Christmas cranberries are here; just in time to get in the holiday spirit with scrumptious Cranberry Sour Cream Pie. This tasty pie has tasty fresh popped cranberries and sour cream and mascarpone cheese that leans toward a cheesecake undertone. Here is the link to my recipe for Homemade Mascarpone Cheese! You’re going to love it.
I have to say this was a very fun pie to make; I think I needed some color this winter in the kitchen! The neighbor kids had come by the house right as I finished the filling so I had them taste test. Kid Approved!
I made my own mascarpone cheese because I really prefer to be as self-sufficient as possible. You would need to make the mascarpone cheese the day before you need it. However, I realize not everyone has the time or energy to do an extra step and cream cheese is a perfect replacement. I have used both cheeses and there is only a subtle difference as it’s the sour cream & cranberries that really shine.
And I totally fell in love with the sugared cranberries I saw at a friend’s house; they’re going to be my go to garnish every Christmastime, forever. The cranberries are dipped in simple sugar syrup and then rolled in granulated sugar, yes, it’s that simple.
Above is air drying with simple syrup and below are the super pretty sugared cranberries.
It’s perfectly cranberry pink!
I hope this lovely cranberry pie puts you in the holiday spirit! There’s no need to wait until Christmas to enjoy this you can make it now! Eat it right in front of Elf on the Shelf; show him who’s boss. Well, maybe cover his eyes while you save the last slice for yourself.
The inspiration for the sugared berries came from The Cookery Wife and Lydsmomof6 Reviews It All! Thank you ladies!
Cranberry Sour Cream Pie
Chirstmastime cranberries combined with creamy sour cream, decadent mascarpone cheese and topped with sugared cranberries. Holiday Spirit Pie!
8
35
minutes10
minutes4
hoursKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
1 cup 1 pure cane sugar
1 cup 1 whole cranberries
1/4 cup 1/4 water
1 tablespoon 1 Clearjel or cornstarch PLUS 2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup 1/2 pure cane powdered sugar
8 ounces 8 mascarpone or cream cheese
1 cup 1 sour cream
1 prepared 1 graham cracker crust
- Sugared Cranberries
1/2 cup 1/2 pure cane sugar
1/2 cup 1/2 water
1 cup 1 cranberries
1/3 cup 1/3 Additional 1/3 cup sugar to coat berries
Directions
- Sugared Cranberries
- Combine the 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small sauce pan on medium heat until sugar is dissolved (about 3 to 4 minutes).
- Once the sugar is dissolved remove the sauce pan from heat and add the cranberries.
- Stir gently to coat cranberries and remove cranberries immediately with a slotted spoon and transfer to a wire rack. (The cranberries may start popping if left too long in the hot simple syrup.)
- After the berries have cooled and dried (about 30 minutes to an hour), roll them in the additional granulated sugar. Use as garnish for your pie.
- Cranberry Filling and Pie Assembly
- In a sauce pan combine sugar and 1/4 cup water, and cranberries. Over medium to medium-high heat cook and stir until cranberries pop, about 5 to 7 minutes. Continue to simmer the berries long enough to break up the berries with a potato masher or a couple of quick pulses of an immersion blender (you want smooth and chunky, like jam).
- In a small bowl combine 2 tablespoons water with 1 tablespoon cornstarch, stir into mashed berries. Simmer until thickened and the opaqueness from cornstarch has cooked out, about 2 minutes.
- Pour mixture into a separate bowl and refrigerate to fully cool (about 1 hour).
- In a separate bowl whip together the powdered sugar and mascarpone (or cream cheese) until fluffy.
- Beat in sour cream and fold in cooled cranberry mixture.
- For a marbled effect, fold in just a little to swirl the cranberry mixture with sour cream mixture. If you want a perfectly pink cranberry pie fold and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Spread into prepared crust. Garnish with whipped cream and sugared cranberries.
Notes
- You will need 2 cups cranberries total (1 cup for filling and 1 cup for the sugared cranberries).
Do you need to chill or bake this after pouring the filling into the crust?
Chill only. I will check and update the recipe to be clear. NO baking (except making your own crumb crust) is required for the pie! Happy Baking!
This looks amazing! I want to make it next week for Thanksgiving and change some cranberry hating minds! 😀 I think this would be perfect! I was just wondering if this could be made ahead and possibly frozen and thawed before serving? Thanks for your time! Great website!
Yes! It can be frozen ahead of time. You can either put it in fridge to thaw overnight or take it out of freezer and place on countertop for 1 hour. The cranberries freeze/thaw perfect, but the sugar might melt off a tiny but. You can sprinkle extra sugar on them after thawed. Happy Pie Creating!