Cranberry Cheesecake Pie

This Cranberry Cheesecake Pie is something that I’ve been making for many years during the holidays. The tart homemade cranberry sauce pairs so well with the lightly sweetened cheesecake. The shortbread like crust is simple and requires no rolling.

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It’s one of my favorite holiday pies to make. It may seem complicated to make, but it’s well worth the effort. Often I will make a few to bring to various Thanksgivings and it’s always a hit.

What are the different components of the recipe?

The original recipe for Cranberry Cheesecake Pie is from Bake or Break and I’ve adapted it to our tastes. The crust is more of a shortbread like crust than a traditional pie crust. What’s great about this crust is that you just pat it into the pan, so no rolling is required!

The cranberry sauce is tart and amazing, it’s great as a cranberry sauce recipe to serve for Thanksgiving! If you’ve never made your own cranberry sauce, then you should definitely give it a try.

It’s simple to make and I like knowing what’s going into my sauce. You can control the amount of sugar depending on your tastes. We like it a little more tart so I used a little less sugar.

I’m still loving all things cranberry orange, so of course I had to add orange zest and juice to the cranberry sauce. If you are a cranberry orange lover like me, don’t miss out on my Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake and Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Shortbread Cookies.

The cheesecake filling is light and slightly sweet, with a hint of orange. I really wanted to add more orange flavor so I threw some orange zest into the cheesecake mixture. If you prefer more of a classic cheesecake flavor, you could definitely leave it out.

Is there a dish or dessert that you always make during the holidays?

More dessert recipes to try

Easy Blueberry Galette

Mixed Berry Lemon Pie Bars

Gooey Browned Butter S’mores Bars

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Blondies

Made this recipe? Be sure to comment below and rate the recipe. I’d love to hear what you thought about it!

Cranberry Cheesecake Pie

Amy’s Delicious Mess

This Cranberry Cheesecake Pie is perfect for the holidays. Lightly sweetened cheesecake is swirled with a tart homemade cranberry sauce in a shortbread like crust.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Chilling time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 10 slices

Ingredients

  

Cranberry sauce

• 8 oz (2 cups) fresh cranberries
• 4 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp orange zest, from 1/2 a small orange
• 2 tbsp fresh orange juice, juice from 1/2 small orange
• 1/2 cup water

Crust and crumb topping

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes

Cheesecake filling

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened (see notes)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp orange zest, from 1/2 a small orange
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

 

Make the cranberry sauce

• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add the cranberries, sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and water. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
• Once boiling, reduce to medium-low heat and simmer until the cranberries are soft and have thickened slightly. This should take about 10 minutes. Sometimes I will smash the cranberries with the back of a spoon to help them break down.
• Set the pot aside to cool, the sauce will thicken as it starts to cool.

Make the crust

• You can start making this while the cranberry sauce is cooking.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
• Add the butter and using a pasty blender or fork, mix until crumbly and hold together when you squeeze it in your hand. You can also do this with your hands, which is my preferred method.
• Reserve 1/2 cup of the crust mixture for the topping. Pour the remaining mixture into a 9-inch pie or tart pan with a removeable bottom. (You can grease your tart pan if you are worried about it sticking.) Press the crust evenly into the pan and bake for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
• If you use a pan with a removeable bottom, I recommend baking on a baking sheet to catch any leaks.

Make the cheesecake filling

• While the crust is baking you can make the filling.
• In a large bowl, place the cream cheese, sugar, and orange zest. Stirring by hand or using an electric or hand held mixer, mix until light and fluffy.
• Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until everything is combined and your mixture is smooth.
• Pour the cheesecake filling into the slightly cooled crust and spread out evenly.
• Drop spoonful's of the cranberry sauce over the cheesecake filling. Use a skewer or chop stick to slightly swirl the cranberry sauce with the cheesecake filling.
• Sprinkle the remaining crust mixture over the cheesecake.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cheesecake is set and the edges are golden brown. The cheesecake should still have a slight jiggle.
• Cool on a wire cooling rack before placing in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
• Any leftovers should be stored in the fridge, up to 5 days.

Notes

1. This can be made with both regular and low fat cream cheese, I’ve used both and have never noticed a difference.
2. I prefer to bake this the night before and serve the next day,
3. If you prefer, you can use lemon instead of orange.

 

The nutrition facts below are based on the recipe above.  This is only an estimation and intended for informational purposes only.

 

Keyword cheesecake, citrus, Cranberry, cream cheese, holiday baking, Orange

If you make any of my recipes, be sure to tag me on Instagram @amysdeliciousmess and use #amysdeliciousmess.  I’d love to see all of your pictures!

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