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Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie (Gluten-Free or Not)

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Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie – This Apple Cranberry Pie with crumble topping is what dreams are made of. (Gluten-Free + Vegan-Friendly!)

Front view of a slice of Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie on a white plate

Can we all agree that pie is one of the best parts of Thanksgiving food? The actual Thanksgiving meal is delightful. I love it and look forward to it every year (#teamsidedishes), and I maybe get even more excited about all of the delicious pies.

It’s been a minute since I posted a new pie recipe (almost a year!), so I figured a new one was in order. And oooooh baby does this Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie deliver.

Flaky crust, a beautiful apple cranberry pie filling, and a sweet, buttery crumble topping on top combine to make an unforgettable Apple Cranberry Pie you’ll definitely want to include this holiday season. Plus you can make it gluten-free and/or vegan if you like!

Here’s what you need to get started on this gluten-free apple pie recipe…

Overhead view of an unbaked Apple Cranberry Pie before adding the crumble Overhead view of an Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie on a white background

Here’s What You Need To Make Apple Cranberry Pie:

  • A FLAKY PIE CRUST (GLUTEN-FREE OR NOT). You’ll start with your favorite pie crust–gluten-free or traditional. Feel free to go with store-bought to simplify things, or try one of our favorite pie crust recipes below!
  • APPLES. I adore Honeycrisp apples, which run sweet and crisp when eaten fresh. When baked, they hold their shape and add such lovely flavor to any pie, cake, or muffin you toss them into. A few other great apple varieties are Granny Smith apples, Fuji, Gala, and Pink Lady. (Peel them first for the best texture!)
  • FRESH CRANBERRIES. Fresh cranberries are so great around the holidays, whether you’re making your own cranberry sauce, having fun with cranberry salsa, making holiday potpourri to give your neighbors, or tucking them in something special like this apple cranberry pie. Their pretty color and tart flavor are lovely here with the apples and seasonings. And they make the filling so pretty! (Can’t find fresh? Frozen will totally work.)
  • ORANGE JUICE + WARM SPICES + PIE STAPLES. What makes this apple cranberry pie filling SO good is the combination of flavors and spices. While a traditional apple pie recipe might call for a bit of fresh lemon juice, we trade it for orange here. A bit of orange juice brightens up the whole pie, tying in with the cranberries and apples, while warm spices, like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves add SO much cozy flavor (and make your house smell amazing.) Then, you’ll round things out with brown sugar for sweetening, a little salt to balance the flavors, and some cornstarch to thicken the filling as it cooks.
  • A GORGEOUS CRUMBLE TOPPING. I’d almost always prefer a Dutch apple pie-style crumble topping to a top crust on a pie, and I LOVE the buttery-sweet crumble topping here. It really complements the flavors in the apple cranberry pie filling and makes this a perfect cross between apple crisp + apple pie.
Close up view of an Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie on a white background
Front view of a slice of apple cranberry crumble pie topped with vanilla ice cream on a white plate

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Gluten-Free Apple Cranberry Pie:

TIPS FOR A SOFTER FILLING. If you like your apple pies to have a super tender filling, I recommend cooking the filling ingredients together with 1 Tbsp. of butter or vegan butter over medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes before adding them to the pie crust. (More of your cranberries will burst this way, too.)

WHAT ARE THE BEST APPLES FOR APPLE PIE? My favorite apples for any kind of apple pie are Honeycrisp apples since they hold their shape when softened and lend a lovely, bright, sweet flavor to the pie (which is perfect next to the more tart cranberries in this pie). This post will walk you through some other great picks. My other faves for pie are Granny Smith, Fuji, Gala, Pink Lady.

CAN I USE A TOP CRUST INSTEAD OF A CRUMBLE? I recommend the crumble, since the sweetness of the crumble is a nice balance for the apple-cranberry pie filling, but if a top crust is your jam, feel free to go that route!

OUR FAVORITE GLUTEN-FREE PIE CRUST. If you’re gluten-free (like we are) or are baking for someone who is this holiday season, I can’t recommend this gluten-free pie crust recipe enough. Made with a simple 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, it’s straightforward, great for beginners, and is pretty easy to work with. It also happens to be dairy-free and vegan!

