This is the ultimate autumn pie recipe filled with bites of sweetly spiced apple and pear, tart cranberries, and crunchy walnuts. Originally published October 2016. Last updated January 2023.
My apple pear & cranberry pie is a fall showstopper--truly the ultimate autumn apple pie. The bottom is a classic, buttery, flaky crust and the top is a sweet oat streusel. If you're trying to impress anybody with a dessert this season, this is the recipe to whip out. Let's get into the details!
If you're looking for more fall baking ideas, try these popular recipes, too!
What You'll Need for this Recipe
Most of the fabulous flavor for this pie is on the inside. Here are the filling ingredients to add to your grocery list.
- Apples
- Brown Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Clove
- Dried Cranberries
- Flour
- Ginger
- Granulated Sugar
- Lemon
- Maple Syrup
- Nutmeg
- Pears
- Walnuts
Which apples to use in cranberry apple pie? You can make this pie with a variety of apples. I tend to use Honeycrisp apples but have had also had good results with fuji apples and even done a mix of both of these and Granny Smith.
Can I use fresh cranberries in this recipe? Yes, you can use fresh cranberries cup-for-cup in place of dried cranberries, if you like! I prefer dried cranberries because they rehydrate in the pie and become juicy and tender. Fresh cranberries will soften to the texture of a compote but not be as sweet. You can also use ¼ cup of whole cranberry sauce and reduce the sugar in the filling by ¼ cup.
What does it taste like?
The best description for the flavor profile of this easy autumn pie recipe is medley of fall flavors. I sweeten the pie with maple and brown sugar for deep, caramelized sweetness. You'll also taste warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, which coat the sweet and tart apples, pears, and cranberries. There's also nuttiness from walnuts and creamy buttery flavor. One of my favorite dried cranberry baking recipes, mini cranberry apple crisps, has a similar flavor profile.
What kind of pear is best for pie?
Anjou pears and bartlett pears are great for making pies. You can use green or red varieties. I like to incorporate one of each! Texture-wise, grab firm pears that are not as ripe so that they won't become too soft during baking.
Tips & Tools
Grab a large mixing bowl and kitchen spoon or silicone spatula to combine the pie filling. You'll need another bowl for mixing up the crusts and can create the butter crust by hand, with a pasty blender or even a food processor. Since there's no par baking and a lot of filling, I like to use a glass pie pan to see the bottom crust become golden.
What to do if my pie filling bubbles over? Place a baking sheet on the oven rack beneath your pie pan or line it with foil. This will catch any spills and be much easier to clean than pie filling dripping onto the bottom of your oven and burning.
Which rack to bake the pie on? Because this pie has both top and bottom crusts, I recommend baking on the middle rack so that each one cooks evenly. Baking on the top rack is more likely to burn the streusel before the bottom crust cooks through. And using the bottom rack may overcook the bottom crust while you end up with a soggy topping.
Making the Butter Crust
You can make the all-butter bottom crust several days in advance (even months in advance if you freeze it) because it needs to chill in the fridge before baking. At minimum, give it 30 refrigerated minutes before assembling and baking your pie. Here's what you'll need.
- Cold Butter
- Cold Water
- Flour
- Sea Salt
Combining pie crust ingredients is really quick in a large bowl with a pastry blender or run through a food processor. But making it with two hands doesn't take much longer and has easier cleanup, in my opinion. Instructions for that method in the recipe card below!
For the Brown Sugar Streusel
Streusel topping is crumbly and typically made of butter, flour, and sugar. This is the kind of top you see on Dutch apple pies. Here are the ingredients I use to make oat streusel for apple cranberry pie with walnuts and crumb topping.
- Brown Sugar
- Butter
- Flour
- Old Fashioned Oats
How to Serve
Warm slices of my ultimate cranberry apple pie with pears pair perfectly with scoops of cold vanilla ice cream. This is a wonderfully unique apple pie recipe for Thanksgiving and definitely deserves a spot next to the sweet potato pie on your dessert table.
Get all the way together for Thanksgiving with my holiday dinner guide!
I can't guarantee any specific outcomes but it doesn't hurt to make this pie if you're not the only one trying to be the only one. Make this pie if you want a ring by spring. Make this pie to get that promotion you've been wanting at work.
More Special Pie Recipes
I hope this homemade dessert gives you all the fall feels. And sharing is caring so be sure to pin this dried cranberry apple pie recipe for later and follow me on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
Ultimate Cranberry Apple Pie with Pears Recipe
Apple Pear & Cranberry Pie with Streusel Oat topping
Ingredients
For the Apple Pear Cranberry Filling
- 2 Honeycrisp apples
- 2 pears
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup walnut pieces
- ¼ cup brown sugar not packed
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup drizzle
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon clove ground
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
For the All-Butter Crust
- 1 ¼ cup flour
- ½ cup cold butter cut into cubes
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
For the Oat Streusel Topping
- 1 cup flour
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup old fashioned oats
- ¼ cup butter melted
Instructions
- Make the pie crust by incorporating sea salt, flour, and butter until a coarse, sandy-looking meal forms. This can be done in a bowl with your hands or in a food processor. Add cold water and continue working or pulsing the mixture until a dough forms. Shape into a disc (like a hockey puck), wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees then start the filling.
- Peel and core apples and pears then cut into one-inch pieces. Add fruit pieces to a bowl, followed by dried cranberries, lemon juice, brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, and maple syrup. Stir and toss until evenly coated.
- Next make the streusel topping. Combine flour, old-fashioned oats, brown sugar, and melted butter until uniform and no pockets remain. The mixture will be thick.
- Roll out the chilled pie dough and place over top of a round 8-inch pie pan then press into place.
- Fill pan with pie filling and spread it around, as needed, to cover the crust and have a relatively even top.
- Spoon streusel topping onto pie filling until covered. Press streusel into pie dough around edges of pan.
- Transfer pie to preheated oven and bake for about one hour. Bottom crust should be firm and golden brown. The filling should be thickened, bubbly, and sticky. The streusel topping should be golden brown and firm to the touch.
Rachel Lynn says
OH my god, this pie looks heavenly! I've never made a pie before, but this looks like one I should definitely try. 🙂 I love maple syrup!
Lauren says
This looks so yummy! I can't wait to try the recipe.
Jazz says
I hope you'll try it and love it. Thanks for reading!
Tayler says
My mouth is watering!!!
Lane & Holly @ With Two Spoons says
I LOVE apple pie! And this one looks delicious!
Stacy says
This looks and sounds amazing. I love the departure from the traditional two-crust, plain Jane Apple Pie!
Jazz says
Thank you! I had to change it up plus my lattice work...needs work. Thanks for reading!
Sharon says
Apples, pears, cranberries, and maple syrup?! You're not kidding - this is the ULTIMATE fall pie. It looks so unreal. I love this for an unique dessert on Thanksgiving. Well done!
Jazz says
Thanks, Sharon! I'm definitely adding this to my thanksgiving menu.
Heather @Boston Girl Bakes says
Oooh I love the drizzle of maple syrup on this! This looks like Fall alright 🙂 Love me a slice right now!
Danielle says
Oh. my. goodness. That looks divine!! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Justine Y @ Little Dove says
Apples and pears and maple syrup... yum! It sounds amazing!!
Belle says
This looks really good! I'll have to try this.
One Awesome Momma
Crystal says
This looks delicious. I can't wait to try it out, those pictures are just mouth-watering.