Ginger Molasses Cranberry Pie with Swiss Meringue

With holiday flavors like these, this pie will fit in just right on your Christmas table. Made with an ultra flaky pie crust, this pie has a lower cranberry filling, a ginger molasses pastry cream center, and silky swiss meringue topping. You'll definitely be coming back for another slice.

For more pie recipes, try Pecan Brownie Pie, Cardamom Cherry Pie, and Turtle Pecan Pie.

Ingredient Notes

• All-Purpose Four: You’ll need a little more than one cup of flour for the crust.
• Butter: You'll need one stick of cold unsalted butter for the crust.
• Vodka: Vodka is added to the pie crust because it hinders gluten development, resulting in a more tender + flaky crust!
• Ice Water: Start with about ½ cup of ice water and use as much as you need until the dough holds together, but is not overly wet. 
• Cranberries: You'll need about 600g or over 1 lb. of cranberries. Both, fresh or frozen cranberries will work.
• Sugar: You'll three different sugars for the cranberry filling: maple syrup, granulated sugar, and dark brown sugar. You'll also need dark brown sugar for the pastry cream and granulated sugar for the meringue. 
• Spices: Use a combination of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice in both the cranberry filling and pastry cream.
• Eggs: You'll need 4 egg yolks for the pastry cream and 3 egg whites for the swiss meringue. 
• Molasses: Add a touch of molasses to the pastry cream for the perfect christmasy flavor. 
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch will help thicken the pastry cream.
• Milk: Use whole milk for the best flavor in the pastry cream.

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 ginger molasses cranberry pie recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.

STEP 1: Make the pie dough. Make your pie dough ahead of time so it's fully folded and chilled before rolling out to bake.

STEP 2: Dock and crimp. Carefully place in the pie pan, pressing up against the sides. Cover and chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes. Take the pie crust out and crimp the edges as desired. Dock the bottom of the crust all over with the tines of a fork, then chill for another 30 minutes.

STEP 3: Par-bake the crust. Place a large piece of parchment paper over the pie crust and fill with pie weights or dried beans all the way up to the crimp. Place the pie pan on the hot baking sheet and bake for 18 minutes or until barely golden. Take the pan out, take all of the pie weights out, then brush the pie crust with an egg wash all over, except for the edges. Bake for an additional 3 minutes. Allow pie crust to cool completely before adding the cranberry filling.

STEP 4: Make the cranberry filling. In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients except vanilla. Heat over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring often until the berries start to break down. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently until it has thickened. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, then pour onto a baking sheet to cool completely.

STEP 5: Bake. Once cool, pour into the par-baked pie crust and bake at 375 degrees F for 35-40 minutes.

STEP 6: Cool. Cool the pie completely before topping with pastry cream.

STEP 7: Make the pastry cream. Make the ginger molasses pastry cream and immediately spread it on top of the cooled cranberry pie. Press plastic wrap directly up against the pastry cream and chill the pie in the fridge overnight. 

STEP 8: Top with meringue. Just before serving, make the swiss meringue and spread it on top of the chilled pie.

Expert Baking Tips

• Be sure to read this recipe all the way through before starting! There are a few things going on at the same time. 
• The method of rolling and folding the pie dough results in a incredibly flaky crust that is also much easier to work with when assembling the pie!
• The key to pie dough is to always keep it cold. After every time you roll it out, crimp it, or touch it at all, it need to be chilled again for a few minutes. 
• I do not recommend freezing the pie dough at any point before going in the oven. 
• Preheat the oven with a baking sheet in it. Placing the pie on top of the hot baking sheet will help to get that crisp bottom crust!
• Cover the edges of the pie crust with aluminum foil when baking it with the cranberry filling. 

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