10 Creative Ways To Use Pie Dough Scraps

There's something very homey about making a pie from scratch. We get the appeal behind store-bought pie crusts, as they're easy to roll out, add fillings, and bake away. However, there's something to be said about bringing together a homemade pie crust by meticulously cutting butter into the flour by hand, shaping it into your tin, and pairing it with your favorite filling. What could be better than the feeling of, "Yeah, I made this myself!"

However, there's one major downside (read: potential opportunity) when it comes to working with pie dough. Once you've rolled your crust, placed it in the tin, and trimmed the edges, you may end up with some extra pie dough scraps on your hands. Sure, you can just toss them in the trash, but it seems silly that you would have gone to such great lengths to make a crust yourself, only to throw away the leftovers. It turns out there are more uses for leftover pie crust than you think. Whether you're just left with the odds and ends after trimming the edges of the tin or have a whole extra crust leftover from a store-bought two-pack, we're here to offer you some inspiration as to what to do with it.

Pie dough "cinnamon rolls" were a favorite in our house growing up — and for good reason. These small pinwheels are nothing like the luscious cinnamon rolls overflowing with filling and slathered in the sweetest icing possible that you'd get from a high-quality bakery. However, this use for leftover pie dough scraps is ingenious because it can be done with any amount you have left over. 

To make these yourself, you'll first want to bring together your pie dough into a single ball and roll it out so it's flat. Ideally, you want to get it as rectangular as possible, seeing as you have to cut the dough after it's rolled. Then, as you would for a normal batch of cinnamon rolls, sprinkle the top with cinnamon and sugar, and slowly roll one end towards the other so that you end up with a log. You can be precise and slice it with a piece of sharp floss, though a sharp paring knife can also work. Once your rounds are sliced, plop them onto a sheet pan and bake until the crust has turned golden brown and is baked through. Since the rolls are filled with sugar, they will burn if left too long in the oven. Keep an eye on your pinwheels as they bake to prevent this from happening. 

Besides cinnamon and sugar, you can also fill your pinwheels with cheese, herbs, or spices. They can be dipped into a sweet or savory dipping sauce of your choice, or served as an appetizer or snack to munch on as your regular pie is baking. 

What do you do when you have leftover pie dough and nowhere to put it? Well, you could make more pies, of course! One of our favorite ways to use leftover pie dough and meal prep some decadent egg bites is to turn it into mini quiches. These are like a step above your standard Starbucks egg bites. The pie crust on the bottom is crispy and the perfect foil to your egg bite base, which can be filled with anything from veggies and meat to cheese and herbs.

Muffin tins are the key to implementing this hack at home. You'll first want to roll out your dough, then cut it with a 2½ or 3-inch biscuit cutter. If you choose to freehand it, you may want to flip your muffin tin over and see how much dough you have so that you can adequately cover the bottom and edges of the tin with dough. You won't need to blind- or par-bake your dough before adding in your filling and placing the entire tray into the oven. In no time at all, you'll have simple, snackable bites that will be the apple of everyone's eye at your next brunch or special occasion. 

We recommend using a knife to gently wedge out your mini quiches once they're done baking. Greasing the tin beforehand will ensure that your lil' quiches pop right out without breaking.

There's a lot to love about Pop-Tarts. These sugar-filled toaster pastries, complete with a layer of filling that vaguely tastes like the flavor listed on the box, are beloved by children and busy people fueling up for the day on their way to the office. While it might be easier to crack open a two-pack of the store-bought ones, there's something magical about being able to create your own with a much more flavorful homemade pie dough and filling. 

You'll need enough pie dough to create both sides of the Pop-Tart. Each rectangle should be about the size of an index card. Once you have your two halves, add your filling to the center of one piece, making sure to leave a buffer around the edges. Then, add your piece of dough on top. After the pieces are assembled, it should be easy to tack the edges closed with a fork and bake. An egg wash will give your Pop-Tarts the perfect color, while poking a few steam holes in the top will prevent too much steam from building up. Don't worry about the unsightly holes; you can cover them with a thick layer of icing once the Pop-Tarts are cooled. 

There are endless filling options worth exploring. Try these homemade blueberry cheesecake Pop-Tarts for a sweet start to the morning, or opt for Nutella-filled ones for a nutty, chocolatey start to your morning.  

You might not have enough pie dough scraps to make an entire batch of muffin tin quiches or Pop-Tarts, but you may have enough for crackers. Pie dough crackers are easy to make and can be used for snacking straight from the tray, dipping into a sauce, or using as a base for toppings — avant-garde nacho-style. You can even serve them with a creamy chicken soup for a deconstructed take on pot pie. 

To make your crackers, roll out your dough thinly and slice out your desired shape; triangles, squares, circles, or something free-form are all options. Do a quick egg wash and add your seasoning of choice before baking until golden brown and crispy. Salt is a good option, though you can always try to add a sprinkle of everything bagel seasoning, cracked pepper, or garlic salt. Alternatively, you can give your pie crust crackers a regional flair with za'atar (paired with tzatziki or toum) or a homemade taco seasoning blend (paired with guacamole). 

We get it: it might seem silly to use a few pie dough scraps for a recipe that you'd be better off making an entire batch of pie dough for. If you have a few odds and ends, though, you'll be happy to know that you can use them to garnish your pie. As long as you have some cookie cutters to work with or some stencils, you can craft seasonally inspired garnishes for your pie crust. A pumpkin pie with a few leaf-shaped cutouts can be the star of the Thanksgiving table, while a cherry or peach pie with painted suns, flowers, and the like can emulate summer in every bite. You can also consider cutting out some scraps using a reverse cutout design. This will make reds and blues, like in berry pies, pop and add dimension when paired with textured garnishes.

