Cinnamon Pie
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Nov 4, 2024 
A Perfect Cinnamon Pie Recipe for the holidays with a creamy spiced filling and golden crust! Cream cheese gives this pie amazingly silky texture, while cinnamon and nutmeg create bold and warm flavors.
Why We Love This Cinnamon Pie Recipe
Holiday pies are something I look forward to each and every year. Pumpkin pie, pecan pie, apple pie, chocolate pie… I seriously cannot get enough of them!
However, this year I wanted to try a new (at least new to me) pie variety for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. Not that there’s anything wrong at all with the classics; but sometimes you just want to mix it up, right? Right.
I was recently listening to an old Paul Simon album and stopped in my tracks when I heard the line She was baking a Cinnamon Pie in the song “Hurricane Eye.”
Cinnamon Pie? Never heard of it.
Don’t get me wrong… I have eaten more than my fair share of cinnamon rolls, cinnamon cookies, cinnamon cake, cinnamon cornbread, and cinnamon bread over the years. Yet, I had never ever tried Cinnamon Pie.
Paul Simon, challenge accepted!
The Best Cinnamon Pie Recipe
After hunting down multiple recipes, I noticed quite a large discrepancy in what is considered a “Cinnamon Pie.” Some were gooey and gelatinous, some were like a cinnamon cake baked inside a pie crust, some were double-crusted, and some were chunky. There just didn’t seem to be a set standard.
The recipes that stood out to me as the most appealing were the smooth creamy pie recipes.
So I made notes on the the best elements of each recipe, and set off to create my variation of Cinnamon Pie. What I came up with is going to absolutely blow you away, and quickly become your new favorite go-to holiday dessert!
So here it is: Today’s recipe is my version of Cinnamon Pie, inspired by Paul Simon and later “Dual Spires”… If you know, you know.
The filling of this pie is light and silky, with a strong cinnamon flavor and a touch of nutmeg to offset the flavor. Both creamy and spicy, I love that this dessert isn’t too rich, while still satisfying your holiday spice sweet tooth.
It’s divine. Truly. You can make this easy cinnamon pie a day or so before your festivities, and just take it out of the fridge one hour before you’re ready to enjoy!
Ingredients You Need
- Homemade or store-bought buttery pie crust
- Cream cheese
- Brown sugar
- Eggs – you’ll need 2 whole large eggs + 1 egg yolk
- Heavy cream
- Flour
- Cinnamon
- Vanilla
- Salt
- Ground nutmeg
- Powdered sugar – for dusting
- Whipped cream – for serving
How to Make Cinnamon Pie
Not only is this fabulous pie super flavorful, it’s also incredibly easy to make. Once you’ve got your pie dough or pre-made crust ready to go, you just need one large bowl to mix all of your ingredients in to create the creamy cinnamon custard pie filling.
Here’s how to do it:
- Firstly, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. If using homemade pie dough, roll and fit your pie crust into a standard 9-inch pie plate. Crimp the edges, and place the pie crust in the refrigerator.
- Place the cream cheese and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on high until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Scrape the bowl with a spatula, then beat in the two eggs plus one egg yolk. Scrape the sides of the bowl again, then set the mixer on low and mix in cream, flour, cinnamon, vanilla, salt and nutmeg. Continue to mix on low until very smooth: You want to make sure the spices are thoroughly and evenly blended in the batter.
- Pour the creamy cinnamon pie filling into the prepared pie pan.
- Bake the pie for 35 minutes, until the center seems set when jiggled, but not totally firm. Bake another 5 minutes if needed.
- Once done, allow the pie to cool completely on a cooling rack. Cover with foil and chill in the fridge.
That’s really all there is to it!
Get the Full (Printable) Cinnamon Pie Recipe + Video Below!
Take the pie out of the refrigerator 1 hour before serving. And I recommend that you lightly dust the top of the pie with powdered sugar: it just makes it so festive!
Your family and friends will absolutely fall in love with this incredibly unique dessert! It’s classified as a holiday recipe, but I guarantee they will be asking you to make this Cinnamon Pie all year long. Try it at your next gathering, and let me know what you think!
