Julie Clark
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Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie
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Discover the ultimate cinnamon roll apple pie recipe, combining the warmth of apple pie with a cinnamon roll crust. Experience the perfect blend of traditional apple pie flavors with an irresistible cinnamon twist.
Today I’m opening to you the world of cinnamon roll crust apple pie — a unique fusion of two of your favorite desserts. Our recipe brings the familiarity of apple pie, combined with the sweet spiced cinnamon roll.
It’s not just an apple pie; it’s an apple pie with cinnamon roll crust that stands out in the world of desserts. Let’s dive in.
About this cinnamon roll apple pie recipe:
- Flavor: This recipe is full of the apple pie. And I love making apple pie with nutmeg, so you’ll get that hint of extra warmth from the nutmeg.
- Texture: You’ll cook the apples before adding them to the pie (similar to our fried apple recipe), which leads to perfectly tender apples that pair well with the flaky pie crust.
- Method: This recipe takes a little extra time than a traditional apple pie, but the beauty of the cinnamon roll pie crust is worth it! The pie bakes in a 9″ pie plate.
What readers are saying:
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Sheila says, “This is a KEEPER! When I made it, I didn’t use the full 2 teaspoons of cinnamon–thought that might be too much–but then when my adult daughter was eating her slice, she commented, “Next time, add more cinnamon!” so I think you were right in the first place! My family didn’t want to wait until it cooled and thought it was a bit runny, but then when the rest of the pie cooled, the texture was perfect, so again, I think you were right in the first place when you said to let it completely cool first.”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Barbara says, “This is a joy to make. A lot of hard work. But everyone loves it and it looks divine. Thank you for sharing this recipe.”
Best Apples for Apple Pie
This apple pie recipe is loaded with over 4 pounds of apples. How do you know which kind to buy? You want an apple that is not overly sweet and won’t turn to mush when baking.
Here are great options:
- Granny Smiths are a classic apple pie apple. They are tart and have a firm flesh.
- Honeycrisp add a little sweetness to pie.
- Jonathan, Winesap and Braeburn are also great choices that you should be able to find in your grocery store.
Is it better to cook apples before making pie?
Soft apples are a must in apple pie. Before making pie, cook the apples first in a saucepan on the stovetop.
- Combine the apples, flour (for thickening), sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice.
- Cook these over medium low heat until the apples start to soften which will be about 10-15 minutes. Stir the apples often so that the sugar doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pan.
This will create a nice, syrupy apple pie filling that you can pour into your pie shell. And your apple pie won’t have crunchy apples!
How to Make Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie Crust
There are important hints in our post about making homemade pie dough you’ll want to read through to get the perfect textured crust.
One hint? Keep pie dough ingredients as cold as possible for the flakiest crust.
One you get the pie dough mixed up, here’s what you do:
- Using a rolling pin, roll out one piece of dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle. The dough should be about the thickness of a regular pie dough. Spread a light coating of butter all over the pie crust. Then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
- Starting with the long end, roll up the dough jelly roll style, as if you were making cinnamon rolls. Roll the dough tightly. Use a sharp knife or pastry cutter to cut the dough into slices about 1/4-1/2″ thick.
- Press the cinnamon rolls flat side down into the bottom and up the sides of a 9″ pie pan. Overlap and press the edges together to seal the crust.
- Once you’ve filled the pie, use the remaining cinnamon pie dough slices to place on top of the apple pie. There’s no need to roll these out. Just place them on top to cover all of the filling.
How Long To Bake Apple Pie
This pie will take about 40 minutes to bake at 425º F. Place foil over the edges of the pie if they are getting too brown during baking.
See notes below for baking frozen pie or rewarming pre-baked pie.
Can you freeze apple pie?
Yes! You can freeze apple pie either baked or unbaked. Here are a few hints:
- Wrap your pie in several layers of plastic wrap, then wrap in foil wrap on the outside.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Bake a frozen pie as the original recipe calls for, but you’ll have to add 30-40 minutes extra time to bake through since it is frozen. (Be sure to remove freezer wrappings first!)
- If your frozen pie is already baked, defrost it in the fridge overnight or on your counter for about 3 hours. Then warm it in a 375º oven until it is the temperature you’d like it. This will take anywhere from 15-25 minutes. If you want to be sure the crust doesn’t get any more brown, place a piece of foil over the top of the pie while warming.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is apple pie a la mode?
Apple pie a la mode is a fancy way of saying apple pie with vanilla ice cream! We like to serve our pie warm so the ice cream melts in a little bit. Highly recommend. 😋 
Does apple pie need to be refrigerated?
You can store apple pie at room temperature for 2 days, then refrigerate.
After you cut it, be sure to cover it loosely with foil or plastic wrap. Or keep it in a pie storage container. This one holds 2 pie pans.
How far in advance can you make apple pie?
You can make your pie up to 4 days in advance. If you make it that far in advance, you’ll want to keep it cool in the refrigerator.
