Chinese Five Spice Cranberry Apple Pie
This Chinese 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 Vanilla Bean Apple Pie, Old Fashioned Dutch Apple Pie, Honey Lemon Apple Pie, Apple Berry Pie, or Caramel Apple Pie.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Chinese Five Spice Cranberry Apple Pie
- Ready In: 5 hours 30 minutes
- Makes: 9-inch pie
- Main Ingredients: butter, all purpose flour, apples, cranberries
- Flavor Profile: sweet apples, tart cranberries, infused with brown sugar, cinnamon, and Chinese five spice for warmth
- Dietary Info: eggless, no seed oils
- Difficulty: Medium
- Why You’ll Love It: cozy apple pie with holiday spice and a sweet glaze
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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 Chinese Five Spice Cranberry Apple Pie has all the holiday vibes.
- Perfectly Spiced: This is the best spiced apple pie recipe that I’ve made, which is saying a lot as a former bakery owner! I use Chinese Five Spice in this pie as I love baking with Chinese Five Spice around the holidays. It really just makes baked goods taste all warm and cozy, that’s the best way to describe it! Try out some of my other recipes using this spice, such as my Chinese Five Spice Garlic French Fries and Eggless Blueberry Babka Coffee Cake if you are a fan of this spice!
- Classic With a Twist: The filling is made up of Braeburn Apples, cranberries, cane sugar, light brown sugar, cinnamon, and Chinese five spice (which is my secret ingredient!) that evokes a warm and cozy feeling with every bite.
- Streusel Topping: It has a streusel topping, making this a really easy pie as you don't have to get a perfect looking crust or lattice.
- 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!
This Chinese Five Spice Cranberry Apple Pie is a perfect holiday pie. It taste so warm and cozy and it will definitely have your guests talking about the unique and interesting flavor that is just so damn good!
If you are looking for more out of the box holiday desserts, be sure to check out some of my other favorites! It's so fun to impress guests with something a little familiar, but different to make a holiday dinner memorable. Sourdough Apple Pie, Eggless Sourdough Molasses Cookies, Caramel Pumpkin Spice Snack Cake, Peanut Butter Pretzel Christmas Crack are all popular recipes that are classics with a twist!
Ingredients
- Light Brown Sugar: I use my Homemade Light Brown Sugar, but store bought also works. This gives this homemade apple pie a more rich flavor that pairs really well with the Chinese five spice.
- 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. If you are avoiding corn, you can use tapioca, arrowroot, or potato starch in its place.
- Chinese Five Spice: This is my secret ingredient in this homemade apple 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, it's made up of organic cinnamon, fennel seed, cloves, star anise, and white pepper.
*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, visit the recipe card below.
Baker's Tips
- Always weigh ingredients for the best results.
- If you are new to making pie crust, check out How to Make Pie Crust in a Mixer for a full tutorial and tons of tips and tricks for making pie crust.
- I use fresh cranberries, but frozen is also okay to use! Just be sure to thaw frozen cranberries in the fridge for 24 hours, drain off excess liquid, then they are ready to use.
- It's best to use an aluminum, cast iron, or stainless steel pie pan. This will ensure the most buttery, flaky crust and ensure you don't get a soggy bottom! Check out my post The Best Nontoxic Pie Pans to Bake With for more info. (I baked this pie in an aluminum pan and transferred it to this pretty white ceramic one for photos, which you can also do!).
- You can make this pie a day in advance. Just store in a cool, dry place.
- High Altitude — Bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until golden brown.
How to Make Chinese Five Spice Cranberry Apple Pie
- 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 for at least 4 hours or 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. (If you're baking at high altitude, be sure to check the Notes at the bottom of the recipe for high altitude baking instructions).
- To make the glaze: In a small bowl, add the powdered sugar and water and whisk together. Drizzle over the top of the pie.
Recipe FAQ's
Chinese five spice is a spice mix that is made up of five different spices. Sometimes the fifth spice may vary between brands. The mixture I prefer includes organic cinnamon, fennel seed, cloves, star anise, and white pepper. This spice is warm and cozy, and I love using around the holidays in baked goods. But, it's equally delicious with savory meats and recipes too!
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, use allspice as a similar substitute. But, it doesn't have the same flavor.
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. You can also make the pie crust weeks in advance, freeze it, then transfer to the fridge for 24 hours before rolling out.
More Holiday Dessert Recipes
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Chinese Five Spice Cranberry Apple Pie
Equipment
- Digital Food Scale
- Stand Mixer
- Mixing Bowl
- 9-Inch Pie Pan
- Rolling Pin
- Whisk
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 for at least 4 hours or 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.
Video
Notes
- Always weigh ingredients for the best results.
- If you are new to making pie crust, check out How to Make Pie Crust in a Mixer for a full tutorial and tons of tips and tricks for making pie crust.
- I use fresh cranberries, but frozen is also okay to use! Just be sure to thaw frozen cranberries in the fridge for 24 hours, drain off excess liquid, then they are ready to use.
- It's best to use an aluminum, cast iron, or stainless steel pie pan. This will ensure the most buttery, flaky crust and ensure you don't get a soggy bottom! Check out my post The Best Nontoxic Pie Pans to Bake With for more info. (I baked this pie in an aluminum pan and transferred it to this pretty white ceramic one for photos, which you can also do!).
- You can make this pie a day in advance. Just store in a cool, dry place.
- High Altitude — Bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until golden brown.
Nutrition
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This apple pie is perfect for Christmas with the passion of cranberries and five spice it just tastes like the holidays!
It’s a tasty pie for the season!