This Cranberry Pie recipe is easy to make for a classic Thanksgiving dessert. The homemade flaky pie crust and juicy, tangy filling are so delicious!
This cranberry pie recipe is easy to prep, and the beginner-friendly, no-fail sour cream pie crust rolls out perfectly every time!
It's a gorgeous Thanksgiving dessert that will quickly become a family favorite at your table.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It looks impressive, but is easy to make.
- An unforgettable fall aroma. As the cranberry pie bakes in the oven, your house will smell heavenly.
- An easy and affordable homemade gift to share. Just about everyone loves receiving a homemade pie! You can give them to friends, neighbors, or even the UPS man, along with pecan bars or a gingerbread cake.
Do you like to bake with fresh cranberries? Cranberry Orange Scones are another fall favorite of mine.
Ingredients
See ingredient substitutions in the next section. ⬇️
To make this cranberry pie recipe you'll need ingredients for the crust and the pie filling:
Sour Cream Pie Crust
Please be sure to check out my tips for creating the perfect crust. They're in my sour cream pie crust recipe post.
- sour cream
- egg yolk
- all-purpose flour
- white granulated sugar
- salt
- salted butter
Pie Filling
The flavor of homemade cranberry pie filling is so much better than anything store-bought!
- fresh cranberries: These are the easiest to find from September through December. If you don't see them in the produce section, check the frozen fruit aisle - some stores stock them there all year long.
- orange juice: The sweet juice balances the tart flavor of the berries.
- vanilla extract
- spices: Just a tiny bit of ground cinnamon and ground ginger
- cornstarch: This ingredient thickens the filling without making it cloudy.
- pecans: This is for the pecan streusel, which is an optional ingredient. I happen to love streusel on cranberry pie, but not everyone does.
Substitutions and Recipe Variations
- pie crust: My pie crust recipe is very easy to make, but you can substitute with refrigerated pie dough if you want to. I don't recommend using frozen pie crusts - they crack very easily, and tend to shrink as they par-bake in the oven.
- orange juice: You can use prepared juice, dilute concentrated juice, or squeeze the juice from 1 large orange.
- cornstarch: There several popular thickeners that could be substituted for the cornstarch. King Arthur Flour has a great article on pie filling thickeners.
- vanilla extract: If you need an alcohol-free flavoring, you can use vanilla essence.
- pecan streusel: You can omit the streusel, or substitute chopped walnuts for the pecans.
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
- Rolling pin - This is our favorite rolling pin because it allows you to adjust the thickness of the dough!
- Food processor: I always make pie crust in a food processor. It helps to prevent the dough from being overworked, which can lead to a dry, crumbly crust. If you don't have a food processor, just use a pastry cutter to work the butter and flour together.
- Pie crust shield: This tool is a great way to protect pie crusts from burning.
How to Make My Cranberry Pie Recipe
Summary only. The complete recipe instructions are in the card at the bottom of this post ⬇️
- Pulse the pie crust ingredients together in a food processor. The mixture should resemble coarse grains of sand.
- Cover the dough in plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the cranberry pie filling.
- Make the pecan streusel. If it looks clumpy, that's okay!
- Roll out the pastry dough into a 10-inch circle. Doesn't have to be perfect.
- Transfer crust to a pie pan, crimp the edges, and trim off any excess dough.
- Pour the filling into the crust and sprinkle pecan streusel over the top.
- Bake, cool, and serve your cranberry pie!
Liz's Recipe Tips and Notes
- To make the pie crust without a food processor, use a pastry cutter for each step in place of the food processor. Switch to using your hands after the second addition of sour cream mixture to bring the dough together.
- For the flakiest pie crust, be sure to use cold ingredients.
- Cornstarch will thicken the filling, but it can take a while to work. If after a few minutes of simmering, your filling still seems runny, allow it to continue cooking so the excess liquid can evaporate.
- To create a nice thick layer of streusel, gather a big handful and squeeze it hard. Then, hold your hand over the pie filling and break up the streusel.
- Check the pie after 20 minutes of baking. If the crust seems to be browning too quickly, cover it with a pie shield or aluminum foil.
- This filling has a tart flavor. Let the filling cool slightly, then adjust the sugar if needed. Keep in mind that the streusel and crust will both be sweet, so resist adding sugar to the filling.
- To create the cleanest slices, cut the cranberry pie when it's cold.
- The pie crust recipe doubles really well for a double crust pie, or to make two pies.
- Feel free to make extra streusel! You can bake it on a parchment-lined cookie sheet at 350℉ and store it in the refrigerator for a few days. It can be sprinkled on other desserts, like mini cherry pies or apple crisp.
