This Cinnamon Pie is like a mix of a cheesecake and a custard pie, with a sweet ultra-creamy cinnamon filling baked in a crunchy Biscoff cookie crust.
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This Cinnamon Pie might be my favorite pie that I've made in 2023! The consistency is a mix between a cheesecake pie and a custard pie, with the perfect balance of textures between the crunchy cookie crust and the velvety cream filling. The star of this pie is, of course, the cinnamon. And while cinnamon is a very commonly used warm spice in baking, it is very rarely the solo star of a pie. But after taking one bite of this dessert, you'll definitely be asking yourself why not.
I can almost guarantee that everyone is going to love this pie.
So, let's get to making it, shall we? The article below is jam packed full of useful information. You can jump around using the menu below, or skip to the end of the article for the full recipe.
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Ingredients Needed and Substitutions
Here is a brief overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe. The full recipe with quantities is listed below this text in the recipe card.
- mascarpone cheese (this is available in most grocery stores, so do use it if you can find it...if not, cream cheese can be substituted)
- Biscoff cookies (Originally called Speculoos, Biscoff cookies are a type of spiced shortcrust cookies that originated in Belgium. They have a distinct cinnamon and brown sugar flavor and they're available in most grocery stores in the cookie section.)
- ground cinnamon (see the section about types of cinnamon below)
- unsalted butter
- heavy cream
- granulated sugar
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- salt (I use Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease by about half for volume, or use the same amount by weight)
Let's Talk Cinnamon
Maybe you have never given any thought to the ubiquitous spice hanging around in everybody's spice cabinet, but there are many different types of cinnamon available. When I was developing this Cinnamon Ice Cream recipe, I purchased many types of cinnamon and I can confirm: they can vary drastically.
There are two main types of cinnamon: Ceylon (or sometimes labeled Sri Lankan), is known as "true cinnamon," with a delicate, citrusy flavor. And the second is cassia, which is much more common in the US, with a strong, spicy-sweet taste.
Within cassia cinnamon, you'll find variants like Vietnamese (strong and sweet), Indonesian/Korintje (sweet and mellow), and Chinese (extra sweet, spicy, and robust).
Often, the cinnamon found on grocery store shelves is a blend of different types. If this at all interests you, you can go to a spice store and sample the different kinds. You might be surprised at the range of flavors and aromas!
If your "go-to" cinnamon doesn't have any label identifying its type, it is likely a blend. And if it's what you like, then keep buying it.
For ground cinnamon, my preference is Korintje, and I go out of my way to buy it because there are some varieties of ground cinnamon I really dislike. I find it at Whole Foods, but it's also cheaper to buy it in bulk on Amazon.
Pie Crust Options
This recipe uses a Biscoff cookie crust. These cookies add a remarkable amount of texture and flavor to this pie, so if you can find them, I highly recommend them! Plus, crumb crusts are awesome because they don't require much work.
I've also made this pie with a Graham Cracker Crumb Crust. A Vanilla Wafer Crust would also be a good option.
The crumb crust does not need to be blind-baked since it will be baked along with the cinnamon filling. However, you will need to chill the shaped crust in the freezer while the filling is assembled.
Chilling it helps prevent any of the cinnamon filling from "breaking" through the crumb crust. When I have made other custard pies with loose fillings in the past, I ran into issues with some disintegration of crumb crusts in the oven. Aside from freezing it, packing down the crumb crust tightly can also help to prevent this.
Crust Troubleshooting Tips
If for any reason your crumb crust mixture is extremely dry, you can add extra melted butter–one tablespoon at a time–to the crumbs until they are evenly moistened. Alternatively, if your mixture is too wet and it is hard to work with, add more biscoff crumbs until it is pliable.
Step-By-Step Recipe Overview
This is a quick visual overview of the steps needed to make this recipe with a few tips. This is not the actual recipe, which is located at the end of this article and has much greater details to ensure success.
Step 1: Mix together the Biscoff crust ingredients.
Step 2: Pack it down into a pie plate and freeze while making the filling.
