Cranberry Pecan Pie

Pecan pie is a classic dessert on many holiday tables, but cranberry pecan pie is the way to level up your menu. Fresh or frozen cranberries add some tartness that balances out the gooey pecan filling, and buttermilk brings some tanginess to the tender shortening crust. Serve the pie with a scoop of ice cream or homemade whipped cream, and watch your friends and family demand this pecan pie with cranberries next year for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Ingredients for Cranberry Pecan Pie

• Shortening: Shortening makes a tender pie crust (butter makes a flaky one). It’s more about texture than flavor with shortening.
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk adds tangy, creamy flavor to the pie dough. None in the fridge? Make buttermilk with regular milk and an acid like lemon juice or vinegar.
• Flour: Of all the different types of flour, regular all-purpose is the one you want here.
• Salt: Nearly all desserts are best when they include a pinch (or more) of salt. Its addition helps balance the sweetness of the pie’s rich filling.
• Eggs: Room-temperature eggs are always best for baking. Leave them on the counter for 30 minutes before mixing with the other ingredients.
• Corn syrup: The recipe offers a choice between dark and light corn syrup. The light version will let the flavor of the pecans and cranberries shine through. Dark syrup will give the pie a more traditional pecan pie taste with hints of caramel. Both are wonderful.
• Sugar: Regular granulated sugar is an essential filling ingredient.
• Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter, as you wish.
• Vanilla extract: One of the best vanilla extract brands, or homemade vanilla extract, adds the best flavor to baked goods.
• Cranberries: Fresh or frozen cranberries will work nicely in this cranberry and pecan pie. If you use frozen berries, let them thaw and drain before adding them.
• Pecans: Chop the pecans so they’re nicely distributed in the filling. You can sometimes find pre-chopped nuts at the store, often in the baking section.
• Sweetened whipped cream: It’s optional, but a scoop of sweetened whipped cream is lovely as an accompaniment to this pecan cranberry pie recipe.

Directions

Step 1: Make the dough

In a large bowl, beat the shortening and buttermilk until blended. Gradually add water, beating until light and fluffy. Mix in the flour and salt. Shape the dough into a disk. Wrap the round of dough in storage wrap, and refrigerate for at least four hours or overnight.

Step 2: Prepare the crust

Preheat the oven to 425°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into an 1/8-inch-thick circle and transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate. Trim the crust to 1/2 inch beyond the edge of the plate and flute the edge.

Editor’s Tip: This is a fine time to make a decorative pie crust.

Step 3: Mix the filling

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, corn syrup, sugar, melted butter and vanilla extract until blended. Stir in the cranberries and pecans, and pour the mixture into the crust.

Step 4: Bake the pie

Bake the pie on a lower oven rack for 10 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 350°, and bake until the filling is almost set, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate, covered, overnight before serving. If desired, serve with whipped cream.

Cranberry Pecan Pie Variations

• Change the nuts: Walnuts would be a perfect substitute for the pecans in this recipe and are often a little bit less expensive. You could also use sliced or slivered almonds, which are a very good partner for cranberries. If one of your guests has a nut allergy, try making the pie with pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas.
• Add spices: Cranberries are great with warm spices, including cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and allspice. Grated orange zest would be an excellent addition to the filling.
• Make it boozy: Add a tablespoon of rum, bourbon or another type of whiskey to the pie filling, or just whip a little bit of liquor into the whipped cream.

How to Store Cranberry Pecan Pie

Keep the cranberry and pecan pie in the fridge, either well-wrapped in its original pie dish or carefully move each slice to a snap-top glass container. The pie will last up to four days in the fridge.

Can you freeze cranberry pecan pie?

Yes, and it will freeze particularly well after it’s baked. Place the cooled pie on a baking sheet, and put it in the freezer until it’s fully frozen. Then, wrap it well with storage wrap and foil, and store it in the freezer for up to three months.

Cranberry Pecan Pie Tips

Can you use a different crust for cranberry pecan pie?

If you’re going for speed, you could always use a store-bought pie crust for cranberry pecan pie. You could also make a more traditional butter pie pastry or a lard pie crust rather than the buttermilk crust. Another option is to put the pie filling into a toasty-tasting graham cracker crust. If you go this route, bake the crust for around eight minutes and let it cool before filling it.

How should you serve cranberry pecan pie?

Serve pecan pie cold, at room temperature or slightly warm. If you don’t want whipped cream, a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream or no-churn eggnog ice cream is the perfect topping. You could also scatter the top of the pie with sugared cranberries, or simply put the sparkly berries on the serving platter.