Pie Crust Cookies Southern Desserts
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Why pie crust cookies?
I should first answer the inevitable… “What is a pie crust cookie?”
Imagine this. The perfect sweet, flaky crust, bite-size piece of pie with your favorite seasoning (cinnamon, nutmeg) or simply sugar sprinkled over the top…
You just imagined the easiest of all Southern desserts – pie crust cookies!
These yummy bites make both a delicious and thoughtful holiday party cookie idea. With only a handful of ingredients, these quick and easy-baked treats will have your house smelling divine!
What are pie crust cookies?
Does it even get more Southern than pie crust cookies?
Black folks have forever taken leftover scraps to make what we know today as culinary cuisine.
Pie crust cookies are no different and are just as nostalgic as Southern soul food.
A childhood favorite that’s gained popularity with the rise of gluten-free diets. They’re a simple yet delightful treat that uses homemade pie crust or leftover pie crust dough.
You can even use pre-made pie crust purchased from your local bakery or grocery store.
The cookie pie crust is rolled out, cut with cookie cutters, and baked for a unique yet straightforward little cookie.
How do you make pie crust cookies?
The pie crust dough is rolled thin and sprinkled with sugar before being baked until golden brown.
With a minimal list of ingredients, these sugary delights can be ready in no time at all. So you can enjoy them at any time – even when on the go!
This little sweet is hard to beat.
A bite-sized snack fun for all ages. Whether it’s dessert time or snack time, these baked delights will always win you hostess with the mostest points with guests of any age.
Just in time for fall, these pie crust cookies are seriously addictive with their cinnamon-sugar coating.
So let’s bake these little Southern desserts!
Looking for delicious sugar-crusted cookies recipes that remind you of homemade recipes from grandma and mom?
Add pie crust cookies to your baking list today, and get ready for an incredible treat!
They’re the unexpected perfect little snack to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Any cookie lover will adore these deliciously easy-to-make pies!
Southern desserts pie crust cookies recipe
Kitchen equipment
- Your favorite cookie cutter(s)
- Rolling pin
- baking sheet
- Optional – I also used the Instant Pot Omni Plus oven
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Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1 unbaked pie crust rolled out (homemade or store-bought – I used a Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust)
- For homemade pie crust – ½ cup of flour
- Optional – a sprinkle of cinnamon or granulated sugar for topping (approx. ½ a teaspoon)
For the egg wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon of milk
Instructions
- Spray or grease a large cookie sheet and set it aside.
- For a homemade pie crust, you may need to lightly flour your dough before rolling.
- Roll out the pie crust (If using a refrigerated pie crust, let the pie crust sit in the box out of the refrigerator for 15 minutes).
- Use your favorite or seasonal cookie cutters to cut out shapes in the pie crust and place each pie crust cookie shape on the greased cookie sheet.
- When you’ve cut out every section of the pie crust, form the leftover pie crust scraps into a ball.
- Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough.
- Cut out more shapes with a cookie cutter.
- Repeat steps 2-6 until you’ve used up all the dough.
- Whisk together the egg and milk in a small bowl to create the egg wash.
- Brush the egg wash on top of the pie crust cookie cutouts and sprinkle with sugar or your desired spice (i.e., cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, etc.)
- Bake on the prepared baking sheet at 350 degrees F until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes in a conventional oven. 5-7 minutes in the Instant Pot Omni Plus oven.
- Optional – Sprinkle warm baked pie crust cookies more cinnamon sugar or melted butter for a deliciously sweet topping!
- Serve pie crust cookies right away, warm or at room temperature, from an airtight container.
What type of pie crust is best for pie crust cookies?
Pie crust cookies can be made with homemade pie crust or leftover pie crust dough. You can even use pre-made pie crust purchased from a bakery or grocery store.
You can use plain, butter, or graham cracker pie crust.
Pillsbury pie crust is a great store-bought choice!
Do you need a pie plate?
You don’t have to worry about having extra kitchen appliances or food processors for this quick and easy recipe!
You won’t even need a pie plate to make pie crust cookies. Grab a cookie sheet or baking pan instead.
What to serve with pie crust cookies?
Who doesn’t love pie crust cookies?
One of the best ways to serve these little Southern desserts is with a hearty cup of coffee or hot cocoa and maybe some cinnamon baked apples with ice cream on top.
You can also serve these delights with cheesecake, pumpkin dip, cream cheese dip, and warm apple cider will land these little treats with a smooth finish!
Want to make these little bites even more perfect?
Just try them with caramel sauce or your favorite chocolate dip!
Southern desserts pie crust cookies with jam
To make pie crust cookies with jam, take two baked pie crust cookies and smash them together with the gooey filling in between!
Janie’s pie crust cookies & Southern desserts
Suppose you’re inspired by Janie Bakes pie crust cookies and Southern desserts.
In this case, you can top your pie cookies with pre-baked cookie crumbs, similar to the bakery’s buttery streusel on top! Kind of like a cookie crust.
This is a super simple way to make a cookie similar to the jam-filled Janie pie crust cookies. (Janie Bakes is known as the home of the pie crust cookie!)
You can also try fun ideas like cranberry sauce, marmalade, or lemon cream cheese in between.
When baking pie crust cookies with a filling, you may want to line your cookie sheet with parchment paper.
What ingredients are in pie dough cookies?
Pie crust cookies are the easiest and simplest type of cookie you can make. Here’s the small list of ingredients required to prepare these sugary treats.
- Cooking spray – You can use coconut oil cooking spray or a butter-flavored version if you like.
- Pie crust – I used a Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust. The dough was easy and quick; it came out perfect every time!
