It's a weird twist of fate that sometimes the best recipes are the ones you throw together haphazardly. Sometimes they aren't the ones that look the most perfect or seem the most gourmet, but instead just simple things that cater to the inner cravings you didn't even realize you had. These little pie crust rolls (even the name sounds entirely unsophisticated) are exactly that kind of recipe. They first came about as a last-minute breakfast idea that would make use of an extra batch of galette dough sitting in the fridge, but they turned out to be so freakin' good that I had to share them. They're definitely nothing fancy - literally a pie dough rolled out, swirled with cinnamon sugar, baked, and sliced - they bake up a bit messy, and they look rather imperfect, but try one bite and you'll understand why they HAD to make an appearance on el blog.
I ♡ the dough in this recipe because it's super easy to make and turns out perfectly buttery, flaky crust every single time. I've made about a hundred variations on it (alright, slight exaggeration), and no matter what it's added to or filled with, it tastes phenomenal. Obviously, a nice little brushing of butter and a hefty dose of cinnamon-sugar is pure perfection with it; the inside stays soft with an intense swirl of cinnamony-sweetness, and the outside gets crispy and golden-brown with lots of sparkling sugar layered on for a little crunch. It might be a simple idea, but the flavors are classic so you know you can't go wrong. Just add a good cup of coffee or tea to the mix and you're set ➝ pure heaven on a plate.
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Recipe Card
Cinnamon-Sugar Pie Crust Rolls
An quick and easy pie crust swirled with a sweet layer of cinnamon-sugar makes these flaky, buttery pastries perfect for your morning cup of coffee.
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: eight (1 ½" thick) rolls 1x
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 ⅝ ounces (⅝ cup, spoon and level) all-purpose flour
- 2 ⅝ ounces (⅝ cup, spoon and level) whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ⅜ teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces (½ cup) frozen unsalted butter
- 3 ¼ - 3 ¾ ounces (6-7 tablespoon) buttermilk
Filling
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ ounce (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, melted
Glazing and Topping
- ½ ounce (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, melted, for brushing
- cinnamon-sugar, for sprinkling
- sparkling sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
Crust:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, and salt. Grate in the butter using the large-hole side of a box grater and toss in until coated in flour and dispersed.
- Add 6 tablespoons buttermilk and fold in with a spatula until a dough starts to form. Finish bringing dough together by hands, adding up to 1 more tablespoon buttermilk as needed; dough should be soft and neither dry nor sticky. Be careful not to overwork. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.*
Filling:
- In a small bowl, whisk together sugars and cinnamon.
- Lay out a sheet of parchment paper and dust with flour. Dust top of dough with flour and roll out to an 8"x12" rectangle, keeping edges as straight and neat as possible (trim them if necessary). Brush dough with melted butter and sprinkle cinnamon-sugar evenly over top.
- Starting with one of the 12" sides, roll dough up into a tight log, rolling seam underneath at the end. Brush any excess flour or cinnamon-sugar off the parchment and lift to transfer to a baking sheet. Freeze for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400ºF.
Glazing, Topping, and Baking
- Just before baking, brush exposed area of dough log with melted butter and sprinkle generously with cinnamon-sugar and coarse sugar. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until outside is golden-brown. (Note that some of the filling will likely leak out and caramelize on the baking tray; this is to be expected.)
- Allow to cool to room temperature before slicing. These are best served fresh, but leftovers may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
*If desired, the dough may be refrigerated overnight to bake fresh in the morning.
To make these even easier, you could use store-bought pie crust. Baking time may vary slightly.
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Thalia @ butter and brioche
I definitely agree with you here - often the recipes that I find the most delicious I've just created on whim! And I can clearly see that's the case here.. these cinnamon sugar pie crust rolls look divine.
alexandra
Thanks Thalia! ♡
June @ How to Philosophize with Cake
Wow those do look amazing! I did something similar once--used leftover pizza dough in cinnamon rolls. Worked remarkably well! Plain doughs like that are just so versatile.
alexandra
Yes! You just gotta get creative!