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    Home » Dessert » Pies

    Cranberry Pie with Sugar Cookie Crust

    Published: Nov 17, 2016 · Modified: Dec 2, 2021 by Mamma C · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe

    You'll love this Cranberry Pie with Sugar Cookie Crust! It's accented with orange and is delicious plain or topped with whipped cream!

    slice of Cranberry Pie with Sugar Cookie Crust on a plateI'm absolutely giddy about sharing this recipe with you. If you cringe at the idea of tart cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving dinner but would rather not serve that sweet, jiggly stuff in the can, I've created the perfect solution: cranberry pie with a sugar cookie pie crust.

    All from scratch. With homemade whipped cream. Or maybe vanilla ice cream. Yesss!

    If you've been reading Cooking with Mamma C awhile, this pie might sound familiar. That's because I modeled it after this beloved Blueberry Pie, a huge family favorite I've been making for years.

    This time, I replaced the blueberries with fresh, tart cranberries, increased the sugar to compensate and added orange extract instead of almond to the cookie crust and cranberry pie filling. Oh. My. Goodness.

    whole cranberry pie with cookie toppingMy Thanksgiving dreams have come true.

    I'm officially thankful for this pie, and for the divine inspiration to make it. (I was staring at my computer screen with cranberries on my mind, when, suddenly, "cranberry pie with sugar cookie crust" popped into my head.)

    I knew immediately it'd be a winner!

    Now, a note about the sweetness level.

    Cranberries are tart, baby. I cooked them and added enough sugar to make them sweet-tart, knowing the sugar cookie crust and sweetened whipped cream would envelope the pie filling and create a lovely balance.

    I think it's perfect.

    overhead view of a slice of Cranberry Pie on a plate with forkHowever, when you make this, I'm going to have you taste the cranberry pie filling with one of the extra sugar cookies you'll end up with (so sad, I know) and decide if you need to add more sugar. Because I want you to love this pie.

    More pie recipes

    • Pecan Lemon Pie Without Meringue
    • Fresh Strawberry Pie with Amaretto
    • Lemon Meringue Pie
    • Brownie-Bottom Chocolate Pudding Pie

    Enjoy!

    P.S. If you're a fan of cranberries, you need to try my healthy Banana-Cranberry Smoothie. It tastes like sherbet!

    (Recipe Source: Cooking with Mamma C, adapted from this Blueberry Pie with Sugar Cookie Crust)

    Cranberry Pie with Sugar Cookie Crust in a pie dish

    Cranberry Pie with Sugar Cookie Crust

    A delicious holiday pie that's fantastic with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Go to Collections
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 582kcal
    Author: Mamma C

    Ingredients

    Sugar Cookie Crust

    • 8 tablespoons salted butter (softened)
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 egg (beaten)
    • ¼ cup milk (1% is fine)
    • ½ teaspoon orange extract
    • 2 ⅓ cups flour (sifted)
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder

    Cranberry Pie Filling

    • 3 cups fresh cranberries (plus a few for garnish)
    • 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar (or more to taste)
    • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
    • sprinkle of salt
    • ⅔ cup water
    • 1 teaspoon orange juice
    • ¼ teaspoon orange extract

    Whipped Cream

    • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
    • 3 tablespoons confectioners sugar
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    US Customary - Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • For the crust, beat the butter and sugar until blended. (Do not overbeat, or it will make the dough too soft.) Add the egg, milk and orange extract and mix. Add the sifted flour and baking powder, and beat on low, then medium.
    • When the dough is smooth and combined, shape it into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and freeze it for 30 minutes. (You can make your pie filling while the dough is chilling.)
    • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a pie plate and a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
    • Unwrap the chilled dough and cut away about ¼ of it to set aside for the cookie topping. If you have a kitchen scale, use it to weigh the larger portion of dough. You will need 16 ounces of dough for the bottom crust.
    • On a work surface dusted with powdered sugar, use a rolling pin to roll out the 16 ounces of dough into an 11-inch circle about ½ inch thick. Transfer the dough into the pie plate by wrapping one half of the dough around the rolling pin, and carrying the rolling pin with the dough over to the pie plate. (If the dough tears when you try to do this, you can transfer it in sections and press it together in the pie plate.) Gently set the dough into the pie plate and use two fingers to flute the edges along the inside rim of the pie plate. Use your fingers to press the dough into place if you have any uneven spots. Use a fork to poke tiny holes in the bottom of the crust and where it meets the sides of the pan. Freeze the crust for 10 minutes before baking.
    • Bake the crust for 13-15 minutes, or until it is golden around the edges, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the crust cool on a wire rack.
    • While the bottom crust is baking, prepare the cookie topping. Roll out the remaining small portion of dough into a circle about ¼-inch thick. Use a large cookie cutter to cut out shapes. (See notes.) Bake the cookies on the greased baking sheet for 9 minutes, or until just barely turning golden at the edges. Cool the cookies on a wire rack.
    • For the cranberry filling, rinse your cranberries and remove any stems. Place three cups of cranberries in a medium saucepan and combine them with the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in the water and orange juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and becomes goopy, which could take at least six minutes. Turn off the heat and crush at least half of the cranberries with a potato masher. Stir in the orange extract. When your pot is no longer hot, place it in the refrigerator to chill the filling.
    • (When your cookie topping is ready, taste a bite of an extra cookie with a little bit of the filling, to see if the filling is sweet enough for you. If not, add one tablespoon of sugar to the filling and taste, adding more sugar if needed.)
    • For the whipped cream, use a clean, cold stainless steel bowl and beaters to beat the whipping cream, starting on low, then increasing to high. Beat for 1-2 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla. Beat until soft peaks form.
    • To assemble your pie, spoon the chilled cranberry filling into the cooled pie crust. Place the cookies on top in a decorative pattern. Garnish with a few raw cranberries in the center, if desired. (Don't serve the raw cranberries, since they'll be very tart.) Serve the pie with whipped cream (and vanilla ice cream, if you wish). You can store the pie covered at room temperature for a couple days, but refrigerate it if you want it to keep longer. Store whipped cream covered in the refrigerator for up to two days.

