This Cranberry Custard Pie is a cozy dessert that deserves a spot on your holiday table. It’s made with a buttery pie crust, a creamy sour cream custard filling, that is loaded with tart cranberries. The brown sugar crumb topping gives it the most irresistible crunch, and golden finish on top. Each bite is creamy, tangy, and sweet!
This pie is adapted from my Custard Berry Pie to give it an extra festive, and seasonal twist. The sour cream custard base is smooth, and creamy, while the cranberries add a nice burst of tangy flavor, and bright color. The crumb topping is a sweet, and crispy layer that ties it all together. It all comes together for the perfect mix of flavors and textures, that feels like the holiday season in every bite.
This is the perfect pie for someone who prefers cream pies to fruit pies, because it gives a nice creamy custard base to surround the tangy cranberries.
Why you’ll Love this Pie
- Easy to Make: This pie looks super impressive, but actually comes together with just a few minutes of work. We don’t even have to blind bake our bottom pie crust.
- Festive Flavor: The tart cranberries, cinnamon streusel topping, and sweet custard make this a perfect dessert for Thanksgiving or Christmas!
- The Best Textures: The flakey pie crust, with the creamy sour cream custard filling, and crunchy brown sugar topping all come together like *chef’s kiss*. It’s a mix of creamy, flakey, buttery, crunchy goodness that everyone loves!
- Beautiful: The ruby red cranberries add such a nice pop of color, and this pie makes a stunning centerpiece for any dinner table. Top each slice with a little whipped cream, and candied cranberries for extra color.
Ingredients Needed
This is a quick overview of some of the ingredients you’ll need for this Cranberry Custard Pie Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- Pie Crust: Make your own all butter pie crust, or grab one from the refrigerator section at the store.
- Granulated Sugar: We use quite a bit of sugar to balance the tartness of the cranberries.
- All Purpose Flour: Thickens the custard so it will all set when baked
- Eggs: Helps make the custard base and holds it all together
- Sour Cream: Gives the custard a little extra tanginess
- Vanilla: I add vanilla to almost everything, it adds such a nice warm flavor
- Cranberries: I prefer fresh berries for this pie, but you can use frozen if you have to.
- Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness to our crumb topping.
- Cinnamon: This is optional, but adds a nice warmth to the crumb topping
- Butter: Makes the streusel nice and crumbly and crunchy.
How to make Custard Cranberry Pie?
Step 1: Prepare the pie crust. Roll your pie crust out on a lightly floured surface until it is about 11 inches across. Transfer it to a 9inch pie plate and crimp or flute the edges.
Step 2: Make the Custard Filling. Add the sugar, sour cream, flour, eggs, and vanilla extract to a medium bowl and whisk it all together until its nice and creamy.
Step 3: Assemble the Pie. Toss the cranberries with a couple Tablespoons more of sugar. Add the cranberries to the bottom of the pie crust. Pour the custard topping over the cranberries to fill it to the top. Bake the Pie for 25 minutes.
Step 4: Make the Brown Sugar Crumb. Add the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt to a bowl. Mix in the butter using two forks until you have a nice and crumbly mixture, with some sandy pieces and some bigger pieces. Place it in the fridge until you need it.
Step 5: Add the Streusel Topping. Carefully remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top of the pie. Bake the pie for another 30-40 minutes until the topping is golden and the filling is mostly set. A little jiggle in the middle is okay. Remove from the oven and let it cool for at least 1 hour, transfer to the fridge to keep cooling completely.
Step 6: Slice and Serve. Once cooled, slice the pie into pieces, top with whipped cream if desired, and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Let the eggs, sour cream and butter sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before using to help everything mix together super nicely.
- Use Fresh Cranberries: For the best tart flavor use fresh berries, thaw them first, then pat them dry with some paper towels to soak up some of the extra moisture.
- Add Orange: I just love cranberry and orange together. If you want an extra festive flavor, add 1 to 2 TBS of orange zest to the custard filling for an extra bright flavor.
- Deep Dish Pie Crust: This makes a lot of filling for a thick(ish) pie slice. If you’re using pre-made pie crusts in the pan you may have enough filling for 2 pies. Fill almost to the top of the crust, but not over, as we don’t want it to over flow.
