You’ll love the delicious combination of lightly spiced fresh pears and cranberries sandwiched between layers of flaky butter pie crust in this cranberry pear pie. It’s perfect for your holiday table!

closeup of a slice of cranberry pear pie with ice cream

I absolutely adore cranberries in a pie, but they’re a little too in-your-face tart all by themselves. I prefer to combine them with other fruits to mellow them out a bit and pears are the perfect pairing. Pears are so underrated! But here they get to shine along with the cranberries.

I love the combination of flavors in this pie, with little bursts of tartness nestled alongside slices of sweet pears lightly spiced with cinnamon. Add a homemade flaky all-butter pie crust and you’ve hit the jackpot. If you’re looking for a fruit pie for Thanksgiving or the holiday season, this is it!

slice of cranberry pear pie on a plate with pie dish on the side

Table of Contents

“I’ve been making this pie without fail for our Thanksgiving Day lunch for the past couple years and it’s a fan favorite in my family! I adore this recipe; it’s absolute perfection!” — reader Klavy

Ingredients you’ll need

  • Double crusted pie dough, preferably homemade
  • Fresh ripe pears and fresh cranberries for the filling
  • Orange zest, ground cinnamon, and butter boost the fruity flavor
  • Sugar and all-purpose flour both sweeten and thicken the filling
  • Egg wash and sanding sugar, to give the crust shine and texture
This cranberry pear pie is the perfect dessert for fall

How to make cranberry pear pie

  1. Prepare pie crust. Follow your favorite homemade recipe, or use mine! Roll out the bottom crust and tuck it into your pie dish. Roll out the second pie crust and let it sit to the side, ready to go, while you prepare the filling.
  2. Make the filling. In a large bowl combing the flour, sugar, cinnamon and orange zest. Peel and slice the pears, then add them immediately to the bowl along with the cranberries.
  3. Finish assembling the pie. As soon as the filling is combined, dump it into the pie dish, spreading it into an even layer. Then scatter the butter pieces over the top and put the top pie crust over the filling mixture.
  4. Crimp edges, brush with egg wash and cut vents into the crust. Pinch the edges as you like to make a pretty pattern, or just leave them plain. And don’t forget to add vents in the crust for steam! An egg wash gives the crust a nice golden color and sugar adds a bit more flair.
  5. Bake. Set the pie on a sheet pan so it’s easy to move back and forth from the oven, and bake at 400°F for 15 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 375°F and bake for another 45-ish minutes until the crust is golden brown and you can see the filling bubbling through the vents.
  6. Cool before slicing. Let the pie cool completely to room temperature before slicing. Then, enjoy! Top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
baked cranberry pear pie with a slice on a plate with fork

Recipe tips and FAQs

  • What are the best pears for baking? Bosc, bartlett and anjou pears will all be great in this pie. Pears should be slightly soft and ripe, but not too ripe or they will be mushy or break down in the oven.
  • Can I use apples in this pie? Yes, you can use apples in place of some or all of the pears in this recipe. However, I highly recommend including pears in the filling as they have such a unique flavor that you’ll miss if you use only apples. 
  • If you want to make a lattice pie crust on top, I have an easy tutorial you can find here.
  • If the crust browns too quickly and looks like it will burn before the filling is done, cover the pie with foil for the rest of the baking time.
  • How to store this pie? Can you freeze cranberry pear pie? This baked pie will keep at room temperature for about 12-24 hours, but will keep better in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can freeze this pie before or after baking: bake straight from frozen adding 15-20 minutes bake time, and thaw baked frozen pies in the fridge overnight.
  • The best way reheat pie for warm slices: This pie should be cooled to room temperature before serving to completely set the filling. If you want to warm this pie before serving, cover with foil and bake at 300°F for 30 minutes.

baking tip:How to avoid a runny pie filling

Fruit pies can be tricky! Why is my pie filling so runny? is a question I get a lot. Here are some tips for baking fruit pies that set up beautifully, with thick filling and sturdy (not soupy) slices:

  • Do not adjust the amount of fruit, sugar and thickener (flour, cornstarch, etc.) listed in the recipe. Changing this ratio will affect how the filling sets up. Adding more fruit will add more moisture, and reducing the cornstarch and sugar will lessen the thickening power of the filling.
  • Bake the pie until filling in the center bubbles. Cornstarch specifically won’t activate until it reaches a boil, so look for bubbling in the center of the pie to indicate that it’s fully baked.
  • Let the pie cool completely. As the pie cools, the starches and fruit juices thicken and set. If you slice before the pie has cooled enough for the thickener to finish its job, the filling will be runny. 

 

More Baking Tips »
closeup of sliced cranberry pear pie with fork and scoop of ice cream

More pie resources:

More cranberry pie recipes

A whole blueberry pie fresh out of the oven
Cranberry Blueberry Pie
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Cranberry Mascarpone Tart
Cutting a slice of cranberry caramel hazelnut tart with the sliced piece having a dollop of whipped cream
Cranberry Caramel Hazelnut Tart

Get the recipe

This cranberry pear pie is the perfect dessert for fall
5 from 2 reviews

Cranberry Pear Pie

Servings: 12 slices
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Lightly spiced pear and cranberry pie filling sandwiched between layers of flaky pie crust. Perfect for your holiday table.
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Ingredients
 

  • 1 double-crusted pie recipe
  • 5 cups (5 pears) ripe pears , peeled and sliced or chopped
  • 2 cups (200 grams) cranberries , fresh or frozen
  • 2 tablespoons (16 grams) flour
  • â…” cup (113 grams) granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • 2 tablespoons (28 grams) butter , cut into small pieces
  • 1 egg + 1 tablespoon water , for egg wash
  • Sanding sugar or granulated sugar , for sprinkling (optional)

Equipment

glass pie plate
Pie plate
rolling pin
Rolling pin
pastry blender
Pastry blender

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out first dough disk and transfer to an 8 or 9-inch pie dish. Roll out second dough and have it ready to go before you combine the filling.
  • In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and orange zest. Slice pears and add them to the bowl along with the cranberries, and toss to coat. Dump into the prepared bottom crust. Dot with the small pieces of butter.
  • Transfer second pie crust to the top of the filled pie. Fold the top crust over the bottom crust and tuck into the dish, crimping the edge. Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut vents into the top crust.
  • Place pie on a sheet pan and bake at 400°F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F and bake until golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 45 minutes. (If the crust browns too quickly and looks like it will burn before the filling is done, cover the pie with foil for the rest of the baking time.)
  • Let cool completely to let juices thicken. Serve at room temperature or reheat in 300°F degree oven for 30 minutes. Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired. Store leftovers in the fridge.

Notes

  • Slice the pears just before adding them to the rest of the filling ingredients so they don’t brown. Pears should be ripe and barely softened, but not at all mushy. Bosc, Bartlett and Anjou are great varieties to use.
  • You can use apples in place of some or all of the pears if you like. But I highly recommend pears over apples for a milder, unique flavor.
  • I prefer to use my buttermilk pie crust for fruit pies like this one.
Calories: 240kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Sodium: 134mg, Potassium: 119mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 85IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 13mg, Iron: 1mg
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Author: Annalise Sandberg
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Have you tried this recipe?I’d love to hear about it! Leave a rating and review below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram @completelydelicious with #completelydelicious.

Note: this recipe was originally published November 2012.