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Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie

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Total Time
Prep: 25 min. Cook: 40 min.
Susan Bronson

By Susan Bronson

Recipe by Julie Andrews, Rockford, Michigan

Tested by Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Taste of Home's Editorial Process

Published on Nov. 23, 2024

Whether served for brunch or dessert, this cinnamon roll apple pie never fails to impress.

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When it comes to topping an apple pie, you’ve got a lot of options. There’s the classic double-crust, the lattice pie crust, a streusel or a crumb topping like you’d find in an apple crumb pie recipe. But have you ever thought of topping your apple pie with soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls? This cinnamon roll apple pie recipe is truly decadent. And when you use a store-bought pie crust and packaged cinnamon roll dough, it’s also a breeze to make!

Ingredients for Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie

  • Pie crust: Sure, you could make homemade pie crust from scratch, but using your favorite premade pie crust brand makes this apple and cinnamon roll pie recipe so much easier to make.
  • Apples: Freshly peeled and chopped apples are the highlight of this recipe. Like many apple dessert recipes, this pie calls for Granny Smith apples, but Honeycrisp and Braeburn are also great picks. You could also use a mix of a few different kinds.
  • Flour: All-purpose flour helps to thicken the apple filling.
  • Spices: The warm flavor of ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg pairs perfectly with sweet and tart apples.
  • Sugar: A mix of brown sugar and granulated sugar sweetens the pie filling.
  • Lemon juice: A little bit of lemon juice helps prevent the chopped apples from browning and also cuts through the sweetness of the pie.
  • Salt: A little bit of salt enhances the overall flavor of the pie.
  • Butter: Melted butter helps to hold the filling together.
  • Vanilla extract: Vanilla adds to the depth of flavor of the cinnamon roll apple pie, specifically in the apple pie filling.
  • Refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing: You can’t have cinnamon roll apple pie without the cinnamon rolls. In place of a classic pastry crust, this apple pie is topped with cinnamon roll dough. Don’t forget to save the icing to drizzle on the pie!

Directions

Step 1: Prep the pie crust

overhead shot of a flat round piece of dough on a wooden cutting board, there is a rolling pin lying on the right side of the board, there are some specks of flour on the board and on the dough, the background is gray.ELLIE CROWLEY FOR TASTE OF HOME

Preheat the oven to 400°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pie crust out into a 1/8-inch-thick circle and transfer it to a 9-inch deep dish pie plate.

overhead shot of a pie crust that has been pressed into a pie pan, the crust has a fluted edge, the crust is light brown in color and there is some extra dough that was used to make the crust that is lying next to the pan, there is a pair of scissors next to the pie pan.ELLIE CROWLEY FOR TASTE OF HOME

Trim the crust to lay 1/2 inch beyond the rim of the pie plate. Flute the edges.

Step 2: Make the apple filling

overhead shot of a blue mixing bowl with dry ingredients for baking; there is white sugar, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in the bowl; the bowl is on top of a white and black striped kitchen towel; a wooden spoon is next to the bowl on the left side of the image; the background is a light gray textured surfaceELLIE CROWLEY FOR TASTE OF HOME

In a large bowl, stir together the brown sugar, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

overhead shot of a blue bowl filled with dry ingredients, likely for baking; the bowl is resting on a striped kitchen towel, and there is a wooden spoon in the bowl, which is stirring the dry ingredients, a clear glass with liquid is being poured into the bowl from the right side; the background is a textured grey surfaceELLIE CROWLEY FOR TASTE OF HOME

Stir in the melted butter, lemon juice and vanilla extract until they’re smooth.

overhead shot of a close-up of a pie crust filled with diced apples and a brown sugar, cinnamon mixture; the crust is in a pie pan and the filling is almost level with the top of the crust; a wooden spoon lies next to a blue bowl which is partially filled with the remainder of the apple filling and is on top of a striped kitchen towelELLIE CROWLEY FOR TASTE OF HOME

Stir in the apples until they’re thoroughly coated. Spoon the filling into the prepared crust.

Step 3: Prep and add the cinnamon roll crust

overhead shot of a wooden cutting board with a rolling pin laying on the right side of the image; a circle of dough is placed in the center of the cutting board; the dough is cut into eight slices with a brown fillingELLIE CROWLEY FOR TASTE OF HOME

Remove the cinnamon rolls from the can and set aside the icing. Place the cinnamon rolls on a cutting board. Use a rolling pin to flatten the cinnamon rolls into a 1/4-inch-thick sheet.

overhead shot of a partially prepared pie resting on a light wooden surface, with a fluted crust neatly pressed along the edges of a pie dish, two hands are visible, one holding the pie dish for support and the other gently adjusting the crust edges to ensure an even shapeELLIE CROWLEY FOR TASTE OF HOME

Place the sheet of cinnamon rolls on top of the apples. Press the edges of each flattened cinnamon roll together to form a top crust. Press the edges together with the bottom pie crust to seal.

