Apple Cranberry Pie

This gorgeous apple cranberry pie is the perfect fall dessert to make after a day spent apple picking. It uses a flaky, all-butter pie crust that's shockingly easy to make and tastes far superior to any store-bought dough. Plus, a pie made entirely from scratch makes it that much more special when you share it with your loved ones!

For more fall pie recipes, try Cardamom Cherry Pie, Salted Caramel Apple Pie, Pecan Brownie Pie, and Black Bottom Pumpkin Custard Pie.

Why you'll love this apple cranberry pie

• Buttery, Flaky Pie Crust: My go-to all butter pie dough that creates an ultra flaky, tender crust that's perfect with any pie filling. 
• Fresh Apple Cranberry Filling: Using freshly picked apples and fresh cranberries mixed with lot of cozy fall spices makes this pie extra juicy and delicious!
• Great Make Ahead Dessert: I won't lie, homemade pie is does require a lot of time and patience. But the best part is that it's best served the day after it's baked, so it's a great make ahead dessert!

Ingredient Notes

• Flour: Weigh your flour! Homemade pie crust is very simple, so long as everything is measured precisely!
• Butter: Since there are so few ingredients in pie dough, it gets all of its flavor from the butter, so I recommend using a high quality European-style unsalted butter. This type of butter has a higher fat content, and fat equals flavor! 
• Vodka: Adding vodka is optional, but it helps with moisture and flakiness.
• Ice Water: Pie must be cold at all times, so it's important that the water is iced!
• Apples: I love baking with honeycrisp apples, because they have the perfect balance of sweetness and hold their shape well in the oven. 
• Cornstarch: A few tablespoons of cornstarch helps to thicken up the cherry pie filling.
• Orange Zest: Freshly zest an orange peel for a small hint of citrus!
• Fall Spices: I used a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves.
• Brown Sugar: Use a high quality light or dark brown sugar here.
• Vanilla: Add a high quality vanilla extract for optimal flavor.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.

Step by Step Instructions

Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make this apple cranberry pie recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.

STEP 1: Start the pie crust. In a medium bowl combine the flour and salt. Cut the cold butter into cubes and toss in the flour. Using your fingers, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until quarter sized pieces are left.

STEP 2: Knead and chill. Add the vodka (or a few tablespoons of water), then toss with a spoon to combine. Continue adding very small amounts of ice water until the dough can hold together, but is not overly wet. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, then chill for one hour.

STEP 3: Roll and chill. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a rough rectangle, fold in half, then again into quarters. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for another 30 minutes. Roll the dough out again into a rough rectangle and repeat the folding process. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill overnight.

STEP 4: Make the filling. In a large bowl, combine apple slices, cranberries, brown sugar, orange zest, spices, and salt. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the filling mixture to the pot and stir frequently for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch and cook for another 8 minutes until the apples have softened but not overly so. Remove the apples and cranberries and place them in a baking dish. Continue heating the liquid until thick, then pour into the baking dish. Stir the vanilla into the filling mixture, then cool the dish in the fridge for a few minutes or overnight in an airtight container.

STEP 5: Roll the crust. Weigh out 430g (about ⅓) of the pie dough and place the bigger half back in the fridge. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the smaller piece large enough to fit a 9" pie pan with some overhang. Place crust in the pan, then chill in the fridge while the lattice pieces are made.

STEP 6: Cut lattice strips. Roll out the remaining dough to about ⅛" in thickness and at least 12" in length on one side. Cut out 12"x 1" strips and place on a small baking sheet. Chill the lattice strips in the fridge while the pie is assembled.

STEP 7: Fill the pie. Take the pie dish out of the fridge and pour in the apple cranberry pie filling.

STEP 8: Arrange the lattice strips. To make the lattice, arrange the vertical strips on the pie. Pull back every other strip to the middle of the pie. Lay one strip down horizontally, then bring the vertical strips back down. Repeat this until the entire lattice is complete.

STEP 9: Trim and crimp. Trim the excess pie dough to the edge of the pie dish, squish together the edges so the bottom and the top dough adhere to each other, then fold them underneath. Crimp the edges as desired. Chill the assembled pie in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

STEP 10: Top and bake. Brush an egg wash all over the pie (except for the crimp), and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top. Place the pie on top of the hot baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour, or until the crust is deeply golden. Tent with foil towards the end if needed. Allow the pie to cool for at least four hours or overnight. Serve with vanilla ice cream!

Expert Baking Tips

• Add vodka to the pie dough. If you have vodka on hand, you can add a few tablespoons to the pie dough before the water. You'll end up adding less water, so still pay close attention to the hydration level. Vodka does not develop the gluten as much, which makes it perfect for hydrating pie dough and creating a super tender pie crust!
• Keep the pie dough cold. The most important thing with making pie crust is to always keep the dough cold at all steps. So use ice cold water and cold butter, and any time you touch the dough you should put it back in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. 
• Bake the pie on a hot baking sheet on the lowest rack in the oven. No one likes a soggy bottom crust! To achieve a beautifully golden, crisp bottom pie crust, preheat the oven with a baking sheet on the bottom rack. When it's time to bake the pie, place the pie dish directly on top of the hot baking sheet!
• Allow the pie to cool overnight. To ensure the pie filling sets up to a thick enough consistency for getting clean slices, I recommend allowing the pie to cool overnight at room temperature. If a clean slice with an intact filling is not important to you, then by all means, enjoy a slice fresh from the oven!

All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale. 

If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.

But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!

Happy baking! x