Cranberry Gingersnap Pie (2024)

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Oct 29, 2018 · 58 Comments

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Spicy gingersnap and walnut crumb crust filled with a sweet, tart, and magnificently colorful cranberry curd that’s bursting with bright flavor and will steal the show at everyone’s holiday table!

The moment I saw a picture of this Cranberry Gingersnap Pie I just knew I had to make it! I mean…. just look at that color!!! If my beet hummus is me in hummus form, then this tart must be me in pie form. If that’s confusing to anyone…well then just look at all my pictures. Hint: look at the colors…!!!

I know for a fact this cranberry pie is a showstopper cause while I was carrying it from my place to my friends dinner party the last Sun, every single person I passed on the way asked me about. And ogled it. And wowed it. Every. Single. One. I felt like a pie rock star!

Why this Recipe Works

Using equal parts gingersnaps and walnuts makes a crumb crust with a glorious spicy and nutty depth of flavor.
Pureeing fresh and tart cranberries creates a curd that’s bursting with bright flavor.
The curdcomes together easily on the stovetop, avoiding the hassle of a double boiler.
Whisking room temperature butter into the curd makes it extra glossy.
Garnishing with sugared cranberries adds another layer of Holiday flair to this already festive pie.

This easy, impressive, and uniquely colored pie is bursting with bright flavor!

How to make this Cranberry Curd Pie

The crumb crust quickly and easily comes together by placing all ingredients in food processor and is blind baked in the stove.
Fresh cranberries are cooked on the stove with a little sugar and water then pureed.
The puree is mixed with eggs, egg yolks, lemon juice, and sugar and cooked on the stove, then pushed through a mesh strainer.
Room temperature butter is whisked into the curd and it’s all poured into the crumb crust.
Cranberries are sugared the easy way by simply rolling damp cranberries in granulated sugar

Here's the crust post oven pre-being filled with cranberry curd goodness:

And here's the pie post filling pre-being topped:

Cook’s Tips

The secret to perfect curd without all the fuss is medium heat, constant stirring, and a final straining to remove any lumps.

Cranberries are NOT just for cranberry sauce!

The sweet-tart cranberry fruit deserves some more lovin’ friends and I wanna be a fresh cranberry advocate! Cranberries are not just for cranberry sauce friends! I’ll support ya to get your fresh cranberry game on, both sweet and savory style!

Check out these other recipes featuring fresh cranberries:

Fresh Cranberry Braised Brisket

Have ya tried this recipe? I’d love to hear about it and see it too! Please leave a comment below and take a pic and tag it on Instagram with #chefdanielagerson. You can also follow meon Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to see more colorfully delicious food and all sorts of awesome adventures!

This recipe is from The View from the Great Island and has been doubled for an even bigger Cranberry Gingersnap Pie.

Let’s make waves in the kitchen!

Print Recipe

5 from 6 votes

Cranberry Gingersnap Pie

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Californian

Servings: 16

Ingredients

Crust

10 ounces gingersnaps
2 cups walnuts
5 tablespoons brown sugar
8 tablespoons butter melted

Cranberry Filling

24 ounces fresh cranberries
3 cups sugar divided
6 eggs
4 egg yolks
1 cup fresh lemon juice
pinch kosher salt
8 tablespoons butter 1 stick, room temperature cut into pieces

Garnishes

sugar cranberries
fresh thyme sprigs or mint leaves

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Place the gingersnap cookies in the bowl of a food processor and process until they are finely ground. You should have about 2 cups. Add the walnuts and sugar; pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse briefly again until everything is mixed together.
Pat the crust into a deep 9-inch pie plate, and up the sides. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until firm and slightly darkened. Set aside to cool. Note: Crust can be baked 1 day ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.
Put the cranberries, 2 cups of the sugar, and ½ cup water to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat. Lower the heat and simmer the cranberries, uncovered, for about 15 minutes until they've burst, most of the liquid evaporates and the mixture is quite thick. Let cool slightly and then puree in a blender until completely smooth.
Whisk the puree, the eggs, yolks, salt, lemon juice and 1 cup sugar together in a saucepan and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, this will take about 10 minutes or so. Stay by the pan the whole time and stir!
Push the curd through a mesh strainer, using the back of a spoon to get it all through.
Drop the room temperature butter in, bit by bit, into the strained curd, while you stir to melt it.

Pour the curd into the piecrust and smooth out evenly. Chill the pie until it is firm, about 2 hours or so.

