From the crunch of the sugar crust on the bottom to the juicy cranberries to the flaky cake layer on top; Nantucket Christmas Cranberry Pie is cranberry dessert heaven.
This recipe was sent to me by a reader, Maureen. She saw our Cranberry Christmas Cake on Facebook and it reminded her of this pie. She thought we might like it and she was right.
Cranberry Pie
The sweetly tart combination proved to be irresistible! My whole family LOVED this pie and I even ate it again for breakfast. That’s how much I enjoyed it.
If you can’t decide whether to make cake or pie, this recipe is your answer!
Crunchy pecans are added to a mixture of tart juicy cranberries and sugar, then topped with a buttery batter to make ta dessert that’s a little bit cake and a little bit pie.
Is it a pie-like cake? Is it a cake-like pie? I don’t know but I do know that it tastes phenomenal!
Christmas Cranberry Pie
Have you ever made cranberry pie before? I admit that it’s not the first thing I think of when I think of pie but it makes total sense.
We eat a lot of cranberries around the holidays and even more pie so why not put the two together?
This Cranberry Pie recipe is also far less fussy than your typical Christmas Pie. Instead of rolling a delicate pie crust, you simply pour the cranberry filling into a pie pan and top with a batter made from butter, eggs, sugar and flour.
Nantucket Pie
The resulting pie is begging to be served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of fresh whipped cream. Of course, it’s also perfectly delicious all on its own!
When you’re surrounded by decadent, sickeningly-sweet desserts during the holidays, Nantucket Cranberry Pie is a nice change of pace. It’s still plenty sweet and pleasantly rich without being cloying or heavy.
It works as a dessert and as a fun breakfast or brunch dish. I’m not too big on sweets and this pie was just right for me!
Fresh Cranberry Recipes
This pie is a fabulous way to cook fresh cranberries but frozen cranberries work just as well!
Many of us snack on dried cranberries all year long but don’t do much with the fresh berries until it’s time to make Cranberry Sauce around Thanksgiving and Christmas.
I love our traditional Homemade Cranberry Sauce and all the new versions I’ve experimented with over the years like this Hot Pepper Cranberry Sauce.
Fresh cranberries are great for so much more than just sauce! I’ve enjoyed exploring different ways to use these tart berries.
Slightly chewy with a sweetly tart combination, cranberry oatmeal bars are full of cranberries and apples topped with brown sugar and oatmeal crumbs.
This Cranberry Spice Cake is an absolutely perfect cake that takes very little effort to make. There’s no icing, no topping, nothing else is required. This is one of the easiest cakes you will ever make!
Cranberry Christmas Cookies are filled with an abundance of fresh tart cranberries balanced by a buttery sweet cookie. This is not a classically crisp or chewy cookie. I created this cookie specifically to mimic the ever-popular Cranberry Christmas Cake.
Some more of our favorites include Overnight Baked Oatmeal with Fresh Cranberries and the Cranberry Pepper Jam that has become a staple for every cheeseboard we make.
Fresh cranberries are also fantastic in many savory dishes like One Pan Cranberry Chicken and Cranberry Sausage Stuffing.
I’ve made this pie with all-purpose flour and a blend of gluten-free flours. It turned out great both ways.
I’ve listed the gluten-free flours I used in the recipe below but if you’re not after a gluten free recipe, feel free to just substitute each of those ingredients with all-purpose flour.
For more pie recipes you might love, check out my Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie, Lemon Angel Pie, and German Apple Pie.
Apple Pie Bars with Bourbon Caramel Sauce are another fun and tasty take on traditional pie. For a simple yet beautiful pie bursting with seasonal berry flavor, try this Deep Dish Berry Pie.
Check out all of the Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes on this website!
Cranberry Pie Recipe
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the filling ingredients and stir to combine. Pour into a generously buttered 10″ pie plate.
- Combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Add the eggs and almond extract and beat again until fluffy. Add the flour and beat once more.
- Spread the thick batter over the cranberry mixture in the pan. I used a small cookie scoop to quickly dollop spoonfuls across the top of the pie. It doesn’t need to look perfect.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, test doneness with a toothpick, just to make sure the topping is cooked through. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Nantucket Christmas Cranberry Pie
Ingredients
Filling Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Topping Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour*
*Gluten-Free Alternative
- ⅔ cup brown rice flour
- ⅓ cup tapioca starch
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the filling ingredients and stir to combine. Pour into a generously buttered 10" pie plate.
- Combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Add the eggs and almond extract and beat again until fluffy. Add the flour and beat once more.
- Spread the thick batter over the cranberry mixture in the pan. I used a small cookie scoop to quickly dollop spoonfuls across the top of the pie. It doesn't need to look perfect.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, test doneness with a toothpick, just to make sure the topping is cooked through. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
{originally published 12/12/13 – recipe notes and photos updated 11/15/22}
Traci says
I’m excited to make this as something different from the normal Thanksgiving pies! Can I make this in advance, and if so what is the best way to store it in order to preserve the texture of the crust? I’d like to make it the day before if it will keep well. Thanks!
Mary Younkin says
I would suggest just storing it on the counter and yes you can certainly make it a day in advance.
Pamela Huber says
I just made this pie and had my first piece. It is delicious! You weren’t joking about putting a heavy coating of butter in the pan because it sticks. My only question is this: I ended up with a very sticky bottom of pure sugar on the bottom and the slice does not come out clean. Did I do something wrong? I did use fresh cranberries and the sugar did not stick to them like in your photo.
Mary Younkin says
Did you rinse your cranberries first? I rinse mine and they are ever so slightly damp when I sugar them.
