Easy Cranberry Walnut Pie – Part Pie, Part Bar Cookie, All Tasty!
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I had a vision. When I started brainstorming about this post, I thought, “What would make a better Thanksgiving dessert than combining some of my favorite flavors into a cranberry walnut pie?”
Alas, recipe attempt #1 was a complete bomb. It turned out way too sweet, and the texture was just wrong. The rest of the family refused to eat it, so I ended up eating pie for a week. Ugh. Thankfully, round two went much better. I ended up with a pie/bar cookie hybrid that goes together without a fuss. The “secret ingredient” raspberries add a little extra natural sweetness so you can cut back on the sugar and win over those who may not be big cranberry lovers. Cranberries have some natural pectin (which is why cranberry sauce sets up), but adding cornstarch gives the filling a more velvety texture. If you don’t have raspberries available, you can substitute diced pear or apple.
Husband and boys both gave it a thumbs up, and as much as I like pie and this version is tasty, I’m relieved that I won’t be eating it for an entire week.
Easy Cranberry Walnut Pie
Ingredients
Cranberry Filling:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1/2 cup raspberries, tightly packed, fresh or frozen
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Oatmeal Crust/Topping:
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats
- 1 cup all purpose flour or gluten free flour blend
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup + 2 teaspoons butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
To make cranberry filling:
Whisk together sugar and cornstarch (to avoid lumps). Add all filling ingredients except walnuts and extract to a heavy bottom sauce pan.
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Cook until cranberries have popped and mixture starts to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in walnuts and almond extract. Set aside and allow to cool while prepping the crust.
To make oatmeal dough:
Mix flour, 1/2 cup oats, the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in large bowl; set aside. Stir sugar, 1/4 cup butter, vanilla and egg in medium bowl with fork until smooth; stir into flour mixture until blended. Reserve 1/2 cup dough in small bowl for topping.
Pat remainder of the dough in an ungreased 9 inch pie pan, patting evenly up the sides and on the bottom to create the crust. Spread cranberry filling over crust. Add 2 tablespoons oats and the butter to reserved dough; mix with pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Drop small spoonfuls of oat mixture evenly over cranberry filling.
Bake at 350°F until lightly browned (approximately 20-25 minutes).
Cool and slice. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired. Makes 8 servings.
PrintEasy Cranberry Walnut Pie
This easy to make pie has a “secret” ingredient that will help win over even non-cranberry lovers.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Cranberry Filling:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1/2 cup raspberries, tightly packed, fresh or frozen
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Oatmeal Crust/Topping:
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats
- 1 cup all purpose flour or gluten free flour blend
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup + 2 teaspoons butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
Instructions
To make cranberry filling:
Whisk together sugar and cornstarch (to avoid lumps). Add all filling ingredients except walnuts and extract to a heavy bottom sauce pan. Cook until cranberries have popped and mixture starts to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in walnuts and almond extract. Set aside and allow to cool while prepping the crust.
To make oatmeal dough:
Mix flour, 1/2 cup oats, the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in large bowl; set aside. Stir sugar, 1/4 cup butter, vanilla and egg in medium bowl with fork until smooth; stir into flour mixture until blended. Reserve 1/2 cup dough in small bowl for topping.
Pat remainder of the dough in an ungreased 9 inch pie pan, patting evenly up the sides and on the bottom to create the crust. Spread cranberry filling over crust. Add 2 tablespoons oats and the butter to reserved dough; mix with pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Drop small spoonfuls of oat mixture evenly over cranberry filling.
Bake at 350°F until lightly browned (approximately 20-25 minutes).
Cool and slice. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired. Makes 8 servings.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
More Seasonal Recipes
Did you know we have over 100 made from scratch recipes on the site? You can find them all, sorted by category, on the Recipes and Kitchen Tips page. They include:
- Rhubarb Pudding Cake
- Best Pie Crust Recipes, Plus Tips for Perfect Crust Every Time
- Eggnog with a Twist
The EPIC Kitchen Giveaway originally associated with this post is now closed.
Originally posted in 2014, updated in 2018.