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Frosting & Fettuccine

Home » Recipes » Pies & Tarts

Nov 20, 2019(last updated October 31, 2021)

Easy Cranberry Pie

4 from 1 vote
BySam Adler
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Cranberry pie is so underrated but yet so easy to make! It is tart yet sweet and flavored with orange and brown sugar. Topped with whipped cream, this may become a new family Thanksgiving recipe tradition!

Cranberry pie with whipped cream resting on a white linen on a gray backdrop with a knife lying on an angle.

Forget the pumpkin pie (ok maybe don’t) but let’s introduce a new pie for your Thanksgiving table.

Why you should make this pie

I think cranberries are so underrated during the holiday season.

YES we all have some form of cranberry sauce on our tables. Be it homemade, or the canned version (no judgements here)- but I feel like I never see baking recipes that use cranberries as the main ingredient.

So today we are changing that!

How to make this recipe:

You’ll need two crusts for this recipe if you want to decorate the top of the pie.

Step one: Making the crust

Make your crust or use a store bought one!I have a great recipe for a flaky pie crust that you can make dairy or dairy free! It’s really not as scary as it seems!

freshly rolled pie dough in its pan with some overhang on the right side.

Again, NO judgements if you want to use storebought. It’s what I used alllll the time until I came up with my own pie crust recipe.

Thanksgiving is a crazy busy time and if you are not 10000% set on making your own then totally simplify your life and make a trip to the store instead!

Start by defrosting the homemade or store bought pie crusts on the counter. If using store bought, you have two options:

  • Choose to bake in the store pan– Use one crust as the base for your filling and use the other for decoration.
  • Bake in your own pan– Take the pie crusts out of the tins and combine both crusts together. Then roll them out into one crust to bake in your own pie pan. One crust will not fit, you will need two. Then use the scraps for decoration! I like this way better because then it is less obvious you bought the pie crust. MUHAHAHA.

If you’re using homemade– you will still need two pie crusts. I like to bake pies in a pan with diagonal sides instead of straight sides because its easier to line!

Line the pie plate with your pie crust and trim the edges. Set aside!

Step two: make the cranberry pie filling

Combine the cranberries, orange zest, and brown sugar in a medium size pot over medium high heat. In a small cup combine the orange juice with the corn starch and mix until the corn starch is dissolved.

Fresh cranberries, orange zest, and brown sugar mixed together in a pot.

Add the corn starch and orange juice mixture to the pot, bring the cranberries to a boil for 1 minute. Lower to a simmer, mix, and cook until the cranberries release their juices, about 5-7 minutes. You can mash them up as small as you like or leave plump.

Cooked cranberries in a pot.

Why do we use corn starch?

We use corn starch because it acts as a thickener in pies that especially have runny fruit fillings. Fun fact- it can only be dissolved in cold liquids. If you mix it right into a hot liquid it will not dissolve, resulting in a clumpy mess and not a thick filling.

HOWEVER- once the corn starch is dissolved in something cold and then heated up, it will activate it’s thickening super powers which will make your filling super thick in no time.

Step 3: Fill the pie:

When the filling is cool, fill the pie crust with the cranberry orange mixture. Grab the scraps from the fridge and make the pie crust decorations.

How to make pie decorations:

Let us count the ways! Using your pie scraps you can decorate the pie using:

  • cookie cutters to make shapes and add it as a border
  • roll out the dough into thin strips to make braids
  • make a lattice crust
  • Completely cover the top and crimp the edges. Just make sure to cut some slits so steam can escape!
A pre-baked cranberry pie with leaf shapes made from a cookie cutter decorating the border of the pie.

Bake!

Brush the pie dough decorations with a little bit of a beaten egg. This ensures that the crust comes out all nice and shiny. Bake the pie for 20-25 minutes on 350° F until the crust is golden brown.

A decorative leaf pattern on a cranberry pie sitting on a white napkin on a gray background.

How to serve:

The best part about this pie is that it can be served warm, at room temperature or even cold. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and extra crunchy turbinado sugar to garnish.

Store it in the fridge for up to 5 days if it will last that long!

