Upgrade Your Pies With An Easy Cinnamon Roll Hack

When thinking of a cozy dessert, a warm slice of pie immediately pops into mind. There are so many delicious pies to make, from sweet apple pie with a cheddar lattice crust to strawberry rhubarb pie. Although there are countless delicious fillings to choose from when making the dessert, don't forget you can get just as creative with your crust. One idea is to try using cinnamon rolls.

That's right, a cinnamon roll crust! Rather than picking around plain, crumbly crust as a way to get to the filling, swapping in a cinnamon roll crust will add extra sweetness and flavor plus a soft, buttery texture. Not only that, but it will give your pie a beautiful, golden, swirly exterior, so it will look as good as it tastes. Added bonus: all the time you save not having to make a pie crust from scratch.

To make this unique twist, simply buy a package of pre-made cinnamon rolls, and roll out each individual one until they're as flat as a traditional pie crust. Then arrange them next to each other in a pie pan, and pinch the sides together until you form a singular base. Pour in your filling, place additional flattened cinnamon rolls on top, brush with egg whites for shine, and bake for about an hour. Don't forget cinnamon roll dough typically has more sugar than standard pie crust, so try lowering your oven temp by about 25 degrees to ensure the sugar doesn't burn.

There are a number of ways to really make your pie shine with a cinnamon roll crust even if you don't have a package in your fridge. For a medium level of effort, start with plain refrigerated pre-made dough, and turn it into cinnamon rolls by adding butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Then roll it up and cut into slices. Just make sure to flatten them out before baking so you don't end up with a cinnamon roll mountain squishing your pie filling.

While store-bought and pre-made options are both convenient and cost-effective, it could be worth the extra time to make the rolls from scratch and include extra ingredients that are standard in your pie of choice. Experimenting with different flavors lets you really boost your crust. For example, pumpkin ale cinnamon rolls would pair wonderfully as a pumpkin pie crust, and lemon cinnamon rolls would be great for zesty lemon meringue pie. If you're going with the classic cinnamon rolls, however, you can't go wrong with a cinnamon apple filling or sweet and sticky pecan pie. To finish it off, drizzle the frosting from the cinnamon roll package on top, or a use homemade cream cheese icing to give it a beautiful, glossy finish.