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Pie Crust Chips with Cinnamon Dip
Crisp cinnamon sugar chips made from pie crust dough, served with a smooth cream cheese dip. A good way to use up leftover crust from another pie.
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Cinnamon dip with pie crust chips started, for me, with my grandmother's leftover pie crust. She rolled her own dough, and there were always scraps left over once she'd trimmed the edge of the pan.
She never threw them out. She'd sprinkle them with cinnamon and sugar, bake them alongside the pie, and hand them over warm while the pie itself sat cooling on the counter for another hour.
The dip is my addition. Cream cheese whipped with powdered sugar and warm spice gives those crisp, flaky pieces something you can scoop, and it turns a handful of scraps into something you can set out for guests.
You don't need to be making a pie to make pie crust chips. A store-bought crust works, and so does a batch of homemade pie crust dough rolled out for this specifically.
But if you've got leftover pie crust sitting in your fridge and you're wondering what to do with it, this is a great recipe to keep in your back pocket.
Ingredients
For The Chips
- 1 batch unbaked pie crust dough, store-bought or homemade. Either works, and leftover scraps from another pie work too.
- 2 to 3 tablespoons milk or cream
- ⅓ cup cinnamon sugar, made by stirring 2 tablespoons of cinnamon into ½ cup of granulated sugar. That makes a little more than you'll need for these chips, and the extra keeps in a jar for toast and oatmeal.
For The Dip
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened. Cold cream cheese leaves lumps that won't beat out no matter how long you mix, so just set it on the counter an hour ahead.
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon - Cinnamon on its own keeps it simple and matches the chips. Pumpkin pie spice brings in nutmeg, ginger, and clove alongside the cinnamon for a warm, fall flavor. You choose!
Using Up Leftover Pie Crust
The scraps left after trimming a single pie won't add up to much, which is why we use a whole pie crust when we make these. One trimmed crust gives you a small handful of chips. Two crusts, or the scraps saved from a couple of baking sessions, give you a proper bowlful.
Saving the scraps for later
You don't have to do anything with them the day you make the pie.
- Press the pieces together into a flat disc rather than a ball, so it chills through evenly and rolls out faster later
- Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or seal it in a zip-top bag
- It keeps in the fridge for about two days, or in the freezer for around a month
Chilling also does something useful on its own. The gluten in the dough tightens up while you're working it, and time in the cold lets it relax again, which is why re-rolled scraps come out tender instead of tough.
Rolling them out again
If it's straight from the fridge, the dough will crack rather than roll. So let it sit out for 15 minutes or so until it gives slightly when you press it. Roll it once and cut your shapes rather than gathering and re-rolling several times over, since each pass works more flour in and toughens the dough a little further.
If it's gone soft and sticky by the time everything's cut, slide the tray back into the fridge for 10 or so minutes before it goes in the oven. Cold dough is what gives you crisp, flaky chips.
Pro Tips For Crisp Chips
Read this before you start, since two of these affect what you do before the tray goes in the oven.
Keep the dough cold right up until it bakes. Warm dough spreads and shrinks instead of holding its shape, and the fat needs to be cold going into a hot oven to give you those flaky layers. If your kitchen is warm or the cutting took a while, five to ten minutes in the fridge before baking is enough to firm everything back up.
Cut everything to a similar size. Thin pieces finish before thick ones, so a tray with a mix of both gives you burnt edges on some and pale, doughy centers on others. Rolling to an even ⅛ to ¼ inch and keeping your cuts consistent will help the whole tray come out evenly baked.
Watch the last two minutes. The bake time depends on how thin you roll and how big you cut your chips. Ten minutes at 425°F is the starting point, but what you really need to watch for is the browned edges. Keep in mind the dough can go from perfectly golden to burnt really quickly.
