Five Spice Cranberry Apple Pie
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This Five Spice Cranberry Apple Pie will take your holiday apple pie to the next level. Filled with apples, cranberries, comforting spices, and topped with a crumb topping and a sweet glaze. This pie will be the talk of the table!
If you're looking for more apple pie recipes, check out some of my faves like my Vanilla Bean Apple Pie, Apple Berry Pie, or my Caramel Apple Pie.
Table of Contents
This organic pie has all the holiday vibes! This holiday apple pie has a buttery, flaky crust, a filling of sweet apples mixed with tart cranberries, brown sugar, and spice, plus a streusel topping and a sweet glaze to finish it off. This Five Spice Cranberry Apple Pie is perfect for Thanksgiving and all the way into Christmas!
If you are new to Chinese five spice, then welcome. This spice is made up of five different spices including: organic cinnamon, organic fennel, organic cloves, organic star anise, organic white pepper. Not all Chinese five spices have the same exact five spices, some vary with the fifth spice. But, Frontier Co-Op Chinese five spice is the one that I really love. This spice is warm, cozy, and it just makes me feel like I'm in a holiday movie! If you haven't baked with this yet, you're in for a treat!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Holiday Pie: Thanksgiving is upon us, and Christmas is right afterwards. So I’m sharing an easy holiday apple pie recipe that you can make for Thanksgiving or Christmas! This Five Spice Cranberry Apple Pie has all the holiday vibes.
Perfectly Spiced: This is the best spiced apple pie recipe that I’ve made, and I have quite a few on my site already. But this Five Spice Cranberry Apple Pie really takes the cake! I use Chinese Five Spice in this pie, and I love baking with Chinese Five Spice around the holidays. It really just makes baked goods taste like the holidays, that’s the best way to describe it! Try out some of my other recipes using this spice, such as my Spiced Cranberry Snack Cake and Blueberry Babka Coffee Cake if you are a fan of this spice!
Easy AF: This holiday apple pie recipe starts out with my flaky all butter pie crust. The filling is made up of Braeburn Apples, cranberries, cane sugar, light brown sugar, cinnamon, and Chinese five spice (which is my secret ingredient!). It has a streusel topping, making this a really easy pie as you don't have to get a perfect looking crust or lattice. This easy holiday apple pie will be a hit at your table!
Organic Pie: While you can buy apple pie at the grocery store bakery these days, it is usually made with shortening and could have preservatives in it. When you make your own organic pie at home you can use real quality butter and fresh organic produce, making it something worth indulging in!
Ingredients
- Butter: I use Organic Valley Salted Butter, which is my favorite! You can use your fave. Just be sure the butter is cold, straight from the fridge to ensure a flaky pie crust.
- Cane Sugar: I use organic cane sugar as it's less processed than granulated white sugar. It provides a more natural sweetness, without being overly sweet.
- Light Brown Sugar: I use my Homemade Organic Light Brown Sugar, but store bought also works. This gives this organic pie a more rich flavor that pairs really well with the Chinese five spice.
- All Purpose Flour: My favorite is Cairnspring Mills Organic All Purpose Flour.
- Apples: I use organic Braeburn apples, but any sweet variety like Gala, Fuiji or Pink Lady will also be similar and delicious!
- Cranberries: I use fresh cranberries. But, frozen also works as long as you thaw them in the fridge for 24 hours and then drain off excess moisture.
- Cornstarch: I use organic cornstarch to help thicken the filling. This ensures that the pie crust is not soggy and fruit juices don't run out when you slice it.
- Chinese Five Spice: This is my secret ingredient in this organic pie! I love Frontier Co-Op Organic Chinese Five Spice. Not all five spices are always the same, it can vary from brand to brand with the fifth spice. So, I'd recommend using this one.
- Cinnamon: I use Frontier Co-Op Organic Korintje Cinnamon
- Powdered Sugar: I use organic powdered sugar for the glaze on this apple pie. This sweet element takes it over the top and pairs so well with the bursts of tart cranberries in the filling.
Tools Needed
- Scale: Always use a digital food scale for the best results.
- Stand Mixer: I use my stand mixer for ease, but you can also make pie dough by hand if you prefer.
- Rolling Pin: You'll need a rolling pin to roll out the pie dough.
- 9-inch Pie Pan: You'll need a 9-inch pie pan. Check out my post The Best Pie Pans to Bake With.
- Mixing Bowl: You'll need a large mixing bowl to mix up the filling.
- Whisk: You'll need a whisk to mix up the glaze.
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Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
To make the crust: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour, and cane sugar. Turn on low for two to three rotations to combine the dry ingredients.
Remove the butter from the fridge and chop into small cubes. The smaller the cubes, the flakier the crust: Cut the stick of butter into four and then chop into small cubes from there. Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Measure out the cold water and have it ready.
Turn the mixer on low and slowly start to incorporate the ingredients. Gradually turn the mixer to medium speed. Once the butter mixture looks like wet sand, immediately add in all the cold water. As soon as the dough comes together, stop the mixer.
