimp edges with a fork.

• Place pies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill for 5-10 minutes.
• Heat 1½-2 inches of oil in a deep skillet to 350-365°F. Fry pies 2-3 at a time for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown.
• Remove with tongs and drain on a paper towel-lined rack. Cool 10-15 minutes.

• Whisk powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and corn syrup until smooth and pourable.
• Dip or spoon glaze over cooled pies. Let set on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes.

Tips & Notes

• Only use 1 cup half and half - less than the pudding box calls for - so the filling stays thick.
• Keep the oil temp steady between 350-365°F for crisp, non-greasy pies.
• Don't overcrowd the pan; fry in small batches.
• When re-rolling dough scraps, avoid rolling too thin or the filling may burst out.

FAQs

Storage & Freezing

• Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.
• Reheat in the oven for best texture.
• Freeze un-fried pies, then fry straight from frozen.

Serving Suggestions

• Dust with powdered sugar for a simple finish.
• Pair with coffee, milk, or hot cocoa.
• Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a pie-a-la-mode moment.
• Drizzle with extra chocolate or caramel for a bakery-style touch.

Similar Recipes

Recipe

Fried Chocolate Pies

Jessica Burgess

Flaky fried hand pies filled with rich chocolate pudding and topped with a glossy glaze for a nostalgic, fair-style dessert in under 30 minutes.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 27 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 20 pies

Ingredients

• ▢ 14.1 ounce box premade refrigerated pie crusts 2 crusts
• ▢ 3.9 ounce box instant chocolate pudding mix
• ▢ 1 cup cold half and half
• ▢ 1 egg
• ▢ 1 tablespoon purified water
• ▢ Vegetable oil for frying

For the glaze:

• ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 ½ tablespoons milk or more as needed
• ▢ ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ ½ tablespoon light corn syrup

Instructions

 

• Unroll both pie crusts and let them sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes so they're easier to handle without cracking.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together (1) 3.9-ounce box instant chocolate pudding mix and 1 cup cold half-and-half. It will look grainy once whisked; it’s okay, as it will set nicely once you fry the pies. Set it in the fridge to firm up while you prepare the crusts.
• Roll out the pie dough slightly to even it out, then use a 3 to 3.5-inch round cutter (or the top of a glass) to cut out circles. Re-roll the scraps to obtain approximately 20 circles in total.
• Spoon about 1 tablespoon of thickened pudding into the center of each dough circle. Don't overfill or it'll leak when frying.
• In a small bowl, beat 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush around the edges of each circle, then fold them over into half-moons. Press the edges to seal, then crimp with a fork.
• Place the sealed handpies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate them for 5-10 minutes to firm up. This helps them hold their shape while frying.
• While they chill, heat approximately 1½-2 inches of vegetable oil in a deep skillet over medium heat, aiming for an oil temperature of 350-365°F. Use a kitchen thermometer to monitor the oil temperature.
• Fry the handpies in batches of 2-3, for 2-3 minutes per side, or until they are golden brown and crispy. Don't overcrowd the pan.
• Transfer to a paper towel-lined wire rack. Let the pies cool for 10-15 minutes before glazing.

For the Fried Pie Glaze

• Whisk 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 ½ tablespoons milk (or more as needed), ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and ½ tablespoon light corn syrup together in a small bowl until smooth. You want it thick but pourable-like Elmer's glue texture. Add a tiny splash of milk if it's too thick.
• Once the fried handpies are cool (but not cold), dip the tops or spoon the glaze over.
• Place them on a wire rack and let the glaze set for 15-20 minutes until it firms up.
• Once the glaze is set and dry to the touch, go ahead and serve! These handpies are best enjoyed the same day-sweet, flaky, and just the right amount of gooey inside. ENJOY!

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

Keywords chocolate dessert, copycat recipe, hand pies, old fashioned dessert

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