If you only make it two days in advance, you can store it at room temperature.
Can I add a glaze to the top of the pie?
Cinnamon rolls are known for the pretty glaze on top. If you’re looking to add a drizzle to the top of the pie, make our cream cheese frosting or powdered sugar glaze. Add vanilla extract or maple extract to the glaze.
You may also love our homemade apple pie filling recipe or apple cinnamon rolls.
Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie
What's better than traditional apple pie? Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie! Tips for making the best apple pie cinnamon roll crust.
Servings 8
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 3 cups pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1/2 cup cold butter
- 1/2 cup ice cold water
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
For the cinnamon filling:
- butter
- cinnamon
- sugar
For the apple filling:
- 8 large apples (about 8-10 cups of apple slices or at least 4 pounds)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons Saigon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- Juice of half a lemon
- 2 tablespoons butter
For the top of the pie:
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons coarse sugar
Instructions
Make the pie dough:
- Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Cut in the shortening and the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Mix the water and vinegar together in a cup. Add the mixture to the crumbs. Mix together just until the dough is combined and handles well.
- Sprinkle flour on the counter before rolling out the dough. Split the dough into two chunks.
- Roll out one piece of dough on a floured surface into a rectangle. The dough should be about the thickness of a regular pie dough.
- Spread a light coating of butter all over the pie crust. Then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
- Starting with the long end, roll up the dough jelly roll style, as if you were making cinnamon rolls. Roll the dough tightly.
- Once the dough is rolled, use a sharp knife or pastry cutter to cut the dough into slices about 1/4-1/2″ thick.
- Press the cinnamon rolls flat side down into the bottom and up the sides of a 9″ pie plate. Overlap and press the edges together to seal the crust.
- Roll out the other half of the dough, spread it with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, rollup jelly roll style and slice into 1/4" thick slices just as with the other crust. Set aside while you make the apple pie filling.
Make the pie filling:
- Peel, core and slice the apples thinly.
- Place them in a large saucepan. Sprinkle the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice over the apples. Cook over medium low heat just until the apples start to soften, about 10-15 minutes. Stir several times during cooking.
- Pour the warm apple mixture into the pie plate. Press down on the apples so that they lay flat and don’t have much space between them. This gives a nice, thick pie! Dot the top of the apples with the butter.
- Place the cinnamon roll slices overtop the fruit filling. Don't worry about sealing the crust, but simply place the slices overtop in a pretty arrangement.
- Use a pastry brush to brush milk overtop the pie crust, which will give the crust a shine. Sprinkle coarse sugar on top of the pie crust.
- Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the apples are soft. If the crust is browning before you think the apples are softened, cover the edges with foil.
Notes
- For a shortcut, use canned apple pie filling.
- Allow to cool to room temperature before slicing.
Nutrition
Calories: 589kcal | Carbohydrates: 82g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 422mg | Potassium: 363mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 540IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 2mg
Tools To Make Pie
- Pastry Mat: This silicone mat keeps your cupboard clean and makes rolling out pastries so easy.
- Cute Pie Plate: Because if you’re taking the time to make pie, serve it up in style!
- Saigon Cinnamon: This is our favorite cinnamon. You can’t beat its flavor!
- Whole Nutmeg: Use freshly grated nutmeg for an amazing taste!
Thank you Lizzy for sharing this recipe!!!!
The pie was so delicious and loved by my friends. The filling was just right and saucy which i like. This is definitely a keeper!
This is a KEEPER! When I made it, I didn’t use the full 2 teaspoons of cinnamon–thought that might be too much–but then when my adult daughter was eating her slice, she commented, “next time, add more cinnamon” so I think you were right in the first place! My family didn’t want to wait until it cooled and thought it was a bit runny, but then when the rest of the pie cooled, the texture was perfect, so again, I think you were right in the first place when you said to let it completely cool first.
Turned out great!! Love this recipe!
Can u please tell me if u have a cookbook with all the Amish recipes please or any cookbook and what is the name of them please. Thank you. Sharon
Hello…I am a great fan of yours.I wanna make this pie …can I use all purpose flour for the crust?Thank you!!
What a beautiful Presentation!
Great recipe! I love it because it looks so difficult so my guests are impressed! But, it is easy peasy and my 3 year old grandson says, Gammy, “It’s delisssious!”
This is a joy to make. A lot of hard work. But everyone loves it and it looks divine. Thank you for sharing this recipe
This was great. Thank you for the recipe. I wish I would’ve paid the bottom for just a little bit before I put on the apple slices to make the bottom a little crispy. I also think I used a little too much butter because it was a bit runny. This would be great with a little drizzle of icing on top! Thank you so much!
Super delicious and end result looks impressive! I was probably a little too generous with the cinnamon and soft brown sugar in the cinnamon roll which leaked a little but the taste was absolutely yummy!
It says 2 tbsp butter for the apple filling but I cant see where it is used?