Have a piece of plastic wrap ready, and form it into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Allow to cool in the fridge overnight.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 3
To make the filling: In a medium bowl, add the cane sugar, light brown sugar, flour, cornstarch, Chinese Five Spice, and cinnamon. Mix together to combine completely.
Slice the apples, leaving the skins on, add to the sugar and flour mixture and coat completely. Add the cranberries and mix together. Set aside.
To make the topping: In a medium bowl, add the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and Chinese Five Spice and swirl together. Add the melted butter and stir with a spatula until combined. Set aside.
Step 4
Grease a 9-inch pie pan with butter. Remove the pie dough from the fridge. Remove the plastic wrap and place on a floured surface. Roll out the into a disk that is ¼-inch thick, it should be about 11-inches in diameter. Place the pie dough into the pie pan, and press lightly to form against the pan. It should be large enough that the dough folds right over the top of the pan.
Roll the excess dough into the pie pan so it’s even with the edges of the pie pan. Flute the edges by using your thumb and index finger of your right hand to pinch the rolled edge of dough and push your index finger of your left hand into it to create the “flute”. Continue around the entire pie to flute the edges.
Step 5
Add the filling into the pie pan and spread evenly. Crumble the topping on top of the pie.
Step 6
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool completely. (If you're baking at high altitude, be sure to check the Notes at the bottom of the recipe for high altitude baking instructions).
Step 7
To make the glaze: In a small bowl, add the powdered sugar and water and whisk together. Drizzle over the top of the pie.
FAQ's
Yes, if you can’t find Braeburn Apples you can use something else. I chose this apple because it is both sweet and tart. Try using a Pink Lady or Pink Cripps Apple if you can find them. You can also use Gala, Fuji, and even Granny Smith if you prefer a more tart apple.
Yes, you can make this pie up to one day in advance. I will usually make this the evening before I plan to serve it. So, that means make the pie crust two days in advance. Then roll out and bake the pie one day in advance. Just leave the baked pie out on the counter. Do not put it in the fridge or cover it as it can become soggy.
Then go out and get some! This is a spice that may seem fancy or difficult to find, but you can really find this at any grocery store! My favorite is Frontier Co-Op and that’s what I used in this recipe. If you just can’t get Chinese Five Spice, you can make the pie without it, but it won’t be as good! This is a crucial ingredient for this pie. You can substitute it with Allspice if you have that, but the flavor is definitely different.
Craving More?
Five Spice Cranberry Apple Pie
Ingredients
Crust
- 113 grams salted butter (cold)
- 127 grams all purpose flour (plus more for rolling)
- ½ teaspoon cane sugar
- ¼ cup cold water
Filling
- 57 grams cane sugar
- 57 grams light brown sugar (packed)
- 21 grams all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 Braeburn Apples
- 142 grams cranberries
Topping
- 95 grams all purpose flour
- 113 grams cane sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Chinese Five Spice
- 85 grams salted butter (melted)
Glaze
- 71 grams powdered sugar (sifted)
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- To make the crust: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour, and cane sugar. Turn on low for two to three rotations to combine the dry ingredients.
- Remove the butter from the fridge and chop into small cubes. The smaller the cubes, the flakier the crust: Cut the stick of butter into four and then chop into small cubes from there. Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Measure out the cold water and have it ready.
- Turn the mixer on low and slowly start to incorporate the ingredients. Gradually turn the mixer to medium speed. Once the butter mixture looks like wet sand, immediately add in all the cold water. As soon as the dough comes together, stop the mixer.
- Have a piece of plastic wrap ready, and form it into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Allow to cool in the fridge overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- To make the filling: In a medium bowl, add the cane sugar, light brown sugar, flour, cornstarch, Chinese Five Spice, and cinnamon. Mix together to combine completely.
- Slice the apples, leaving the skins on, add to the sugar and flour mixture and coat completely. Add the cranberries and mix together. Set aside.
- To make the topping: In a medium bowl, add the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and Chinese Five Spice and swirl together. Add the melted butter and stir with a spatula until combined. Set aside.
- Grease a 9-inch pie pan with butter. Remove the pie dough from the fridge. Remove the plastic wrap and place on a floured surface. Roll out the into a disk that is ¼-inch thick, it should be about 11-inches in diameter. Place the pie dough into the pie pan, and press lightly to form against the pan. It should be large enough that the dough folds right over the top of the pan.
- Roll the excess dough into the pie pan so it’s even with the edges of the pie pan. Flute the edges by using your thumb and index finger of your right hand to pinch the rolled edge of dough and push your index finger of your left hand into it to create the “flute”. Continue around the entire pie to flute the edges.
- Add the filling into the pie pan and spread evenly. Crumble the topping on top of the pie.
- Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool completely.
- To make the glaze: In a small bowl, add the powdered sugar and water and whisk together. Drizzle over the top of the pie.
- Store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition
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