- A Little Jiggle: The custard will be done when the custard is mostly set. A little jiggle in the center 2 to 3 inches is okay. Just lightly tap the side of the pie and if it is still a little jiggly in the center it is done. If it is very loose or the whole thing is still moving then keep baking, in additional 5 to 10 minute increments. The pie will keep cooking a little bit out of the oven.
Storage Instructions
This Cranberry Custard Pie should be stored in the fridge, it can be stored for up to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this pie because the custard tends to separate when frozen.
This Custard Cranberry Pie is everything you might want in a holiday dessert – its sweet, tart, creamy, and cozy. It’s easy enough any home baker can make it, but elegant enough for Thanksgiving, or Christmas dinner! Serve as is, or with a dollop of whipped cream and watch it disappear, one slice at a time!
More Cranberry Recipes
If you try this Cranberry Custard Pie Recipe, please leave a 🌟 rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Cranberry Custard Pie
Ingredients
For the Pie:
- 1 9 inch pie crust
For the Custard Filling:
- 2 cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 cup Sour Cream (room temperature)
- 4 large Eggs (room temperature)
- 2/3 cup All Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3/4 tsp Salt
For the Cranberries:
- 3 cups Fresh Cranberries
- 2 TBS Granulated Sugar
For the Brown Sugar Streusel:
- 3/4 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 5 TBS Unsalted Butter (softened)
Instructions
For the Pie:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Unroll the pie crust on a lightly floured surface. Transfer it to a 9inch deep dish pie plate that is sprayed with nonstick spray. Crimp the edges. Place in the fridge until needed. 1 9 inch pie crust
For the Custard Filling:
- Stir together the sugar, sour cream, eggs, all purpose flour, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl until totally combined and creamy. Set aside. 2 cups Granulated Sugar, 1 cup Sour Cream, 4 large Eggs, 2/3 cup All Purpose Flour , 2 tsp Vanilla Extract, 3/4 tsp Salt
For the Cranberries:
- Toss the cranberries in a medium bowl with the sugar. 3 cups Fresh Cranberries , 2 TBS Granulated Sugar
- Add the cranberries to the bottom of the prepared pie crust.
- Gently pour the custard over the top of the cranberries, filling almost to the top of the pie crust.
- Bake the pie for 25 minutes in the preheated oven.
For the Brown Sugar Streusel:
- While the pie is baking make the streusel topping. Add the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a medium bowl and whisk together. 3/4 cup All Purpose Flour , 1/3 cup Brown Sugar, 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon, 1/8 tsp Salt
- Add in the butter and mix it into the crumb mixture with two forks until you have a nice crumbly mixture. 5 TBS Unsalted Butter
- Remove the pie from the oven, and sprinkle the crumb topping over the top of the pie.
- Place the pie back in the oven and bake another 35 to 45 minutes until the custard is set. Two to three inches in the center can still be slightly jiggly.
- Remove from the oven and let the pie cool at room temperature for about 1 to 2 hours, then transfer to the fridge to continue chilling.
Notes
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Let the eggs, sour cream and butter sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before using to help everything mix together super nicely.
- Use Fresh Cranberries: For the best tart flavor use fresh berries, thaw them first, then pat them dry with some paper towels to soak up some of the extra moisture.
- Add Orange: I just love cranberry and orange together. If you want an extra festive flavor, add 1 to 2 TBS of orange zest to the custard filling for an extra bright flavor.
- Deep Dish Pie Crust: This makes a lot of filling for a thick(ish) pie slice. If you’re using pre-made pie crusts in the pan you may have enough filling for 2 pies. Fill almost to the top of the crust, but not over, as we don’t want it to over flow.
- A Little Jiggle: The custard will be done when the custard is mostly set. A little jiggle in the center 2 to 3 inches is okay. Just lightly tap the side of the pie and if it is still a little jiggly in the center it is done. If it is very loose or the whole thing is still moving then keep baking, in additional 5 to 10 minute increments. The pie will keep cooking a little bit out of the oven.
Nutrition
this pie had such a good flavor. it was tart and sweet. I love a good custard pie. And the crumb topping was the perfect crunch and sweetness.