Cranberry Pie is a deliciously tart pie that starts with a homemade pie crust filled with sweetened cranberries and topped with a nutty streusel topping. If this sounds good to you, try my French Apple Cranberry Pie, too!
Cranberry Pie
When it comes to your Christmas menu, I am sure there are some cranberries on there. The bitter and sour fruit is a popular ingredient around the holidays with its festive color! So, it makes sense to add some cranberry desserts like this pie to the list of cranberry recipes.
Pie Ingredients
There are three parts to this recipe–the pie crust, cranberry filling, and the streusel topping.
Crust: I used my no-fail pie crust for this recipe; it turns out every time (it really does)! My recipe does make 2 pie crusts, and you will only use one for this recipe. Use the other crust for another holiday favorite like my Chocolate Pecan Pie. You could also use a store-bought crust.
Cranberries: A pound of fresh cranberries is what you will use in this recipe. You could use unsweetened frozen cranberries as well, but make sure they are thawed.
Walnuts: I love the added crunch to the streusel from the walnuts. Pecans would also be delicious. But, if you could also leave out the nuts altogether.
Shortening: Shortening (hydrogenated vegetable oil) is any fat or oil that is solid at room temperature. If you have heard of or seen a big can of Crisco, that is shortening. The shortening helps the streusel turn out nice and crumbly.
Preparing the Crust
The first thing to do in this recipe is to roll out the pie crust and place it into a deep-dish pie plate. I used a 9-inch pie plate; if you are using a smaller pan, the baking time will need to be adjusted. Cut off any excess crust, leaving a bit over the edge to fold under and crimp. (Just use a fork to crimp around the crust if you don’t feel like doing any fancy scalloping.)
Once the crust is in the pie plate, place it in the refrigerator to chill for a few minutes as you prepare the filling. There is no need to bake the crust ahead of time (no blind baking).
How to Make Cranberry Pie
While the pie crust is chilling in the refrigerator, add the cranberries, sugar, and flour to a food processor or blender. Pulse the ingredients together until the berries are slightly smashed. Take the crust out of the refrigerator and spoon the cranberry filling into the crust. Set it aside as you make the streusel.
To make the streusel (crumble topping), simply combine the chopped walnuts, brown sugar, flour, and shortening in a small bowl. You can use a fork to mix the ingredients together; or if you have one, use a pastry blender.
Sprinkle the streusel over the top of the cranberry pie. Then, place the pie on a baking sheet before placing it into the oven to bake. The baking sheet will catch any spills that may occur while the pie is baking. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling. If the crust is browning too fast, add an aluminum foil protector around it.
When done, remove the pie from the oven and let it cool before cutting and serving. Serve it with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of homemade whipped cream. This pie will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Can I Make This Pie Ahead of Time?
If you are making the homemade crust, you can get that made ahead of time. You could also mix together the cranberry mixture the day before. Then, it’s pretty easy to get the pie made and assembled. If you want to get the entire pie baked ahead of time, you can freeze it for up to 3 months. Just let the baked pie cool completely before freezing it.
Cranberry Pie
Ingredients
Cranberry Pie
- 1 homemade (9-inch) pie crust, or store-bought
- 1 pound (454g) fresh cranberries
- 1¼ cups (250g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (31g) all-purpose flour
Streusel
- ½ cup (58.5g) walnuts, roughly chopped
- ½ cup (100g) light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup (31g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons shortening
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- On a floured surface, roll out the pie crust dough into a large circle and place it into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate, cutting away any excess crust. (If using a smaller pie pan, you will need to adjust the baking time.)
- Flute or crimp the edges and place the crust in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.
- In the bowl of a food processor, add cranberries, sugar, and flour. Pulse until the berries are slightly smashed.
- Spoon the cranberry filling into pie crust.
- In a small bowl, combine walnuts, brown sugar, flour, and shortening. Use a fork or a pastry blender to mix together until crumbly.
- Sprinkle the streusel mixture over the pie.
- Place a baking sheet under the pie pan to catch any spills. Bake the pie 55-60 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly.
- Let the pie cool before slicing and serving.
Did you make this recipe?
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Hello, can I use cold butter for the streusel stopping instead of Crisco?