This Easy as 1-2-3 Cranberry Custard Pie is packed with fresh cranberries suspended in a creamy custard and topped with a delicious crumble. A hint of cinnamon and clove bring just the right amount of spice to this easy and delicious seasonal pie.

I love this pie for its simplicity. Fresh cranberries and golden delicious apples are tossed with a quick custard consisting of sour cream, egg, sugar and a hint of spice before the crumb topping is added. The beauty of this pie is that is does not require a lot of time to cool and set before serving – making it a great option for the holidays.

And with a few simple tweaks, this Easy as 1-2-3 Cranberry Custard Pie can be transformed into a gluten free dessert quite easily.

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Gluten Free Options for this Easy as 1-2-3 Cranberry Custard Pie

I love developing recipes. I imagine more kids would fall in love with chemistry if baking were integrated into the curriculum. I love experimenting with ingredient ratios, flavors and temperature changes to see how they impact the final outcome of a bake. Science never tasted so delicious! Although I love gluten and all the wonderful things it can do in baking, I like to develop gluten free options as well – especially for my friends who are gluten free.

Such is the case with this cranberry pie recipe. If you look in my pantry, you’ll find a collection of flours for nearly everything imaginable. My go-to gluten free flour is Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour. It takes the guess work out of converting any gluten-rich recipe into one that’s gluten free.

I also like it because it includes Xanthan Gum, which helps with the overall crumb texture of gluten free bakes. Xanthan Gum can be tricky, so the fact they’ve figured out the right ratio for all of us is a bonus in my book. To learn more about Xanthan Gum, how it works and how it can go wrong (yep, there’s a personal story to tell), please see my post titled, Gluten Free Lemon Thyme Cornmeal Cake.

To convert this recipe to a Gluten Free version, simply substitute equal parts Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour in the crumb topping and use 3 Tbsp. of Tapioca Starch to thicken the custard in place of the A.P. Flour.

The pie crust used in this apple cranberry pie recipe is the same Cream Cheese Pie Crust used in my recipe for Purple Sweet Potato Pie. I like the way the cream cheese pie crust compliments the cranberries and apples in this bake. This pie crust is best when regular, All Purpose Flour is used, so I do not recommend trying to make it with gluten free flour. However, you can use your favorite gluten free pie crust instead.

I have tested these changes and they produce a solid, equally delicious Gluten Free version of this pie. Enjoy, my GF friends!

Frozen cranberries that have been thawed and brought to room temperature can also be used.

Balancing the sweet and tart in this pie

A closeup of a slice of this Easy as 1-2-3 Cranberry Custard Pie shows a beautifully flaky crust. Fresh cranberries are suspended in a simple custard and topped with a delicious crumb topping. The pie is lightly dusted with powdered sugar for an elegant effect. — A showstopper slice of pie!

When developing recipes, sometimes you get close or ridiculously lucky on the first try. Other times, not so much. In the first version of this recipe for Easy as 1-2-3 Cranberry Custard Pie, I used only cranberries. Wow, wow, wow – was it ever tart! And even though my husband liked it, I couldn’t ignore the feeling that I was doing damage to the enamel on my teeth with every bite. I liked the ratio of fruit to custard, but it needed to sweeten up and mellow out a bit.

With that small change in mind, I increased the sugar slightly and added a neutral baking apple – golden delicious apples – to the mix. The combination helped to cut the acid without making the filling overly sweet.

The custard, which consists of sugar, sour cream and egg, also helps to cut the acidity of the cranberries. And although the crumb topping by itself is fairly sweet, it provides just the right amount of texture and sweetness to this easy apple cranberry pie recipe. In every bite, there’s a burst of tart fruit, creamy custard and sweet, crunchy crumb. Perfectly balanced and delicious!

Tips for a perfectly baked pie crust

I have a tried and true method for pie baking. It’s one that I use whenever I’m baking a pie, including this cranberry pie recipe.

When it comes to the crust, nobody wants a soggy bottom. Often, I will first bake the pie at 425 degrees F. for 15 minutes before reducing the heat to 350 degrees to finish baking. This technique works well for most other pie doughs, but because this crust recipe is so heavy on the butter and cream cheese, it’s too delicate. A slight adjustment to the baking process is needed. Otherwise, the higher temperature would cause the fat to run out of the dough too quickly and the crust to burn.

