cranberry crumble pie

Need a showstopping pie for the holidays? You’re looking right at it. This Cranberry Crumble Pie features a ruby red sweet-tart filling of fresh cranberries and warm spices topped with a thick oat crumble all baked in a buttery, flaky pie crust. Serve with scoops of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate dessert that’s bound to become a new favorite.

Cranberry Crumble Pie: The Ultimate Thanksgiving Pie

Dare I speaketh the words? Thanksgiving is just over a week away. I know. I KNOW. I’m equal parts excited and freaked out, if I’m being honest (and really, when am I not here). However you’re feeling, know this: There is pie to be had, and if you haven’t decided yet which pie that will be, may I highly suggest that you’re looking right at it?

This cranberry crumble pie is 100% my new favorite go-to pie recipe for Thanksgiving. The sweet-tart filling of fresh cranberries and warm spices like allspice and nutmeg and cinnamon pairs perfectly with the generous oat crumb topping. It’s like if homemade cranberry sauce and fruit crisp had a baby, and that baby is this delicious pie. And this delicious pie needs to be a part of your holidays.

How to Make Cranberry Crumble Pie

OK that sounds great and all, but like, how do you actually make this pie? It’s really like any other kind of pie. For this dynamic dessert, we’ll need to do three things: Make the filling, make the topping and blind-bake the pie crust.

First, let’s make the filling: Cook a combination of fresh cranberries with brown sugar and orange juice/zest (or the juice/zest of an extra clementine you have hanging out in your fridge, as I did) just until the berries begin to burst their bright-red juices. Let the mixture cool, then stir it together with more sugar, some tapioca flour to thicken the filling, a few more whole fresh cranberries and some shredded pear, which will break down during baking to help set up the filling.

Second, let’s make the topping: Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter until everything is combined into coarse crumbs, like sand. Thassit.

How to Blind-Bake a Pie Crust

The third and final step is to blind-bake the pie crust. This sounds scary and complicated, but trust: It’s SO easy.

If you’re using a store-bought pie crust, simply follow the directions on the packaging for a one-crust filled pie. In general, the directions will tell you to fit the pie crust into the pie pan, flute the edges and bake the crust as-is until just set.

If you’re using a homemade pie crust (like my all-butter pie crust), you’ll need to take a few more steps to ensure success. Once you’ve fit your crust into the pie plate and freeze it for a few minutes to help firm it up, fill the pie with a layer of foil and pie weights or a couple of pounds of dried beans. Bake the crust until lightly golden and set, then remove the foil and weights before filling the pie. The end! See, told you it was easy.

Tips for Baking Your Best-Ever Pie

I know you’re really just itching to get your Thanksgiving menu planned (including this pie for dessert, OF COURSE), so I won’t keep you much longer. But before we part, a few tips!

• Be sure to use fresh cranberries for this recipe, NOT frozen. I have not tested it with frozen cranberries so I can’t speak to its success (or lack thereof).
• The vanilla ice cream is optional, but really recommended. It helps to cut the tartness of the cranberries in the pie filling so every bite is harmoniously sweet and creamy and tart and buttery. If you don’t have ice cream, whipped cream works well, too.
• Store this whole pie covered at room temperature up to 2 days. Beyond that (or for any leftovers), store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days more.

I have a lot of things to be thankful for this season, and this cranberry crumble pie recipe is definitely one of them. One bite, and I think you’ll feel the same way.

Cranberry Crumble Pie

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• Author: Stephanie
• Prep Time: 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 6 hours
• Total Time: 6 hours 45 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: American

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Description

A sweet-tart, fruit-filled pie with fresh cranberries and a thick, buttery crumb topping. Serve with vanilla ice cream for the ultimate holiday treat!

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Ingredients

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For the filling:

• 20 ounces fresh cranberries, divided
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 teaspoon orange or clementine zest
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange or clementine juice
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup tapioca flour/starch
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 large Bosc or D’Anjou pear, peeled and shredded

For the topping:

• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

For the pie:

• 1 store-bought or homemade all-butter pie crust
• 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• Vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)

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Instructions

1. Make the filling: In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, combine 12 ounces cranberries, 1/4 cup brown sugar, orange zest and juice. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 to 15 minutes or just until cranberries begin to burst. Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.
2. Meanwhile, heat oven to 450°F (or temperature as directed on packaging for pre-baking store-bought pie crust). On floured surface, roll out pie dough to approximately 12 to 13-inch circle and transfer to a 9-inch glass pie plate (for store-bought crust, just unroll and transfer to pie plate; no rolling necessary). Press dough firmly into bottom and sides of pie plate; trim any extra dough hanging over edges by more than 2 inches. Roll the dough overhang up and inward to create a thick rim, then crimp or flute to seal. Transfer pie plate to freezer for 15 minutes.
3. Once pie crust is chilled, remove from freezer. If using store-bought pie crust, bake as directed on packaging for a pre-baked pie crust/one-crust filled pie; if using homemade pie crust, gently line inside of pie crust with a square of aluminum foil slightly larger than pie shell. Fill with pie weights or dried beans, enough to fill shell all the way to the edges. Bake on lowest rack of oven 25 to 27 minutes or until crimps are lightly golden brown and bottom is just set. Transfer to cooling rack to cool 6 minutes, then remove foil and pie weights or beans.
4. Meanwhile, make the topping: In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
5. Finish the filling: In a large bowl, combine granulated sugar, tapioca flour, 1 teaspoon salt, nutmeg, 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon and allspice. Stir in remaining 8 ounces cranberries, shredded pear and cooled cranberry mixture until just combined.
6. Assemble the pie: Use an offset spatula to gently spread softened cream cheese into bottom and sides of pie crust. In a small bowl, whisk egg and water to combine. Brush egg mixture along crimped edges of pie crust. Pour filling into pie crust. Sprinkle oat topping over filling, leaving a hole in the center as a steam vent.
7. Place assembled pie on center rack of oven with a foil-lined baking sheet on lowest oven rack to catch any drips. Bake 60 to 70 minutes until filling is bubbly and crust and topping are deep golden-brown; during baking, cover edges of pie crust with foil if getting too brown. Cool pie on a cooling rack at least 4 hours before serving. Serve cooled slices with scoops of vanilla ice cream, if desired.

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Notes

• Adapted from The Sister Pie Cookbook
• I have not tested this recipe with frozen cranberries, so I can only recommend using fresh cranberries.