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Prepare your Thanksgiving table because this cranberry apple pie is the best addition to the dinner lineup! It’s delightfully juicy and the best combination of tart and sweet!
To be completely honest, I think that pie is the best part of Thanksgiving. I don’t make it nearly enough throughout the year! If you need more tasty pies for the holidays, you’ve got to try making this Dutch apple pie, coconut cream pie, or delicious cherry pie! Everyone will want a slice.
Cranberry Apple Pie Recipe
Apple pie is one of my all-time favorite pies, and to be honest, I didn’t think it could get any better. That’s where cranberries come in! I LOVE cranberries because they add such a mouthwatering tart flavor to whatever you’re making. They’re also great for using in so many different holiday desserts! (Hello cranberry orange cheesecake!)
But really, there’s a reason that cran-apple is a thing. It’s a holy combination! This cranberry apple pie is everything you could want from a holiday dessert. It’s sweet, tart, and juicy all inside a buttery, golden crust! Trust me, it’s going to be a hit at the dinner table. Serve it as-is or a la mode! In my opinion, pie is always better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
Ingredients for Cranberry Apple Pie
Here’s everything you need to make this gorgeous pie! It’s one of my favorites to make because it tastes just as good as it looks. You’re going to love it! Note: all measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- Double Crust Pie Crust: You technically need 2 crusts, one for the bottom and one for the lattice on top. For the holidays, I always like to make my crust from scratch because it just tastes so much better! It’s easy, too! Find my full recipe here.
- Apples: I used Granny Smith here to really bring out the tart flavor of the pie, but you can use your favorite variety! If you like a sweeter apple, go for Gala or Honeycrisp.
- Cranberries: I used fresh cranberries, but frozen cranberries work as well! Fresh cranberries can sometimes be tricky to find.
- Orange Zest: A must-add for holiday desserts! I love the pop of citrus flavor it gives the cranberry apple pie.
- Sugar: Regular white sugar works great to sweeten up the filling.
- All-Purpose Flour and Cornstarch: You’ve got to add both because they help the fruit filling solidify.
- Spices: It wouldn’t be a holiday dessert without the spice, now would it? Time to break out the spice rack! Here I used a blend of allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, and ginger for that classic fall flavor. It complements the apple and cranberry so well!
Let’s Make Pie!
Homemade pies can be intimidating, especially if you’ve never made one before! Follow these quick and easy steps and you’ll be baking like a pro. This cranberry apple pie is too good! You’ve got to give it a try this holiday season.
- Preheat Oven, Prepare Crust: Preheat oven to 400℉ and prepare your pie pan by lining it with one of your crusts. Roll the crust out until it is even in thickness and large enough to place inside the pie dish with little excess to trim off.
- Fruit Mixture: In a medium saucepan add your prepared apples, cranberries, and sugar. Then bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly.
- Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together your flour, cornstarch and all your spices. Whisk thoroughly.
- Combine: Pour your flour mixture into your apple and cranberry mixture and whisk constantly to incorporate all the flour, be sure no lumps remain. Cook: Continue to cook the filling until it thickens, about 5-8 minutes, stirring continually.
- Add to Crust: Afterward pour your filling into your pie crust and spread it evenly. Then cover filling with your second pie crust, be sure to cut a few slits in the top to vent. This is where I like to be creative and decorate the crust!
- Bake: Place your pie pan on a large baking sheet to catch any filling that might spill out. Bake at 375℉ for 10 minutes, then cover your crust with a crust shield to prevent browning and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.
- Cool and Serve: Remove from oven and allow cranberry apple pie to cool for at least 3 hours before serving.
Tips and Tricks
If you want to make a bakery-worthy pie for the holidays, here are a few simple tips to keep in mind! This cranberry apple pie recipe is one you’ll want to come back to every year.
- Thaw and Drain Cranberries: If you are using frozen cranberries, allow them to thaw to room temperature and remove any excess juice before mixing with the apples and orange zest.
- Make a Pie Crust Shield: If you don’t have a pie crust shield, you can fashion one using tin foil, it just needs to cover the edges and wrap around the pie to prevent the edges from getting too dark,
- Don’t Let Filling Get Too Thick: Filling should thicken up quite a bit while cooking, but remember it will completely set and thicken once the pie is cooled so don’t let it get too thick in the pot.
Storing Leftovers
The best part about making homemade pies is munching on them throughout the week. You’ve got to treat yourself!
- At Room Temperature: Store tightly covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container for 2 days.
- In the Refrigerator: Cranberry apple pie will last for about 5 days covered in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container.
More Delicious Homemade Pies
If you really want to impress your guests this Thanksgiving, bring a homemade pie to the dinner table! They’re a lot easier to make than you’d think and you can use a premade crust for easy prep! If you’re feeling ambitious, though, a homemade crust is always the way to go! Any good pie starts with a golden, buttery crust.
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Cranberry Apple Pie
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust double crust
- 4 granny smith apples peeled cored and thinly sliced
- 2 cups cranberries fresh or frozen. I used fresh
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉ and prepare your pie pan by lining it with one of your crusts. Roll the crust out until it is even in thickness and large enough to place inside the pie dish with little excess to trim off.
- In a medium saucepan add your prepared apples, cranberries, and sugar. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly.
- In a medium bowl, sift together your flour, cornstarch and all your spices. Whisk thoroughly.
- Pour your flour mixture into your apple and cranberry mixture and whisk constantly to incorporate all the flour, be sure no lumps remain. Continue to cook the filling until it thickens, about 5-8 minutes, stirring continually.
- Pour your filling into your pie crust and spread it evenly. Cover filling with your second pie crust, be sure to cut a few slits in the top to vent. This is where I like to be creative and decorate the crust!
- Place your pie pan on a large baking sheet to catch any filling that might spill out. Bake at 375℉ for 10 minutes, then cover your crust with a crust shield to prevent browning and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 3 hours before serving
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This pie is delicious! I made as listed and we all loved the spices.
WARNING !
DO NOT Use the listed amounts for the spices they are way to strong and over powering. Cut the allspice to 1/8 tsp do not add cloves or just use a pinch.
The pie came out beautiful but it was so strong I threw it out.
I’m not an experienced baker. I’m giving this a try for Mt Dad. How do the apples and cranberries boil without a liquid base??? Water? Some fruit juice?
No the juice from the fruit and the sugar melting makes juice. As the fruit heats up, it masticates and combined with the melted sugar that’s what will start to boil!
OMG THIS LOOKS GREAT I WILL MAKE IT. THANK YOU