Cinnamon Pastry {AKA Cinnamon Thing}

Name: Cinnamon Pastry AKA Cinnamon Thing
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 3/4 cup light brown sugar; 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon; 4 tablespoons salted butter (melted); 1 1/2 cups pastry flour; dash of salt; 1/4 cup vegetable shortening; 1/4 cup cold salted butter; 1/4 cup ice cold water; 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar

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Cinnamon Pastry…AKA or family’s favorite “Cinnamon Thing”. Use your favorite pie dough to make this soft, flaky filled buttery pastry!

This recipe has been a long time coming. If there is one dessert that I feel like defines my childhood, it’s this one. And if there is one recipe I’ve brought into my married life, it’s this one.

The infamous “cinnamon thing”. What in the world is this humble dessert made from pie crust, cinnamon and sugar?

In my younger years, we made it when we had leftover pie dough from making pies. But I loved it so much, I now make pie dough for the specific purpose of making a this cinnamon pie. I’ve showed it to you on Instagram and you wanted the recipe. Here it is!

Why you’ll love this cinnamon pastry recipe:

Traditional, comforting spicy, warm sugar flavor.
Flaky, buttery crust with a soft, sweet filling.
Perfect for making with leftover pie crust (or make pie crust for this purpose like we do!).
Ready in about 35 minutes.
Comforting with a cup of tea, coffee or milk.

Why is it called a “cinnamon thing”?

It’s called this because growing up, we didn’t know what else to call it. At that point we were taking scraps and forming them into this delicious little cinnamon pastry. So when I had my own family, the name just stuck with it.

I’ve seen similar cinnamon pastry desserts called “pop tarts” or “cinnamon roll cookies” or “cinnamon turnovers”. And this is a pastry, but I wanted to keep our original family name. Even though no one knows what that is, it is special to our family!

closeup of a sliced cinnamon filled pastry

Ingredients Needed:

Pie Pastry. My favorite recipe is our grandma’s pie crust, and for this pastry I make half a recipe. You could also use store bought pie crust if you are used to that, or your own favorite homemade recipe.
Butter. I almost always use salted butter in my baking without any issues.
Brown sugar. Or dark brown sugar for a deeper flavor if you’d like!
Cinnamon. Use Saigon cinnamon for the best flavored cinnamon. You can buy nice size containers of it at Costco in the Kirkland brand.

How to Make A Cinnamon Thing

The first step is the filling. You can make a cinnamon sugar paste with the butter if you’d like. But honestly, we just spread the butter on the dough, then sprinkle with the sugar, flour and cinnamon. It’s easy that way and it all bakes in deliciously.

The second step is to prepare the pie dough. You can use your own favorite recipe or even store bought pie crust. I make my the recipe I’ve made for years, but lately we’ve been mixing it with the food processor. It takes away 80% of the mess and the pie crust is mixed within 5 minutes. It is so easy!

Then assemble the cinnamon pastry.

Roll out the pastry dough on a floured surface to about an 11×16” rectangle.
Brush the top of the dough with the cinnamon sugar mixture (or all separately if that is the way you choose to make it)
Fold the long edge of the pastry into the center and have them overlap slightly. Not quite in thirds, but you want the center the pasty to overlap slightly in the middle.

pie crust with cinnamon and sugar on top

Then fold the ends in gently and pinch to seal. Note: If there are cracks in the bottom of folded edges of the dough, the cinnamon sugar mixture will bake out, so make sure it is well patched.
Place the pastry on a baking sheet that you’ve lined with parchment paper. Or use a silicone baking mat. This will help make cleanup easier.
Sprinkle the top with granulated sugar. Optional, but when isn’t a little sugar sprinkle a good idea?
Bake at 400º Fahrenheit for 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.

I guarantee you’re going to want to dive into this pastry as soon as it comes out from the oven. The cinnamon sugar filling will be very hot, so let it cool for 15 minutes or so before slicing and serving. But you definitely want to serve it fresh & warm.

The layers of pie dough, butter and cinnamon swirls inside are so so good.

Optional Toppings

If you’re looking for something a little extra special, try one of these toppings:

powdered sugar glaze
cream cheese frosting
Make an egg wash (1 egg and 1 tablespoon of water) to brush over the top of the pastry before baking. This will make it golden brown on top.

Storage Instructions

Room temperature: Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 48 hours.
Refrigerator: Store this cinnamon pastry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before eating.
Freezer: Freeze the pastry whole or sliced in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before eating.

Cinnamon Pastry AKA Cinnamon Thing

4.73 from 81 votes

Cinnamon Pastry…AKA or family's favorite "Cinnamon Thing". Use your favorite pie dough to make this soft, flaky filled buttery pastry!

Servings 10

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

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Ingredients

For the Filling:

3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons salted butter melted

For the pastry:

1 1/2 cups pastry flour
dash of salt
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 cup cold salted butter
1/4 cup ice cold water
1/2 tablespoon white vinegar

Extra sugar, for topping

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Make the filling:

In a small bowl mix together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and melted butter. ¾ cup light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 4 tablespoons salted butter
*Note: Mixing it all together first is optional. Usually I just slather butter on the dough, then sprinkle with sugar, flour and cinnamon. It saves washing a bowl if you do it this way. And it tastes just as good!

*Make the dough:

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. 1 ½ cups pastry flour, dash of salt
Cut in the shortening and the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. ¼ cup vegetable shortening, ¼ cup cold salted butter
Mix the water and vinegar together in a cup. Add the mixture to the crumbs. ¼ cup ice cold water, ½ tablespoon white vinegar
Mix together just until the dough is combined and handles well.

Form the pastry:

Roll out the pastry dough on a lightly floured surface to about an 11×16” rectangle.
Brush the top of the dough with the cinnamon sugar mixture (or all separately if that is the way you choose to make it)
Fold the long edge of the pastry into the center and have them overlap slightly. Not quite in thirds, but you want the center the pasty to overlap slightly in the middle.
Then fold the ends in gently to seal.
Place the pastry on a baking tray that you’ve lined with parchment paper. Or use a silicone baking mat.
Sprinkle the top with granulated sugar.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
Allow the pastry to cool for 15-20 minutes, then serve. Best when served warm.

Notes

*You can mix the pie crust in the food processor. Just add all of the ingredients and pulse until it is all well mixed and forms a dough.

*Add a dash of nutmeg, ginger, pumpkin pie spice or pure vanilla extract for a unique twist on the traditional flavor.

The calories shown are based on the pastry being cut into 10 strips, with 1 serving being 1 slice of pastry. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**