Decorate with sugared cranberries and thyme if you like.

Notes

The secret to perfect curd without all the fuss is medium heat, constant stirring, and a final straining to remove any lumps.

« Israel

Reader Interactions

Comments

Jacqueline says
October 29, 2018 at 8:50 pm

The mst DIVINE desert ever?
Totally gorgeous ??
Reply
- Daniela says
  October 29, 2018 at 8:53 pm
  You are too cute!!! I will make this for you anytime!!!!! ?❤️?
  Reply
Carmella says
November 10, 2018 at 5:50 pm

I came here from Best Foodie Recipes Tribe to tell you this is gorgeous!! Those cranberries look absolutely beautiful and the crust looks perfect.
Reply
- Daniela says
  November 10, 2018 at 5:58 pm
  Thank ya sooooo much!!! I *really* appreciate the feedback! ??❤️
  Reply
Rebecca says
November 21, 2018 at 3:12 pm
Hi Daniela!
Do you think coconut sugar would be ok in this recipe? I want to sub it in for the regular sugar but I’m having cold feet.
See Also
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Thanks!
Rebecca
Reply
- Daniela says
  November 21, 2018 at 5:41 pm
  Yes I do! Don’t have cold feet ~ it will work out :). And def let me know how it goes! Stoked you’re making it! ??
  Reply
Scott E says
November 21, 2018 at 4:36 pm

