• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Live to Sweet
  • Contact
  • About
    • About
    • Privacy Policy
  • Recipe Index
  • Work with Me
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Shop
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Work with Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • About
    • Shop
    • Subscribe
    • Contact
    • Work with Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Pies

    Mini Apple Cranberry Pies

    November 20, 2018 by Amee Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Alright, peeps. We're down to the wire. This is it. I have one last Thanksgiving-worthy recipe for you to add to your festivities. This one is very familiar and altogether different at the same time: Mini Apple Cranberry Pies


    Is apple cranberry pie something that most people have had? I feel like maybe this is one of those ones that you've either never had it, or it's a family tradition that you see year after year. I had never eaten one before this, but after making these mini pies, it might be a tradition for my family now!

    These little beauties are filled with diced apples, fresh cranberries, and the holiday magic of orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. I chose sweeter apples (gala) to bake with to offset the tartness of the cranberries. If you prefer a tart pie, use some granny smith apples! Also, while I skipped this step on the pies pictured, I will in the future add a sprinkle of sugar to the tops of the pies before they're baked (this is included as an optional step in the recipe).

    Growing up, the cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving was the jelly kind in the can. You know the one. The one that stays in the shape of the can and you have a beautiful little slice on your plate with your turkey and all the other thanksgiving goodness. In my family, my Grandma (my Mom's Mom) and I were pretty much the only ones who ate it. She used to tease me that she was going to eat it all. I will never, ever see that cranberry sauce without thinking of her.

    Years after my Grandma passed away was the first time that I tried making my own homemade cranberry sauce. Now, can-shaped jelly cranberry sauce will always have a special, nostalgic place in my heart. That said, I wish that I gotten to share my homemade cranberry sauce with my Grandma. She may have actually eaten it all. 😉

    These little pies are like an apple pie and my homemade cranberry sauce had a baby. A delicious, delicious baby. So, it was all the more fitting that I made them into baby pies (plus, we all know how much I love mini desserts). I used four 5" mini pie pans for this recipe. You could make one large (9") pie, but you will likely need a little more filling and a longer bake time to ensure your filling is cooked through.

    Although I specify that this recipe is Thanksgiving-worthy, it's certainly worthy of any other day as well. I think these Mini Apple Cranberry Pies will be making another appearance at my house this holiday season!

    Other posts you may like:

    Thanksgiving Desserts

    Christmas Desserts

    Apple Cider Cranberry Cupcakes

    Christmas Dessert Charcuterie Board

    Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake

    Mini Apple Cranberry Pies

    Amee
    These little beauties are like apple pie and cranberry sauce had a baby. A delicious baby. 
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Servings 4 Mini (5") pies
    Prevent your screen from going dark while you bake!

    Ingredients
      

    Crust:

    • 3 cups flour
    • 1 ¼ cups vegetable shortening
    • 1 egg
    • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
    • 7 tablespoon water, cold

    Apple Cranberry Filling:

    • 2 cups diced apples, about ½" dice (from about two apples; see note
    • 1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen)
    • 1 tablespoon flour
    • ¼ cup sugar
    • zest of one orange
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • pinch ground nutmeg
    • pinch ground cloves

    Egg Wash:

    • 1 egg
    • 1 tablespoon water

    Instructions
     

    For Crust:

    • In a large bowl, combine flour and shortening. Using a pastry blender (see note) or fork, cut shortening in until no large pieces remain.
    • In a small bowl, combine egg, vinegar, and cold water. Whisk to combine.
    • Make wells in the flour mixture and pour the egg mixture into the wells. Stir until a soft dough is formed. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly into a ball. Cut dough in half.
    • Roll the first half of the dough to ¼" thickness, and cut as necessary to fit the mini pie pans (see note). Line the pie pans, taking care not to stretch the dough (as this may cause it to shrink when baked). Set lined pie pans aside.

    For Filling:

    • Place apples and cranberries in a medium bowl. Add remaining filling ingredients and gently toss to coat.

    Assembly/Baking:

    • Divide apple cranberry filling evenly between the four mini pie pans (see note). 
    • Roll the second half of the crust to ¼" thickness and cut as necessary to cover the top of each mini pie. You can use the remaining dough to decorate the tops of the pies as you desire. 
    • Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare the egg wash, and brush over the tops of each of the pies. If desired, sprinkle sugar over the top of each pie. Place the pies on a baking sheet and bake 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are golden. Place pies on a wire rack to cool.
      Enjoy!

    Notes

    Note on apples: I used sweeter apples (gala) to bake with to offset the tartness of the cranberries. If you prefer the pie a little more tart, use some granny smith apples!
    Note on pastry blender: While a pastry blender isn't necessary to cut in the shortening, it does make the job faster and easier. If you're looking to buy one for yourself, you can find one [here].
    Note on mini pie pans: I used four 5" pie pans for this recipe. If you're looking to buy some for yourself, you can find them [here]. This pie could also be made into one large (9") pie, but you would likely need more filling and a longer bake time to cook the filling through.

    Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate.

    Tried this recipe?I'd love to hear all about it! Leave a review below, then snap a pic and tag me on Instagram!

    More Pie Recipes from Scratch

    • Slice of Turtle Pie on a white plate.
      No Bake Turtle Pie
    • Slice of Cinnamon Pie with apple cider meringue on a white plate.
      Cinnamon Pie with Apple Cider Meringue
    • rosemary almond apple galette with two scoops of vanilla ice cream on top
      Rosemary Almond Apple Galette
    • Pumpkin Coconut Pie on a white plate with fall mums nearby.
      Pumpkin Coconut Pie

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Photo of Amee, founder of Live to Sweet.

    Hi, I'm Amee! Here at Live to Sweet you'll find unique and flavorful dessert recipes. Always delicious, and always from scratch!

    Click for More About Me -->

    New & Seasonal Recipes

    • Lemon Curd Cookies on a silver cooling rack with a jar of lemon curd in the background.
      Lemon Curd Cookies
    • Slice of Lavender Lemon Cake on a white plate with lavender flowers alongside.
      Lavender Lemon Cake
    • Slice of Blueberry Angel Food Cake with whipped cream and blueberries on a plate with a fork alongside.
      Blueberry Angel Food Cake
    • honey sugar cookies with easter peep pattern on a white plate.
      Honey Cookies
    • Strawberry Filled Cupcakes with fresh strawberries on top.
      Strawberry Filled Cupcakes
    • Closeup of Raspberry and White Chocolate Loaf Cake on a tray.
      Raspberry White Chocolate Loaf Cake

    Follow Along with Me!

    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok

    Trending Recipes

    • Lemon Curd Cookies on a silver cooling rack with a jar of lemon curd in the background.
      Lemon Curd Cookies
    • Slice of Chocolate Ganache Cake with a blackberry on top.
      Chocolate Ganache Cake
    • Slice of Chocolate Orange Cake with chocolate and dried oranges nearby.
      Chocolate Orange Cake
    • Collage of four unique desserts.
      40+ Unique Desserts

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Live to Sweet © 2018-2023. All Rights Reserved.