Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie Pops

Apr 23, 20248 min read

Let’s just start off with.. YUM!

I’ve been looking for a way to add a fun, new twist on the standard apple pie recipe and I’m happy to report, I’ve found it.

Two cinnamon rolls serve as the delicious cinnamon-swirled pie crust in this brand new pie pop. Stuffed with a tasty, tender apple pie filling and topped with an easy, sweet glaze that will surely leave your lips begging for more.

If I knew how easy making cinnamon rolls were a long time ago, I think my original apple pie pop recipe would’ve used them as the pie crust from the very beginning.

Cinnamon sugar becomes a layer intertwined with the dough, rolled tightly and cut precisely for each pop. That extra touch of cinnamon has been said to hit the perfect spot.

These pops bring me so much joy!

Experimenting with pop flavors has always been one of my favorite things to do. When the flavor is a hit, it’s like I’ve won something big.

And I mean big. The reward is great.

The thing I love to do the most is spreading joy to others, and gifting these pops has been a blessing.

I’m excited to share some of my favorite pie pop recipes with you here.

Let’s dive in..

You can find the full recipe below. Here I’ll walk you through my process in making these sweet treats.

When I first started making pops, I would use the pre-made store bought pie dough. Once I learned how easy it was to make my own dough, and how much healthier, I’ve been on board ever since.

There’s no shame in using the already made dough. It’s perfect when you need something sweet, and simple to whip up quick.

Before I jump into preparing the apples and apple mixture, I make my dough and set it aside.

I absolutely love this dough. It’s versatile, holds a cookie-cut shape and tastes amazing with dozens of different fillings.

You can find my recipe for my homemade pie dough here..

Fill me up, buttercup. 🌻

Let’s make this filling!

This apple filling has been my go-to since day one. I’ve used so many different apples, and they all taste great but my personal choice is the Fuji apple. The perfect amount of sweet and juicy. Yes, please!

I washed, sliced and diced my apples before tossing them in a saucepan with the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and unsalted butter. I let this pot of goodness simmer about 15 minutes, until it looked, and smelled perfect. I added in a small amount of flour and let it simmer an extra few minutes while the flour thickened up the juicy.

You really want this mixture to be thick and gooey, instead of runny, ensuring it doesn’t flow out of the pie pop. The middle photo shows it runny with the final photo showing the end result.

When it’s right, it’s right.

I’m not sure about you, but I’m happy anytime the smell of cinnamon fills the air!

I let the mixture cool down in its saucepan while I prepared the cinnamon roll dough.

After I rolled out the dough, I melted some butter in a saucepan and then using a pastry brush, covered every inch of it. I mixed some cinnamon and brown sugar in a bowl and then sprinkled it evenly across.

I could feel the love happening. 🥰

I rolled it up tightly, and sliced the log into 1/2 - 1 inch slices.

I could stare at it forever.

I think this is love.

I laid out half of my pieces on some silicone mats on a cookie sheet.

Don’t worry if your dough pieces come out eye-shaped. Flattening the pieces help the shape. You can also either use your fingers to make it more circular again, use a cookie/biscuit cutter after it’s flattened to fix the shape or leave it just the way it is.

These are handmade after all, no need to strive for perfection. Just making them is a gift!

Experiment cutting this roll with different knives if you’d like, and see what you like best! I sliced this on my silicone mat, so I didn’t use a super sharp knife. My not-so-perfect slices flattened into these circles with a little help from my fingers.

I’ve used the bottom of a glass cup, or the bottom of the 1 cup measuring cup to flatten out these pops. I just dunk the bottom in some flour so the dough doesn’t stick to it before I flatten each piece.

Both work great. The rolling pin is also an option but it’s not as easy to make it evenly pressed in a circular shape.

Eggstra-delicious.

I used a fork to mix the egg in a small bowl for the egg-wash to brush my pops. Some add 1 tablespoon of water to this to make it go longer, but I really love having the yolk to turn the tops of pops golden. I have used milk to brush on them to help seal the pieces together, and save the egg for the tops.

I used a pastry brush to egg-wash these dough pieces and grabbed some lollipop sticks. I stuck one in each. Make sure the top of the stick is at the center of the pop, with the rest hanging down. Gently press the stick down, being careful not to push through the dough.

Here’s the scoop..

You know those fancy ice cream scoopers where you can pull the handle together and the scoop plops out? I have a mini one, fits about a tablespoon, and I scoop a heaping amount on each pop. If you don’t have a fancy scooper thing, a spoon works just fine. 😊

Doesn’t it look dreamy?

I love how simple these are to make but look like they require a professional baking background.

I loaded them up! I even made some without the lollipop sticks to make little hand pies, which happen to be just as cute.

Now it’s time to add the top cinnamon roll layer.

A work of ART.

I used a crimper that I had personally made years ago just for my pops. It saves me a lot of time crimping with a fork, though I do love the look the fork gives when you use it.

Like these, crimped with a fork.

Bake baby, bake!

I grabbed the egg-wash and covered each pop, leaving no dough untouched.

Off into the 375° oven they went for 20 minutes. Sometimes I leave them in a few minutes longer if I think they could use it.

Out they came..

Hey, good lookin’..

Can you smell them from there? 😋

Stick or no stick, it’s fun and delicious!

It’s time to make a hard decision.

To frost, or not to frost.

I have had these both ways, and I wouldn’t say there’s a bad choice to make. As delicious as these pops are without icing, they are just waiting to be dunked!

While the pie pops cooled, I made the icing.

Two ingredients and super simple. I grabbed the confectioners sugar and some water and whisked it together until I was happy with the consistency. Thick enough to dunk the pops in it and come out coated.

After my pops cooled on the cookie sheet for about 15-20 minutes, I removed them from my silicone mats. Being careful not to push or pull the lollipop sticks. Sometimes I use a spatula to lift up the pop. I transferred the pops to a cookie sheet and I made the (not so) tough decision. And then..

I dunked.

And dunked some more.

No icing on the left, next to one iced on the right.

I just love these.

I’m hungry again.

The final result..

These pie pops are so worth all the effort.

I found wood planks years ago in the local craft store and thought I could somehow use them for pie pops. I bought two then, drilled holes in the plank to hold either 1 or 2 dozen and it’s been a great display ever since. Instead of buying pre-made planks, now I make them on my own for custom displays.

Even the hand pies had their turn getting dunked.

Pie pops make a great treat for any time of the day. From breakfast for the kids, to elegantly displayed at an important event, you can always count on them to make someone happy.

I hope you enjoy making them as much as I do.

Please let me know how they turn out when you make them.