Apple Cranberry Pie

This apple cranberry pie is one of our favorite pies to make for Thanksgiving or the holidays! Flaky buttery crust, spiced apples mixed with dried cranberries and brandy.

Apple Cranberry Pie
Elise Bauer

One of our favorite apple pies to make for Thanksgiving is one that includes dried sweetened cranberries with the apple filling, and a little bit of brandy too.

My father originally found a recipe for apple cranberry pie years ago in Bon Appétit magazine (Oct, 1998). We've modified it somewhat over the years, experimenting with different crusts and baking temperature and times.

We love the sweet and sour interplay of apples and cranberries in this pie!

The Best Apples for This Apple Pie

Like our classic apple pie, this one benefits from a mix of different kinds of apples. Since some apple varieties cook more quickly or slowly than others, or have a sweeter or more tart flavor, using several different apples creates a mix of textures and flavors in the pie.

Some favorites to try here are Granny Smith, Jonagold, Fuji, Pippin, Braeburn, and Golden Delicious.

Great Tip! As you peel, core, and slice the apples, put the apple slices in a bowl and sprinkle with a little lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to prevent them from discoloring.

Apple Cranberry Pie
Elise Bauer

Add Nuts to Your Pie Crust

The crust for this apple-cranberry pie is made extra special with the addition of finely ground almonds. This adds a light almond nutty flavor that goes well with this pie filling.

Egg Yolk for a Deeply Golden Crust

Want a beautiful crust? Brush the top of your pie with a mixture of egg yolk and cream just before it goes into the oven.

This will give your crust a deeply golden color and a lovely shiny surface.

More Favorite Thanksgiving Pies

Apple Cranberry Pie

Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 90 mins
Chill 60 mins
Total Time 3 hrs
Servings 8 servings
Yield 1 pie

As you peel, core, and slice the apples, put the apple slices in a bowl and sprinkle with a little lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to prevent them from discoloring.

The crust recipe given includes ground almonds which give the crust a lovely flavor that works well with the apples and cranberries. You can also use our favorite sour cream pie crust that is easy to put together and makes an especially flaky crust.

Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling

  • 1/3 cup finely ground blanched almonds or almond flour

  • 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 heaping teaspoon brown sugar

  • 3 to 6 tablespoons ice water

For the filling:

  • 1 cup dried sweetened cranberries

  • 1/2 to 2/3 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you want the filling to be)

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice or cinnamon

  • 2 1/4 pounds of an assortment of good cooking apples such as Granny Smith, Pippin, Golden Delicious, peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices (about 7 cups of apple slices)

  • 1 tablespoon brandy

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the egg wash:

  • 1 large egg yolk

  • 1 tablespoon whipping cream

Special Equipment

  • Food processor

Method

  1. Make the pie dough:

    In a food processor, combine the flour, almond flour, salt, and brown sugar and pulse to mix.

    Add butter and pulse 6 to 8 times, until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, with pea-size pieces of butter.

    Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing until the mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready; if not, add a little more ice water and pulse again.

    Remove the dough from the machine and place on a clean surface. Carefully shape into 2 discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

    Tip

    Do not over-knead the dough! You should still be able to see little bits of butter in the dough. These bits of butter are what will allow the result crust to be flaky.

  2. Preheat oven:

    Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the bottom third of the oven.

  3. Make the filling:

    Whisk together the sugar, flour, and allspice or cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the dried sweetened cranberries and toss to coat with the sugar-flour mixture. Add the apples and toss to coat, making sure that the cranberries are well distributed throughout the apples. Sprinkle with the brandy and vanilla extract.

    make apple cranberry filling for pie
    Elise Bauer
  4. Roll out the bottom crust:

    Remove 1 pie dough disk from the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle some flour on top of the disk. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle; about 1/8 of an inch thick.

    As you roll out the dough, use a metal spatula to check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. Add a few sprinkles of flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking.

    Place in a 9-inch pyrex pie dish. Press down to line the pie dish with the dough.

  5. Fill the pie:

    Add the apple and cranberry mixture to the pie dough, spreading it out evenly and compacting it slightly.

    apple cranberry pie filling in pie crust
    Elise Bauer
  6. Top the pie and crimp edges:

    Roll out the second disk of dough, as before. Gently place on top of the apple mixture. Pinch the top and bottom crust firmly together. Trim excess dough with kitchen shears, leaving a 3/4 inch overhang.

    Fold the dough under itself so that the edge of the fold is flush with the edge of the pan. Crimp the edges using your thumb and forefinger or press with a fork.

    top apple cranberry pie with second pie crust
    Elise Bauer
  7. Brush the pie with egg wash:

    In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and cream until well blended. Use a pastry brush to brush over the top of the pie. Use a sharp knife to cut slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape as the pie bakes.

    apple cranberry pie brushed with egg wash and about to go into the oven
    Elise Bauer
  8. Bake:

    Bake the pie at 375°F for 30 minutes. Then place a sheet of aluminum foil over the pie and lower the oven temp to 350°F. Bake until the pastry is browned and cooked through and the apples are tender, another 45 to 55 minutes or longer, depending on the type of apples you are using.

    freshly baked apple cranberry pie out of the oven
    Elise Bauer

    Remove the pie and let cool on a rack for at least 1 hour. Serve pie warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
488 Calories
28g Fat
55g Carbs
6g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 488
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 28g 36%
Saturated Fat 15g 76%
Cholesterol 86mg 29%
Sodium 201mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 55g 20%
Dietary Fiber 4g 16%
Total Sugars 25g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 7mg 33%
Calcium 41mg 3%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 215mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.