Cranberry Cheesecake Crumb Pie
This Cranberry Cheesecake Crumb Pie features pie crust filled with a simple cheesecake batter, then topped with a thick cranberry sauce and crumb topping.
Reality check: Thanksgiving is one week from TOMORROW. How did this happen?!
Ready or not, here it comes! Let’s talk PIE. Where do you stand when it comes to Thanksgiving pies?
Do you go all-in on pumpkin pie?
Do you like a dessert table with more variety and throw in some apple pies and pecan pies?
Do you like to try something new and different every year?
I am very much “meh” on pumpkin pie, but I absolutely love pecan pie, so that’s a must for me, and then I like to try a recipe that’s a little bit different. In the past, desserts such as salted caramel apple cheesecake pie and pumpkin-gingerbread trifle have been huge hits. If your crowd isn’t opposed to shaking things up, this cranberry cheesecake crumb pie would make a fabulous choice for Thanksgiving dessert.
This pie contains the dessert trifecta for me (well, it doesn’t include chocolate, but for a dessert that doesn’t have chocolate in it, THIS would be my trifecta!):
One: Pie crust
Two: Cheesecake
Three: Crumb topping
You give me any dessert that includes one of those components and I will devour it faster than Joseph’s little toddler feet can run (and that’s fast).
Throw in cranberries and you have a wonderfully festive dessert most deserving of any Thanksgiving dessert table, and it would be perfect for Christmas, as well!
I think you and this cranberry cheesecake crumb pie will be great friends come next week… I have a feeling :)
One year ago: Pineapple-Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole
Five years ago: Sausage, Fig & Cranberry Stuffing
Cranberry Cream Cheese Crumb Pie
Ingredients
- 1 recipe pie crust, homemade or refrigerated store-bought
For the Cheesecake Layer:
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- â…“ cup (66.67 g) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cranberry Layer:
- 14 ounce (396.89 g) can whole berry cranberry sauce
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
For the Crumb Topping:
- 1¼ cups (156.25 g) all-purpose flour
- â…“ cup (73.33 g) light brown sugar
- â…“ cup (66.67 g) granulated sugar
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Prepare the pie crust according to the recipe, or unroll the store-bought crust into a 9-inch pie plate and flute edges.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Make the Cheesecake Layer: Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, lemon juice and vanilla extract, and beat on medium-low speed until smooth and creamy and no lumps remain. Pour the filling into the prepared crust.
- Make the Cranberry Layer: In a small bowl, stir together the cranberry sauce, cornstarch and brown sugar; spoon over cream cheese mixture and gently spread into an even layer.
- Make the Crumb Topping: Combine the flour and sugars in a medium bowl; drizzle with the melted butter and toss with a fork until evenly moistened and the mixture forms many large chunks with pea-sized pieces mixed throughout. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the cranberry layer.
- Bake until the crust and topping are golden brown, about 45 to 55 minutes. Cover loosely with foil during the last 10 minutes if needed to prevent over-browning. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
I made this today and my cheesecake layer was very runny. It came out more eggy than cream cheesy. Wondering where I went wrong.  It still tasted yummy. 😂
How far in advance can I make the pie?
Would you recommend making this the day of or would it be fine to make it a day in advance?
Hi Christina, You can definitely make it a day in advance!
This Pie was a knock out at my Thanksgiving dinner and couples holiday gathering. I’m making the third pie for my staff Christmas party tomorrow. It is a three step pie, but well worth the effort. Caution…you will be asked to make it again!!!
This would be absolutely wonderful for all those turkey leftovers after Christmas. We all know we will have left over cranberries, so why not put them in a delicious dessert instead!! Yum. Can’t wait to try this.
I made this for Thanksgiving, followed the recipe exactly, and it was a hit! Everyone loved it. It is so gooooood. This will definitely be going into my dessert rotation. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
I had the same issue with the cranberry sauce mixture immediately sinking. I suppose you could try to pour in the cheese mixture and refrigerate to firm it up prior to adding the cranberries.
That being said, the pie tasted good, just didn’t have the layers I was looking for.
Amazing dessert! I think my hubby had 3 pieces yesterday. It will probably be on the menu for Christmas, too. I do have a question, though. Is there a trick to getting the cranberry sauce mixture to stay on top of the cheesecake filling? Most of mine went down into the filling, so it was more like marbling. That did not affect the taste, however!
