Cranberry Sugar Pie

How I Created This Cranberry Sugar Pie Recipe

When you think of a cranberry pie, I bet you picture a pie filled with a sweetened cranberry filling that may include citrus notes or warming spices. But, I have a cranberry pie that is totally different and absolutely delicious!

Every single bite of this Cranberry Sugar Pie is perfectly balanced with sweetened custard and tart cranberries, and as it bakes, the whole house smells like vanilla and sugar heaven!

A couple of weeks ago I was watching one of my favorite YouTube channels, Cooking with Glen, and Glen presented a tutorial on a 1943 Sour Cream Raisin Pie. As soon as I saw this pie, I knew I had to try it.

However, I'm not really crazy about raisins, but I do love dried cranberries. So, I thought I would reimagine that pie with dried cranberries and a few more tweaks. In addition to the cranberries, I upped the vanilla extract, switched the brown sugar to white, and discovered a perfect combination for a delicious pie filling.

Please don't hesitate to give this cranberry pie a try! It is perfect for afternoon tea or holiday celebrations and it pairs beautifully with a cup of tea or coffee.

So, let's bake!

What is a Sugar Pie?

As I researched what to call this pie, I came across the Sugar Pie, which is also similar to a Sour Cream Raisin Pie. Sugar pies are also made from just a handful of basic pantry and refrigerator items and are simple to make.

In general, the ingredients for a sugar pie filling are sugar, eggs or cornstarch, a dairy product, flavoring, and salt.

Variations of this pie are bountiful. There are regional favorites of this pie everywhere.

Midwestern Sugar Pies typically don't contain eggs and are set with cornstarch. Meanwhile, the French-Canadian sugar pie has eggs, brown sugar, and sometimes maple syrup.

It just goes to show that inventive cooks will make the most of what they have on hand!

How to Make a Cranberry Sugar Pie

1. Preheat & Ease Crust. Preheat oven to Ease the pie crust into a 9" tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the crust into the sides of the pan and trim the excess crust from the top of the pan. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and set it aside for later.

2. Dredge Cranberries. In a small bowl toss the sweetened dried cranberries with the flour until the cranberries are coated (dredged) with the flour. Set them aside for later.

3. Beat Eggs, Sugar, & Salt. In a medium-sized bowl beat the eggs with a fork. Add the sugar and salt and continue to beat the eggs and the sugar until they are well combined. Let the egg and sugar mixture stand for 5 minutes before continuing. This allows the sugar to dissolve into the eggs.

4. Add Sour Cream & Vanilla. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract to the sugar and egg mixture, and mix until no streaks of the white sour cream remain.

5. Fold in Dredged Cranberries. Gently fold in the flour-dredged dried cranberries.

6. Fill Pie Shell. Pour the pie filling into the prepared tart pan.

7. Bake. Bake the pie at 425°F/218°C for 10 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 325°F/163°C and continue to bake the pie for another 25 to 35 minutes. As the pie bakes, the filling will puff up. The pie is done when the edges of the filling turn golden brown and the filling is set.

8. Cool, Plate & Serve. Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack. During cooling, the pie filling will lose its "puff". This is normal.

Release the pie from tart pan and plate. If desired, decorate the pie with pie crust cutouts and fresh cranberries. Serve & Enjoy!

Decoration

When you make this pie, there is usually a small amount of pie crust left, which you can use to cut out some small shapes to decorate the top of the baked pie. I cut out leaf shapes, bake them, and then, after the pie is baked and cooled, add them to the top of the pie with a couple of fresh cranberries.