- Flour – If you intend to use homemade pie crust.
- Cinnamon sugar to sprinkle over the top – Go for any of your favorite seasonings.
What’s your favorite pie recipe?
Apple pie, cherry pie, pumpkin pie, or sweet potato pie?
But what about cranberry custard pie or strawberry rhubarb pie?
There are so many delicious options to choose from!
Can this pie crust for cookies be used for cheesecake, which will need to be baked?
The best way to achieve cheesecake pie crust cookies is to prepare the cheesecake filling first, then sandwich it between two pie crust cookies.
I use this easy Instant Pot recipe for a no-bake cheesecake!
Can you bake the pie crust with filling?
Now, what to do with these pie crust cookies?
You can level up this recipe by combining two cookie cutouts and adding pie filling in the middle.
You may need to pinch the sides of the cookie all around, so the filling doesn’t run out when baked.
What’s your favorite way to use leftover pie dough?
Some people are not fans of making a pie from scratch.
I understand. It can be a long and tedious process, especially if there’s more dough than fruit to work with!
But fear not! Here are some fun (and delicious) uses for your inevitable leftover pie crust scraps that’ll have everyone asking where you got such a fantastic idea?
What can you make with the pie crust?
Leftover pie dough cookies!
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Pie crust cookies with cinnamon and sugar
Cinnamon sugar pie crust cookies are probably the easiest to make and the most popular of these irresistible buttery pie cookies. Just use your favorite cookie cutter for a seasonally appropriate shape. What’s best is that these pie crust cookies are sprinkled with sweet spice favorite cinnamon sugar on top!
-
Pie crust cookies with chocolate:
A rich, doughy cookie with gooey melted chocolate chips inside and sweet powder sugar on the outside.
-
Nutty pie crust cookies:
Use your favorite nuts like walnuts or pecans to prepare nutty pie crust cookies with an ooey-gooey pie filling!
-
Savory pie crust cookies:
Slice the dough into long strips (like breadsticks) after rolling it out to 1/8″ thickness. Put sesame seeds on the dough and bake it for a savory pie crust treat.
How long do pie crust cookies last?
How do you store leftover pie crust cookies?
Store pie crust cookies in an airtight container or cover them with plastic wrap (to keep them as crunchy as possible) for up to 3 days (unfilled).
Can you freeze these?
You can also freeze them or add some peanut butter before freezing, so it doesn’t dry out too much when thawed later! They can still be good in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Where can you get those nice cookie cutters?
You can pick your favorite cookie cutters from a wide selection at different online stores, including Mickey Mouse-shaped cutters, star cutters, and much more!
Grab the cookie cutters I used:
Why should you make these Southern dessert cookies?
The best part about pie crust cookies is that you don’t need an extra pie crust.
If you’re already baking a pie, you’ll likely have extra pie dough.
Then, you can make a batch of these cookies by simply making good use of the leftover pie crust dough. And there you have it – a simple pie crust cookie!
How do you save this recipe to Pinterest?
Hover over any picture in this post to view and click the Pin symbol to save this recipe to Pinterest!
What do you think about this Southern desserts recipe?
If you like this recipe, then you’ll love this best Southern desserts recipe roundup HERE.
Leave a 5-star rating and a comment below, and share your finished dessert pictures HERE in the Facebook group!
Like this post? Pin the below picture to your “Southern Desserts” Pinterest Board!
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- baking sheet
- Your favorite cookie cutter(s)
- Optional - Instant Pot Omni Plus oven
Ingredients
Ingredients for the pie crust cookies
- ¼ teaspoon cooking spray approx
- 1 pie crust unbaked pie crust rolled out, homemade or store-bought (I used a Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust)
- ½ cup flour *for homemade pie crust
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon *optional - sprinkle on cookies before baking
- ½ teaspoon sugar granulated, *optional - sprinkle on cookies before baking
Ingredients for the egg wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Spray or grease a large cookie sheet and set it aside.
- For a homemade pie crust, you may need to lightly flour your dough before rolling.
- Roll out the pie crust (If using a refrigerated pie crust, let the pie crust sit in the box out of the refrigerator for 15 minutes).
- Use your favorite or seasonal cookie cutters to cut out shapes in the pie crust and place each pie crust cookie shape on the greased cookie sheet.
- When you’ve cut out every section of the pie crust, form the leftover pie crust scraps into a ball.
- Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough.
- Cut out more shapes with a cookie cutter.
- Repeat steps 2-6 until you’ve used up all the dough.
- Whisk together the egg and milk in a small bowl to create the egg wash.
- Brush the egg wash on top of the pie crust cookie cutouts and sprinkle with sugar or your desired spice (i.e., cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, etc.)
- Bake on the prepared baking sheet at 350 degrees F until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes in a conventional oven. 5-7 minutes in the Instant Pot Omni Plus oven.
- Optional – Sprinkle warm baked pie crust cookies more cinnamon sugar or melted butter for a deliciously sweet topping!
- Serve pie crust cookies right away, warm or at room temperature, from an airtight container.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Hey girl! Black folks aren’t the only ones who used EVERY scrap of food🤣 Had this conversation just the other day. I can’t believe how many people throw out leftovers and other food! Never even would have occurred to us…still doesn’t. I still cook that way! I remember begging my grandmother to make these cookies when she was making pies. She put cinnamon sugar on them. I thought they were the best part of the bake😊
I LOVE that your grandmother made these for you! Thanks for sharing!
Oh gosh! This recipe looks so delicious. Little kids will surely love this. 😀
Right! A fun treat for all ages!