Cracker Barrel Cinnamon Roll Pie Recipe

Cracker Barrel Cinnamon Roll Pie is a southern-inspired dessert featuring spiral buns baked inside a flaky pastry shell. This hybrid treat uses ground cinnamon, brown sugar, and a sweet icing drizzle to create a hearty family-style bake.

I’ve made this several times and found that the first rise is where most people rush. If the dough isn’t truly doubled in size, your cinnamon rolls will be dense instead of pillowy once they hit the pie crust. I always look for that slightly wobbly, aerated look before I even think about reaching for the rolling pin.

The cinnamon filling needs to be a thick paste rather than a liquid to stay inside the spirals during the bake. Without enough butter to bind it, the sugar just runs out and burns on the bottom of the tin. This recipe is a huge hit at Sunday brunch and makes the whole house smell like a bakery.

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Cracker Barrel Cinnamon Roll Pie Ingredients

Pie Crust and Dough

• 2 unbaked pie crusts (homemade or store-bought)
• 500g (1lb 2oz) strong bread flour
• 250ml (9fl oz) full-fat milk, warmed
• 50g (2oz) butter, melted
• 100g (3.5oz) caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 7g (1 sachet) dried yeast
• 1 tsp salt

Cinnamon Filling

• 200g (7oz) brown sugar
• 85g (3oz) butter, softened
• 3 tbsp ground cinnamon

Icing

• 250g (9oz) icing sugar
• 30g (1oz) butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 60ml (2fl oz) full-fat milk

How To Make Cracker Barrel Cinnamon Roll Pie

1. Mix the dough: Combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a stand mixer before adding the warm milk, melted butter, and eggs. Mix on medium speed for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
2. Prove the dough: Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Leave it in a warm spot for about 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
3. Prepare the filling: Cream the softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a small bowl until you have a smooth, dark paste. Make sure there are no large lumps of sugar left.
4. Shape the rolls: Roll the dough out on a floured surface into a large rectangle about 1cm (0.5 inch) thick. Spread the cinnamon paste right to the edges and roll the dough up tightly into a long cylinder.
5. Assemble the pies: Slice the log into 14 even pieces and place one roll in the middle of each pie crust, surrounding it with the remaining pieces. Let the assembled pies rise again for about 30 minutes until the rolls look crowded and puffy.
6. Bake the pies: Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F/Gas Mark 5) and bake for 20 minutes. The pastry should be crisp and the rolls should be a deep golden colour on top.
7. Add the icing: Whisk the icing sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and milk together until the glaze is thick but pourable. Pour it over the pies while they are still warm so it seeps into the gaps between the rolls.

Recipe Tips

• Warm the milk gently. If the milk is too hot it will kill the yeast, but if it’s too cold the dough won’t rise in time. Aim for a temperature that feels like a warm bath when you dip your finger in.
• Use strong bread flour. While plain flour works in a pinch, the higher protein content in bread flour gives the rolls a better chew and helps them hold their shape inside the pastry.
• Don’t overfill the pie shells. Leave a little bit of space between the rolls during assembly because they will expand significantly during the second rise and in the oven.
• Make the dough ahead. You can let the dough do its first rise in the fridge overnight to save time the next morning. Cold dough is actually much easier to roll into a neat rectangle.
• Check the bake early. Oven hot spots can brown the tops of the rolls before the pastry is fully cooked. If they look dark at 15 minutes, cover them loosely with aluminium foil to finish.

What To Serve With Cinnamon Roll Pie

Serve this warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped double cream. It also goes brilliantly alongside a sharp fruit compote, like raspberry or blackberry, to cut through the heavy sweetness of the icing.

If you are serving this for breakfast, a side of salty streaky bacon provides a great contrast. A strong pot of black coffee is essential to balance out the rich cinnamon and sugar flavours.

How To Store Cinnamon Roll Pie

• Fridge: Keep the pie in an airtight container or wrap the tin tightly in clingfilm once it has cooled completely. It will stay fresh for up to 3 days, though the pastry starts to soften after the first day.
• Reheat: Place a slice in the oven at 160°C (320°F/Gas Mark 3) for 5-8 minutes to restore the texture of the crust. You can use a microwave for 20 seconds, but be aware the pastry will go quite chewy and lose its crunch.
• Freeze: Wrap the un-iced baked pie in a double layer of clingfilm and then a layer of aluminium foil for up to 2 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and add fresh icing after reheating it in the oven.

Cracker Barrel Cinnamon Roll Pie Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 485
• Protein: 7g
• Fat: 18g
• Carbohydrates: 74g
• Sugar: 42g
• Sodium: 310mg

Estimated. May vary based on ingredients and cooking methods.

FAQs

Try More Recipes:

• Cracker Barrel French Toast Recipe
• Cracker Barrel Sunday Homestyle Chicken Recipe
• Cracker Barrel Coca Cola Cake