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Cranberry Apple Pie is a sweet-tart and totally refreshing take on a classic apple pie and is a great addition to any Thanksgiving dessert table! The flaky, buttery crust, sweet apple pie filling, and tart bursts of fresh cranberries with just a hint of cinnamon make for a delicious and festive Fall dessert, sure to delight guests and family this holiday season.

A slice of sweet-tart Cranberry Apple Pie served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.

Cranberry Apple Pie

When it comes to Thanksgiving, if I’m really being honest, I’m pretty much all about the pies. I mean, I love turkey and green beans and homemade rolls (oh how I love homemade rolls), but I’m really there for dessert.

And this Cranberry Apple Pie is one of my favorites! It’s a surprising and refreshing twist on classic apple pie, especially if you enjoy sweet-tart desserts! I made this for my dad recently and he said it was quite possibly his favorite apple pie he’s ever eaten. I mean, he’s my dad, so you can take that with a grain of salt, but it really is a pretty darn delicious pie and it really stands out from the crowd.

Cranberry Apple Pie with a slice taken out of it and served a la mode.

While I make our favorite pies each year like Paul’s favorite Old-Fashioned Banana Cream Pie, this Classic Southern Pecan Pie, and some sort of Berry Pie, I always like to change things up and throw one or two new options into the mix, just for fun. If you like to do the same thing, let this be the year that you surprise everybody with Cranberry Apple Pie!

And because it’s a completely different flavor experience, it’s totally justifiable to serve it next to a good old classic apple pie, if that’s what your heart desires.

When preparing your pie filling, I recommend tossing all the filling ingredients together and letting them sit for at least 15 minutes to draw some of the juices out of the fruit. I have made the mistake of tossing the filling together and then immediately dumping it into the crust before, only to slice into a super soupy pie that hasn’t set up at all.

The sugar will draw out a lot of the water from the apples as they sit on the counter during the time that you roll out and prepare the pie crusts. Then when you are ready, just spoon the filling into the bottom crust and discard any liquid left behind in the bottom of the bowl.

Some apples tend to be juicier than others, but 2 tablespoons of cornstarch typically does the trick of thickening up the pie filling while the pie bakes (and during the subsequent mandatory cooling period).

An unbaked pie crust filled with sliced apples, fresh cranberries, and cinnamon and sugar.

I’m cool with the pie being a little on the saucy side when it’s finally time to slice and serve because I really don’t like a gummy, overly thickened filling, but if you have problems with your pie filling setting up, try increasing the cornstarch by 1/2 to a full additional tablespoon of cornstarch and seeing how that works for you.

But for me, using a combination of Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, and Granny Smith apples, 2 tablespoons typically works just fine.

When it comes to pie crust, I always, always use this perfect pie crust recipe. It’s actually great to make ahead of time and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days wrapped tightly in plastic. Or you can even freeze it and just let it thaw before rolling it out when you are ready to make your pies. Make it now and it will mean one less thing to think about when Thanksgiving Day is here!

Apple Cranberry pie with a slice already taken out of it. Sweet, tart, and a refreshing change, perfect for a Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday dessert table.

This pie works well with a lattice crust or a solid crust with vents cut into the top to release steam while the pie bakes. I actually tried a new design with this particular pie by using the bottom of one of those decorating tips that you use for piping frosting onto cakes to cut out small circles all over the crust before transferring it to cover the pie filling.

But I have also done a crumble topping instead of a regular pie crust for a Dutch Cranberry Apple Pie and it’s wonderful as well, especially if a regular pie crust isn’t your thing.

More Easy Pie Recipes that are easy as, well, pie!

Cranberry Apple Pie
Yield: 10 people

Cranberry Apple Pie

Cranberry Apple Pie is a sweet-tart and totally refreshing take on a classic apple pie and is a great addition to any Thanksgiving dessert table!  The flaky, buttery crust, sweet apple pie filling, and tart bursts of fresh cranberries with just a hint of cinnamon make for a delicious and festive Fall dessert, sure to delight guests and family this holiday season.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 double pie crust recipe
  • 5 apples, peeled and sliced (about 6 cups)
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen* cranberries
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons butter, cubed

Instructions

  1. Prepare pie crust and chill in refrigerator until ready to roll out.
  2. Prepare the pie filling by combining the peeled and sliced apples, cranberries, sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Toss to distribute evenly and set aside while oven preheats.
  3. Heat oven to 400 degrees.  
  4. Roll out bottom crust on a floured surface and carefully transfer to a pie dish.  Spoon cranberry apple filling into the crust, leaving behind any excess juices in the bowl.  Dot the top of the filling with the butter.
  5. Roll out top crust on the floured surface then transfer to cover the filling, cutting slits in the top to vent while baking.  Alternatively, you can make a decorative top crust by cutting small holes in a pattern with a small circle cutter or cutting strips and weaving a lattice top.  
  6. Trim the edges of the crust and crimp using your thumb and forefinger to finish the edges, then brush the crust all over with a beaten egg wash.  
  7. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.  Without removing pie from oven, decrease the baking temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking another 40-50 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.  You may need to use a pie crust shield to protect the edges from browning too much.  
  8. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 3 hours before slicing.  Filling will thicken as it cools.  

Notes

*If using frozen cranberries, thaw completely and drain any excess liquid before combining with sliced apples and other filling ingredients.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 186 Saturated Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 6mg Sodium: 21mg Carbohydrates: 43g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 36g
© House of Nash Eats
Cuisine: American / Category: Dessert
See all the other cranberry creations being shared as we kick off Cranberry week today and be sure to follow #cranberryweek to see all the delicious recipes being shared this week celebrating one of Fall’s best fruits that can be used in so much more than just the jellied stuff that you only eat once a year on Thanksgiving!