Juicy pears, tart ruby red cranberries, and a buttery brown sugar topping come together in this downright delicious cranberry pear crumble pie. You won’t be able to stop stealing tastes of this pear pie filling—it’s SO GOOD.
This cranberry pear crumble pie is a new favorite this time of year. Between those creamy pears, the bursts of tart cranberry, the flaky pie crust, and the buttery brown sugar crumbles—there isn’t a soul on Thanksgiving Day who won’t beg you for this pie recipe. Guaranteed.
How to Make Cranberry Pear Crumble Pie
Let’s break today’s pear pie down in 3 parts.
- Buttery pie crust: Use my can’t fail all butter pie crust or my buttery flaky pie crust. Both yield 2 crusts and make an excellent base for this sky-high pear pie. You’ll have an extra crust leftover, so you can freeze it for another use, or whip up a pecan pie or pumpkin pie. (Or get the best of both worlds and make a pecan praline pumpkin pie!)
- Juicy cranberry pear pie filling: Have I mentioned it’s juicy? All the normal pie squad is here including sugar to sweeten, flour to thicken, cinnamon and ginger for extra yum, and a little squeeze of lemon to keep the flavors bright. Fresh or frozen cranberries work wonders for a ruby red pop of flavor and our FAVORITE pears bring it all home.
- Brown sugar crumble topping: If precise pie crust decorating isn’t your thing, free-form crumble topping most certainly is. A simple blend of melted butter, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon, this crumble is scattered all over the cranberry pear pie filling and supplies the perfect crumbly crunch to the soft fruit below.
You know what I love most about crumble toppings? They’re EASY. If you want help shaping the edges of the pie crust underneath all that goodness, see How to Crimp and Flute Pie Crust.
Pears for Pear Pie Filling
Soft pears are sooooo good for snacking, but it’s best to use slightly firmer pears for baking. Peel the pears, then cut them into (about) 1/2-inch chunks NOT slices like we do for apple pie. Remember how we cut peaches for peach pie? Just like that. Let me explain.
Now here’s the real trick: Slices are awesome when it comes to apples, but chunks are KEY for softer fruits like pears or peaches. Pear slices will quickly turn into mush, but pear chunks hold their shape beautifully. They take on a creamy texture, but still have a little bite.
For pear pie filling, you want slightly firm pears peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks.
Besides the the texture and crumble topping—my favorite part about this pie are the HOT PINK juices bubbling on the edges. Is there truly a more beautiful sight?
If you’re looking for more pie inspiration, here are all of our favorite Thanksgiving pies.
More Favorite Cranberry Recipes
- Orange Cranberry Bread
- Cranberry Crumble Pie Bars
- Apple Cranberry Pie or Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie
- Cranberry Orange Scones
- Cranberry Sauce (a Thanksgiving classic!)
And if pears are your favorite, don’t forget these super easy maple baked pears or this spiced pear berry crumble!
Pie Crust Troubleshooting
- Prevent a crumbly pie dough that rips and tears when you roll it out. Make sure you use enough ice water when preparing your pie dough. Too little water creates an unworkable dough.
- Prevent a tough pie crust. Tough crusts are the result of not enough fat in the crust, as well as overworking the dough. Use the all butter pie crust recipe or my shortening and butter pie crust recipe to ensure a flaky, tender pie crust. Additionally, don’t work the dough too much.
- Prevent a burnt crust with a pie crust shield. A shield keeps the crust edge covered, which protects it from browning too quickly or worse, burning. Use an adjustable silicone pie crust shield that you can fit to the size of your delicate pie crust. Metal can break the crust. Alternatively, you can cover the pie with a piece of aluminum foil. Cut a large circle in the center of the square so the center of the pie is exposed.
This recipe is part of Sally’s Pie Week, an annual tradition where I share a handful of new recipes that fit into the pie/crisp/tart category. Join the community below!
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Cranberry Pear Crumble Pie
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 6 hours, 55 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 servings
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Juicy pears, tart ruby red cranberries, and a buttery brown sugar topping come together in this downright delicious cranberry pear crumble pie. You won’t be able to stop stealing tastes of this pear pie filling– it’s SO GOOD.
Ingredients
- Buttery Flaky Pie Crust or All Butter Pie Crust (my recipes both make 2 crusts; freeze the 2nd half for later use)
- 6 cups (840g) 1/2-inch chunks of peeled pears (about 5 medium pears)
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries (do not thaw)
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice*
Crumble Topping
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup (94g) all-purpose flour
- 5 Tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
Instructions
- The crust: Prepare my pie crust recipe or butter pie crust through step 5.
