Cranberry Pie Recipe

Mak Erot

3 min read

·

Mar 30, 2025

20

Share

Cranberry Pie: A Thanksgiving Classic (and Beyond!)

This Thanksgiving, ditch the store-bought pie and impress your guests with a homemade cranberry pie. This recipe is surprisingly easy, yielding a delicious and festive dessert perfect for any occasion, not just Thanksgiving. It's bursting with tart cranberry flavor, balanced by a sweet and buttery crust. Let's get baking!

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very cold and cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup ice water

For the Cranberry Filling:

• 1 (12-ounce) bag fresh cranberries
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Instructions:

Making the Pie Crust:

1. Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
2. Cut in the butter: Add the cold butter cubes and use a pastry blender or your fingers to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Work quickly to prevent the butter from melting.
3. Add the water: Gradually add the ice water, mixing until the dough just comes together. Don't overmix.
4. Chill the dough: Form the dough into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This allows the gluten to relax, resulting in a more tender crust.
5. Roll out the dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the dough into a 12-inch circle. Carefully transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate. Trim and crimp the edges.
6. Repeat for the top crust (optional): Roll out the remaining dough and either cut it into strips for a lattice top or simply place it over the filling. Crimp the edges to seal. Cut several slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.

Making the Cranberry Filling:

1. Combine ingredients: In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, sugar, water, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon, and allspice.
2. Cook the filling: Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the cranberries have burst and the sauce has thickened. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
3. Cool slightly: Remove from heat and let the filling cool slightly before pouring it into the prepared pie crust.

Baking the Pie:

1. Bake: Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for 45-50 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. If the crust starts to brown too quickly, cover the edges with foil.
2. Cool completely: Let the pie cool completely on a wire rack before serving. This allows the filling to set properly.

Tips for the Perfect Cranberry Pie:

• Use high-quality ingredients: The flavor of your pie will be greatly enhanced by using fresh, high-quality ingredients.
• Don't overmix the dough: Overmixing the pie crust dough will develop the gluten, resulting in a tough crust.
• Chill the dough thoroughly: Chilling the dough helps to prevent shrinkage during baking.
• Blind bake the crust (optional): For a crispier crust, you can blind bake it before adding the filling. This involves lining the crust with parchment paper and filling it with pie weights or dried beans before baking for 15 minutes.

This cranberry pie recipe is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Enjoy the delicious aroma and the satisfying taste of this homemade treat! Happy baking!