Pumpkin, Cranberry, and Pecan Pie
Thanksgiving is hands-down my favorite holiday of the year. Are any of you surprised? I love planning the big meal and then enjoying it with family and friends. Growing up, I was the only one who ever wanted pumpkin pie on the dessert table at Thanksgiving. My dad always obliged and made me a pumpkin pie.
As a side note, I think I get some of my crazy food ideas from my dad – we usually have at least one pie for every person at the Thanksgiving table, so literally everyone can request whichever flavor they prefer. So anyways, growing up, I wanted pumpkin pie. I’d pile on the cool whip and dig in.
As I got older, I was kind of turned off by pumpkin pie. Mostly because there are just so many other delicious Thanksgiving desserts to try. But let me tell you a couple things about this pie. 1: makes me love pumpkin pie again and 2: makes me swear I’ll never make plain old pumpkin pie again.
It’s seriously the PERFECT Thanksgiving pie. It has everything you could possibly want in a pie. The majority of the pie is a subtle spiced pumpkin filling, and then it’s topped with a pecan and cranberry streusel that gets all melting and crispy and delicious in the oven. If you have pumpkin pie on your Thanksgiving menu this year, I strongly urge you to replace it with this Pumpkin, Cranberry, and Pecan Pie.
One Year Ago: Spiced Butternut Squash Cupcakes
Two Years Ago: Cous Cous with Butternut Squash and Cranberries, Crockpot Cranberry Pork Roast and Cranberry Almond Caramel Tart
Three Years Ago: Depths of Fall Butternut Squash Pie and Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie
Pumpkin, Cranberry, and Pecan Pie
Ingredients:
For the Pie
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp orange zest
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp cardamom
15 oz can pumpkin
3 slightly beaten eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 single pie crust
For the Cranberry Pecan Topping
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 tsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp cold butter
4 ounces fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup chopped pecans
Directions:
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, zest, salt, and all of the spices (nutmeg through cardamom). In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin, eggs, cream, and vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and lightly beat by hand until well combined. Pour the pumpkin mixture into a pie shell. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the brown sugar, flour, and salt, and butter to a small food processor and chop until it resembles a coarse mixture. Stir in the chopped cranberries and pecans.
Remove pie from the oven and sprinkle the cranberry mixture on top. Return the tart to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the pie is set, topping is golden and bubbly, and the crust is golden. If the crust starts getting too brown, you can add strips of foil around the edges.
Cool on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate within 2 hours.
Recipe adapted from Good Life Eats
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
Happy blog birthday!! I love the idea of making these for Halloween with orange and black sprinkles…and black or cute pumpkin cupcake liners. I’m all excited to make these now. Fabulous job!
beantownbaker — August 28th, 2013 @ 7:25 am
AND, you could use the Halloween Oreos that have orange filling in them if you wanted 🙂 Oh, now I’m thinking orange Oreos to get the orange/black colors. Then use just purple sprinkles. Or maybe purple and green to round out the festive Halloween colors.
Happy blogiversary, Jen!!!!!!!!!! More exclamations! 🙂 these cupcakes look amazing! Congratulations on 6 great years! You’re one of the blogs I followed before starting my own! You’re amazing!
beantownbaker — August 28th, 2013 @ 7:27 am
Thanks Julie! And thanks for all the exclamation points 😉 It’s crazy to think I’ve been doing this 6 years now…
6 years of blogging!!! These cupcakes are the perfect way to celebrate!
beantownbaker — August 28th, 2013 @ 1:37 pm
They sure are!
Happy 6th Blog-verisary!!! I can’t wait to see what the next 6 years will bring ya!! Been a loyal fan for the past 6 years or so!!
beantownbaker — August 28th, 2013 @ 1:38 pm
Thanks! Who knows where life is going to take me in the next 6 years, but I hope I’m still enjoying blogging. I know I’ll still love baking 🙂
what a great way to celebrate 6 delicious years!! congrats 🙂
beantownbaker — August 29th, 2013 @ 9:08 am
Thanks!
Do you think I could make these cupcakes in advance, freeze them, and then decorate them the day of a birthday party? Or do you think the oreos inside the cupcakes would be compromised by freezing?
beantownbaker — September 2nd, 2013 @ 9:41 am
I’ve never put these Oreo cupcakes in the freezer, so I’m not sure how they’d work… If you try it, please let me know how they do.
Happy Blog-o-versery! I couldn’t imagine making oreo cupcakes more festive, but you certainly did so! Sprinkles are a fantastic idea!
beantownbaker — September 2nd, 2013 @ 9:42 am
Thanks 🙂
Happy blogiversary! I love any dessert with an Oreo in it: these cupcakes seem like an excellent choice to celebrate with!
beantownbaker — September 2nd, 2013 @ 9:42 am
I love Oreos in desserts too!
Okay, funfetti AND oreo, just stop it please 😉 this is a dream dessert!
beantownbaker — September 2nd, 2013 @ 9:43 am
My thoughts exactly 😀
Happy blogiversary! I can’t remember who recommended your blog to me, but I’m so glad they did! And I think I will definitely make these cupcakes next weekend for the first weekend of the NFL season. Last year I bought a package of black and gold sprinkles (GO STEELERS!) and I’ve been saving them for a good occasion. I also have friends who request the mini ham & cheese sandwiches every single year on kick-off weekend, though we call them butter sandwiches. These cupcakes will be a great addition to the no-diet day, haha. Thanks!
beantownbaker — September 2nd, 2013 @ 9:44 am
Thanks! Great idea calling those sandwiches butter sandwiches. I’m going to have to adopt that name as well 😉 These cupcakes would be great for NFL kickoff next weekend (even if I don’t agree with your choice in teams to root for…)