So good. Making this again for Thanksgiving. Last time I baked the crust in aluminum pie tins, and they bubbled up a bit. Is that normal? I had to press the crusts down twice during baking. I'm thinking of putting them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before baking this time.
Reply
- Daniela says
  November 21, 2018 at 5:36 pm
  Thank ya and I’m so super stoked ya made this!!! Yes def try chilling or freezing the crush for 10-15min before... I didn’t bake mine in aluminum tins and they didn’t bubble but chilling the crust before should do the trick :). Let me know how that goes and if ya have any more questions! ??
  Reply
Alex says
January 08, 2019 at 3:39 pm
This is the best way to make the crust for a pie and your step by step explanation makes it doable. I can't wait to make this!
Reply
- Daniela says
  January 11, 2019 at 12:41 am
  So super stoked to hear that!!! Thank you Alex! ?
  Reply
Tracey Trudel says
November 07, 2019 at 5:22 am
Hi. Can you tell me what the lemon juice is for? I was wondering if I could substitute it for lime to add a cranberry lime flavor or if that would be too strange with the gingersnap crust.
Reply
- Daniela Gerson says
  November 11, 2019 at 9:04 am
  You can absolutely most definitely substitute lime juice! And please let me know how it goes! I'd absolutely love to hear :). The juice is to make the cranberry curd.
  Reply
Jill says
November 20, 2019 at 6:26 pm
How do you make the sugared cranberries for the top? Can I make this pie the day before thanksgiving? Is it ok to put the sugared cranberries on the day before or will the sugar turn to liquid in the fridge? Thanks!
Reply
- Daniela Gerson says
  December 28, 2019 at 11:02 am
  Hi Jill! I have a recipe for sugared cranberries on my blog too that you can check out! The pie can def be made in advance (the day before is absolutely no prob) and I'd rec putting the toppings on shortly before serving. Hope everyone loves it :)!
  Reply
Kaley says
November 20, 2019 at 8:45 pm
How well does this do a day or two in advance? I'd love to make it ahead but I'm worried about breakdown
Reply
- Daniela Gerson says
  December 28, 2019 at 11:01 am
  This can DEF be made 1-2 days in advance Kaley! Absolutely no problem! Hope everyone loves it :)!
  Reply
  - Rache says
    December 24, 2023 at 7:01 pm
    Should it be refrigerated overnight if made the day before?
    Reply
    - Daniela Gerson says
      December 26, 2023 at 11:26 am
      Yep! Refrigerate the pie overnight if you're making if the day before and please let me know how it goes Rache!
      Reply
Caitlin Behrens says
November 21, 2019 at 2:17 pm
Curious if you think a meringue would suit this pie.
Reply
- Daniela Gerson says
  November 21, 2019 at 2:27 pm
  Hi Caitlin! Can ya please elaborate on your idea? I'd love to hear a bit more :)!
  Reply
Tana Chandler says
November 22, 2019 at 10:38 pm
I made this tonight for dinner at my daughters house. Everyone said it looks beautiful and can’t wait to try it!
Reply
- Daniela Gerson says
  December 28, 2019 at 11:01 am
  So super stoked to hear that Tana!!! I hope everyone loved it and thanks so much for sharing :)!
  Reply
Angela says
See Also
Switch Things Up With These 11 Scandinavian and Nordic Breakfast Recipes
November 26, 2019 at 11:06 am
Can this be made ahead of time? i want to make this for Thanksgiving, but would like to make a couple of days in advance so i have less to do the day of!
Reply
- Daniela Gerson says
  November 26, 2019 at 11:52 am
  Absolutely! I’d say you can make the crust today and the filling tomorrow and it will be perfect for thanksgiving on Thursday :). Please let me know how it comes out I’d absolutely love to hear! 💜🌱
  Reply
Courtney says
December 23, 2019 at 7:52 pm
Rookie baker here. If making ahead of time, should you chill until filling is firm for 2 hours or so and then store at room temp or keep it refrigerated overnight? Also, is it best to serve this chilled or at room temp?
Reply
- Daniela Gerson says
  December 24, 2019 at 5:26 pm
  Hi! Keep it in the fridge overnight for sure. Best to serve a bit chilled so the curd holds. Would love to hear your thoughts after ya eat it :)!
  Reply
Grace says
November 08, 2020 at 3:44 pm
Can you use coconut oil instead of butter for the crust?
Reply
- Daniela Gerson says
  November 10, 2020 at 2:57 pm
  Sure! And let me know how it goes please I'd absolutely love to hear :).
  Reply
Stephanie says
November 16, 2020 at 9:53 am
I can't wait to try this pie for Thanksgiving. How do the slices hold up? I mean is getting a nice slice easy? It looks so amazing!
Reply
- Daniela Gerson says
  November 18, 2020 at 2:10 pm
  So stoked to hear you're making this! It's def a showstopper :). Just be sure to chill the pie until firm, at least 2 hours, and it will slice easy. Please let me know how it comes out too - would love to hear :)!
  Reply
Erin says
November 25, 2020 at 6:05 am
My pie looks so delicious but I’m not sure the curd has set. I did wait to put it into the crust until it could coat a spoon, like you said, but I put it in the fridge overnight and it still wobbles. Is that normal? What should I do if I think it hasn’t set enough?
Reply
- Daniela Gerson says
  November 25, 2020 at 8:09 am
  Hi Erin and so super stoked to hear ya made this! It's totally alrighty if the curd is still a bit wobbly! It might not cut as cleanly but will be just as delicious and will continue to thicken in the fridge! Please let me know how ya like it :).
  Reply
Siobhan says
November 28, 2020 at 5:21 pm
I have a citrus allergy, do you think pineapple juice instead of lemon would work for the curd? Or would there be another substitute?
Reply
- Daniela Gerson says
  November 29, 2020 at 10:02 am
  Sure that could work. Because citrus is an acidic ingredient, you can also try adding a drop of another acid, such as vinegar, to the pineapple juice. Stoked to hear you're making this pie + please let me know how your lemon substation goes :)!
  Reply
Jackie P says
November 28, 2020 at 6:47 pm
I love this recipe!!! I have made it 3 times already! With having less people at Thanksgiving this year (just me and the husband), can i freeze slices for later? Would be a nice treat later! Thanks!!!
Reply
- Daniela Gerson says
  December 20, 2020 at 8:05 pm
  So super stoked to hear that Jackie! I've never frozen slices before but think it's def doable! Please let me know how it goes + enjoy :)!
  Reply
Britt says
December 02, 2020 at 12:34 pm
Hi! Could I leave out walnuts if I’m making to share with someone with a nut allergy?!
Reply
- Daniela Gerson says
  December 03, 2020 at 7:48 am
  Yes absolutely! Just replace them with more gingersnaps in the crust. So super stoked to hear you're making this :)!
  Reply
Rachael says
November 21, 2021 at 8:15 pm
This looks amazing! I’d like to add some cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice during the cranberry cooking process for that signature thanksgiving taste. Do you think this will work out alright with the flavor profile?
Reply
- Daniela Gerson says
  December 08, 2021 at 9:46 am
  Thanks so much Rachel! The cranberry curd is tart ~ am not entirely sure how it will work with those warming thanksgiving flavors but another option is to add them to the crust. Please let me know how it goes I'd love to hear :)!
  Reply
Jaida Green says
December 17, 2021 at 5:16 pm
Will this also work with a pre baked normal pie crust or no?
Reply
- Daniela Gerson says
  December 20, 2021 at 9:49 am
  Yep it will Jaida! Simply follow the rest of the instructions as is. So stoked to here you're making this + please let me know how it goes :).
  Reply
Jen says
October 02, 2022 at 2:46 pm
Could this be made using frozen cranberries?
Reply
- Daniela Gerson says
  October 04, 2022 at 7:53 am
  Haven't done so myself but it surely could! Let me know how it turns out Jen ~ I'd love to hear :).
  Reply
Naomi says
November 10, 2022 at 9:37 am
Hi,
Can this be done as a tart, so in a really shallow pan? Or maybe individual tarts or ramekins? Also, would pecans work for the crust, or do you need the "meatiness" of the walnuts to hold it together? Sorry, I realize this is like 4 years late, but I just found it.
Reply
- Daniela Gerson says
  November 19, 2022 at 12:57 pm
  Hi Naomi and yes to pecans working! Any nut can be swapped in. And yes it can be done as a tart or individual tarts. So stoked you're making this and please let me know how it goes :).
  Reply
Angela Thomas says
November 14, 2022 at 8:41 am

