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    Home > Recipes > Pies + Tarts

    Cranberry Orange Pear Pie

    Published: Jan 23, 2016 | Updated: Oct 31, 2022

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    This Cranberry Orange Pear Pie has a sweet brown sugar pear filling and is studded with tart cranberries! With fresh orange juice, zest and Grand Marnier, the flavors are absolute heaven!

    Jump to Recipe
    This Cranberry Orange Pear Pie has a sweet brown sugar orange pear filling and is studded with tart cranberries! With fresh orange juice, zest and Grand Marnier, the flavors are absolute heaven!

    Professional Kitchen Rule #34: No Emotions Allowed

    There is a firm check-your-emotions-at-the-door policy. But if that fails…

    Don’t cry into the chili lobster appetizer; Cry in the walk-in like a real man.

    Or, better yet, cry into this Cranberry Orange Pear Pie when you get home.

    This Cranberry Orange Pear Pie has a sweet brown sugar orange pear filling and is studded with tart cranberries! With fresh orange juice, zest and Grand Marnier, the flavors are absolute heaven!

    True story. Except I thought I had firmly complied with this policy until…I didn’t. And then I knew I had approximately 20 seconds to get from my station and into the walk-in refrigerator before bursting into uncontrollable sobs.

    Then you gather your senses, remind yourself that you’ll deal with that real-life stuff later, grab some parsley and walk back to your station with purpose like you totally just needed some more parsley to garnish the bone marrow. Totally.

    This Cranberry Orange Pear Pie has a sweet brown sugar orange pear filling and is studded with tart cranberries! With fresh orange juice, zest and Grand Marnier, the flavors are absolute heaven!

    This is my life. And you wonder why I am baking pies in January when everyone else is all “healthy smoothie this” and “low fat/calorie/gluten free/vegan/non-dairy/kale that”?

    This pie is not gluten-free, low calorie or remotely healthy in any way. [I take that back, fruit is healthy. So there.]

    But that’s what the gym is for! A slice of this Cranberry Orange Pear Pie and you will be all “What problems?” It's one of my 20 Best Thanksgiving Pie Recipes for a reason!

    This Cranberry Orange Pear Pie has a sweet brown sugar orange pear filling and is studded with tart cranberries! With fresh orange juice, zest and Grand Marnier, the flavors are absolute heaven!

    Inside the most magnificently flakey, all-butter pie crust is a mix of brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice, Grand Marnier [oh yes I did!], pears and cranberries.

    The cranberries are studded throughout the pie to add just a hint of tartness to the brown sugar orange flavored pears. It is heaven all packaged in a generously sugared pie crust.

    This Cranberry Orange Pear Pie has a sweet brown sugar orange pear filling and is studded with tart cranberries! With fresh orange juice, zest and Grand Marnier, the flavors are absolute heaven!

    Because not sprinkling sugar on the top of the crust just seemed like a crime. And I’m no criminal.

    Note that I made this pie filling the night before and then realized my gross error in judgment the next morning when I had a 1:1 ratio of pear filling to liquid.

    Ugh. Baking. The struggle.

    I added cornstarch but not enough to thicken it completely.
    Just don’t mix it the night before and your pie will be beautiful.

    This Cranberry Orange Pear Pie has a sweet brown sugar orange pear filling and is studded with tart cranberries! With fresh orange juice, zest and Grand Marnier, the flavors are absolute heaven!

    Cranberry Orange Pear Pie

    Chef Lindsey
    This Cranberry Orange Pear Pie has a sweet brown sugar orange pear filling and is studded with tart cranberries! With fresh orange juice, zest and Grand Marnier, the flavors are absolute heaven!
    Prevent screen from sleeping
    PRINT Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 minutes
    Cook Time 45 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 people
    Calories 233 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 10 cups pears (pealed, diced (about 7 pears. I used D’Anjou, Bartlett and Comice))
    • 1 cup cranberries
    • 2 tablespoons orange zest (from 1 large orange (bright orange parts only!))
    • 1 orange (juiced)
    • 1 cup light brown sugar (loosely packed)
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 2 teaspoons Grand Marnier
    • ¼ cup cornstarch

    Pie Crust for a double crust pie [my favorite flakey crust recipe & videos here]

