Apple Crumble Pie with Cranberries (fresh or frozen)
A gorgeous fruit pie with a buttery streusel topping, sweet apples, and tart cranberries. An easy old-fashioned pie perfect for fall and holiday baking.
Servings 8 slices
Ingredients
For the pie crust:
- 1 recipe all-butter pie crust see Notes below
For the oat topping:
- ¾ cup old-fashioned or traditional oats
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter diced and cold
For the filling:
- 1 pound Granny Smith apples about 3 large, peeled, cored and sliced
- ½ pound cranberries fresh or frozen
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons flour
- ½ teaspoon orange zest
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon bourbon or brandy optional
Instructions
Make the pie dough:
- Follow the instructions for 1 recipe all-butter pie crust until step 6, where you refrigerate the pie dough ball. This can be made up to 3 days ahead. If you freeze it, you can make it a month ahead; just remember to place it in the fridge a day or two before you plan to use it so it thaws.
- When ready to bake the pie, take the dough from the refrigerator and roll it to about ⅛ inch round (¼ of an inch at the most) using a lightly floured rolling pin, and additional flour if needed to prevent sticking.
- Transfer it to a 9-inch (24cm) pie plate with a removable bottom. It is best to make it fit in the pan without stretching it, removing excess dough. You will not use the whole amount of dough! Cover and refrigerate or freeze leftovers.
- Trim the edges, prick the bottom and refrigerate the pie plate for 1 hour or freeze for half an hour. This resting period helps with achieving a flaky pastry.
- To blind bake the crust: Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Put foil and weights (I use dried beans) covering the dough surface and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Lift foil and weights and continue baking for 5-10 more minutes, or until it's dry and starting to barely color.
Make the crumb topping:
- In a medium bowl, put ¾ cup old-fashioned or traditional oats, ½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup brown sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt and stir to combine.
- Add ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and in small pieces, and cut in using a pastry cutter or your hands. The mixture should be clumpy and crumbly. If making it ahead, reserve it in the fridge or freezer in a covered container.
Make the fruit filling:
- In a large bowl, put 1 pound Granny Smith apples, ½ pound cranberries, ½ cup light brown sugar, ¼ cup white sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, ½ teaspoon orange zest, ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 tablespoon bourbon or brandy, if using.
- Stir to mix well without smashing berries or breaking apple pieces.
Assemble the pie:
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200°C).
- Add the apple cranberry filling to the pre-baked crust and spread to cover. Sprinkle with the cold oat topping directly from the fridge. It will be irregular, and that is fine.
- Bake on the bottom rack for 10 minutes (so the bottom crust gets a blast of heat), and then turn the oven temperature down to 350ºF (180°C) and bake for 30-35 more minutes on the middle rack, or until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbly. If the top is browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil.
- Let cool completely on a wire rack. Cut cold if possible, after refrigerating it and serve with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Notes
Pie crust: I love a homemade crust, but you can use a purchased one if it's more convenient. Or even a graham cracker crust, as I use for this beautiful apple pie. If you already have your favorite pie dough recipe, go ahead and use it.
The fruit quantities can be varied, more of this or less of that. If you want less tartness, decrease the berries a bit or use sweeter baking apples. But make sure the final amount of apple cranberry mixture is the same.
If you can, make the streusel ahead, so it's cold when you add it; it helps with structure. If making it together with the rest of the pie, pop it in the freezer until you roll the dough and have the filling ready. Break it with your hands if it's too clumped before sprinkling it on top of the fruit.
