Acadian Cranberry Pie Recipe

This pie is a slice of Maritime Canada, an Acadian and Nova Scotian tradition that puts tart local cranberries front and center.

The filling starts by cooking cranberries with sugar and a little water until they burst and soften into a jammy, ruby compote. Off the heat, a beaten egg and a knob of butter are stirred in, which enriches the filling and helps it set to a soft, sliceable custard-jam as the pie bakes.

The crust gets a head start: the bottom is blind-baked briefly so it stays crisp under the juicy filling, then topped with a classic lattice that lets the bright red filling peek through.

The result is properly tart-sweet, the cranberries’ sharpness balanced by the sugar and rich pastry.

Serve it the traditional way, with a pour of cream over each slice.

It’s a rustic, old-fashioned dessert that’s especially welcome around the autumn and holiday cranberry season.

Pro Tips

• Cook the cranberries until they burst and the mixture thickens before adding the egg.
• Let the cranberry mixture cool slightly before stirring in the egg so it doesn’t scramble.
• Blind-bake the bottom crust as directed to keep it from going soggy.
• Cool the pie before slicing so the filling sets.

Variations

• Add orange zest or a splash of orange juice to the filling.
• Mix in chopped apple or pear to mellow the tartness.
• Spice it with a pinch of cinnamon or cloves.