ohhh my dear friends, the holiday season is upon us! I know feelings surrounding holidays can be complicated; I hope you find yourself in a place to take time for yourself, to rest and recharge.
The question of all questions around American Thanksgiving is: to cranberry sauce or not to cranberry sauce? I was decidedly a NOT CRANBERRY PERSON THX until I was pregnant with my first. then, magically…I really, really needed cranberry sauce. not the canned stuff of my youth. (though no shade if that’s your deal!) I needed something simple, tart, and with a texture not reminiscent of Jello. (maybe a little shade if you like Jello.)
and, because of course, Pioneer Woman delivered! her recipe is so simple: cranberries, fresh orange juice and zest, pure maple syrup. that’s it! and it’s perfection.
but when I think about the ThAnKsGiViNg tAbLe it often feels a bit heavy. even the desserts (like my beloved pecan pie!) are dense. so how do we combat that? we take our cranberry sauce and turn it into a pie!
this orange cranberry custard pie is simple and the best way to brighten up your Thanksgiving dessert spread. the hardest part is par-baking the pie crust. (a million out of ten would recommend watching this video from pie queen Erin McDowell to learn all the best tips and tricks!) other than that, you’re a quick mix away from an amazing pie!
if you’re not a cranberry person? think again. to quote my sister, “I don’t even like cranberries and I would probably eat this again.” high praise right there.
honestly? we prefer this pie straight from the fridge. ta da! an easy make-ahead dessert. if that weirds you out, no sweat – make it the morning of before oven space is limited. but take note – it’s SUPER important to let it cool completely. plan accordingly! a quick note, though: the cranberries get more bitter as time passes. I’d suggest making the afternoon before to ensure it’s tart without being bitter.
orange cranberry custard pie
Ingredients
- 1 recipe for single pie crust (I love Erin's recipe linked above!)
- ½ cup butter, melted and cooled
- ¾ cup pure maple syrup, NOT PANCAKE SYRUP
- 3 large eggs, room temp
- ¼-⅓ cup fresh squeezed orange juice (basically juice from a large orange)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup flour
- 5 oz cranberries, washed and dried (about half a bag)
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- zest of one large orange
Instructions
- Par-bake your pie crust! Really, you MUST do this to avoid the dreaded soggy bottom. Again, I'll point you to this video. Erin makes it super easy to follow along! But, if it's tl;dw, scroll to the bottom for her instructions.
- Preheat your oven to 350.
- Whisk together pure maple syrup, eggs, buttermilk, orange juice, and melted butter. Make sure everything's really incorporated! Next, whisk in your flour really, really well. Pour into your pie crust.
- Top the custard with your fresh cranberries. So prettyyyy.
- Combine orange zest with the brown sugar. Use your fingers to really work it in! Sprinkle evenly over the top of the pie.
- Place the pie on a baking sheet, and bake for 40-55 minutes. It should jiggle slightly but not like..an aggressive jiggle. It'll set as it cools!If your crust is getting a bit too brown around the edges, use little pieces of foil to cover them up! Easy peasy.
- Let pie cool completely. No, really. It has to be completely cool before you cut into it so it doesn't ooze out.
- After cooling, slice and serve! We actually like it cold from the fridge. (HOT TAKE I KNOW.)
- Cover leftovers tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge. Keeps for about two days. After that the cranberries get bitter!
