Apple Crumb Pie with Pears & Cranberries
An apple crumb pie so good, it literally got me a husband.
This is my signature dessert that I created several years ago for Thanksgiving and is now the centerpiece at our holiday table. Consider it a level-up on homemade apple crumb pie–if that’s even POSSIBLE, right?! Even my husband who is a lifelong apple pie fan has adopted this as his #1 dessert. I actually made this for him for our second date because apple pie had ranked in 2 of his 11 things he claimed I needed to know about him when we first started dating. And we’ve now been married almost 5 years. I mean, it’s that magical.
A tradition, reimagined
Nothing says cozy home cooking like apple crumb pie, but the addition of pears and cranberries elevates this traditional dessert to something much more special. The sweetness of the pear balances out the tart cranberries and adds some seasonal depth of flavor. It’s perfect for late fall when all these fruits are in season, and it’s a show stopper at the holidays.
Prep now, bake later
This is a must-have Thanksgiving dessert at my family’s table. But I also do a lot of other cooking for Thanksgiving. A few years ago, I tired making the pie in advance and freezing it unbaked in an aluminum pie shell. I then put it on a cookie sheet and baked it straight from the freezer. It came out PERFECT. This makes it the perfect dessert for Thanksgiving or other special occasions because you can prep it well in advance. Then on the day off, pop it in the oven, and voila! You’ve got a warm, freshly baked pie all ready to impress.
Instructions for preparing & baking a frozen apple crumb pie with pears & cranberries
- Prepare your pie crust and place it in a disposable aluminum pie tin. Here’s my recipe for a flaky homemade pie crust.
- Prepare your filling per the instruction below. Fill the pie crust with filling.
- Prepare the crumbs per instructions below and sprinkle on top of the filling.
- Wrap your fully assembled pie with 3-4 pieces of saran wrap to ensure freshness.
- Place on a flat surface in the freezer at least a day, but up to one month.
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat oven to 400F.
- Remove pie from the freezer, remove all saran wrap, and place on a baking sheet big that’s larger than your pie (to catch any juices from the pie during baking).
- Place on the lowest rack in the oven and bake approx. 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the pie is golden brown and bubbling juices around all the edges.
- Let cool for at least an hour before serving.
A pie’s only as good as it’s crust
Homemade pie crust is really so much better than anything you’ll pick up in the store. Check out my tried-and-true flaky homemade pie crust recipe and 5 secrets to a foolproof pie crust that will do justice to your delicious filling.
Toppings are optional (but always encouraged!)
Really, this apple crumb pie with pears and cranberries is delicious enough to stand on its own. But it’s also delicious when served alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of homemade whipped cream.
To make homemade whipped cream, beat 1 cup of heavy cream with an electric hand mixer until soft peaks form. Add half a tsp of vanilla and 1/4 cup of powdered sugar. Beat again briefly to incorporate and whipped cream has reached a stable, but not stiff consistency. Don’t overbeat it or you’ll end up with butter!
Apple Crumb Pie with Pears & Cranberries
Equipment
- Food Processor optional
- mandolin slicer optional
Ingredients
Crumb topping
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup old fashioned oats
- 6 Tbs granulated sugar
- 1/4 heaping tsp cinnamon
- 6 Tbs cold butter
Pie Filling
- 3 cups baking apples peeled & thinly sliced
- 1 cup D'anjou pear peeled & thinly sliced
- 1 cup cranberries washed, dried, and cut in half
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tbs sugar
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
Instructions
Prepare your pie crust
- Make pie crust (see link above for my Flaky Homemade Pie Crust) or use store bought. Press pie crust into a pie tin, crimp the edges with a fork or your fingers, and place in fridge or freezer to chill until your filling is ready.
Prepare your crumb topping
- Put all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor except butter. Pulse briefly to combine. If not using a food processor, whisk together ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
- Cut butter into small cubes. For the food processor, add the butter cubes to the bowl and pulse until well combined. If you're not using a food processor, add the butter cubes to the mixing bowl and use a pastry cutter to cut in the fat until well combined and the mixture is crumbly.
- Set aside the mixture in the fridge while you prep your filling.
Prepare the pie filling
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Add all the sliced fruit to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix well.
- Spoon the pie filling into the prepared pie shell and spread out evenly.
- Top the filling with your prepared crumb topping.
- Place the pie on a large aluminum baking sheet. Place it on the bottom rack of the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes, until the pie is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling up along the crust.
- Let cool for 30-60 minutes prior to serving.