What to Do with Leftover Pie Crust? 15 Ideas

There are many dishes where pie crust is the main ingredient, but it also works great as a substitute for other dishes. Pie crust dough is pretty basic, so it works in many combinations. However, you trim and cut, so you have plenty of leftovers that would be a shame to throw out. So what to do with the leftover pie crust? 

Leftover pie crust works excellent for mini cinnamon rolls, crackers, pigs in a blanket, breakfast pastries, sesame twists, small quiches, mini empanadas, nutty crackers, chocolate rolls, sundae topping, pop tarts, cheese sticks, mushroom puffs, spinach balls, and apple bites. 

 Pie crust is a very versatile product. You can use it for sweet and savory dishes, but you can also use it to make an entirely different dish that has nothing to do with pie. In the following paragraphs, I will explain how you can make the most of your leftover pie crust. 

Mini Cinnamon Rolls

Mini cinnamon rolls are always a good idea to use your unbaked leftover pie crust. They are easy to make and will probably already have everything you need to make them. All you need for these cinnamon rolls are an egg or two to make egg wash, sugar, and cinnamon. 

Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and have the egg wash ready. Tailor the shape and size of your cinnamon rolls by cutting the leftover pie crust into pieces. Press each leftover pie piece with your hand, or roll it gently with a rolling pin. 

Smear all leftover pie pieces with the egg wash and sprinkle as much as possible from the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Roll the pie dough pieces and put them on a baking tray. Pop them in the oven and bake for 15 minutes at medium heat.

Crackers 

Leftover pie crust crackers are probably the most straightforward recipe on this list. You don’t need anything other than salt and pepper to make them. However, if you have and like butter, you can smear some on the crackers before baking them. 

Cut the leftover pie crust into small bite-size pieces and press them with a mug to shape them nicely. With a fork, make tiny holes on the surface of the crackers, but don’t poke them; the holes are purely decorative. 

Sprinkle some salt and pepper on the crackers and possibly other spices you like, such as powdered garlic or dried herbs. If you smear butter on them, do so before adding the spices. 

Pop the crackers in the oven and bake at about 150 °C, i.e., 300 °F, for 15-12 minutes. They will come out nice and crispy. Make your favorite dipping sauce to pair your crackers with. 

Pigs in a Blanket 

Pigs in a blanket are a simple and cheap delicacy containing nothing more than dough and wieners. The recipe is as straightforward as it can be. 

Cut the wieners into small pieces, corresponding with the dough pieces’ size. Cut the leftover pie crust dough into pieces and gently roll them over with a rolling pin. Put the wiener pieces in the middle of the rolled leftover pie crust dough and wrap the wiener.

You can smear some egg wash on the unbaked pigs in a blanket and sprinkle sesame seeds on top, but you don’t have to. 

Pop the pigs in a blanket in the oven, and bake for about 15 minutes at 150 °C, i.e., 300 °F. 

Breakfast Pastries 

Breakfast pastries made of unbaked leftover pie crust are a true delicacy and a great way to start the day. They require a little more effort but aren’t complicated enough to make. 

Laminate the unbaked leftover pie crust dough by rolling it over with a rolling pin and adding butter. Once you initially roll the dough, put some butter on it and cover the butter with the dough by flipping it over as many times as you need to make a square.

Add butter to the square and, again, roll the dough until you bring it back to the initial shape, like before you flapped the first time. Repeat the procedure a few times. 

In the end, cut the dough into little squares and pop them on the baking tray. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 150 °C, i.e., 300 °F. the dough will rise and become fluffy. 

Sesame Twists 

The sesame twists are an excellent snack idea containing nothing more than sesame seeds and an egg wash. All you need to do is roll over the leftover pie crust dough with a rolling pin until it is about 1 inch thick. 

Cut the dough vertically into three-inch wide stripes. Twist each individual strip. If the strips are too small or too thin, merge a few together into one strip and twist them. 

Smear egg wash over each twisted stripe and sprinkle sesame seeds on them. Bake at 150 °C, i.e., 300 °F, for about 20 minutes. 

Small Quiches 

Ridiculously simple and amazingly delicious, the leftover pie dough quiches will take your breath away. All you need are muffin molds, eggs, cheese, and bacon. 

Divide the unbaked leftover pie pieces and flatten them out by pressing them down with your hand. Put each dough piece in a muffin mold. In each muffin mold, put one egg, a few thick pieces of cheese, and bacon pieces on top. 

Bake at 150 °C, i.e., 300 °F, for 15 minutes and enjoy this effortless and rich delicacy. 

Mini Empanadas 

This is an excellent idea combined with leftover chicken, so if you have some, go for it. Roll the leftover pie crust dough and cut circles. 

