Last updated on December 18th, 2024
Table of contents
Apple Cranberry Pie combines a blend of juicy apples, tart cranberries, and homemade apple pie spice, nestled in a lattice flaky, all-butter crust. Bring a slice of warmth and quintessential fall dessert to your Thanksgiving buffet table with this show-stopping pie that’s guaranteed to become a family favorite.
Ingredients
- Apples: Use a variety of apples mixed together like Jonagold, Jonathan and Granny Smith. Jonagold and Jonathan apples have a mix of sweet and tart flavors and with a firm texture. Granny Smith apples are firm and very tart, making them ideal since they are firm and do not mush compared to other apples.
- Cranberries: Use whole, fresh cranberries which are plentiful in the fall. You can also use frozen cranberries, however, do not thaw them before adding to the pie filling or they will make the pie watery and mushy.
- Homemade apple pie spice: Apple pie spice is readily available in stores and usually contain a blend of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, mace and cloves. I prefer to make my own Apple Pie Spice blend, a bolder version with a higher ratio of cinnamon along with spices like nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, and allspice.
1
Homemade Apple Pie Spice
Check out this recipe
Method
1. GATHER EQUIPMENT
- Basic baking equipment: measuring cups and spoons, liquid measuring cups, spatula, bowls, pie plate
- Highly Recommended: food processor, stand mixer or pastry blender to make the pie crust
- Recommended, not required: pie shield (homemade foil works too), a pastry wheel (for cutting top-crust strips), mini-cookie cutters (for making shapes), and pastry mat.
2. PREP INGREDIENTS
- Place ice cubes in glass of water and set aside. When you go to use the water it needs to be ice cold.
- Prep apples by slicing or cutting into bite-size pieces and set aside. Rough chop the cranberries.
- Dice up butter into small cubes and put in freezer until making the crust. Use frozen butter and dice into small cubes and put right back into the freezer if your not making the dough right away.
3. MAKE PIE CRUST
- After you roll out the crust, place it in fridge to ensure the crust from shrinking.
- To avoid a tough crust, add vinegar or vodka to prevent excess gluten from forming.
- You can make the pie crust ahead of time and place in refrigerator or freezer until needed.
4. MAKE PIE FILLING
- If using frozen fruit, do not thaw the fruit before adding it to the pie filling or it will make the pie watery and mushy.
5. ASSEMBLE PIE
- Take out bottom crust from fridge and place in pie pan, crimp and trim edges.
- To prevent a soggy crust, dust bottom of crust with thickening agent (clear jel or tapioca) and then brush lightly with egg wash (1 egg+1 T. cream). Pierce pie shell with fork.
- Pour filling into crust, top with diced butter spread around.
- Pull out the tray of strips and place on top of filling in a lattice pattern.
- Place decorative shapes on top of lattice crust with a dab of egg wash.
- Brush lattice with egg wash and sprinkle with course sanding sugar.
- Be sure to place the assembled pie in the fridge for about 15 minutes prior to baking, so it goes cold into a nice hot oven.
6. BAKE PIE
- Start baking pie in a hot 400° oven for 15 minutes. This will help keep the shape of crust.
- Reduce oven temperature to 375° and bake for an additional 45-50 minutes. Cover with foil or pie protector to ensure filling is cooked through but that the crust doesn’t burn.
- Watch to see when pie starts to bubble, then let it bake 5 more minutes.
Dietary Substitutions
TO MAKE GLUTEN-FREE:
- Swap out the flour with gluten-free flour. I recommend using a high-quality brand such as King Arthur’s Gluten-Free Flour.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of sour cream to the pie crust to help hydrate the flour.
BAKER’S TIP: If time allows, be sure to let the batter rest as hydrating the gluten-free flour is an important step to help eliminate grittiness.
TO MAKE VEGAN/DAIRY FREE:
- When making the pie crust, swap out the butter with vegan butter. My favorite is Violife Plant Butter or Country Crock Olive Oil Sticks. To keep pie crust from shrinking, be sure to chill pie dough before filling and baking since plant-based butter contains mostly oil.
