Vegan Cranberry Pie with Pears

Why You'll Love This Recipe

It's like a fancy cranberry sauce wrapped up in a homemade pie crust. We personally love the addition of a tart element to a sweet pie. The fresh cranberries certainly bring the natural tartness and are balanced by sweet pears and zippy ginger.

The first time we tested this recipe, we used raw, fresh cranberries for the filling. For our taste, the sweet to tart ratio was perfect. Everyone else, however, disagreed. They thought it needed a little more sweetness, so on the next try, we cooked the cranberries with some sugar and orange juice before adding them to the pears. Now our families love this pie just as much as we do.

Ingredients 

• Fresh Cranberries. 
• Pears. We like to use Anjou or Bartlett pear. Pick pears that are still slightly firm. 
• Orange Juice. Helps cut the tartness of the cranberries and adds more flavor. You can use any other fruit juice you have on hand. 
• Fresh Ginger. 
• Vanilla Extract. 
• Cornstarch. Helps to thicken the filling. 
• All Purpose Flour. You can use an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend if you prefer. 
• Sugar.
• Salt.
• Coconut Oil. Helps the dough stick together. You can use a vegan butter or if you don't need to keep this dairy free, you can use a regular butter in the crust. 
• Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk. Any variety will work. If you don't need to keep this recipe vegan, you can use a dairy milk.

How to Make Cranberry Pie with Pears and Ginger 

1. Step 1: Mix together the flour, sugar, salt, coconut oil, and milk in a food processor to form a dough. Chill. 

2. Step 2: Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Roll into a circle and press 1 piece into a glass baking dish. Use a piping tip to cut polka dot circles out of the other piece of dough and reserve on a piece of parchment paper. 

3. Step 3: Combine the cranberries, sugar, orange juice and ginger in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the cranberries are soft. 

4. Step 4: Stir together the cranberries, pears and vanilla in a large bowl. 

5. Step 5: Transfer the filling to the pie pan. 

6. Step 6: Carefully place the remaining dough on top and pinch the sides all around. 
7. Step 7: Bake in the oven until the juices are bubbly and the crust is golden brown.

Recipe Tips

1. Rather than making a lattice top for the top crust, which looks beautiful, but can be a bit cumbersome for beginners or someone who isn't very crafty (read: us), we cut some holes in the crust to create a cute polka dot pattern. We used the tip of a piping bag for even-sized circles, which had the perfect size.

2. Rolling the dough over a piece of parchment or wax paper makes it a lot easier to transfer it to the pie dish. Taping the corners of the paper to the countertop will keep it from sliding all over while you roll the dough.

3. When you place the bottom crust on the pie dish, make sure some of the dough comes up the sides. Using a clear glass pie dish will help you see if the dough is cooked (it should be golden brown when it's ready).

4. Once the filling is in and you've placed the top crust, pinch the sides all around. Flatten the pinched sides in slightly so the dough doesn't burn before the pie is ready. Place a baking sheet on the rack underneath the pie, to catch any juices that might drip from it.

5. For a nice, sweet crunch, sprinkle the top of the Cranberry Pear Pie with sugar before baking it. Let it cool slightly before serving.

Storage and Reheating 

Leftover vegan cranberry pie can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. Keep it in the original pie pan and cover it with plastic wrap, or transfer it to an airtight container. Reheat in the oven at 350ºF degrees for 10 minutes, or in the microwave for 2 minutes, until warmed through. 

Pie can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and freeze. When ready to eat, allow it to thaw in the fridge and then heat it in the oven as directed above.