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slice of apple cranberry pie on plate.
5 from 2 votes
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Apple Cranberry Pie

If you're someone who likes to go out ALL OUT on Thanksgiving, then this apple cranberry pie is for you! This isn't an ordinary apple pie. It's packed full of warm & cozy spices, juicy apples, tart cranberries, and even a touch of orange zest to round it all out.
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours
Servings8 pieces
Coursepie
CuisineAmerican
AuthorSloane

Ingredients

For the all-butter pie crust:

  • 500 g (4 cups + 3 tbsp) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 350 g (25 tablespoon) unsalted butter, cold
  • 50 g (¼ cup) vodka, optional
  • 1 cup ice water
  • Egg wash, 1 egg + 28g (2 tbsp) heavy cream
  • Cinnamon sugar, 12g (1 tbsp) granulated sugar + ¼ teaspoon cinnamon; for sprinkling

For the apple cranberry filling:

  • 830 g (about 5-6) honeycrisp & granny smith apples, peeled & thinly sliced
  • 300 g (3 cups) fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 213 g (1 cup) dark brown sugar
  • Zest of one large orange
  • 2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon cloves
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon allspice
  • ½ teaspoon ginger
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 56 g (4 tablespoon) unsalted butter
  • 32 g (¼ cup) cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

For the all-butter 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

For the apple cranberry 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 until the apples and cranberries start to soften and release their juices.
  • Stir in the cornstarch and cook for another 8 minutes until the apples have softened but not overly so. Use a slotted spoon to remove the apples and cranberries and place them in a baking dish. Continue heating the liquid for an additional 4-5 minutes until thick, then pour into the baking dish.
  • Lastly, stir the vanilla into the filling mixture.
  • Place the baking dish in the fridge for a few minutes to cool. Alternatively, pour the filling into an airtight container and chill in the fridge overnight.

For assembly:

  • Place a large baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven, and preheat it to 400 degrees F.
  • 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 into a circle about ⅛" in thickness and large enough to fit a 9" pie pan with some overhang.
  • Carefully transfer the dough to the pie dish and coax it up against the sides. Place in the fridge while the lattice pieces are made.
  • 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.
  • Take the pie dish out of the fridge and pour in the apple cranberry pie filling.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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!

Notes

  • 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!

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1piece | Calories: 797kcal | Carbohydrates: 97g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 499mg | Potassium: 262mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 1349IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 3mg
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