Step 3: Mix together the mascarpone, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla. Please note you do not need to do this with a stand mixer, a regular bowl is just fine.
Step 4: Whisk in the remaining ingredients. Be sure not to overmix, as that can cause too many bubbles in the filling.
Step 5: Carefully pour the cinnamon filling into the prepared crust.
Step 6: Bake! See below for some tips on how to tell when it's done.
How to Tell When It's Done
This is a custard-style pie, which means it needs to be taken out of the oven while the center is still slightly wobbly. It will continue to cook for some time after it is taken out and then fully set up.
The outer 2 to 3 inches of the pie should be firm, but the center should be softly set, with a very slight wobble.
If all of the filling is fully set or puffed up when you take it out of the oven, then this means it has been overcooked. It may or may not develop a crack. However, don’t despair if this happens: unless it is severely overcooked, it's still going to taste good, I promise.
Once the pie is baked, take it out of the oven and keep it at room temperature to cool (preferably on a wire cooling rack).
Once it’s fully cool at room temperature, move it to the refrigerator to finish setting up for at least 6 hours.
Kelli's Best Tips
- Pack the crumbs down tightly in the Biscoff cookie crust.
- When making the filling, the ingredients don't have to be completely at room temperature, but it's best to take them out of the fridge to warm up slightly before you start making the crust, especially the mascarpone. They will come together more smoothly when less cold.
- Make sure the mascarpone-sugar mixture is smooth before adding in the other ingredients.
- Bake the pie until the filling is set, but be careful not to overbake it to the point that the entire filling is puffed up. That would indicate it has been overbaked.
Serving and Storage Tips
The components of this pie should all be made together in one day, but the assembled pie can be prepared in advance. At a minimum, it should be made at least half a day before it is meant to be served, but it's best if made a day ahead. Serve the pie chilled with a whipped cream garnish.
Leftover Cinnamon Pie will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Related
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PrintFull Recipe
Cinnamon Pie
This Cinnamon Pie is like a mix of a cheesecake and a custard pie, with a sweet ultra-creamy cinnamon filling baked in a crunchy Biscoff cookie crust.
- Prep Time: 00:25
- Cook Time: 00:40
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: Serves 8-10
- Category: Sweet Pie
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For Biscoff Pie Crust
- 8 ounces (226 grams) Biscoff cookie crumbs (see note)
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Pinch coarse kosher salt
For Cinnamon Filling:
- 8 ounces mascarpone, softened
- ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) coarse kosher salt
- ¾ cup (170 grams) heavy cream
- 3 large eggs
For Serving:
- Whipped cream (optional)
Instructions
Make the Pie Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and place an oven rack in the lower part of the oven.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the cookie crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and salt. The crumb mixture should be like wet sand. If it feels too dry, add in more melted butter as needed. And conversely, if it’s too wet, add additional cookie crumbs.
- Pour the crumbs into a 9-inch pie plate and start pressing the ingredients up the sides of the pie plate to form the edges first. Once the edges are formed, work the crumbs down to evenly distribute them into the bottom of the pie plate, then stamp it down. Place the pie crust in the freezer.
Make the Filling, Assemble, and Bake:
- In a large bowl, use a rubber spatula to mix together the mascarpone, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Whisk in the cream and eggs until smooth.
- Transfer the filling to the prepared crust. Bake for 45-55 minutes on the lower rack, or until the outer 2-½ inches is slightly puffed and the filling is set.
- Remove the pie from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Transfer to the refrigerator to finish setting up, at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Serve cold with whipped cream.
Notes
A standard package of Biscoff cookies is 8.8 ounces. Grind them all up in a food processor, but be sure to only use 8 ounces of the crumbs for the crust. Hold back that 0.8 ounces in case you need to adjust the moisture level of your crumb crust. Biscoff cookie crumbs are also sometimes available in the store.
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Juli Woods
This is one delicious pie! Entire family loved it so it will now be in regular rotation. Instructions are very good and therefore I didn’t overcook it. Excellent pie!