Easy Single Crust Spiced Apple & Cranberry Pie Recipe

Easy Single Crust Spiced Apple & Cranberry Pie Recipe

If you are looking for the perfect pie for the holiday season, something that tastes great and looks impressive, this Easy Single Crust Spiced Apple & Cranberry Pie Recipe is a great addition to your baking repertoire. Warm autumn spices incorporated into a mixture of apples, and tart cranberries are topped with one layer of pie crust cutouts. It is a classic apple pie taken to a whole new level and is so easy, it is sure to become your new favorite recipe for the holidays. 

Why You Should Give This Recipe a Try

The name totally answers this question: Easy Single Crust Spice Apple & Cranberry Pie. If you, like me, don’t like fussing with pie crust (why is it always tearing!?), then this is the perfect recipe for you. First, it involves one top crust. No need to prepare and roll out that second crust. Also, that crust can be store bought. Finally, you are going to roll out your crust and cut it into shapes to layer over the top of the pie. It’s all the benefits of a tasty, flaky crust without all the effort. Easy, peasy!

And the filling. This pie is absolutely bursting with autumn flavor: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and a pinch of allspice. On top of the delicious warm spices and apple goodness, cranberries add a touch of tartness. I like my pie tart, but you can certainly add more sugar to cut it down.

Don’t have a pie pan? You don’t need one. I put all of this together in a 9” baking pan. It was the perfect container for the bubbling juice and didn’t spill over the way my pies normally do. 

Want to kick it up a bit? Serve topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a little bit whipped cream. If you are feeling really festive, feel free to add both. The holidays are totally the time of year to indulge.

Recipe Ingredients

4 Granny Smith apples

1 cup fresh cranberries

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp ground cloves

Pinch of allspice (about 1/16 of a teaspoon)

1 tablespoon of cornstarch

1 pie crust

1 large egg & 1 tablespoon of water

Cinnamon sugar (optional)

Helpful Tools

9-inch square baking dish

rolling pin

cookie cutters (autumn shapes or geometric)

pastry brush

Ingredient Notes

Make sure you are using firm, tart apples. Granny Smith apples generally work best.

Between the apples and the cranberries, this is a very tart pie. Feel free to add a touch more sugar (¼ extra) to something a bit sweeter.

A store bought, pre-made pie dough works great. Make sure it is not a frozen crust, just the refrigerated one that you can roll out.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Take the pie crust out of the fridge. It has to sit out at least 15 minutes or until about room temperature. 

3. Peel, core, and cube the apples. Set aside.

4. Wash the cranberries, removing any stems.

5. Stir the apples and cranberries together in a large bowl.

6. Add the sugar and spices to the apples and cranberries and stir to combine.

7. Add the cornstarch and stir to combine. Set aside.

8. Carefully unroll the dough and place on a lightly floured surface.

9. Roll out the dough to about a 12-inch circle.

10. Use a biscuit cutter or circular cookie cutter to cut out 16 disks. You may need to bunch up the scraps and re-roll the dough to cut additional circles.

11. Lightly spray a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.

12. Pour the fruit filling into the prepared baking pan.

13. Layer the disks of dough on top of the filling. Each disk of dough should overlap a bit. Most of the surface of the fruit should be covered. It is like a lattice top, but less complicated.

14. Add the water to a beaten egg in a small bowl.

15. Brush the egg wash over the surface of the dough.

16. Lightly sprinkle with cinnamon sugar if desired.

17. Put the baking pan on a baking sheet and place it on the middle rack of the oven.

18. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.

19. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the fruit bubbling.

20. This is a delicious pie to serve slightly warm, but let it cool down a bit first.

Check out the recipe card for printable directions!

Storage

Cover the surface of the baking dish with aluminum foil and store in the fridge for about three days.

Tips & Tricks

Don’t want to have a lot of spices on hand? You can replace these spices with 1 3/4 teaspoons of apple pie spice.

Roll your dough out between two sheets of parchment paper to prevent sticking.

You can use a variety of cookie cutters in this recipe. I layered the discs and then used a leaf-shaped cutter to close some larger spaces in the dough. You just want to avoid having large openings on the fruit as it will spill over onto the rest of the crust.

You can purchase pre-mixed cinnamon sugar for a light sprinkle over the surface of the dough. If you want to make it yourself, mix 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon together. You will only be using a very small amount, so you will have some left over. It’s great for sprinkling on French toast and cinnamon toast!

Given the shape, it is difficult to serve a slice of pie using this recipe. You can cut into it with a sharp knife and use metal turner to scoop it out.

FAQs

Can I use different apples?

You can, but you want to stick with something firm and tart. Golden Delicious and Rome apples can do in a pinch.

Can I use frozen cranberries?

You can use frozen cranberries; no need to thaw them.

Is this a really tart dessert?

It is! You may want to add more sugar if that is not to your liking. About ¼ cup should do the trick.

Can I make my own pie crust?

I’m not sure why you would want to – but go ahead! Remember that store-bought pie crust is totally easy and delicious.

Can I use frozen pie crust?

Frozen crust won’t work as well as the one that rolls out, so I do not recommend it.

Can I use a pie dish?

If you want to use a pie dish, I recommend a 9-inch pie plate. You may need to adjust the number of disks.

Looking for another autumn pie dessert alternative? Try my Easy Pumpkin Pie Bars with Gingersnap Crust.