Sick of the quintessential apple pie? Throwing in a few new ingredients does wonders for reimagining the traditional dessert, and our cranberry apple pie has to be one of our favorite results. Besides the usual suspects (tart apples and warm apple pie spice), this pie is dotted with plump cranberries and tangy orange juice is poured in for added brightness. Each bite of this dessert is boldly epic with its sweet-yet-tart irresistibility.
Ingredients for Cranberry Apple Pie
- Double-crust pie dough: Follow our recipe in the Tips section below or use store-bought pie dough. Our Test Kitchen pros found that Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts was the best premade pie crust.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch thickens and sets the filling so it doesn’t ooze out when a slice is served.
- Orange juice: Orange and cranberries are a knockout pairing. Adding a little orange juice sweetens up the tartness of the cranberries and makes for a brighter pie flavor.
- Cinnamon: Warm cinnamon adds coziness to this apple cranberry pie recipe.
- Apple pie spice: Apple pie spice, a complex combination of many different fall spices (usually cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg), amps up the autumnal flavors in the pie.
- Nutmeg: Pre-ground nutmeg is great, but zesting fresh nutmeg makes the nutmeg taste so much bolder and better.
- Apples: Look for very firm and tart apples (like Granny Smith), and stay away from mealy, bland apples.
- Cranberries: Fresh or frozen cranberries will do. If you’re going the frozen route, there’s no need to completely thaw the cranberries. Learning how to bake a fruit pie with frozen fruit is an absolute game changer (and time saver!).
- Butter: Unless otherwise specified, Taste of Home recipes are tested with lightly salted butter.
Directions
Step 1: Prepare the pie crust
Preheat the oven to 425°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll half the dough to a 1/8-inch-thick circle. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate, and trim even with the rim. Refrigerate the rolled-out dough while preparing the filling.
Step 2: Create the sugar mixture
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, orange juice, cinnamon, apple pie spice, nutmeg and lemon juice until thoroughly combined.
Step 3: Toss in the apples and cranberries
Add the apples and cranberries to the sugar mixture and toss gently.
Editor’s Tip: Toss the ingredients using a rubber spatula or, for more control, your hands.
Step 4: Add the filling to the prepared dough
Spoon the filling into the prepared pie plate. Dot the top of the filling all around with the butter.
Step 5: Add the top dough
Roll the remaining dough into a 1/8-inch-thick circle. Place the pie dough over the filling. Trim, seal and flute the edge. Cut slits in the top.
Test Kitchen Tip: Avoid blowouts! Cutting slits in the pastry allows the steam to escape. Or, design a lattice crust. Learning how to make a lattice crust is easy and so worth the extra effort for a show-stopping pie!
Step 6: Bake the pie
Bake the pie for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°, and bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly, 45 to 50 minutes longer.
Editor’s Tip: Sometimes a fruit pie’s filling bubbles over the crust during baking. That’s completely normal. However, we recommend placing a baking sheet on a separate rack underneath the pie to catch anything so you’re not cleaning the bottom of your oven later. If the pie’s crust is browning too quickly, add a pie crust shield to protect it from burning.
Recipe Variations
- Opt for a streusel topping: If you’re a fan of Dutch apple pie, then you’ll know how amazing an apple pie tastes with a streusel topping. Omit the top pie crust in this recipe and instead make our fruit pie crumb topping for outstanding added texture.
- Decorate with sugared cranberries: We love the festive look that sugared cranberries add to a dessert. To make your own for added decor, heat 3 tablespoons light corn syrup in the microwave until warm. Gently toss 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries with the corn syrup, allowing the excess syrup to drip off. Toss the berries in 1/3 cup sugar to coat. Place the cranberries on waxed paper and let them stand until set, about one hour. Artfully place the cranberries on top of the baked room-temperature pie.
How to Store Cranberry Apple Pie
To store, allow the apple cranberry pie to cool completely to room temperature (this may take several hours). Wrap the pie in storage wrap and keep it in the fridge for up to five days.
Can you make cranberry apple pie ahead of time?
There are a couple of ways to make this apple cranberry pie recipe ahead of time. The pie dough can be prepared, wrapped and stored in the fridge up to three days ahead of baking. The filling can also be made ahead of time—three months in advance, in fact! Prepare the pie filling according to this recipe’s instructions and store it in an airtight container. Freeze the filling for up to three months, and thaw it in the fridge overnight before baking it in the pie.
Can you freeze cranberry apple pie?
To freeze cranberry apple pie, let the pie cool completely to room temperature, then wrap the pie in a few layers of storage wrap followed by a final layer of aluminum foil. Freeze the pie for up to three months, and thaw it in the fridge overnight before serving.
Cranberry Apple Pie Tips
Can you make this pie with dried cranberries?
Yes, you can make cranberry apple pie with dried cranberries. The pie won’t have as much seamless cranberry taste throughout but more sporadic, pronounced bites of cranberry tartness.
What are the best apples for pie?
The best apples for pie are Granny Smith, Cameo, Honeycrisp and Jonagold apples. Look for types of apples that have an extra-firm, crispy texture and a tart flavor.
How do you make a double-crust pie dough?
To make a double-crust pie dough, whisk together 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Cut in 1 cup cold butter until the mixture is crumbly and the butter pieces are pea-sized. Gradually add in 1/3 to 2/3 cup ice water, tossing the ingredients with a fork until the dough holds together when pressed (you may not use all the ice water). Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a disk, wrap in storage wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