Serving
When the pie is ready to come out of the oven, the cranberry filling should be firm (not jiggly), and the crust should be golden brown. Don't slice into it just yet, though!
Let your pie cool on the counter for at least 2 hours before serving. This allows the filling to set properly, so each slice comes out nice and clean.
For a special treat, garnish the top of the cranberry pie with a dollop of homemade whipped cream, or make sugared cranberries!
To make sugared cranberries to garnish the pie: Dip fresh cranberries (do not use frozen for this) into a beaten pasteurized egg white, wipe excess off, and roll in white sugar. Place on a baking rack to dry, for about 2 hours. These will keep at room temperature for about 24 hours.
Cranberry Pie Recipe FAQ
Do I need to blind-bake the pie crust?
It isn't necessary to blind-bake when making a single crust pie like this. Since this recipe calls for cooking the pie filling, you shouldn't have any extra liquid or moisture that might otherwise seep into the crust to prevent it from cooking completely.
Do cranberries soften when baked?
Cranberries do soften as they bake, so it isn't necessary to chop them up prior to baking. Though you can! Once heated through, they'll burst open and become soft.
Other Thanksgiving and Christmas Desserts
- Old Fashioned Pecan Bars
- Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Egg Custard Pie
- Sweet Potato Custard Pie
- Homemade Apple Pie Filling
- Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes (No Bake)
Fresh Cranberry Pie
A delicious Cranberry Pie with pecan streusel is the perfect holiday dessert for Thanksgiving or Christmas. The recipe is easy to make, too!
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Servings: 8 slices
Calories: 508kcal
Ingredients
Sour Cream Pie Crust
- ¼ cup sour cream cold
- 1 large egg yolk cold
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons granulated white sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 6 tablespoons butter cold, cut into small cubes
Filling
- 4 cups fresh cranberries
- 1 ¼ cup granulated white sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice or apple juice
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolve in a teaspoon of water before adding
Streusel topping
- 10 tablespoons all-purpose flour 10 tablespoon = ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- 3 tablespoon granulated white sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter melted
- ¼ cup chopped pecans optional
Instructions
Make the Crust
- For helpful tips on making the crust, please see my sour cream pie crust recipe.In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and egg yolk until combined, set aside. In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt a few times to combine.
- Add the butter and pulse until butter is in pea size pieces, about 10 pulses, do not over mix. Add half the sour cream and egg mixture and pulse about 5 times, or until well combined. Add the remaining sour cream mixture and pulse/process until it comes together completely. Gather the dough together into a smooth ball, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Make the Cranberry Filling
- Heat a medium sized pot over low/medium heat on the stove. Add all the ingredients except the cornstarch. Stir to combine. Simmer for about 25 minutes or until the cranberries have burst and begun to reduce.
- Once cranberries have burst, combine the cornstarch with enough cold water to dissolve it, stir in the cornstarch mixture. If the mixture is very thick, remove from heat and set aside.
- If it is still liquidy, simmer an additional 5-10 minutes until thickened, remove from heat and set aside. Once mostly cooled, the filling should be the consistency of a thick jam.
- While the cranberry filling cools, combine all streusel topping ingredients in a small bowl and mash with a fork until well mixed.
Roll the Pie Crust
- Preheat oven to 350℉. When the pastry dough is cold, use a rolling pin to create a circle about 10 inches around. Carefully transfer the crust into a 9-inch pie pan, and gently press it into place. Trim excess dough from the edge, then flute the edges using your thumb and forefinger.
- Fill the crust with the cranberry filling. Grab handfuls of the streusel topping and squeeze tightly to form a large lump. Break it apart over the cranberry filling, creating smaller crumbles of streusel. Cover as much of the pie as you’d like. I recommend leaving a small area around the edge uncovered so you can see the cranberry filling.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes. Check the pie at 35 minutes and make sure the edges aren’t over-browning. If the crust is getting too brown, cover it with a pie crust shield or aluminum foil.
- The cranberry pie is finished baking when the filling no longer jiggles. Allow the pie to cool at room temperature for at least 2 hours before slicing.
Helpful Notes and Tips From Liz
Helpful Tips from Liz
- To make the pie crust without a food processor, use a pastry cutter for each step in place of the food processor. Switch to using your hands after the second addition of sour cream mixture to bring the dough together.
- For the flakiest pie crust, be sure to use cold ingredients.
- To prevent the crust from being tough/dry, avoid over mixing the pastry dough.
- To create the cleanest slices, cut the cranberry pie when it's cold.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 508kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 161mg | Potassium: 131mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 547IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 2mg
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