Step 4: Bake the pie

overhead shot of a baked dessert, likely a pie, placed on a black wire cooling rack, featuring a golden-brown crust with fluted edges, a filling resembling cinnamon rolls or baked dough pieces, and a drizzle of white icing over the top, a small pitcher containing extra icing placed to the sideELLIE CROWLEY FOR TASTE OF HOME

Cover the pie with foil and bake it for 30 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake the pie until the top is browned, 10 to 12 minutes longer.

Step 5: Add the icing

Drizzle the icing on top of the cinnamon roll apple pie and serve it.

3/4th shot of a slice of apple pie sits on a white plate, with a silver fork placed on the plate, and the handle of the fork is visible; the plate is on a grey textured surface; a blurred view of another slice of apple pie on a white plate can be seen to the left of the main slice; a pitcher of milk is slightly out of focus to the right; the apple pie is topped with a white glaze and cinnamon; the pie crust is a light golden brownELLIE CROWLEY FOR TASTE OF HOME

Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie Variations

  • Double the cinnamon roll crust: You can use a second package of cinnamon rolls to make a layer of cinnamon roll dough for the bottom crust, too. Follow the same method to flatten out the cinnamon roll dough and line the baking dish like you would with the premade pie crust.
  • Switch up the fruit: Substitute some or all of the apples with chopped pears. Anjou and Bosc are some of the best types of pears for pies.
  • Add some fresh spice: For an added kick of spice, add 3/4 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger to the apple filling.

How to Store Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie

Though you may be tempted to store leftover cinnamon roll apple pie at room temperature, it’s really best to store any leftovers in the refrigerator for food safety reasons. Let the pie cool completely, then either wrap it in storage wrap or place slices in an airtight container before transferring to the fridge.

How long does cinnamon roll apple pie last?

When stored in the refrigerator, cinnamon roll apple pie should last for up to one week.

Can you freeze cinnamon roll apple pie?

Absolutely! After the pie has cooled completely, wrap it tightly and place it in a freezer-safe storage bag. Freeze it for up to eight months. Before eating, allow the pie to thaw overnight in the freezer. Then reheat it in a 350° oven for 30 to 45 minutes.

Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie Tips

3/4th shot of a white pie dish holds an apple pie, its golden-brown crust glistening under a drizzle of creamy glaze; The pie is sliced open, revealing a generous filling of warm, spiced apples; there is a small white plate and a glass measuring cup filled with a white liquid in the background ; the pie dish is sitting on a white and grey striped linen napkinELLIE CROWLEY FOR TASTE OF HOME

What’s the best type of apple to use for apple pie?

Our favorite types of apples to use for apple pie include Braeburn, Granny Smith and Honeycrisp varieties—all of which are likely found in your local grocery store. These varieties retain their firm texture when baked, which means you won’t end up with a mushy applesauce-like filling. If you happen to live near an apple orchard, some less common varieties that are also perfect for pie-making include the Empire, Rome Beauty and Gravenstein varieties.

Should you cook apples before adding them to pie?

This recipe does not call for the apples to be cooked before adding them to the pie, but you can if you want to. Pre-cooking the apples helps to meld together the flavors of the filling. It can also help to reduce the amount of moisture released by the apples as the pie cooks.

What can you serve with cinnamon roll apple pie?

A generous scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream or dollop of freshly whipped cream are must-have accompaniments to any apple pie.

Test Kitchen Approved

Easy Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie

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Prep Time 25 min
Cook Time 40 min
Yield 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 (7-1/2 ounce) sheet refrigerated pie crust
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 6 cups chopped peeled apples (Granny Smith)
  • 1 can (17-1/2 ounces) large refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing
Text Ingredients

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°. On a lightly floured surface, roll pie crust dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. deep dish pie plate. Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge.
  2. In a large bowl, stir together brown sugar, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir in melted butter, lemon juice and vanilla extract until smooth. Stir in apples until thoroughly coated. Spoon into prepared crust.
  3. Remove cinnamon rolls from can; set aside icing. Place cinnamon rolls on a cutting board; use a rolling pin to flatten cinnamon rolls into one 1/4-inch thick sheet. Place on top of apples; press edges of each flattened cinnamon rolls together to form a top crust. Press edges together with bottom pie crust to seal. Cover with foil, bake 30 minutes. Remove foil, bake until top is browned, 10-12 minutes longer. Drizzle icing on top.

Nutrition Facts

1 serving: 523 calories, 18g fat (8g saturated fat), 20mg cholesterol, 629mg sodium, 87g carbohydrate (50g sugars, 2g fiber), 4g protein.

Author
Susan Bronson
With 25 years of food and science writing under her belt, Susan is able to test pretty much any recipe for Taste of Home. She works from her small family farm in northern Wisconsin, where she also runs a food blog that features scratch-made meals. When Susan is not working on recipes or working as a science writer and editor, she's spending time wi...
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Susan Bronson
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What do you get when you combine classic apple pie and cozy cinnamon rolls? Layers of buttery pie crust, sweet-tart and tender apples and fluffy iced cinnamon rolls in one delectable creation. —Julie Andrews, Rockford, Michigan
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