I’ve been baking this apple cranberry pie for family Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for years. I love that it’s an apple pie, so traditional for the holidays, but the cranberries and crumb topping give it a special – and festive – vibe.
Oh, yes, the crumb topping. The liberal buttery-crisp top blankets the perfectly tender apples and tart cranberries. Served warm with a little vanilla ice cream? Pie nirvana.
Looking for a twist on your typical apple pie recipe? Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie is just different enough to be special - and it may just be the perfect holiday dessert. It's certainly one of our faves.
1/2cuppacked brown sugar (I prefer dark but light works too)
1/2cupold-fashioned oats
1teaspoonground cinnamon
1/2cup1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Pie filling
4-5large apples(peeled, cored, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 5 cups) (Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, and Gala are all great))
2cupsof your favorite homemade cranberry sauce (or 1 (16-ounce) can whole-berry cranberry sauce)
3/4cupsugar
1/2teaspoonvanilla extract
1teaspooncornstarch
Also
1pie crust for the bottom(your favorite recipe or store-bought refrigerated, no judgment!)
Vanilla ice cream
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Make the crumb topping. Mix the flour, brown sugar, oats, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add the butter and cut in with your fingers until the mixture resembles large coarse crumbs.
Make the filling. In a large bowl, mix the apples, cranberry sauce, sugar, vanilla, and cornstarch until well mixed.
Place the pie crust in a pie dish, and pour the apple filling into the shell. Mound it a little in the middle.
Sprinkle the crumb topping over the apples. There will be a lot. Pack it down a bit, if necessary.
Place the pie on a baking sheet, and place in the oven. Bake for about an hour and 10 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the crust and top are golden brown.
Transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least 15 minutes.