Cranberry Pie Recipe

Cranberry Pie is a deliciously easy and tasty pie recipe that you will love. Made with a shortbread crust and a sweet cranberry filling this pie will become a staple at your holiday gatherings.

 

Sweet, tart and filled with holiday flavor, this Cranberry Pie Recipe is the perfect dessert to make for your next party.

Cranberry is a staple this time of year and we cannot go without it, whether it be this pie, cranberry sauce or a cranberry drink, we love the flavor and always make something or another.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

• Pantry staple ingredients are used to whip up this pie, so no surprises in the ingredients on this.
• The shortbread crust gives a nice contrast and sweetness to the filling which really pairs well together.
• You can make this ahead of time as it needs time to set up in the refrigerator before eating.
• If you aren’t a shortbread fan you can use plain graham cracker crumbs for this recipe as well.
• Want some orange flavor? Substitute the lemon juice in this recipe for orange juice and add a couple of teaspoons of orange zest.

CRANBERRY PIE INGREDIENTS

The crust is made with amazing shortbread cookies that are crushed and combined with butter and sugar to make the base of the pie and then baked.

The star of the show in this Cranberry Pie is fresh (or frozen) cranberries, which are mixed with sugar, lemon juice, water, salt, butter and eggs. Giving you your delicious filling.

This is then topped with delicious homemade whipped cream and gorgeous sugared cranberries!

Important Note: This pie is made with both eggs and egg yolks so make sure you don’t add 5 full eggs to the recipe filling.

HOW TO MAKE CRANBERRY PIE FROM SCRATCH

To make the crust begin by preheating the oven to 350°F. 

Add the shortbread cookies to a food processor and process until fine crumbs form. Then add in the melted butter and sugar and process until fully combined. The mixture should stick together when pressed between fingers. 

Transfer the mixture to a 10-inch springform pan (see notes for pie dish alternative) and use a flat bottomed glass to gently press the mixture into the bottom and sides of the pan so it’s nice and compact. 

Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool. 

 While the crust is baking, clean the food processor and set aside. 

Recipe Tip: You can also your favorite graham cracker crust or homemade pie dough recipe for the crust instead of shortbread cookies. If you use a traditional flakey butter crust, make sure to prebake it since the filling doesn’t get baked.

To make the cranberry filling add the fresh cranberries, granulated sugar, water, and salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the berries have burst. 

Transfer the berry mixture to the food processor (or blender) and pulse for about 1 minute until smooth. 

Then pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer over the saucepan and use a spoon or rubber spatula to press the mixture through the strainer until only seeds remain.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg yolks and then add 1/3 of the cranberry mixture to the eggs slowly while continuing to whisk to temper the eggs. 

Add the tempered egg mixture into the rest of the cranberry mixture in the saucepan, whisking constantly. 

Cook the mixture over low heat for another 10 to 12 minutes, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, making sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the pan. The mixture is done when it has thickened and reaches 170°F and coats the back of a spoon. 

Remove from heat and stir in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, then stir in the lemon juice. 

Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust and allow the pie to cool in the pan at room temperature for 1 hour on a wire rack. Then transfer to the refrigerator for an additional 4 hours. 

There’s no need to bake the pie since the filling is cooked on the stovetop and will set with time.

When you’re ready to serve, top with whipped cream and sugared cranberries.

Can You Freeze Cranberry Pie?

You can absolutely freeze this Cranberry Pie Recipe. I recommend that you use the option for baking in a 9” pie found in the notes section of the recipe card. I would also use a disposable tin pie plate.

Bake and cool as directed in the ingredients then wrap in foil and place in a freezer bag, this should last in the freezer for about 3 months.

You can let it defrost overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

How To Store Cranberry Pie:

Since this is already cooled in the refrigerator we prefer to store in the refrigerator when we are not serving. This can be kept fresh for up to 5 days covered with plastic wrap or foil.

MORE CRANBERRY RECIPES:

• Cranberry Cheesecake Bars – Sweet, tart and topped with a tasty crumble.
• White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies – Chewy, delicious, and full of chocolate.
• Apple Cranberry Baked Brie – Deliciously cheesy with added pecans and maple syrup.
• Bourbon Orange Cranberry Sauce – Citrusy, tart and spiked with bourbon!
• Cranberry Orange Muffins – A simply easy and delicious breakfast treat.

Let’s Connect!

If you’ve tried this recipe, please let me know how you liked it in the comments below and leave a review. I love hearing from you!

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