Many of us know apple pie as a traditional Thanksgiving dessert with a flaky butter crust and sweet apple filling. However, you can put a surprise twist on this treat by making the crust out of cinnamon rolls instead of pie dough. While it may sound odd, cinnamon rolls provide an extra layer of sweet and spiced flavors to this pie. You also don’t have to worry about forming a dough from scratch as store-bought canned cinnamon rolls get the job done. This isn’t your grandma’s apple pie—and that’s okay because it’s a fun version of the classic treat with plenty of richness. Here’s how to make cinnamon roll apple pie, whether as an afternoon baking project or for your upcoming holiday feast!
What is cinnamon roll apple pie?
This pie uses a standard filling of sliced apples, sugar, cinnamon and other ingredients. The filling is placed inside of a crust made from raw cinnamon rolls and topped with another crust. Once assembled, the double-crust pie is baked until it’s golden brown. Each slice is packed with sugary and aromatic flavors thanks to the sugar and cinnamon—both in the filling and cinnamon roll crust. Plus, the swirl pattern from the rolls adds a decorative touch to your pie.
Easy trick for turning cinnamon rolls into a pie crust
Now for the most top of mind question: how do you make a pie crust out of cinnamon rolls? Well, you can do this by rolling each one so it’s thin and laying them in the pie dish to form a crust. It’s best to allow the rolls to overlap slightly to hold in any juices from the filling as it cooks. Using cinnamon rolls that come in a tube simplifies this process since they’re already prepared and ready to bake.
A delicious cinnamon roll apple pie recipe
Another perk of whipping up this pie is that it requires just five ingredients! Try this recipe from the Tasty YouTube Channel, which gets served with the premade icing from the tube. Though, it’s great to enjoy with a scoop of ice cream or dollop of whipped cream. Or, ditch the icing and drizzle it with this 3-Ingredient Caramel Sauce instead for a buttery and gooey topping. (Check out our guide on how to freeze pie to enjoy this dessert later!)
Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie
Ingredients:
- 5 granny smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 cans of cinnamon rolls, like Pillsbury 5-Count Cinnamon Rolls
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 Tbs. cornstarch
- Flour, for rolling cinnamon rolls
- Nonstick spray, for greasing
- Optional toppings: vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and/or caramel sauce
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease 9-inch glass pie dish with nonstick spray.
- In bowl, combine sliced apples, sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch until fruit is completely coated in mixture. Set aside.
- Open both cans of cinnamon rolls and place them on cutting board. (Note: Save the containers of icing if you want to drizzle it over the baked pie.)
- Cut each cinnamon roll in half. Working on roll at a time, dust with a little bit of flour and use rolling pin to roll out until thin.
- Once rolls are flatted, layer enough in the bottom of pie dish to create bottom crust. Add apples and layer rest of the rolls on top to create a closed crust, pinch any holes together with your fingers.
- Cover pie with sheet of foil and bake 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake additional 10 minutes uncovered. Allow the pie to cool slightly. Drizzle with icing or serve with optional toppings. Enjoy!
