Almond Crusted Cranberry Orange Pie is a gluten-free crust made with almonds and coconut, sweetened with dates, as is the cranberry pie filling.
Almond Crusted Pie Crust Is Perfect With Cranberries
This Mediterranean influenced pie, scenting the American cranberries with orange blossom, has a gluten-free almond and coconut crust.
A sweet bite in the crust comes from a few dates instead of sugar and takes on the texture of a cookie once baked.
I am big on ‘No-Roll‘ pie crusts that can be easily pressed into a baking pan rather than rolled.
The fresh cranberry puree is sweetened only with dates and scented with orange blossom and orange zest.
I find this luscious combination both sweet (from the dates), and tart enough to be perfectly balanced.
Other Easy No-Roll Pies To Love
While I do enjoy a buttery rich, flour based pie crust that is rolled out and baked to flakey perfection, not everyone has the patience for that.
Therefore, I’ve created several fabulous pies that are an easy no-roll pie crust, just in case you’d like to try them!
- Almond Oat Crusted Fig Tart – with crushed almonds and oats in the crust, mascarpone and orange blossom custard, topped with lots of fresh figs.
- Old Fashioned Cookie Crust Sweet Potato Pie – spiced with bourbon, in a buttery rich pecan cookie-like crust easy enough for novice bakers!
- Grandma’s Bourbon Pecan Pie – or tarts are loaded with pecans, both in the pie crust and filling; which is a bit boozy with good ole southern Bourbon.
- Peach Pecan Rim Spiked Pie – loaded with fresh peaches, a pecan butter crust and a spiced rum pecan crisp topping.
- Applesauce Custard Pie – a luscious homemade applesauce and gratifying pie crust with cinnamon and cloves.
Mediterranean Flavors of Orange Blossom
Mediterranean flavors are at the core of all my cooking, simply because they are what I grew up with; Middle Eastern, European and North African cuisines.
Dried fruits, such as dates, apricots and figs are often used to add sweetness to foods rather than processed sugar, as is honey.
Healthy Energy Bites, with dried fruits and nuts, are definitely ‘old world’ though relatively new here in America.
Flower waters, such as Rose Water and Orange Blossom water, from edible flowers, are just a few exotic extracts that are used to flavor Mediterranean recipes.
Oranges And Orange Blossom Flavor
Orange blossom water is distilled from the bitter orange blossom. The scent is delicately floral but the flavor is one that really has no substitute; gentle, floral, exotic and so unique.
Since I was a kid, I’ve been familiar with the scent and flavor of orange blossom water.
Mediterranean Flavors Fused With The American Cranberry
My Syrian mom often drizzled it, instead of vanilla extract, in so many of the pastries, cakes and cookies she baked.
While creating this Mediterranean cranberry pie, even though cranberries are not Mediterranean, I wanted to bring the flavors of that region to this pie, therefore making it uniquely my own!
Once you taste this pie, you will definitely want to make my Cranberry Orange Blossom Muffins so you can enjoy these flavors for breakfast too!
Easy Healthier Cranberry Pie
It’s funny how we often see pies with various berries but don’t often see pies made with cranberries. Ever wonder why?
Though extremely healthy, cranberries are bitter and tart as all get out.
You certainly can’t eat them raw like you would blueberries, blackberries, raspberries or strawberries.
It would be like sucking on a lemon. But… when cranberries, just like lemons, are treated with TLC, they are magnificent!
Naturally Sweetened Cranberry Pie
For starters, here’s how you can enjoy the magnificent flavor of the bitter cranberry in a luscious sweet pie, and yet not sweeten it with sugar! Intrigued?
Dates! Yes, dates are going to be pureed in the filling of this pie, along with the fresh cranberries.
When it is baked and sliced you will never go back to eating an American, syrupy sweet cranberry pie again. Promise!
Cranberry and Orange Blossom Pie
We all know that cranberries and oranges are a marriage made in the kitchen, as you will find in my Cranberry Orange Sorbet, made with homemade almond milk.
The sweet zest of an orange, along with sweet, fresh orange juice is nothing short of delicious.
Let’s take that cranberry and orange marriage on a honeymoon and add a little orange blossom water!
Oh my, you won’t believe how beautiful the flavor and scent will become.
Gluten-free Pie Crust And Natural Sweetness
Long before health awareness kicked off here in America, the foods of the Middle East and Mediterranean regions were already cooking that way without realizing it.
As I mentioned before, the sweetness from dried fruits is often the sweetness that goes into these regions of the world, instead of highly processed white sugar.
This almond crusted pie crust also has, coconut flakes, coconut oil instead of butter, and an egg to hold it all together.
Enough chatter. Let’s make this pie!
Ingredients Needed
- Coconut oil
- Almond meal
- Coconut flakes
- Pitted Dates
- Egg
- Salt
- Orange juice and Zest
- Fresh Cranberries
- Cornstarch
- Orange blossom
Equipment Needed
- Food Processor
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Pie Plate
- Spatula
- Oven
Almond Crusted Cranberry Orange Pie
Equipment
- 9-inch Pie Plate
- Food processor
Ingredients
- Almond Coconut Pie Crust
- 1/3 cup Coconut oil
- 1 1/2 cups Almond meal more if needed
- 1/2 cup Coconut flakes
- 8 Pitted Dates 2 for crust 6 for filling
- 1 Egg
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- Cranberry Orange Pie Filling
- 1/4 cup Fresh Orange juice
- 24 oz Fresh Cranberries 2 bags
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1/4 cup Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Orange blossom
- 1 tbsp Orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Almond Pie Crust Preparation
- Place the coconut flakes, 2 pitted dates and almond meal into a food processor and pulse to break down the dates and blend with the almond meal. Add the coconut oil, 1 egg and salt and pulse a few times.
- Slowly pour in the orange juice while the machine is running until the dough comes together into a ball. Add a little more almond meal if the dough needs it. The dough will be sticky but will form a ball. No need to wash the processor bowl just yet.
- Press the dough into a pie plate, there is no need to roll this dough. Set aside.
- Cranberry Filling Preparation
- Place the cranberries and 6 dates into the processor and pulse enough to break the berries and dates into small pieces.
- Add the eggs, cornstarch, orange blossom and orange zest. Turn the processor back on and puree the ingredients.
- Transfer the batter into the prepared pie shell.
- Bake for about 45 minutes or until the center of the pie is firm.
Video
Notes
- Delicious with a dollop of mascarpone or yogurt on top.
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.