I make this every year! I LOVE this pie and people request it every year! The past couple of times, it hasn't set. When it's cut into, the curd is essentially liquid. What is happening? How do I make sure it's set and cuts firm?
Reply
- Daniela Gerson says
  November 19, 2022 at 12:11 pm
  Hi Angela and so stoked to hear it's been such a hit! I'd suggest thickening your curd more on the stove. Was it thick enough to coat the back of a spoon? And to chill it longer as well. Hope it sets this year and let me know how it goes :).
  Reply
Holly says
November 23, 2022 at 1:07 pm
So i think this is a good recipe - the crust seems yummy and came together easy, the curd tastes wonderful... but somehow despite following the directions and using a 9 inch round (admittedly i think it's a cake round not a pie plate but it shouldn't be that different) only about half of the filling fit into the crust! I'm very confused how in the world that happened lol
Reply
- Daniela Gerson says
  November 25, 2022 at 1:21 pm
  Hi Holly and thanks so much for the feedback! I used a pretty deep 9-inch round... will double check how deep it is - def much deeper than a tart pan. And/or perhaps I thickened the mixture up more on the stove so there was less of it...? Not entirely sure but will noodle on it and stoked to her it still came out yummy :)!
  Reply
Kara Bartolik says
November 23, 2022 at 5:36 pm
Making it for the first time tonight. My husband doesn't like gingernsaps so I'm going tobuse Biscoff cookies for the crust
Reply
- Daniela Gerson says
  November 25, 2022 at 1:18 pm
  Hi Kara and so stoked to hear your making this! Any kinda cookie can be replaced for the gingersnaps and/or even a traditional pie crust could work. Let me know how it goes :).
  Reply
Mary says
November 23, 2022 at 5:59 pm
I made this for the first time today and I felt it didn’t firm up enough. Is it supposed to be firm like a pumpkin pie or more like pudding. Mine was runnier than pudding but I loved the flavor. I even cooked it longer than called for. I definitely would make it again.
Reply
- Daniela Gerson says
  November 25, 2022 at 1:18 pm
  Hi Mary and so stoked to hear you made this! Yep it's supposed to firm up like pumpkin pie. Perhaps the mixture didn't thicken enough on the stove...? That's what I'm thinking... glad to hear you still loved the flavor and thanks so much for sharing :).
  Reply
Shea Failmezger says
November 21, 2023 at 10:10 am

I make this pie every Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is the favorite dessert of my 17 year old son. He wants me to make extras and freeze it for later. Does this pie freeze well?
Reply
- Daniela Gerson says
  November 21, 2023 at 4:36 pm
  So stoked to hear ya make it every year and that your son loves it! Never frozen it myself but I do think it will freeze well :). 🩷
  Reply
Krista says
December 02, 2023 at 2:28 pm

This pie is amazing! A true SHOW-STOPPER! I took it to my alma mater's holiday brunch today and it rocked their world! I used rosemary rather than thyme because our ALMA COLLEGE colors are maroon and cream (Tartan) with pine bough accents. The look!!! Amazing! And the taste? Decadent!!!
Reply
- Daniela Gerson says
  January 02, 2024 at 10:26 am
  WOWIE Krista I'm so super stoked to hear that!! The color never fails to amaze and the taste truly delights! Thanks so much for sharing and your comment put a HUGE smile on my face :-):):)!
  Reply