Looking for More Festive Dessert Ideas? Be Sure to Try:
- The Best Sweet Potato Pie
- Easy Pumpkin Slab Pie
- Coffee Bread Pudding
- Fresh Strawberry Cream Pie
- Pecan Upside Down Cake
- French Silk Pie Recipe
- Butter Pecan Cake (Brown Butter Cake)
- Apple Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting
- Easy Apple Upside Down Cake
- Pomegranate Cream Tart
- Spice Walnut Pear Cake
- Pecan Praline Pound Cake
- Cinnamon Dolce Cake Latte Cake with Marscapone Frosting
Cinnamon Pie Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 pie crust, homemade or store-bought
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Roll and fit a pie crust into a standard 9 inch pie dish. Crimp the edges and place the pie crust in the refrigerator.
- Place the cream cheese and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on high until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Scrape the bowl with a spatula, then beat in the eggs. Scrape the bowl again, then set the mixer on low and mix in cream, flour, cinnamon, vanilla, salt and nutmeg until very smooth.
- Pour the cinnamon filling into the prepared pie pan. Bake for 35 minutes, until the center seems set when jiggled, but not totally firm. Bake another 5 minutes if needed. Cool completely. Cover and chill.
- Take out of the refrigerator 1 hour before serving. Dust the top of the pie with powdered sugar. Cut and serve with whipped cream if desired.
I followed the directions on this recipe to a T. While I feel it was on the right track, the cinnamon was overwhelming, though I used a very expensive, high-end cinnamon; not sure if that made a difference or not. I took it to a party with a bunch of cinnamon lovers. It was the consensus, too strong but could be great. Someone thought it would be good with a scoop of the filling added to her coffee. :) It is completely on the right track, just overwhelming in cinnamon taste, almost like the cinnamon challenge. I will definitely make it again and cut the cinnamon in half, at least with the brand I used.
I had never heard of this pie but after reading the recipe thought I would try it because it sounded delicious. I made the pie and it in fact was delicious and a hit with everyone who had a piece. I served it with fresh whipped cream as suggested and I intend to make it again! Thank you for the delicious recipe!!!
I made this for Thanksgiving this year, and although it wasn’t technically a hit, I love this pie! The strong taste of cinnamon was so rich and decadent! I’m going to make this every year just for me! Thank you for accepting Paul Simon’s challenge!!
This pie was truly amazing! I made it gluten free by using a GF crust and replacing the flour with Sweet Rice Flour. Everyone who tried it loved it. Definitely adding to our Thanksgiving pie list from now on. Thank you so much for sharing!
I can’t eat this pie as I am allergic to cinnamon (made it for in laws for Thanksgiving) and they all loved it however there was so much extra filling that I wasn’t aware of in the shell and it exploded all over my mother in law’s oven
If I wanted to make the filling gluten free, could I sub the flour for anything and the texture still come out?
Absolutely. I’ve made this a few times with GF flour and it turns out delicious. Idk if you’d even notice a difference.
DELISH!!! Made this for Psych 3 watching. Instead of pie crust I used creme brûlée ramekins and made it crustless. I omitted the half tablespoon of cinnamon and it was still very strong so I think I might go down to 2 tablespoons next time. Especially if you have reflux. VERY yummy!!! Even warm. ;)
My husband and I loved it!
Does this pie taste like cheesecake?
Thanks!
Hi Carolyn,
It does have a tang from the cream cheese and a similar texture to cheesecake. Yet the primary flavor is most definitely cinnamon. :)
Super good but too sweet ! Without the crust, it mades a beautiful flan :). And the smell of Christmas is so powerful !
I’ll admit – when I found this recipe I was very suspicious about a cream cheese based pie. However after reading all my fellow Psych-o’s raving reviews I just had to go and make one myself. Let me tell you – I feel like I’ve died and gone to Dual Spires. 🍍🍍🥧🥧
I am going to make this pie this week. It’s my fiance’s birthday and he always brings up Cinnamon Pie, randomly. Yes, it is because of Shawn and Gus. Fingers crossed!