To make them, you'll want to follow the same steps as for the crackers. However, rather than baking separately, you may be able to affix the garnishes to the pie itself before baking. You can use egg wash or water to help secure the pieces; just add a little dab, then gently push the cutout into the crust to secure it. You can even use food coloring to give your pie dough cutouts some color — just be wary that the shade may look washed out when you bake it in the oven — or add seeds or edible garnishes to make your cutouts really pop.

Little smokies are great — but they're even better when they're wrapped up neat and tight in their Sunday best (read: a piece of pastry) and served with a tantalizing dipping sauce. If you need a little snack to tide you over until your pie has adequately cooled, this is a great place to start. 

To make your pie crust pigs in a blanket, all you need to do is wrap up your little smokies (or you can use cut-up hot dogs in a pinch) in pieces of pie dough and bake them seam side-down until they're golden brown. Pie dough doesn't have the same texture as the commonly-used crescent roll dough or puff pastry, so the bite may be more brittle than what you're used to — but it's nothing that a little dipping sauce or garnish can't hide. The taste of the pie dough is buttery, but neutral, meaning it pairs well with an array of sauces and spreads. A funky mustard, spicy relish, or hot sauce could do this simple snack combo well. 

We have a lot of tips and tricks for elevating ice cream sandwiches, and swapping out your boring, soggy chocolate wafer cookie base is just the start. Pie crust makes for a far tastier crust for your treat and because it's pliable and doesn't freeze hard, it's conducive to making batches of sandwiches in advance and freezing for later. You can go the simple route and slice out your cookie bases using a biscuit cutter, bake, and let cool before assembling your sandwich, or try a funky lattice design for a visually stunning complement to your favorite ice cream flavor. We recommend egg-washing your pie crust rounds for the best color and adding a sprinkle of sugar on top for an extra bit of crunch. 

Pie crust doesn't have a strong profile, meaning there are few ice creams that don't pair well with it. In the spirit of pies, you could always go for a cherry, blueberry, or apple pie ice cream (yes, there is such a thing and yes, it's delicious). Adorn your sandwiches with extra garnishes, like rolling in chocolate chips or dried fruit or a dunk in melted chocolate to further customize your frozen treat. This versatile sandwich base will switch your routine and give you a great way to use those extra pie crust pieces. 

There's something very homey and warm about a crock of chicken and dumplings cooking away on the stovetop. The "dumplings" — which can include everything from canned biscuits to drop biscuit dough balls — are steamed in the vat of chicken, veggies, and creamy broth, which softens them and gives them a moist mouthfeel, rather than the crispy topping you'd find on a chicken pot pie. If you have a roll of pie crust or some leftover dough trimmings, you can use them to jazz up your chicken and dumplings and replace the biscuit component entirely. 

For this hack, you'll need to cut your dough into small strips, and then toss it in the cooking soup as it bubbles away. As the pie dough cooks, the starch will infuse into the surrounding broth, helping to thicken it. It won't replace the feeling of biting into a wad of dumpling, but it will make your soup extra rich. The dough won't puff like biscuits would, so the mouthfeel will be different — which might be better if you're looking for a less lumpy chicken and dumplings recipe. 

Bite-sized desserts are all the rage, especially at gatherings when you need to tide hangry guests over before the main meal is served. Pie dough can help you accomplish the hors d'oeuvres of your dreams, whether you're after something sweet or something savory. Take baked Brie, for example. It's normally wrapped in a puff pastry or phyllo dough casing, giving you the perfect contrast of gooey, melty cheese and crust when you cut it. If you have a muffin tin, you can make creative mini Brie bites to serve instead of a whole round of the cheese. To assemble, place the leftover pie dough in a greased muffin tin, add your small wedges of Brie and sauce of choice (like cranberry or fig jam), and bake until golden. This colorful, open-faced bite is perfect for your Thanksgiving table. 

You can also use pie dough to wholly encase your filling. Grab your muffin tin, sandwich it with the fillings of your choice, and fold the pieces over at the top so the balls are fully encased. You can add any number of fillings to these bites, but one of our personal favorites is Thanksgiving leftovers. Mashed potatoes, shredded turkey, cranberry sauce, and more are at home with the buttery pie crust and make for an excellent alternative to Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches. 

What can't you fry? This is a very interesting question, as there are few foods that aren't able to be improved with a quick trip in the hot oil (Kool-Aid and butter included). Pie dough can also be transformed after a dip in the deep fryer. When it exits the magical bath, it's turned into a crispy, crunchy snack perfect for topping with cinnamon and sugar. 

The most manageable way to implement this pie dough cooking technique is to slice the crust into pieces to make pie fries, rather than deep-frying the whole wad of dough like your state-fair-favorite fried dough. You'll only need to fry the dough for a few minutes on each side, and then transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off the excess oil before adding your seasoning of choice. If you're looking for a less greasy alternative, you may want to bake the strips instead. Coat the strips in butter, cinnamon, and sugar, and bake them on a lined sheet pan until crisp and fragrant. Like the mini pinwheels, these fries are excellent paired with a sweet icing or chocolate dipping sauce.