This is my apple cranberry crumble pie. Underneath a delicious brown sugar and oat crumble topping you’ll find layers of sweet spiced apples and juicy tart cranberries… all atop a perfectly buttery and flaky pie crust. You can use fresh or frozen cranberries in this pie recipe.
Not only is apple pie my favorite dessert to eat, it’s my favorite dessert to bake.
Making the dough from scratch, creating beautiful decorations for the crust, and playing around with filling flavors is the best. I love finding new ways to put a fresh spin on this classic recipe, whether it’s salted caramel apple pie, apple pie with chai spices, or individual apple hand pies.
Why You’ll Love This Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie
- Classic recipe, without any complicated ingredients
- Like a cross between apple cranberry pie and apple crisp
- Golden flaky pie crust provides a crisp contrast to the soft and juicy filling
- Deliciously sweet, cinnamon-spiced filling with tart, juicy bursts of cranberries
- Comforting, nostalgia-filled flavor
- No par-baking the bottom crust, and no tricky latticing steps for the top
- Total pie perfection with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top
Begin With Quality Pie Crust
To get started on the apple cranberry crumble pie, you need homemade pie crust. For the sake of time and to prevent my fingers from falling off, I won’t repeat why this homemade buttery flaky pie crust is my favorite. You could use my all-butter pie crust, too. I love both equally!
You need just HALF of either pie crust recipe; both make 2 crusts. Save the other crust for another single-crust pie like my pumpkin pie, pecan pie, or ultra-creamy banana cream pie.
I always make the dough the night before to save time the next day. Or, better yet, make the pie crust today, freeze it, then put it in the refrigerator the night before making the pie. Save even more time later!
Ingredients for Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie
Crumble Topping
Making the crumbly streusel topping is simple. You’re going to want to keep things cold, so it doesn’t completely melt and seep into the pie filling. Use cold and cubed butter, cut it into the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon using a pastry cutter or 2 forks, then stir in the oats.
Make the oat crumble topping first and place in the refrigerator or freezer while you roll out the pie dough and prepare the pie filling. Again, the colder the topping, the more likely it will hold shape in the oven.
Apple Cranberry Pie Filling
The filling is easy and made from fresh (or frozen) cranberries, apples, brown sugar, flour, and spices. You know what pairs well with cranberries? Orange. Add a little orange zest to the pie, just like I do with another Thanksgiving classic—cranberry sauce.
When selecting apples for today’s pie, remember that firmer apples are ideal for baking. Avoid soft, mealy, and mushy apples. And for a more complex, interesting flavor, I suggest using a variety of apples. I always use a sweeter apple like Fuji, Pink Lady, or Honeycrisp, and a tart variety like Granny Smith.
Here is a complete list of the best apples for baking.
Tip for Success
Make sure your apple slices are around the same thickness. You don’t want some super thick apples (that won’t really cook) and some super thin apples (that will become mushy). Aim for around 1/4-inch thickness.
Let’s Bake the Pie
Before filling the pie, be sure to crimp or flute the pie crust. Brush the edges with egg wash, and then add the apple cranberry filling and top with the cold crumble topping.
Bake until the filling is bubbling around the edges. About halfway through baking, check on your pie and use a pie crust shield if you notice the edges are browning quite quickly. You can also make a pie crust shield out of aluminum foil, and here’s how: Take a piece of aluminum foil and fold it in half. Cut out a half circle. When you open it back up, you’ll have a square of foil with a circle cut out of the center.
Don’t forget the scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, a pie non-negotiable. You’ll love how it tastes melting down into the tart cranberries and gooey-sweet apples.
If you’re looking for more pie inspiration, here are all of our favorite Thanksgiving pies.
Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
Instructions
- Prepare my pie crust through step 5.
- Whisk the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or forks until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the oats. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- After the pie dough chills, preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Place a baking sheet on the bottom oven rack, to catch any juices that may spill over the sides of the pie.
- Roll out the chilled pie dough onto a lightly floured surface. Remember, when rolling out the pie dough, always use gentle force with your rolling pin. Start from the center and work your way out in all directions, rotating the dough with your hands as you go. Roll it out into a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough in a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it’s smooth. For a beautiful edge, fold the overhanging dough back over the edge and use your hands to mold the edge into a nice thick rim around the pie. Crimp the edges with a fork or use your fingers to flute the edges.. Brush the edges with egg wash. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes as you prepare the pie filling.
- In a large bowl, stir the apple slices, cranberries, brown sugar, flour, orange zest, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg together until thoroughly combined. Spoon the filling into the chilled crust. Sprinkle the cold crumble topping all over the filling.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Then, keeping the pie in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C). Place a pie crust shield (see Notes for homemade shield) on the edges to prevent them from over-browning. Continue baking the pie until the filling is bubbling around the edges, 35–40 more minutes. If you want to be precise, the internal temperature of the filling taken with an instant-read thermometer should be around 200°F (93°C) when done. Tip: If needed towards the end of bake time, remove the pie crust shield and tent an entire piece of foil on top of the pie if the top looks like it’s getting too brown.
- Remove pie from the oven, place on a cooling rack, and cool for at least 3 hours before slicing and serving. Filling will be too juicy if the pie is warm when you slice it. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.
- Cover and store leftover pie at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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