Description
This Cranberry Custard Pie combines tart, cooked cranberries with a creamy custard filling baked inside a flaky pre-baked pie crust. The orange juice and zest add a bright citrus note that complements the berries perfectly. This pie is an elegant dessert perfect for holiday gatherings or any special occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Crust
- 1 refrigerated pie crust or a deep 9-inch pie shell (store-bought or homemade)
Filling
- 4 cups / 480 g / 17 oz cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup / 240 ml / 8 fl oz orange juice (freshly squeezed preferred)
- 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) sweetened condensed milk
- 6 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp orange zest (from approximately 2 oranges)
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C, gas mark 4) to prepare for baking the pie.
- Roll out pie crust: On a lightly floured surface, roll the refrigerated pie dough into a 12-inch (30 cm) circle, turning a quarter turn often and adding flour as needed to prevent sticking.
- Line pie dish: Carefully transfer the dough to a 9-inch (23 cm) deep-dish pie pan. Gently tuck it in and smooth out, trimming excess crust. Crimp or flute the edges as preferred.
- Par-bake pie crust: Line crust with parchment paper and foil, fill with pie weights or dried beans, and bake for 10 minutes. Remove weights and liners, then bake an additional 10 minutes until partially cooked.
- Cook cranberries: In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries and orange juice. Heat over medium until simmering and cook for 4-5 minutes until most berries burst.
- Strain cranberries: Puree the cranberry mixture with an immersion blender, then press it through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, measuring 2 cups of strained juice.
- Mix filling: In a large bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, strained cranberry mixture, and orange zest until thick and fully combined.
- Bake pie: Pour filling into the pre-baked crust. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the center is almost set but still slightly wobbly. Cover crust edges with foil if browning too quickly. Check doneness starting at 25 minutes.
- Cool: Transfer pie to a wire rack and let cool for about 2 hours before refrigeration.
- Refrigerate: Chill the pie in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight to set fully.
- Decorate: Optionally garnish with sweetened whipped cream, extra cranberries, red currants, sugared rosemary, or snowflake sprinkles.
- Store: Cover any leftovers and refrigerate for up to 4 days to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Using freshly squeezed orange juice and zest intensifies the citrus flavor.
- Be sure to par-bake the crust thoroughly to prevent sogginess from the custard filling.
- The pie is best served chilled after refrigeration to allow the custard to fully set.
- Leftover pie can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Substitute pie weights with dried beans or rice for par-baking if needed.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: cranberry custard pie, cranberry pie, custard pie, orange zest pie, holiday dessert, baked pie