How to Make Cinnamon Dip with Pie Crust Chips
FIRST STEP: Heat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
SECOND STEP: Roll the dough out to between ⅛ and ¼ inch thick, either on a lightly floured counter or on a sheet of parchment. Cut your shapes. A leaf-shaped cutter suits the fall version, but any small cutter works.
Dip your cutter in flour between cuts to keep the dough from sticking to it.
THIRD STEP: Brush the tops lightly with milk or cream, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over them. The milk wash holds the sugar in place, so a thin, even coat is better than a heavy one.
FOURTH STEP: Lift the pieces onto the lined baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes. They're done once the bottom edges have just started to brown.
FIFTH STEP: Move them off the hot pan and onto a serving tray to cool. Left on the sheet, they keep cooking and can darken past where you want them.
SIXTH STEP: While they cool, beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon together in a small bowl until smooth.
SEVENTH STEP: Spoon the dip into a serving bowl and set it out with the chips.
Storage And Make-Ahead Instructions
Let the chips cool completely before they go anywhere. If you seal them while they're warm, it traps steam in the container, and they'll soften too much overnight. So let them cool for 15-20 minutes first.
Chips: They'll last in an airtight container on the counter, up to a week.
Dip: Seal it in a container in the fridge for up to a week. It firms up while it's chilled, so pull it out 20 minutes before serving so it can come back to a scoopable texture.
Making them ahead for a party
Both parts are fine made a day or two in advance. The dip actually improves overnight, since the spice has time to bloom into the cream cheese rather than tasting like it was just stirred in.
If the chips have gone a little soft by the time you're ready to serve them, five minutes in a 350°F oven should bring back a nice crispiness.
How To Serve
These are a fall snack more than a formal dessert, and they're at their best set out somewhere people can pick at them through the night.
On a dessert board alongside sliced apples and caramel, pear slices, and a handful of caramels
As an after-school snack, with the dip already made and waiting in the fridge
With hot coffee or a caramel iced coffee, the way you'd serve a shortbread or a biscotti
Alongside a pie, since the chips and the trimmings came from the same dough anyway
Other Things To Dip
The cinnamon dip doesn't only belong with these chips. Tart apples work particularly well against the sweetness, especially Granny Smith. Graham crackers, pretzels, and plain butter cookies are all good choices.
More Recipes ⭐ Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars | Pecan Cheesecake Pie | Peach Cobbler Cheesecake
Pie Crust Chips with Cinnamon Dip
Crisp cinnamon sugar chips made from pie crust dough, served with a smooth cream cheese dip. A good way to use up leftover crust from another pie.
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Ingredients
- 1 batch unbaked store-bought pie crust dough or homemade pie crust dough
- 2 to 3 tablespoons milk or cream
- ⅓ cup cinnamon sugar, (combine 2 tablespoons cinnamon with ½ cup granulated sugar and stir until evenly mixed)
- 8 ounces cream cheese, (softened)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, (or ground cinnamon)
DIRECTIONS
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll the dough to ⅛ to ¼ inch thick on a floured surface or a sheet of parchment. Cut shapes with a small cookie cutter, dipping it in flour between cuts so the dough releases cleanly.
- Brush the tops with milk or cream, then sprinkle evenly with cinnamon sugar.
- Arrange the pieces on the lined baking sheet. Bake about 10 minutes, until the bottom edges just begin to brown.
- Transfer the chips off the hot pan onto a serving tray to cool.
- Beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon in a small bowl until smooth.
- Spoon the dip into a bowl and serve with the chips.
Notes
- Cold dough bakes up crisp and flaky. If it has warmed while you were cutting, chill the tray 5 to 10 minutes before baking.
- Bake time shifts with thickness and cut size. Browning at the edges is the signal, not the clock.
- Cut everything to a similar size so the tray finishes together.
- Bring the cream cheese to room temperature first, or the dip will stay lumpy.
- Match the cutter to the occasion, or cut straight strips with a pizza wheel.
Nutrition
Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 142mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 310IU | Vitamin C: 0.05mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg
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