    • Heavy cream
    • Turbinado or sanding sugar
    Makes: 9inch9 x 9inch round
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions
     

    • Roll out half the pie dough and line a 9 or 10 inch deep-dish pie dish; refrigerate. Roll out the second half of the pie dough for the top crust, place on a baking sheet and refrigerate.
    • In a large bowl mix together the pears, cranberries (if you are not precooking them. See Notes.), orange zest, orange juice, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, Grand Marnier and cornstarch.
    • Pour the filling into the lined pie dish.
    • Cover the pie with your second crust and decoratively crimp the edges. Refrigerate the pie on a parchment lined baking sheet for 20 minutes.
    • Remove pie from the refrigerator and cut some vent holes near the top. Lightly brush the pastry with heavy cream, making sure it doesn’t pool anywhere because this will make your crust soggy, and then sprinkle generously with sanding sugar.
    • Bake 20 minutes at 425, then lower the oven temperature to 350 and continue baking for 1 hour or until the filling is soft and bubbly and the crust is brown. You can test the filling by inserting a knife into one of the vent holes. There should be no resistance from the pears! Let cool before cutting or serving. I know, the agony!

    Notes

    Do not mix the filling too far in advance. A few hours ahead is okay, but overnight is not.
    Also if your pears are not ripe or they are out of season, reduce the cornstarch to 2 Tablespoons.
    This recipe as written leaves the cranberries in tact, which for some can detract from their enjoyment of the pie. If you want the cranberries to blend into the pie filling more, cook them with ½ cup of the granulated sugar and just enough water to wet the sugar until some of the berries begin to pop. The cranberries will also help thicken your filling because they are high in pectin. Winning!
    You can also precook all the filling in a pot, cool then fill pie cust and bake per the instructions. This will leave you with a thicker pie filling than pictured
     
    Keyword Christmas, Christmas dessert, old fashioned pie recipe, savory pie recipe, winter
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cheflindseyfarr
    This Cranberry Orange Pear Pie has a sweet brown sugar orange pear filling and is studded with tart cranberries! With fresh orange juice, zest and Grand Marnier, the flavors are absolute heaven!

    Go ahead...Help yourself to some more pie!

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    Comments

    1. Gloria Whitchurch says

      January 17, 2022 at 1:47 am

      I was Really, really interested in your recipe and your ideas! But, couldn't get past the 'sign up for my newsletter' bs... dang, and I tried repeatedly. How can anyone give you stars, if we can't get to the recipe, to try it??!

      Reply
      • Lindsey Farr says

        January 18, 2022 at 8:16 pm

        Hi Gloria! Sorry you're having trouble with the site, we're going through a re-design right now, so I hope that'll fix any difficulties. Happy baking! ????

        Reply
    2. Kristi @ My SF Kitchen says

      February 05, 2016 at 6:58 pm

      Gorgeous! I have lots of pears, and now I have something to do with them 🙂

      Reply
      • Lindsey says

        February 07, 2016 at 12:10 pm

        You absolutely should, Kristi!

        Reply
    3. Shashi at RunninSrilankan says

      January 27, 2016 at 3:06 pm

      Oh Lindsey - I hate to hear that you were in a situation like that.When you say "this is my life" I hope whatever it is changes and you don't have to cry in the cooler or at home - but just instead eat and bake pie - especially when it looks this good! Sending you big hugs!

      Reply
      • Lindsey says

        February 07, 2016 at 12:11 pm

        Thanks for the hugs, Shashi! They are definitely needed! xoxo

        Reply
    4. Debbie @ Cooks with Cocktails says

      January 27, 2016 at 11:02 am

      I'm with you with the gym if we cant indulge once in awhile what is the point! This pie like all the rest of your pies it look fabulous. But I can honestly say never heard of a pear pie but Im going to try it cause pears are one of my favorite fruit. Beautiful pictures.

      Reply
      • Lindsey says

        February 07, 2016 at 12:12 pm

        Thank you, Debbie! And three cheers for the gym and pie!

        Reply
    5. Medha @ Whisk & Shout says

      January 23, 2016 at 3:44 pm

      This pie is definitely the most unique pie I've seen in a while- and yet I can't believe I've never seen a cranberry orange pear combo before because, yum! This looks incredible 🙂

      Reply

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