This Cranberry Custard Pie brings together tart, juicy cranberries and silky smooth custard in a spiced ginger crust that smells like the holidays. I first made this pie the year my oven decided to act up right before Thanksgiving, and somehow it still turned out beautifully. The filling is bright and tangy, the crust has that warm ginger kick, and the whole thing looks stunning on the table. It's easier than it looks, with straightforward steps and ingredients you can find at any grocery store.
If you're in the mood for more holiday desserts, you'll love this Best Texas Chocolate Pecan Pie or these Easy Creme Brûlée Cookies that taste just like the real thing. And if cheesecake is your thing, try this Easy Baklava Cheesecake that skips the water bath entirely.
The beauty of this Cranberry Custard Pie is how the tartness of the cranberries balances the sweetness of the condensed milk custard. You get creamy, fruity, and spiced all in one slice.
A Little Background on Cranberry Custard Pie
Cranberry Custard Pie have been around for generations, especially in New England where cranberries grow wild. But adding custard to the mix? That's a twist that turns a simple fruit pie into something rich and elegant. The ginger crust isn't traditional, but it adds warmth and a little spice that cranberries love. This version combines old-fashioned charm with a modern, creamy filling that sets up beautifully in the fridge.
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Cranberry Custard Pie Ingredients
Here's everything you'll need to make this beautiful Cranberry Custard Pie with a spiced ginger crust.
See Recipe Card Below This Post For ingtedient Quantites
For the Ginger Pastry Crust:
- All-purpose flour: Forms the base of the crust and gives it structure. Using 1-½ cups creates a tender, flaky pastry.
- Powdered sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness and helps the dough come together smoothly without making it too dense.
- Crystallized ginger: Brings warmth and a little spice to the crust. The food processor breaks it into tiny pieces that blend right into the dough.
- Ground ginger: Boosts that ginger flavor and gives the crust a cozy, spiced aroma.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances all the other flavors.
- Cold butter: Creates a flaky, tender crust. Keeping it cold is key so it doesn't melt before baking.
- Milk or water: Brings the dough together into a cohesive ball. Either one works perfectly.
For the Cranberry Custard Filling:
- Whole cranberries: Fresh or frozen both work beautifully. They cook down into a tart, vibrant puree that's the star of this pie.
- Pure cranberry juice: Adds extra cranberry flavor and helps the berries cook down. Make sure it's 100% cranberry juice, not a blend.
- Granulated sugar: Balances the tartness of the cranberries without making the filling too sweet.
- Kosher salt: Just a pinch enhances the cranberry flavor and rounds out the sweetness.
- Sweetened condensed milk: This is what makes the custard so creamy and smooth. It adds richness and sweetness that contrasts beautifully with the tart cranberries.
- Large eggs: Bind the custard together and help it set as it bakes.
How To Make Cranberry Custard Pie
Let's walk through how to make this gorgeous Cranberry Custard Pie from start to finish.
To Make and Bake the Ginger Pastry:
Combine dry ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, crystallized ginger, ground ginger, and salt to your food processor. Process for about 1 minute until the crystallized ginger breaks into tiny pieces and everything is well combined.
Add butter: Drop in the cold butter pieces and pulse 5 times. Then turn the motor on and pour in the milk through the feed tube. Process until the dough forms into a ball around the blade, which should take about 30 seconds.
Chill the dough: Scrape the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap it up tightly and shape it into a flat disk. Pop it in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you're planning ahead. This rest time makes the dough easier to roll out.
Roll and line the pie plate: On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into an 11-inch circle. Carefully transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate and press it into the bottom and sides. Crimp the edges however you like. Put the pie shell in the freezer for 10 to 20 minutes while your oven heats up.
Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 375°F. Position one rack in the second-lowest spot and another in the middle.
Blind bake the crust: Line the chilled pie dough with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights, rice, beans, or lentils, making sure they reach all the way to the edges. Bake on the lower rack for 20 minutes. Pull it out, remove the parchment and weights, and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes until the crust looks fully baked and lightly golden.
Lower the temperature: Turn your oven down to 350°F.
To Make the Cranberry Filling:
Cook the cranberries: In a medium pot, combine the cranberries, cranberry juice, granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst and everything looks saucy.
Puree and strain: Remove the pot from the heat. Use an immersion blender to puree the cranberries until smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, carefully transfer the mixture to a regular blender. Pour the puree through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, pushing it through with a spoon or spatula. Leave the seeds behind in the strainer. You should end up with about 2 cups of smooth cranberry puree. If you're a little short, add extra cranberry juice to reach 2 cups.
Mix the custard base: In a separate bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and eggs until smooth.
Combine: Slowly pour the cranberry puree into the custard mixture, whisking gently as you go. Take your time so everything blends smoothly.
Fill and bake: Pour the cranberry custard into your baked pie crust. Place the pie on the middle oven rack and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. The custard should look mostly set around the edges with a slightly wobbly center that jiggles just a bit when you give the pie a gentle shake.
Cool completely: Take the pie out of the oven and let it cool on a rack until it reaches room temperature.
Chill: Once cooled, cover the pie and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. This step is important because the custard needs time to fully set up and become sliceable.
Serve: Slice the chilled pie and serve with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream on top.
Substitutions and Variations
This Cranberry Custard Pie is flexible. Here are some easy swaps:
Crust: If you're not a fan of ginger, you can use a regular pie crust or a graham cracker crust instead. The ginger adds warmth, but a plain butter crust works beautifully too.
