Last Updated on April 2, 2024 by Share My Kitchen
The Cranberry Cheesecake Pie is a perfect result of your tart homemade cranberry sauce. The crust, which is a shortbread-like cookie, doesn’t require any rolling. This is one of my favorite holiday pies. Although it may seem difficult to make, it is well worth the effort. It’s a hit every Thanksgiving.
What are the different components of the Cranberry Cheesecake Pie recipe?
This tart and delicious cranberry sauce is great to use as a Thanksgiving cranberry sauce. You should give this recipe a shot if you have never tried making your own cranberry syrup. It’s easy to prepare, and I love knowing the ingredients. You can adjust the sugar according to your taste. It was a bit tart for us, so I reduced the sugar.
The cheesecake filling has a light, sweet and orange-scented flavor. I wanted more orange flavor, so I added some orange zest to the cheesecake mixture. You can leave the orange zest out if you prefer a more classic cheesecake flavor. Do you have a holiday dessert or dish that you make every year?
Cranberry Cheesecake Pie Recipe Card
| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | 50 minutes |
| Chilling Time | 2 hours |
| Total Time | 3 hours 20 minutes |
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
- Place the cranberries and sugar in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the orange zest, orange juice, water, and orange juice. Mix well and bring to a boil.
- After boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer the cranberries until they are softened and slightly thickened. This should take approximately 10 minutes. To help the cranberries break down, I sometimes smash them with a spoon.
- Let the sauce cool in the saucepan.
Make the crust
- This can be made while the cranberry sauce cooks.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- Mix the butter with a pastry blender/fork until it is crumbly. You can then squeeze it into your hands. This can be done with your hands.
- Reserve 1/2 cup of the mixture for topping. Place the rest of the mixture in a 9-inch tart pan or pie plate with a removable bottom. If you are concerned about the tart pan sticking, grease it. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Allow cooling.
- I recommend baking on parchment paper if you have a removable pan.
Make the cheesecake filling
- You can make the filling while the crust bakes.
- Place the cream cheese, sugar, orange zest and in a large bowl. Mix the cream cheese, sugar, and orange zest by hand or with an electric mixer until it becomes light and fluffy.
- Mix the egg with vanilla extract until you have a smooth mixture.
- Spread the cheesecake filling onto the slightly cooled crust.
- Drop spoonfuls of the cranberry sauce on top of the cheesecake filling. To swirl the cranberry sauce and cheesecake filling, use a skewer.
- Sprinkle the rest of the crust mixture on top of the cheesecake.
- Bake the cheesecake for 30 to 35 minutes or until it is set and the edges are golden brown. You should still feel a little jiggle in the cheesecake.
- Let cool on a cooling rack made of wire before placing it in the refrigerator to chill for at most 2 hours before you serve.
- Remaining food should be kept in the refrigerator for at least 5 days.
NOTES
- You can use regular or low-fat cream cheese. I have used both and never noticed any difference.
- This is what I prefer: Bake it the night before and then serve it the next morning.
- You can also use lemon instead of orange if you prefer.