For this Easy as 1-2-3 Cranberry Custard Pie recipe, I call for heating both the oven and a baking tray or stone to 425 degrees Fahrenheit before dropping the temperature down to 350 degrees. This ensures the bottom of the crust is cooked completely – giving it the extra boost it needs to ensure it bakes up on the bottom. By immediately reducing the heat to 350 degrees, the temperature remains gentle enough to ensure the pie doesn’t over-bake or crack.

Closing thoughts

It may appear there are a lot of steps in this cranberry pie recipe, but they all come together very quickly and can be done in stages. This is especially helpful when it’s the holidays when you may find yourself short on time.

I hope you give this recipe for Easy as 1-2-3 Cranberry Custard Pie a try. It may just become a new holiday favorite.

Easy as 1-2-3 Cranberry Custard Pie

Recipe by Maria Ostrander Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Fresh cranberries and tart apples are suspended in a lovely custard and topped with a sweet crumb topping.

Ingredients

For the crust
2 and 2/3 cup A.P. Flour
2 sticks plus an additional 3/4 stick of unsalted butter, cold
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 tsp. plus an additional 1/8 tsp. kosher salt
8 ounces cream cheese, cold
For the crumb topping
1/2 cup AP Flour (gluten free flour can be substituted)
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
For the filling
One 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries (see notes below on using thawed, frozen cranberries)
One large golden delicious apple, peeled, cored and diced (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
3 Tbsp. A.P. Flour or alternatively, 3 Tbsp. Tapioca Starch
1 egg, room temperature
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1-2 pinches ground cloves

Directions

Prepare the pie crust
Cut the cold butter and cream cheese into 1/4 inch cubes. Place in the freezer to chill for 5 minutes.
In a mixing bowl or food processor, blend the flour, salt and lemon zest briefly to get rid of any lumps.
Add the butter and cream cheese to the flour mixture and blend on low until the dough just comes together.
Divide dough into two equal disks. Wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper and place in the refrigerator to rest for a minimum of 4 hours. The dough can be prepared up to two days in advance. Note: Alternatively, you can use a store-bought, prepared pie crust or gluten free pie crust if desired.
Prepare the crumb topping
In a small, microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter and allow it to cool. Add the flour, brown sugar and salt and blend with a fork until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
Prepare the filling
In a large bowl, combine the white sugar, sour cream, egg, flour (or tapioca starch), salt and spices. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
Add the fruit to the custard and stir to combine.
Assemble and bake the pie
Place a baking stone or sheet pan in the center of the oven. Preheat to 425 degrees F. while the stone or pan is in the oven. You want the surface hot before you add the pie to the oven to bake. Line the baking stone or pan with aluminum foil to catch any drippings.
Roll out one disk of dough to a little less than 1/4 inch thickness. Check the bottom of the dough and dust with additional flour to prevent sticking as needed. Using a 9″ pie pan, trim the dough so you have 1/2 inch overlap all around the tin. Fold and tuck the ends of the circle under and crimp your crust as shown in the video link provided here. Place the unbaked pie shell back in the refrigerator to chill until you are ready to bake. Alternatively, you can also use a store-bought, prepared pie shell if desired.
When you’re ready to bake, pour the fruit and custard mixture into the pie shell and top with the crumb topping.
Once the oven has reached 425 degrees F, immediately drop the temperature down to 350 degrees F.
Working quickly, place the pie directly on the hot baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F. for 50 – 60 minutes uncovered. If the top starts to get too brown, cover the top of the pie with foil until the pie has finished baking.
Remove from heat, transfer to a wire rack to cool until it reaches room temperature. Store finished pie in the refrigerator covered for up to one week.

Notes

Can I use frozen cranberries instead of fresh? Absolutely. Just make sure the cranberries are thawed and have come up to room temperature first. If the cranberries are still cold, the pie will not cook properly. The filling will drop the temperature of the crust and it will not cook through on the bottom and the filling itself will not cook, thicken and set properly. Just make sure the cranberries are thawed and at room temperature before baking and you’ll have great success.