Virginia in Vermont says
I cannot have sugar and I wanted this pie so badly! So, I substituted Pure Cane baking sugar alternative for the sugar and prayed. It is perfect! What a delightful recipe and Pure Cane has no aftertaste, so you can’t tell there is no sugar! Thanks so much for a wonderful recipe.
Mary Younkin says
I love hearing a substitution success. Thank you, Virginia!
Kasey says
Thanks for experimenting FOR me. I also need sugar free/low sugar desserts. I live in Wisconsin, which is the #1 producing state of Cranberries at 59%, and I adore them. My family lives near the cranberry bogs in northern Wisconsin and I ALWAYS have a large supply on hand! I also like them tart, just like my rhubarb. Don’t be making anything too sweet that it covers the beautiful tart flavor. Anyway, thank you, will make soon!
Dee says
Hi Mary!
I am making this today and looked through all the FAQ and did not see if you should sift the flour?
Please advise, can’t wait to try this!!!
Thanks for your delicious looking recipes!!!!
Mary Younkin says
No need to sift, Dee. But you can if you like. I am so glad you are enjoying the recipes, I love sharing them.
Suzie says
I will be baking this beautiful pie in the morning. Do you think it’s safe to cover and leave on counter a couple hours before indulging? We are coming back to our house for dessert.
Mary Younkin says
Yes, that should be fine, Suzie.
Michele says
Can i put it all together and bake in the morning?
Mary Younkin says
I would not recommend that, Michele. You will want to bake it once you have it assembled.
Joyce says
Can u use the bag cranberries?
Mary Younkin says
Yes, you can, Joyce.
Janet says
Hi I would like to make this as a 9×13” for a potluck, would you suggest a 1 1/2 times this recipe or just make 2 pies?
Mary Younkin says
I would stick with two pies, Janet.
Cindy says
This is absolutely amazing!!! My husband dug into it as soon as I took it out of the oven. Sweet, tart, crunchy, chewy…So delicious!! Thank you!
Mary Younkin says
I’m so happy to hear you loved it, Cindy!
Buddy Armbone says
What a great idea!
Not too sweet, a little tart, and a soft cakey bite with some cracking texture. The pecans were a perfect addition. (I toasted pecan halves in the air fryer at 325F for five minutes. My daughter the pastry chef says “Always toast your nuts.”
We used frozen berries and a 9.5” Pyrex pie plate.
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad you enjoyed the pie, Buddy!
Abby says
This was awesome!! I used monkfruit sugar in place of the regular sugar (although I cut back the sugar in the dough to about 2/3 c and next time will likely do the same for the sugar in the cranberries). Also, since I can’t do wheat flour or rice flour, I used 2/3 c cassava flour and 1/3 c tapioca flour. It came out amazing!! Will definitely make again. Thanks!
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad you are enjoying the recipe, Abby. Thanks for sharing your substitutions!
Jimmy says
Just making sure that you’re using all-purpose flour or self-risen flour.
Mary Younkin says
I am using all-purpose flour, Jimmy.
Cheryl says
Made this tonight and it was delicious! Took the liberty of throwing in a handful of chocolate chips and walnuts since I didn’t have almonds. Will be making this again!
Mary Younkin says
Sounds delicious, Cheryl.
ELLEN says
Just took from oven and plan to freeze it once cold. Will that work? It looks perfect,. Baked only 35 min.
Mary Younkin says
I have never tried freezing this pie, Ellen.
Chris Mergener says
I made this pie/cake this morning and just had a piece. It is very good. I increased the sugar to 3/4cup sugar as the cranberries I bought were quite large. I think I could have added a little more sugar. It is a bit tart (of course, cranberries) I didn’t have any ice cream so used some whipped cream. I am thinking the next time that I make this, I might added a handful of raisins. 😊 I thought at first that a recipe this simple wouldn’t taste that good. Wrong!! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Mary Younkin says
Thank you for commenting, Chris. I am so happy you enjoyed the recipe.
Stephen says
I’ve been making this same pie year since I was 12. (40+ Yrs) … i love this pie and it’s a favorite since nobody has ever had anything like it. One thing have changed over the years is mixing everything together and making it a homogeneous mixture as it releases from the pie plate better. I’m also trying something new this year for Christmas and will be trying coconut oil, pecans, and almond flour to see how it turns out.
Mary Younkin says
That combination sounds delicious, Stephan. Let us know how it turns out!
Maryam says
Do you think this would work with other berries or fruits?
Mary Younkin says
I am honestly not sure Maryann as I have not tried anything except cranberries.
Linda Donahue says
This is delish, but I couldn’t get it out of the pie dish in pie pieces. I followed all directions and adapted some of the suggestions here. Could I make it in a square pan so I can just scoop it out and not worry so much about presentation?
Mary Younkin says
You certainly could, Linda.
Alicia Hursley says
I’ve always been a huge fan of cranberry pie, but my husband hates it! That is until he tried this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing it. My whole family loved it, and I even gave some to a carpet cleaner I had out recently and he ended up begging me for your recipe. Can’t wait to try some of your other tasty treats 🙂
Margaret Coleman says
That is awesome to hear, Alicia. I bet you made their day!
Karen says
I made this today; split between 2 disposable pie dishes to give as gifts. I did keep one to try before sharing. Absolutely delicious, although I found the topping to be a bit too thick. I drizzled the top with a mixture of powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla bean paste. Sprinkled with powdered sugar. This is definitely a keeper.
Margaret Coleman says
What a nice gift, Karen.