A closeup of a cranberry pie topped with whipped cream that has slices cut into it.

Tips for recipe success:

  • To prevent a soggy bottom crust, dust the bottom of your pie plate with a mixture of 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp flour. Place the pie crust on top.
  • If the pie crust starts to burn, line the rim of the pie plate with tin foil and place back in the oven. An easy way to do this is to cut a large piece of tin foil and place the entire pie over it, then curl up the foil around the edges.

Want more Thanksgiving recipes? Check these out:

  • Flaky pie crust recipe
  • Salted Caramel Apple Pie
  • Apple Pie Bars
  • Cranberry Cheesecake Bars
  • Pumpkin Bars with Chocolate Chunks
  • Apple Bundt Cake

This post contains affiliate links which means if you purchase something off of those links I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my blog!!

 

Cranberry pie with whipped cream resting on a white linen on a gray backdrop with a knife lying on an angle.

Easy Cranberry Pie Recipe

This easy cranberry pie is flavored with orange and sweetened with brown sugar. Topped with whipped cream, it's the perfect Thanksgiving dessert!
4 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: pie
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cranberry dessert recipes, cranberry recipes, easy thanksgiving desserts, thanksgiving pies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8 slices
Calories: 299kcal
Author: Sam Adler

Ingredients

  • 2 store-bought pie crust or handmade, defrosted
  • ⅓ cup all purpose flour for rolling dough
  • 12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries about 3 cups
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest half a large orange
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice fresh or from carton
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch

For Garnish

  • 1 egg beaten
  • Turbinado sugar
  • whipped cream

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350° F and defrost two store bought or hand made pie crusts on your counter for 15 minutes. You can make this pie in the store bought pan but if you want to bake it in your own pan then remove both store bought crusts from the tins and combine them together. You will need both for the bottom crust. (Save scraps for decorations). If using homemade you need one for the bottom and one for decorations.
  • Roll the crust out onto a floured surface and place in your pie pan. Trim the edges, and place the scraps in the fridge to save for decorations.

Continue to make the filling:

  • To make the filling, add the 12 oz cranberries, 2 tsp orange zest, and 1/2 cup brown sugar into a a medium sized pot over medium high heat and stir. In a small cup add the 2 tbsp orange juice and 1 tbsp cornstarch and mix well until the cornstarch dissolves completely and the mixture has a cloudy look to it. Add to the cranberry mixture. Bring the cranberries to a boil for 1 minute then lower to a simmer and cook until the cranberries release their juices, about 5-7 minutes. You can mash them up or leave them more plump. Cool.
  • Pour the filling into the pie crust. Decorate with the extra scraps of dough (see post for ideas). Brush the dough decorations and edges of pie with the beaten egg and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake 20-25 minutes on lowest oven rack. 
  • Cool and serve with whipped cream!

Notes

You can use either fresh or frozen cranberries!
To prevent a soggy bottomed pie, combine 1 tsp flour and 1 tsp sugar and sprinkle it on the bottom of your pie pan before adding the crust.
To prevent the pie crust from burning place tin foil around the edges while baking.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Easy Cranberry Pie Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 slice)
Calories 299 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Cholesterol 20mg7%
Sodium 187mg8%
Potassium 117mg3%
Carbohydrates 45g15%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 15g17%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 64IU1%
Vitamin C 8mg10%
Calcium 26mg3%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Filed Under: Pies & Tarts Tagged With: Cranberry

About Sam Adler

Sam Adler is a Le Cordon Bleu professionally trained pastry chef, Saveur Blog Award winner, food photographer, and food blogger over on FrostingandFettuccine.com. She has been featured in numerous online and in-print publications including Taste of Home Magazine, Saveur Magazine, The Feed Feed, and Food Blogger Pro. Sam lives in Hollywood florida with her husband, two young kids, and french bulldog. When she’s not baking and dancing in her kitchen you can find her at her favorite yoga spot.

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Hi! Im Sam Adler,

I'm a professionally trained pastry chef and food photographer.
This is a place where you will find easy yet impressive looking desserts. I also share a ton of food photography resources too! What can I say, I love pretty & delicious baked goods! Learn more about me!

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