Cinnamon Pie

This Cinnamon Pie has a flaky pastry crust filled with a cinnamon cream cheese filling, piled high with apple cider meringue, then topped with homemade apple chips! This unique pie is perfect all Fall long!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Pies

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 35

Chill Time 1

Servings slices

Calories 698kcal

Author Amee

Ingredients

Pie Crust

1½ cups flour
10 Tbsps vegetable shortening (or unsalted butter), cold (see note)
1 egg
1 tablespoon white vinegar (see note)
2 Tbsps water, cold

Cinnamon Filling

8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
1¼ cups heavy (whipping) cream, at room temperature
¼ cup flour
3 Tbsps ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (see note)
½ teaspoon salt

Apple Cider Meringue

3 egg whites, at room temperature
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (see note)
pinch salt
3 Tbsps reduced apple cider (see note)

Cinnamon Apple Chips (optional)

2 small apples (I used Fuji)
ground cinnamon

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pie Crust

In a medium bowl, combine the flour and vegetable shortening or butter. Using a pastry blender (see note) or fork, cut shortening (or butter) in until no large pieces remain.
In a small bowl, combine egg, vinegar, and cold water. Whisk to combine.
Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture. Stir until a soft dough is formed. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly into a ball. Form the dough into a disc, wrap, and chill for at least one hour.
After the dough has chilled, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface large enough to fit your pie plate. Line the pie plate with the dough, then place the lined pie plate in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the filling.

Filling

Preheat your oven to 350°. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cream cheese and brown sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, at least three minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Add the eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to incorporate before adding the next. Add cream and mix to combine.
Add flour, ground cinnamon, vanilla bean paste (see note), and salt. Mix to combine.
Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust, and set the pie plate on a baking sheet (this prevents spillage into the oven and makes the pie easier to move to/from the oven).
Bake until filling is set around the edges, but still jiggles in the center, about 35 minutes. Allow pie to slowly come to room temperature to avoid cracks in the filling (see notes). Cover the pie and chill completely.

Cider Meringue

In a large heatproof bowl, whisk egg whites, sugar, and salt. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, taking care that the water doesn't touch the bowl.
Whisking constantly, warm the mixture to 160° F, about 8-10 minutes.
Carefully transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer and whip using the whisk attachment until it reaches soft peaks. Add the vanilla bean paste (see note). Turn the mixer on low and gradually add the reduced cider (taking care not to deflate the whites).
Increase the mixer speed and continue to whip meringue until it reaches medium-stiff peaks. Pipe or spoon the meringue on top of the chilled pie.

Apple Chips

Preheat oven to 200° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut apples into thin slices, about ⅛" thick, and lay in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Bake apples for about an hour. Turn the pan around, then bake another 1-1½ hours, or until apples are crisp. Place apple chips on top of the meringue.
Because of the cream cheese in this pie, it should be stored in the refrigerator. The pie will keep, covered in the refrigerator, for up to four days. The meringue will be best in the first two days, as it starts to dry out and get gummy over time.
Enjoy!

Notes

Note on vinegar - You won't taste the vinegar in the crust, it will just help to make it more tender. That said, if you don't have white vinegar, consider taste in what you substitute. Apple cider vinegar would be a good fit, but your aged balsamic would lend a strange flavor.

Note on vanilla bean paste - I love the flavor of vanilla bean paste, so I couldn’t resist adding some to the meringue! If you’d rather substitute, you can use an equal measure of vanilla extract.

Note on reduced apple cider - You want to use reduced (or "boiled") cider. This allows for more flavor with less liquid, which is important as too much liquid can collapse the meringue. You can buy boiled cider, but it's pricey, especially if you don't have multiple recipes to use it in. Your best bet is to reduce apple cider yourself. For this recipe, pour 6 tablespoons apple cider into a saucepan and simmer until the cider is reduced to about 3 tablespoons. You'll want to keep a close watch over it, as it's not much liquid. Allow to cool before using.

Note on pastry blender - While a pastry blender isn’t necessary to cut in the shortening/butter, it does make the job faster and easier.

Tips on avoiding cracks in the filling: A cracked pie isn't the end of the world, especially when it's going to be covered with meringue, but it will have prettier slices if it doesn't crack. A few tips: Make sure your oven is appropriately preheated, take the pie out of the oven before it's completely set, and allow the pie to cool slowly (let it come to room temperature before placing it in the refrigerator).

Nutrition