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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 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.
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 12/12/13 – recipe notes and photos updated 11/15/22}
Hello! I made this pie for the first time this Nov, and I have thoughts/questions. 1. When I mixed up the filling ingredients, there seemed to be a lot of loose sugar. Could I just use less sugar, or am I supposed to pour all that loose sugar in with the cranberries at the start? 2. The cranberries didn’t rise and the cake- like batter didn’t sink. At all. It was a bottom layer of berries (that you couldn’t see) with cake sitting on top. What happened? Thanks!
I add any loose sugar over the top, Marsha. The cranberries should’ve mixed a bit into the batter as it baked. Without being in your kitchen with you, it’s hard to guess what might have gone wrong. It sounds like there might’ve been a bit too much flour in the batter, making it stiffer than usual.
Can you bake this in a glass 9×13?
Hi, Nancy. I’m sure you could, but I don’t know exactly how the baking times/scale of the recipe would change. If you decide to try making the pie in a 9×13, let me know how it turns out! Happy baking.
I made this for the first time last year and EVERYONE loved it, even the ones who aren’t big cranberry fans. I’m making quite a few as gifts! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
You’re welcome! I hope everyone loves the pie.
Did you like this?
Hi Mary, My pie is in the oven as I write this & there aren’t any cranberries peaking through the batter with 5 minutes to go. Followed your instructions religiously. I measured the flour by spooning flour into measuring cup and clearing off the excess flour which supposedly the proper way. Batter was nice & fluffy. I’m using a 9” pie plate, generously buttered & I can tell by looking through the glass oven door it will need more time as you suggested. Perhaps 5 minutes. Why are no cranberries poking through? Thank you.
This does happen occasionally, but it isn’t the norm. Were the cranberries wet by any chance? I’ve found that rinsing them can cause them to sink. I typically toss them directly into the cake batter either from the fridge or the freezer, as there is no need to wash them.
Hello, the cranberries are tossed with the sugar and pecans and put in the bottom of the pie plate. But in one of your comments, you wrote that you typically ‘toss them directly into the cake batter’. is that how you get your berries to rise? I’ve made this a few times before and each time, the berries are on the bottom and there’s a solid hard block of “pie” that you could tap with a spoon, it’s so hard.
Making this for Christmas Monday! Any reason I can’t semi-combined the cranberries to ensure they rise and somewhat mix in? Read reviews about fruit and nuts remaining on bottom and it not being easy to serve. Thanks!
That isn’t something I’ve seen happen, but if you’re concerned, you can toss the berries in a bit of flour before adding them into the batter.
Should this pie be refrigerated?
I keep it at room temperature, Karen.
I’ve made this recipe twice now, and I think I’ll be making it a couple times a year for a long time! I choose to use very slightly less sugar, and love it with some vanilla icecream. Thanks for this simple and delicous recipe!
I’m thrilled you are enjoying the recipe, Alizon!
Made this today – amazing! Everyone liked it. But only used 1/2 cup sugar in the batter
I’m so glad to hear the pie was a hit, Janet. (And that the sugar can be adjusted without issue!)
Took a grand total of 5 minutes to prepare and pop in the oven. For that short amount of time, it is CHEATING how good this thing is. Mouthwatering delicious!!! I’m just sad because all the cranberries sank to the bottom and the pie filling is mostly only the top half. It isn’t spread around like in the pictures. What did I do wrong? Maybe put too many cranberries? 🤔
It’s a surprisingly easy recipe to prep, Michael, but sometimes problems come up. There might have been too many cranberries; the issue might also have been how you mixed the ingredients. Did you stir them together with the sugar and pecans and then top with the topping, or mix everything together? In any case, I’m glad you’re still enjoying the pie. Happy baking!
So delicious and easy to make. This gem has been added to my holiday must make list.
I’m always glad to hear that one of my recipes has become someone’s favorite, Megan. Enjoy the pie!
First time I made the pie the cranberries did not rise and if I hadn’t topped it with cranberries in addition it would have been a sad sight! This seems to be an ongoing problem with other people in the comments so here’s what I did differently the second time around:
* Add a layer of cranberries to the top batter. Use a spatula to spread the batter and have this layer of cranberries only just covered below the batter surface.
Other additions I made for using less sugar and butter with virtually no taste difference:
* Halved the sugar, 1/2 for the topping and 1/4 sugar for the filling. Still came out perfectly sweet and tart. I also did half white sugar and half brown sugar and I felt it gave it a little something!
* Substituted almond extract for vanilla
* used 1 stick of butter instead of 3/4. I did 3/4 the first time and didn’t noticed a difference using just a stick the second time around
*used a premade 9 inch pecan pie crust (adds 10-15 minutes to the oven time) and pecan flour in the filling instead of using chopped pecans
Thanks for sharing this recipe! The pie is amazing and even my friend who is notoriously indifferent about most things said multiple times that it was delicious and took home leftovers! A definite winner, and so easy it feels like cheating! Will definitely be trying the gluten free version.
I’m glad you were able to adjust the recipe to fit your tastes. I hope you love the GF version just as much; enjoy, and happy baking!
Hi,
We love this recipe and make it all year long with frozen berries.
Have you ever made the pie in advance and frozen it after baking? I’m wondering if I could bake, freeze for a week then thaw and reheat without changing the texture or taste?
The texture will be slightly softer and a bit more moist, but that never bothers me. I freeze any leftovers for future desserts. But for serving to guests? I prefer to bake it when I’m ready to serve it.
The first time I made this recipe, it turned out wonderful couldn’t wait to try it again. The next two times it came out gooey did everything the same not sure what I did wrong. It was quite brown on the top was afraid to leave it in the oven any longer, but I feel like it didn’t cook long enough I didn’t, have a 10 inch pan used a 9 inch
Did you use the same pan each time? And you didn’t change any ingredients? If so, it sounds like it might be an issue with the oven.
Excellent. Just made it tonight. The almond flavor along with the tart cranberries make a truly unique dessert. Perfect for the upcoming holidays.
I’m glad you like it!
I am wondering if these could be made in a small muffin tin for individual bites
I don’t know why not? I’d grease very careful or line the tins well.
Way too much butter and sugar. My teeth hurt eating it. Really not much flavor beyond those 2.
Hmmmm, that’s odd. There are a lot of cranberries in this recipe, so while it is a sweet pie, the dominant flavor should’ve been tangy cranberries with the pecans in the mix too. Sorry to hear it wasn’t a hit for you. Did you by chance substitute any ingredients?
Could I use a 1:1 gluten free flour mix rather than the combo you mentioned above?
If there is an alternative flour blend that you’ve used with success in the past, it should work fine here.
It was delicious
I’m so glad you like them!
I made this pie it looked just like the picture. I was so happy until I cut into it, the sugar and cranberries were not cooked or dissolved. It was horrible. I will never make this again.
Without being in your kitchen with you, it’s hard to guess what might have gone wrong. It sounds like it wasn’t baked through. Did you test for doneness with a toothpick when you removed it from the oven?