Grandma’s Pie Crust Pinwheel Cookies – Just 4 Ingredients Required!

It is likely that these Pie Crust Pinwheel Cookies will bring back great memories for many of you. I know that it does for me.

As a child I used to help my Grandma make these cookies with the leftover strips of pie crust that were no longer needed. Whether she was making her famous Pumpkin Pie or an Old-Fashioned Apple Pie, there was always dough leftover after it was cut from the top edge of the pie plate.

And for me, that was the most exciting part! That is because I knew that eventually the strips of dough would be rolled out and filled with a delicious cinnamon sugar mixture. And then they would go into the oven to bake into little pinwheel cookies.

However, to be honest, I was convinced that only my Grandmother made this special treat! It was her secret recipe, or so I thought.

Family Traditions

Many years later, I went to make these delicious little cookies after making our Thanksgiving pies. I was so excited to show my husband something that my Grandma used to make for me as a child.

As soon as he took a glance at the plate, he became so excited and his smile grew larger and larger. Although I thought it was because he was happy to try a new recipe, that wasn’t quite the case.

Yes, he was excited to sink his teeth into these little pinwheel cookies. However, the look, smell, and taste were all too familiar to him as well.

He then shared with me that his mother also used to make them when he was growing up. In fact, he told me that he and his brother used to argue on who got that last one every time she made them.

So then it occurred to me that many other people were just as lucky as I was to have had these cookies. But more importantly, it is the lasting memories of this recipe being made with loved ones that makes it so special.

PIE CRUST PINWHEEL COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

• 9-inch refrigerated pie crust or homemade pie crust
• Unsalted butter, melted
• Granulated sugar
• Ground cinnamon

More About The Ingredients

1. Pie Crust – My grandmother used to make these cookies out of scraps from her homemade pie crust. However, if you would like to make more than just a few, use an entire 9 inch pie crust.

Of course you can make your own homemade pie crust using this No-Fail Pie Crust Recipe. Although, I most often use pre-made refrigerator pie crust dough to make these cookies.

2. Butter – As with the majority of my recipes, I always start with unsalted butter. Because this is a sweet recipe, the salt is simply not needed to enhance the other flavors in the pie crust pinwheel cookies.

3. Sugar – Although I use granulated white sugar, you can use any sugar substitute that can be used in the raw form. However, do not use liquid sweeteners, as they would not hold up during the baking process.

4. Cinnamon – Ground cinnamon is a popular spice to use around the holidays. However, when combined with sugar, it is a classic topping or filling in many recipes.

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. I had always been hesitant to purchase these Silicone Baking Mats, but I wish that I had done so much sooner.

Not only are they non-stick. They are also easy to clean and they have saved me so much money by not having to purchase disposable parchment paper.

Once you have the baking sheet prepared, set it aside.

Then, on a clean, floured surface, roll out the pie crust dough into an approximate 12-inch x 8-inch rectangle. Using a pastry brush, spread the melted butter over the top of the pie crust.

Next, in a small bowl mix the sugar and cinnamon together until well incorporated. Then sprinkle the mixture all over the melted butter, getting as close the edges as possible. Pat the mixture lightly so that it sticks the buttery surface.

Roll and Cut

Now start at one of the short ends of the rectangle. Begin to tightly roll the pie crust until it reaches the other end and has formed a log.

Then use a sharp knife or pizza cutter and slice into 1-inch wide sections. Depending on how wide the rectangle was to begin with you will have 12-16 pieces.

Place each piece flat on the prepared baking sheet. If the pie crust pinwheel cookies got smashed a little in the cutting process, lightly squeeze the sides to return the shape to a circle.

Place the cookies in the preheated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven when the pie crust is cooked but looks slightly underdone. It is important to not overcook them or they will begin to split and fall apart.

Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring each one to a wire rack to cool completely.

Other Names For Pie Crust Pinwheel Cookies

As I began to talk about and share this recipe with my friends, I have learned that there are several different names that these cookies are called.

Here are some of the common ones that I have heard of:

1. Roly Poly Cookies
2. Pie Crust Cookies
3. Bankies
4. Cinnamon Sugar Bites
5. Cinnamon Roll Cookies
6. Grandma’s Pie Crust Cookies

And I am sure there are dozens, if not more names that I haven’t even heard yet. But rest assured, not matter what they are called, they will be the hit at any gathering.

Enjoy! Mary

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