    Notes

    You can use smaller cookie cutters, but it will be difficult to slice the pie neatly. Try not to make more than one cut into each cookie.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 582kcal | Carbohydrates: 89g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 126mg | Potassium: 212mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 54g | Vitamin A: 855IU | Vitamin C: 5.6mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Mention @cookingwithmammac or tag #CookingWithMammaC!
    This Cranberry Pie with Sugar Cookie Crust is the holiday pie of my dreams! It's so delicious served with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
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    « Quick Hamburger Buns
    Pomegranate Smoothie with Banana and Walnuts »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Karen

      October 11, 2022 at 4:44 pm

      5 stars
      I made this last year and my family loved it!!!!!

      Reply
      • Mamma C

        October 12, 2022 at 9:01 am

        Hi Karen - I'm so happy to hear that! Thanks for leaving a review!

        Reply
    2. Cheryl "Cheffie Cooks" Wiser

      November 23, 2016 at 8:51 pm

      Oh my yes, yum-oooooooooooooooooo!!! Happy Thanksgiving! xo

      Reply
      • Mamma C

        November 23, 2016 at 11:24 pm

        Happy Thanksgiving, Cheryl! xo

        Reply
    3. john

      November 18, 2016 at 12:02 pm

      What a great idea, thanks so much!

      Reply
      • Mamma C

        November 18, 2016 at 12:13 pm

        You're welcome, John! I hope you enjoy it.

        Reply
    4. [email protected]

      November 18, 2016 at 9:52 am

      I'm sure you've made lots of people's Thanksgiving dreams come true - including me!! I saw this on Insta and was like - I need to get over there! This sounds divine and that first photo - oh my - I want to dive in fork first!! 😉

      Reply
      • Mamma C

        November 18, 2016 at 10:11 am

        Haha, thanks, Annie! I did lots of diving fork first and am going to have to work it off, Lol.

        Reply
    5. TammyRenea @SanPasqualsKitchen

      November 17, 2016 at 6:00 pm

      Can pie be adorable? If so, then this pie is adorable and festive I might add. It would grace any thanksgiving table.

      Reply
      • Mamma C

        November 17, 2016 at 6:21 pm

        I love that you think it's adorable, Tammy! I adore this pie. Thank you so much!

        Reply
    6. April J Harris

      November 17, 2016 at 1:04 pm

      Your Cranberry Pie looks fantastic - such a lovely colour - and I'm in love with the sugar cookie crust! What a great idea for a pie containing tarter fruit. This would be such a refreshing, tasty Thanksgiving dessert!

      Reply
      • Mamma C

        November 17, 2016 at 1:12 pm

        I love those jewel tones too! The sugar cookie crust works really well with the sweet-tart filling. Thanks, April!

        Reply
    7. Kristine

      November 17, 2016 at 12:45 pm

      Oh this pie looks incredible! My grandma use to make one similar. I love the combination of the cranberries and the orange! Yummy!

      Reply
      • Mamma C

        November 17, 2016 at 1:10 pm

        Thanks, Kristine! This pie makes me happy. 🙂

        Reply
    8. Derek | Dad With A Pan

      November 17, 2016 at 12:32 pm

      That crust is an awesome idea!!!

      Reply
      • Mamma C

        November 17, 2016 at 1:08 pm

        The crust is very popular with kids. The big ones too! (Ahem.)

        Reply
    9. Ali @ Home & Plate

      November 17, 2016 at 12:32 pm

      I love cranberries this time of year and love the combination of cranberries and oranges. This would be beautiful and tasty on any Thanksgiving or Christmas table. I'll take a slice any day. Yum.

      Reply
      • Mamma C

        November 17, 2016 at 1:07 pm

        I love cranberry and orange too! It works really well here. Thanks, Ali!

        Reply
    10. Amy Katz from

      November 17, 2016 at 12:32 pm

      I love cranberries! Making them in a pie is such a great idea! Looks so festive.

      Reply
      • Mamma C

        November 17, 2016 at 1:06 pm

        I want to go buy all the cranberries! Thanks, Amy.

        Reply

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