Apple cranberry crumb pie is a simple yet spectacular holiday dessert! Flavorful and easy-to-make apple cranberry filling (spiced with cinnamon and ginger!) sits between tender, flaky pie crust and a sweet cinnamon crumb topping. It's a step-up from classic apple pie, and it deserves a spot on your menu this holiday season!
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If you're looking to branch out from your classic apple and pumpkin pies this Thanksgiving but don't want to stray too far from these traditional favorites... apple cranberry crumb pie is the answer!
This recipe puts a delicious spin on classic apple pie and is made with a flavorful filling of apples, fresh cranberries, cinnamon, and ginger and topped with a sweet cinnamon crumb topping. My fool-proof pie crust recipe makes baking this pie from scratch a breeze!
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the pie crust dough in advance. The dough will need to be refrigerated for at least 2 hours. You can make the dough up to 3 days ahead and keep it refrigerated (wrapped tightly with plastic wrap) until you're ready to bake your pie.
Step 2: Remove the disk of pie crust dough from the fridge and place on a cooling rack. Allow the dough to sit for 10 to 15 minutes while you prepare the apple cranberry filling so that the dough comes to a cool room temperature.
Step 3: Make the pie filling. Core the apples, peel them using a vegetable peeler or a small, sharp knife, and slice each apple into 16 wedges.
Step 4: Place the apples in a large bowl and add cranberries, sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and lemon juice. Stir until the fruit is well coated. Set aside.
Step 5: Roll out the pie crust. Generously sprinkle flour on a pastry cloth or clean counter and onto your rolling pin so that the dough won't stick when rolled. Place the disk of dough onto the floured surface and roll the dough into a circle that's ¼ inch thick.
Step 6: Carefully lift the rolled out crust by sliding your arms underneath it and gently place the crust into a 9 inch glass pie plate. Fold the edge of the crust underneath itself around the edge of the plate. Seal the edge of the crust by either crimping them or by pressing down all around the edges using the tines of a fork.
Step 7: Place your oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F.
Step 8: Fill the crust. Arrange a layer of prepared apple slices around the crust until the bottom of the plate is covered, and then pile the rest of the apple cranberry filling on top.
Step 9: Make the crumb topping. In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt and stir to mix. Pour the melted butter over the mixture and stir until a crumbly dough forms.
Step 10: Sprinkle the crumb topping over the pie filling.
Step 11: Bake the pie. Bake the pie for 10 minutes at 425°F, then turn the oven down to 375°F and continue baking for 40 minutes until the top and sides of the crust (visible through the glass pie plate) are golden brown.
Step 12: Allow the pie to cool completely (ideally overnight) before serving to ensure that the filling has a chance to firm up. Serve the pie at room temperature (or reheat the pie briefly in a pre-heated 325°F oven if you'd prefer to serve it warm).
Recipe Tips
When adding the fruit filling to the pie crust, do not add the extra juice in the bottom of the bowl to the pie or the filling will be too wet and the bottom crust will become soggy.
A pie crust shield will come in handy to ensure the edges of the crust don't burn. About 20 minutes after the pie goes into the oven, quickly but carefully open the oven and reach in to place a silicone pie crust shield or a bit of aluminum foil around the edges of the pie to keep the crust from burning while the pie filling continues to bake.
Storage Instructions
Store pie loosely covered with foil or in a pie keeper at room temperature for up to 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
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Recipe
Apple Cranberry Crumb Pie
Special Equipment
- 1 9-inch pie plate
- 1 Rolling Pin
Ingredients
- ½ recipe of pie crust dough, refrigerated
Apple Cranberry Pie Filling:
- 4 large apples*
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries (do not thaw if frozen)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Crumb Topping:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup old-fashioned oats
- ⅜ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
Prepare the pie crust dough in advance.
- The dough will need to be refrigerated for at least 2 hours. You can make the dough up to 3 days ahead and keep it refrigerated (wrapped tightly with plastic wrap) until you're ready to bake your pie.
- Remove the disk of pie crust dough from the fridge and place on a cooling rack. Allow the dough to sit for 10 to 15 minutes while you prepare the apple cranberry filling so that the dough comes to a cool room temperature. (The dough should still be slightly firm, but not so cold and firm that it cracks significantly when rolled. If the dough feels soft or mushy when held or pressed with your thumb, it has become too warm and will need to be re-chilled before it can be rolled out.)
Make the pie filling.
- Core the apples, peel them using a vegetable peeler or a small, sharp knife, and slice each apple into 16 wedges.
- Place the apples in a large bowl and add cranberries, sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and lemon juice. Stir until the fruit is well coated. Set aside.
Roll out the pie crust.
- Generously sprinkle flour on a pastry cloth or clean counter and onto your rolling pin so that the dough won't stick when rolled. Place the disk of dough onto the floured surface and roll the dough into a circle that's ¼ inch thick. (While rolling, be sure to alternate directions and roll your rolling pin beyond the edges of the dough to ensure an even thickness throughout. The circle should be a few inches larger than the diameter of your pie plate.)
- Carefully lift the rolled out crust by sliding your arms underneath it and gently place the crust into a 9 inch glass pie plate. Fold the edge of the crust underneath itself around the edge of the plate. Seal the edge of the crust by either crimping them or by pressing down all around the edges using the tines of a fork.
- Place your oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F.
Fill the crust.
- Arrange a layer of prepared apple slices around the crust until the bottom of the plate is covered, and then pile the rest of the apple cranberry filling on top. There will be juice from the fruit in the bottom of the bowl; do not add this juice to the pie or the filling will be too wet and the bottom crust will become soggy.
Make the crumb topping.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt and stir to mix. Pour the melted butter over the mixture and stir until a crumbly dough forms.
- Sprinkle the crumb topping over the pie filling.
Bake the pie.
- Bake the pie for 10 minutes at 425°F, then turn the oven down to 375°F and continue baking for 40 minutes until the top and sides of the crust (visible through the glass pie plate) are golden brown. (NOTE: A pie crust shield will come in handy to ensure the edges of the crust don't burn. About 20 minutes after the pie goes into the oven, quickly but carefully open the oven and reach in to place a silicone pie crust shield or a bit of aluminum foil around the edges of the pie to keep the crust from burning while the pie filling continues to bake.)
- Allow the pie to cool completely (ideally overnight) before serving to ensure that the filling has a chance to firm up. Serve the pie at room temperature (or reheat the pie briefly in a pre-heated 325°F oven if you'd prefer to serve it warm).
Brenda Barrett
This was a very easy recipe to follow and it came out great. It was a perfect finish to our Christmas dinner. I highly recommend it.