Hi Harriette, Mine did droop a little bit, but not a ton. I’m not sure that there is a trick. You could try baking just the cheesecake for half the time, then adding the cranberry topping for more distinct layers.
My cranberry “layer” immediately sunk into the cheesecake layer too. I was wondering whether the cheesecake portion was meant to be partially prebaked before adding the cranberry layer. Anyway, I tried to swirl it around to create a marble effect, but with the crumb topping on it, I can’t be sure whether it worked. Fingers crossed that it will be okay for Thanksgiving dessert tomorrow.
I made this beautiful pie today. I set the cream cheese layer for 30 minutes in the refrigerator before adding the next two layers and baking. We shall see how it is tomorrow!
I’m gonna be making this and pumpkin pie today for tomorrow :) I’m so excited ?
This pie is delicious. I was fixing my invalid neighbors dinner and thought this would make a great dessert. Of course, I had to try it before giving it away. The only problem I had with making it was the cranberry mixture sunk into the cream cheese mixture. There was no way to spread it, but I it came out fine anyway. I have made many of your recipes and enjoy everyone of them. Thank you.
I have this pie in the oven as I write this. I think something went wrong because when I poured the cranberry sauce carefully onto cheesecake it went to the bottom of the pie plate. Your directions didn’t say to cook the cheesecake first. I don’t know what happened. I’m hoping it still comes out alright.
Mine too!
Your cheesecake batter should be thick enough that itll sit on top. Ive never made this recipe but when i made another recipe it was thick enough to hold the cranberry sauce. Look for the first recipe that comes up on google when u search “cranberry cheesecake pie”
Hi Michelle,
This looks stunning AND delicious. I’m intrigued by the corn starch: do we mix the cranberry topping and corn starch and leave them cold; i.e. does the thickening component in the corn starch then work in the oven while baking? I’m assuming that’s the case, since you didn’t include a step in the recipe to heat the corn starch and cranberry sauce before spreading it on the cheesecake layer. Sorry if I’m asking a question that seems like it has an obvious answer, but I’m not used to NOT heating corn starch in liquid ingredients.
Thanks & have a happy Thanksgiving!
Bettina
Hi Bettina, Yes, you do not need to heat the cornstarch and cranberry sauce together, just stir together.
Thanks, Michelle! It took me a few days, but I wanted to thank you for replying. I can always count on you! Thanks for all you do on this blog. Your recipes are giving me a great reputation among my friends! I hope you and your loved ones had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Are you’re so sweet, thank you for the kind words. xo
It looks so delicious.
Can I use my homemade cranberry sauce instead? 14oz?
Hi Dolly, Yes, I don’t see why not!
This is stunning! I think that the crumb topping made your cranberry cream cheese even better. Cheers!
Wow!! This looks incredibly delicious! For the last 2 years I’ve been adding your Cranberry-Eggnog Cheesecake to my Thanksgiving dessert table. However, I do like to add something new to the table every year. This cheesecake just may be “something new” rather than making the cranberry-eggnog one. Of course all of my trustworthy traditions will make their appearance, but this may be the 2016 crown jewel on the dessert table. Thanks for the recipe, great photos that make it so tempting and hard to say no to including on the menu, and all the inspiration for the “something new”.
Hi! I just emailed you the recipe Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie. Posting here so you know I sent it and it doesn’t go to spam. =) Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks Lisa!! Happy Thanksgiving to you!
This looks and sounds wonderful and just what I was looking for! But I will want to make my own cranberry sauce. It’s making me hungry!
I just asked that!
OMG!!! My pies were set for next week and than I see this! I love cranberries and who doesn’t love cheesecake. I thinking about swapping out the skillet apple pie for this. But making extra cranberries and using my homemade version on top of the pie. Decisions decisions, I will have to put it out to vote to the family, but once my husband hears cheesecake I know which one he will choose.
This looks so delicious! I am not a cranberry fan so do you think raspberry jelly would work or frozen raspberries with the cornstarch and brown sugar? Thanks for all the work you put in so we can impress our family and friends with all the wonderful recipes that you post!!
Hi Tracy, I think that would work okay!