Cut the chicken and mix it with cheese and cream, cream cheese, crème Fraiche ricotta or sour cream, or whatever you can use to bind the ingredients together. 

Put filling in the middle of each dough circle and cover it by flopping the dough over, forming small empanadas. The resulting shape is similar to that of the panzerotti pizza. 

Bake at 150 °C, i.e., 300 °F, for about 15 minutes, and enjoy your mini empanadas with your favorite sauce. 

Nutty Crackers 

You must try out this idea if you have some walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts at home. Cut the leftover pie crust dough into pieces and make balls. 

Roll over each ball with a rolling pin. Crush the nuts into coarse pieces and sprinkle on each rolled leftover pie crust dough piece. Make balls again to integrate the nuts with the dough. 

Lastly, press each ball with a mug to give it a circular shape. You have your crackers now, and all that is left s for you to bake them. 

Pop them in the oven for about 15 minutes at 150 °C, i.e., 300 °F. 

Chocolate Rolls 

If you want something sweet but don’t feel particularly creative, nor do you want to invest energy and time, this idea is ideal for you. In addition to the leftover pie crust dough, you will also need chocolate and some butter. 

Roll the leftover pie crust dough over with a rolling pin and form one big circle. Cut triangle pieces from the big circle and smear butter on each of them.

Take the chocolate and crush it into coarse pieces. Place a few pieces of chocolate in the middle of each triangle and roll it. 

Bake your chocolate rolls for 20 minutes at 150 °C, i.e., 300 °F. 

Sundae Topping 

This idea is probably the easiest one on this list. Roll the leftover pie crust dough until it is about one inch thick. Place it on a baking tray and pop it in the oven. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes at 150 °C, i.e., 300 °F. Take the baked leftover pie crust dough from the oven and let it cool for about half an hour. After cooling down, crush it into pieces and put them in the zip lock bag. 

Roll the pieces over with a rolling pin until they become crumbs. You can store them in the pantry for a very long time and use them to garnish your ice cream, hot chocolate, pudding, or fruit yogurt. 

Pop Tarts 

Pop tarts are an ideal solution for your unbaked leftover pie crust dough. For this idea, you will need jam, milk, powdered sugar, and rainbow sprinkles. 

Cut the dough into small square pieces. Place a spoonful of jam, whatever kind s your favorite, in the middle of the squares. Use the jam for only half of the total number of squares, as you will need the rest to cover the ones with filling. 

Cover the filled dough squares and press the edges with a fork. Mix the milk and powdered sugar in a bowl to get a gooey consistency. Smear the milk and sugar mixture on the surface of the unbaked pop tarts and sprinkle rainbow sprinkles on top.

Bake for 20 minutes at 150 °C, i.e., 300 °F. 

Cheese Sticks 

Cheese sticks are always a great snack idea and even a better one when homemade. You should use soft or grated cheese for this idea, as you need to knead it into the unbaked leftover pie crust dough.

All you need to do is merge the cheese and the unbaked leftover pie crust dough and knead them together. The cheese will penetrate the dough, becoming a part of it. Once you notice that they have successfully mashed into a single unit, roll out the dough and cheese mixture. 

Cut vertical stripes and place them on the baking tray. Smear some butter on the surface and let them bake for 15 minutes at 150 °C, i.e., 300 °F. 

Mushroom Dumplings 

Mushrooms are always a welcome addition to baked goods. For this idea, you must fry some mushrooms and cut the unbaked leftover pie crust dough into pieces. 

Make balls with the dough and press them with a mug to get circle-shaped dough pieces. In the middle of each piece, put the mushroom filling and seal them by making a dumpling-shaped seal. 

Tale the edges of the circles and pull them up while bringing them together until they stick to a single point. Bake the mushroom dumplings at 150 °C, i.e., 300 °F, for 20 minutes.

Spinach Balls 

Spinach balls should be your choice if you want to eat healthy but delicious food. Mince some fresh spinach and season it with salt, pepper, and powdered garlic. 

Cut the unbaked leftover pie crust dough into pieces and add a pinch of spinach to each piece. Knead the dough and spinach together, forming delightful green balls. Bake at 150 °C, i.e., 300 °F, for 10 minutes.

Apple Pie Bites

What better use for unbaked leftover pie crust than for apple pie bites? Make apple pie filling with chopped apples and sugar. 

Roll the leftover pie crust dough and make one big piece. Cut triangles from that piece and put apple pie filling on every other triangle. 

Before covering the apple-filled triangles, sprinkle some cinnamon. Cover the triangles with the triangles you have left. Bake for 20 minutes at 150 °C, i.e., 300 °F.

How Long Does Pie Crust Last?

In the fridge, your pie crust is safe for a week, while in the freezer, it holds up well for up to three months.