Cranberry Pie Recipe
In this Cranberry Pie recipe, homemade whole cranberry sauce is gently folded into mascarpone whipped cream, creating a tangy, puckery filling that is beautifully marbled with pops of cranberry within a creamy cheesecake texture, resulting in a balanced sweet-tart bite. The Oreo ganache crust is deeply chocolatey, fudgey with a brownie-like texture, and just firm enough to slice clean. The result is a light, fluffy pie that is the perfect way to end a holiday feast.
Servings: 6 slices
Ingredients
Cranberry Sauce
- 12 oz bag fresh cranberries or frozen and thawed
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar brown sugar can be substituted
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1/2 cup orange juice*
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Filling
- 3 cups heavy cream cold
- 12 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature (1 1/2 blocks)
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Oreo Ganache Crust
- 22 Oreo cookies regular not double stuf
- 4 Tablespoons butter melted
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4 ounces dark chocolate finely chopped bittersweet or semi-sweet works
Topping
- 1 ounce dark chocolate bar finely sliced
Instructions
Make the cranberry sauce
- Combine the water, orange zest and juice, sugar, vanilla, and cranberries in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens and most of the cranberries have burst (leaving some whole berries). Remove from heat and allow to cool completely, then refrigerate for several hours or overnight before assembling the pie.
Make the Oreo ganache crust
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Pulse whole Oreos in a food processor until they turn to crumbs. Mix with melted butter, then press the mixture firmly into the bottom of a pie pan, working it up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes.
- While the crust bakes, heat the cream in a small saucepan just until simmering. Pour it over the chopped chocolate in a heat-safe bowl and let sit for a few minutes, then stir until smooth. Once the crust has cooled slightly, pour the ganache over the crust, tilting the pan to coat evenly. Chill the crust in the refrigerator or freezer while you prepare the filling.
Make the filling
- In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form; set aside. In another bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the chilled cranberry sauce and mix until fully combined. Set aside half of the whipped cream for topping, then gently fold the remaining whipped cream into the cranberry mixture in batches until light and smooth.
Assemble the pie
- Spread the filling evenly into the chilled crust, smoothing the top with an offset spatula. Top with reserved whipped cream (I like to beat it again briefly to ensure the stiff peaks remain). Sprinkle over shaved chocolate if desired.
- Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 2 days to set. For an extra-cold, clean slice, place the pie or individual slices in the freezer for 30–60 minutes before serving.