- After the pie crust has chilled, adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough (you can freeze the 2nd for later use, see note). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish.* Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. Flute or crimp the pie crust edges. Chill in the refrigerator or freezer as you prepare the filling and crumble topping.
- The filling: Combine the pear chunks, cranberries, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, ginger, and lemon juice together in a large bowl.
- The crumble topping: Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together. Pour the melted butter on top and, using a fork, gently mix until crumbles form.
- Spoon the filling into the crust, leaving any juices behind. Sprinkle crumble topping all over the filling.
- Bake the pie for 55-65 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. After the first 20 minutes of bake time, place a pie crust shield on top of the pie to prevent the edges from browning too quickly. You can also tent a piece of aluminum foil over the whole pie if the top is browning too quickly. Remove finished pie from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. The pie filling will set as it cools.
- Slice and serve pie at room temperature. Cover and store leftover pie in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions – 1-5 Days Ahead: You can get started by combining all the filling ingredients one day ahead of time. Keep covered tightly in the refrigerator until ready to assemble the pie. You can also make the pie dough 1-5 days in advance since it needs to chill. If you want to bake the pie 1 full day in advance, bake it as directed, allow it to completely cool, then cover tightly and keep in the refrigerator overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.
- Make Ahead Instructions – Freezing: The baked pie freezes well for up to 3 months, tightly wrapped in a couple layers of plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving. You can also freeze the unbaked pie with crumble topping. Freeze for a couple hours to set the filling, then tightly wrap the entire pie in 2-3 layers of plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then freeze for up to 1 month. When ready to bake, remove from the freezer, unwrap, and bake for about 20 minutes longer.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Vegetable Peeler | Rolling Pin | 9-inch Pie Dish | Glass Mixing Bowl | Pie Crust Shield | Cooling Rack
- Freezing Pie Dough: You can freeze the 2nd pie dough for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
- Lemon Juice: A squeeze of fresh lemon brightens up the overall flavor of the filling. You won’t regret adding it!
- Glass Pie Dish: I strongly recommend a glass pie dish so you can see when the crust on the sides is browning, which signals that the pie is finished.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Could you substitute apples for pears?
Hi Laurie, Yes! Here it is as an apple cranberry crumble pie.
The filling tasted great! The crumble was a little bit too sweet for my taste. I’ve made a lot of pies, and never seen “lower third position” in instructions so I assumed incorrectly this meant the third rack from the bottom. I googled it halfway through baking and it just means the bottom rack. My crust unfortunately did not cook all the way through. I’ll have to try this again 🙂
Is there a way I can do a lattice with this pie?
Definitely. For lattice instructions you can check out this post!
Can this be made as just a crumble? Like without the crust and used as a breakfast served on the side of yogurt? Would you recommend doubling the crumble portion?
Hi Beth! You could bake this pie without a crust. There should be plenty of crumble topping, but you can double it if you would like. Let us know if you try!
Which type of pear is best for baking? I like Bosc and Bartlett for snacking but which type do you recommend for pies, crisps, etc? Thanks!
Hi Aly! We love baking with Bartlett pears. It’s best to use slightly firmer pears for baking (not soft).
Hello again! Could I bake this ahead of time if I serve it on the 25th and make it on the 23rd? Or would it be better to prepare the dish to go into the oven and then bake it on the 25th? The kitchen will be a little busy on the day of eating if that’s all! Any tips would be appreciated.
Hi Caitlin! See recipe Notes for our recommended make-ahead instructions.
Hello, will this recipe work as just a crumble? No bas layer just the fruit and crumble mix on top. If so, how would the recipe adapt? Is it the same baking time and just take out the pastry ingredients?
Hi Caitlin! Yes, we’re sure you could bake this as a crumble. Look for bubbling fruit filling around the edges.
Oh lovely! So all the cooking time would be the same? Just taking out the pastry part in the making of it! The fruit won’t burn or go to soft due to not having that layer of pastry underneath? Thanks 🙂
If you use store-bought foil pie pans be advised, you will probably be able to make 2 pies. They’re rather shallow compared to Pyrex dishes. I used graham cracker crust since I was in a pinch and it turned out great (I recommend Sally’s recipe without the sugar for this one, as it’s already rather sweet with the crumble). Make sure not to leave out the crumble for too long though, as it solidified in the time it took me to prep a second crust and turned out noticeably more dense and less caramelized.
I made this last year for a New Years party, and every one loved it! I got asked to make it again for Thanksgiving. I guess it’s a new family tradition.
I made this last year for Thanksgiving and my teenage grandson said it was the best pie there. I agreed with him!
Everyone loved this pie! Used Asian pears and sour cherries, amazing.