Cranberries: Fresh cranberries are ideal, but frozen work just as well. Don't thaw them first-just toss them right into the pot.
Milk in the crust: You can use water instead of milk in the pastry dough. It won't change the texture much at all.
Sweetness: If you prefer a sweeter Cranberry Custard Pie, add an extra tablespoon or two of sugar to the cranberry mixture. Taste it as it cooks and adjust to your liking.
Orange zest: For a citrusy twist, add a teaspoon of orange zest to the cranberry filling. It pairs beautifully with the tartness.
Equipment For Cranberry Custard Pie
Here's what you'll use to make this Cranberry Custard Pie:
- Food processor: Makes quick work of the ginger crust and breaks up the crystallized ginger into tiny pieces.
- Rolling pin: For rolling out the dough into a perfect circle.
- 9-inch pie plate: The standard size for this recipe.
- Parchment paper and pie weights: Essential for blind baking the crust so it doesn't puff up or shrink.
- Medium pot: For cooking down the cranberries.
- Immersion blender or regular blender: To puree the cranberries until smooth.
- Fine-mesh strainer: Removes the cranberry seeds and gives you a silky puree.
- Whisk: For mixing the custard ingredients together.
How to Store This Cranberry Custard Pie
This Cranberry Custard Pie keeps beautifully in the fridge.
Refrigerator: Cover the pie loosely with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. The custard stays smooth and the flavors get even better as it sits.
Freezer: You can freeze this Cranberry Custard Pie, though the texture of the custard might change slightly when thawed. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Room temperature: Don't leave this pie out at room temperature for more than 2 hours. The custard filling needs to stay cold to maintain its texture and food safety.
Serving Suggestions
This Cranberry Custard Pie is stunning on its own, but here are some ways to serve it:
Whipped cream: A cloud of sweetened whipped cream on top is classic and delicious. You can even add a hint of vanilla or a splash of orange liqueur to the cream.
Ice cream: Vanilla ice cream is a perfect match. The cold, creamy ice cream contrasts beautifully with the tart cranberry filling.
Coffee or tea: Serve slices alongside hot coffee or spiced tea for a cozy afternoon treat.
Holiday table: This pie looks gorgeous on a dessert table with other holiday favorites like Sugar Cookie Cheesecake or Easy Moist Spice Cake.
Expert Tips
Chill the dough: Don't skip chilling the pastry dough. It makes it so much easier to roll out and helps prevent shrinking during baking.
Blind bake properly: Use plenty of Cranberry Custard Pie weights and make sure they reach the edges of the crust. This keeps the dough from puffing up or slumping.
Strain the puree well: Take your time pushing the cranberry puree through the strainer. You want all that smooth goodness without any seeds.
Don't overbake: The custard should still have a slight jiggle in the center when you take it out. It will continue to set as it cools and chills.
FAQ
How long can Cranberry Custard Pie sit out?
Custard pie shouldn't sit out for more than 2 hours. After that, it needs to go back in the fridge to stay safe and maintain its texture. If you're serving it at a party, keep it chilled until right before you're ready to slice it. My mom always says custard pies are happiest when they're cold.
Should cranberry pie be refrigerated?
Yes, absolutely. This cranberry custard pie has eggs and condensed milk in the filling, so it needs to stay refrigerated. Store it in the fridge and it'll keep beautifully for up to 4 days. The flavors actually deepen and get even better after a day or two.
How to know custard pie is done?
The custard is done when the edges are set and the center still has a slight wobble-about the size of a quarter. If you gently shake the pie, the middle should jiggle just a bit. It will firm up completely as it cools and chills. If the whole pie looks liquidy, give it another 5 minutes.
Should custard pie be jiggly?
Yes, a little bit! When you pull it from the oven, the center should still have a gentle jiggle. This is exactly what you want. The custard will continue to set as it cools down and especially as it chills in the fridge. If you bake it until it's completely firm in the oven, it'll end up overbaked and might crack.
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Pairing
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Cranberry Custard Pie
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Add flour, powdered sugar, crystallized ginger, ground ginger, and salt to the food processor. Pulse until the ginger is finely chopped.
- Add cold butter and pulse 5 times. While the motor is running, slowly add milk and let the dough form a ball.
- Transfer the dough onto plastic wrap, form a disk, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.
- Roll out dough into an 11" circle and fit into a 9" pie plate, crimping edges as desired. Freeze for 10-20 minutes while oven preheats.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F with racks in the second-to-lowest and middle positions. Line dough with parchment and add pie weights (like rice or beans). Bake for 20 minutes, then remove weights and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes.
- Combine cranberries, cranberry juice, sugar, and salt in a medium pot over medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes or until cranberries burst.
- Use an immersion blender to puree the cranberries, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds. Return the puree to the bowl.
- Whisk eggs and sweetened condensed milk in a separate bowl. Slowly add cranberry puree while whisking gently.
- Pour the cranberry custard into the pre-baked pie crust. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes, until the custard is set but still slightly wobbly in the center.
- Remove from the oven and cool at room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
- Serve chilled with whipped cream if desired.
Amanda says
I tried this pie over the holidays and honestly loved it. The cranberry tartness with the creamy custard works so well, and it wasn’t overly sweet. Super easy to follow and everyone enjoyed it. I’ll definitely make this again.
[email protected] says
Thank you so much for trying the recipe and sharing your feedback! I’m really happy to hear you enjoyed the balance of tart cranberries and creamy custard. It means a lot knowing it was a hit - thanks again for taking the time to comment!