Description
A light and airy cranberry pie perfect as retro option this holiday season!
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust:
- 1 2/3 cups (7 ounces) chocolate cookie crumbs
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter
For the Cranberry Sauce:
- 1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- pinch of salt
- 2 orange peel slices
For the Pie Filling:
- 2/3 cup boiling water
- 1 (3 ounce) package Cranberry Jell-O
- 1 cup cold water (ice water, but the ice is completely melted)
- 1 (8 ounce) tub Cool Whip
- 1 heaping cup prepared cranberry sauce, cooled
Top the Topping:
- 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- Splash of vanilla extract
- Pretzels dipped in melted chocolate with a spoonful of coconut oil.
Instructions
- To make the crust, place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, sugar, salt, and melted butter. Use a rubber spatula to stir until evenly combined. Spoon the mixture into a 9-inch pie plate and use clean and lightly dampened hands or the flat bottom of a measuring cup to press the crust along the bottoms and sides of the pie dish.
- Bake for 12 minutes until just crisped and remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- To make the cranberry sauce, in a medium saucepan combine cranberries, sugar, water, salt, and orange peel. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low and the cranberries pop and cook down. Simmer for 10 minutes, until berries have broken down and sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat and remove orange peels. Set aside to cool.
- To make the pie filling, in a medium bowl stir boiling water into cranberry gelatin and whisk until it dissolves, about 2 minutes. Add the cold water and whisk until the mixture begins to thicken.
- Stir in the whipped topping with both a whisk and a rubber spatula until well combined. Stir in the cooled cranberry sauce. Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes until the mixture is thickened.
- Scoop cranberry filling into the prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap so the plastic wrap touches the surface of the pie filling. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, overnight is best.
- Before serving make the whipped cream by beating heavy cream, powered sugar, and vanilla extract to soft peaks. Dip pretzels in melted chocolate and let cool for an extra special finish. Just before serving spoon whipped cream on top of pie and dot with pretzels.
- Pie will last up to 4 days covered in the refrigerator but is best served within 2 days.
Notes
This pie can be made with store-bought cookie crusts and canned cranberry sauce to make the recipe easier. Also feel free to top the pie with Cool Whip instead of making homemade whipped cream.