OUR FAVORITE TRADITIONAL CRUST. If you’re looking for a flaky traditional pie crust, this is the only pie crust recipe you need to know. My aunt and uncle made pies for my wedding reception using this recipe, and it’s never let me down.

CAN I MAKE APPLE CRANBERRY PIE AHEAD OF TIME? CAN I FREEZE IT? Yes! One of the things I love best about a pie like this is that it can be made in advance! You can fully assemble the pie in a metal baking dish (they stand up best to the temperature changes), wrap it tightly in a double layer of foil, then freeze it till solid. You can bake it from frozen by placing in a cold oven, turning the oven on to 350 degrees F, and baking an extra 15-30 minutes or so, or until golden and bubbly. Fruit pies like this can keep in the freezer for around 2 months!

Front view of a slice of apple cranberry crumble pie topped with vanilla ice cream on a white plate

More Yummy Pie Recipes To Fall In Love With This Year:

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Front view of a slice of Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie on a white plate

Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie (Gluten-Free or Not)

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: One Lovely Life
  • Total Time: About 75-80 minutes
  • Yield: 1 (9″) pie 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free
Print Recipe

Description

This Apple Cranberry Pie with crumble topping is what dreams are made of. (Gluten-Free + Vegan-Friendly!)  

PS – Love an extra-soft pie filling? Check out the notes for tips! 

Ingredients

Scale

FOR THE PIE + FILLING

  • 1 (9″) pie crust, gluten-free or traditional.
  • 2 lbs. apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (this will be about 5–6 medium apples, or 6–7 cups sliced)
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar (or white sugar)
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 3 Tablespoons cornstarch

FOR THE CRUMBLE TOPPING:

  • 1/2 cup butter or vegan butter, softened (1/2 cup butter = 4 oz. or one stick)
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats (certified gluten-free, as needed)
  • 1/2 cup flour (I use gluten-free measure-for-measure flour, but it also works with white flour)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. If you haven’t already, assemble or prep your crust in a 9-inch pie plate.
  3. Make the pie filling in a large bowl. Combine sliced apples, cranberries, brown sugar, orange juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and cornstarch. Stir until apples are well coated and no dry spots remain.
  4. Pour apple cranberry filling into your prepared pie crust.
  5. In the same bowl (save dishes!) or a fresh medium bowl, combine the crumble ingredients. Add softened butter, brown sugar, oats, flour, vanilla, and salt to the bowl and stir with a fork or pastry blender until the crumble mixture comes together in large clumps/clusters. You don’t want any dry/floury patches remaining.
  6. Carefully sprinkle the streusel topping on top of the apple pie filling, making sure to cover the filling as well as you can. (This will look like a VERY tall pie at the start. Don’t worry, it cooks down quite a bit in the oven.)
  7. Place the assembled pie on a baking sheet (to catch any spills or drips), and bake the pie at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes, or until golden on top and bubbly around the sides.
  8. NOTE: Check your pie at the 30-minute mark and again at the 45-minute mark to check for browning. If your crumble or crust is browning too quickly, you can carefully tent the crust with strips of aluminum foil, cover the whole pie loosely in foil, or move the pie to a lower rack in the oven.
  9. Transfer the hot pie to a cooling rack and let the pie cool at least 2-3 hours before slicing to allow the pie filling to set. (Ideally, you want the pie to cool completely.)
  10. Slice the pie and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream/whipped coconut cream. Store cooked, cooled pie in the refrigerator for best results.

Notes

*TIPS FOR A SOFTER FILLING. If you like your apple pies to have a super tender filling, I recommend cooking the filling ingredients together with 1 Tbsp. of butter or vegan butter over medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes before adding them to the pie crust. (More of your cranberries will burst this way, too.)

  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: apple cranberry crumble pie, apple cranberry pie, apple cranberry streusel pie, Dutch apple cranberry pie, gluten free apple cranberry pie,

Originally shared Nov. 2020. Updated Nov. 2021.

4 Comments

  1. Made this yesterday for Thanksgiving. It is AMAZING! I’m a big fan of apple pie & this does not disappoint. The tartness of the addition of the cranberries is great. Love the crumble topping. This one is a keeper!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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