Equipment
Storage
Baked Pie: If pie has been baked, cover pie and leave on counter up to 3 days. You can freeze a pie that has been baked up to 6 months.
Unbaked Pie: Cover pie with saran wrap or foil. Place covered pie in a freezer-safe container up to 6 months. Bake pie straight from freezer and add additional baking time as needed.
Here are more pie recipes to try:
Apple Cranberry Pie
Ingredients
CRUST
- 2 c. unbleached flour
- 1 ½ tsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 12 T. butter cold & diced into cubes
- 1/3 c. ice cold water
- 1 T. vodka lemon juice or white vinegar
PIE FILLING
- 5 c. apples sliced or diced
- 3 c. cranberries fresh or frozen
- ½ c. sugar
- ¼ c. brown sugar
- 2 T. cornstarch OR ClearJel
- 2 T. orange zest
- 2 T. orange juice
- 2 tsp. Apple Pie Spice
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 T. diced butter
- pinch salt
Instructions
PREP
- Prep apples by slicing or cutting into bite-size pieces and set aside.
- Dice up butter into small cubes and put in freezer until making the crust.
- Place ice cubes in glass of water and set aside.
CRUST
- Place flour, sugar, and salt into food processor. Add cold butter, water, and vodka and pulse just until the dough comes together (crumbly).
- Pour out the crust onto a piece of saran wrap, cut in half and shape into (2) round disks. Refrigerate 10-20 minutes if using right away or overnight.
- Pull out first disk and roll between 2 sheets of parchment paper with enough to hang 1” over your pie pan. Place back in fridge until use. Follow this same process again with the other disk. Use a pastry cutter to cut into 10 (1") strips. Place strips on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and put back in fridge until ready to use.
- For the top crust cut out decorative shapes with pie cutters or mini cookie cutters and place in fridge until ready to assemble pie.
MAKE PIE FILLING
- Place apples, sugar, brown sugar, ClearJel, orange juice, orange zest, apple pie spice, salt, and vanilla and stir until incorporated.
ASSEMBLE PIE
- Take out bottom crust from fridge and place in pie pan, crimp and trim edges. Dust bottom of crust with thickening agent (clear jel or tapioca) and then brush lightly with egg wash (1 egg+1 T. cream). Pierce pie shell with fork.
- Pour filling into crust, top with diced butter spread around.
- Pull out the tray of strips and place on top of filling in a lattice pattern.
- Place decorative shapes on top of lattice crust with a dab of egg wash. Brush lattice with egg wash and sprinkle with course sanding sugar. Place assembled pie in fridge to chill for 10 minutes.
BAKE
- Bake pie at 400° for 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 375°, cover with foil placed with a pie protector over the foil and bake an additional 45-50 minutes. Watch to see when pie starts to bubble, then let it bake 5 more minutes.
Notes
DIETARY SUBSTITUTIONS:
GLUTEN-FREE. If time allows, be sure to let the batter rest as hydrating the gluten-free flour is an important step to help eliminate grittiness. You can make the pie crust ahead of time and place in refrigerator until needed.
Storage: Gluten-free baked goods do not have the same shelf-life as conventional baked goods. Store in airtight container on counter 1-2 days, refrigerate 3-5 days, or seal in plastic and place in freezer safe container for up to 6 months. When freezing, allow to come to room temperature before opening the container. TO MAKE VEGAN Swap out butter with vegan butter. My favorite is Country Crock Olive Oil Sticks or use canola oil.
Storage: Gluten-free baked goods do not have the same shelf-life as conventional baked goods. Store in airtight container on counter 1-2 days, refrigerate 3-5 days, or seal in plastic and place in freezer safe container for up to 6 months. When freezing, allow to come to room temperature before opening the container. TO MAKE VEGAN Swap out butter with vegan butter. My favorite is Country Crock Olive Oil Sticks or use canola oil.
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @vintagebakedmodern on Instagram and hashtag it #vintagebakedmodern
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