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Thanksgiving is the time for show-stopping desserts, and this cranberry meringue pie delivers! The vibrant cranberry curd filling and mile-high Swiss meringue topping make this pie a stunner. As a timesaver, feel free to use your favorite prebaked pie crust.
Made with cranberries (fresh or frozen), and flavored with orange juice and brown sugar, the cranberry curd makes a delicious pie or tart filling. It’s silky smooth with a nice balanced sweet-tart flavor, and pairs perfectly with the sweet meringue.
How to Shape and Toast Swiss Meringue
To shape the meringue into a mile-high topping, use a clean spatula to pile the Swiss meringue over the pie, reserving about a 1/2 cup of meringue in the bowl.
To make the peaks, dip a clean hand into the bowl to coat your fingers with meringue. Press your fingers against the meringue on the pie, and then pull away to form peaks and curls. Repeat as you work your way around the pie.
For perfectly toasted meringue, use a kitchen blow torch to lightly torch the peaks and curls, rotating the pie as you work. Refrigerate the pie until you’re ready to serve. It’s easy to see why this stunning cranberry pie is a holiday favorite!
More favorite cranberry desserts:
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Cranberry Meringue Pie with Homemade Curd
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 9-inch pie, 8 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Cranberry meringue pie layered with vibrant homemade cranberry curd and topped with mile-high Swiss meringue is perfect for the holiday season!
Ingredients
Cranberry Curd
- 3 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- 2 Tbsp fresh orange juice
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
Pie
- 1 prebaked 9-inch pie crust
Meringue
- 5 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Make cranberry curd: Combine cranberries, orange juice, salt, and brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until cranberries split open and soften, about 6 minutes.
- Transfer cranberry mixture to a food processor. Let cool for 5 minutes, then add water and process until smooth. Return mixture to saucepan over medium heat and whisk in sugar.
- Gradually whisk in eggs and egg yolks until combined. Cook over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened. Add butter a few pieces at a time, whisking constantly until melted before adding more butter. Continue until curd is smooth and thickened, and coats the back of a spoon (about 5 minutes total).
- Strain curd through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. If making ahead, press a piece of plastic directly on the surface and chill until ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spoon cranberry curd into pie crust. Bake for 10 minutes, until the filling is set. Cool pie completely in pan on wire rack, then cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours (or overnight).
- Make Swiss meringue: Combine egg whites and sugar in a mixer bowl and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Heat mixture to 160°F while whisking constantly to dissolve the sugar, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer mixer bowl to stand mixer fitted with wire whip attachment. Starting on low and increasing to medium-high speed, whisk for 8 to 10 minutes, until the mixture is fluffy and glossy, forms stiff peaks, and the mixer bowl is cool to the touch.
- Pipe or pile meringue over tart, then toast carefully with a blow torch or under a broiler. Refrigerate until ready to serve (meringue can be added 3-4 hours before serving). To slice, dip a sharp knife in hot water and let excess drip off before cutting each slice.
Notes
Make ahead: Make the cranberry curd a few days in advance, then cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to use.
Bake pie ahead: You can also bake the pie one day before your holiday gathering. Spoon the cranberry curd into the crust and bake until the curd is just set, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack, then refrigerate the pie overnight, adding the meringue topping a few hours before serving.
I have made this several times. It is everyone’s favorite. Every element is delicious. I’d like to make in tart pan. What size do you think would be best?
Thanks so much, Betsy! I would use a standard 9-inch round removable-bottom tart pan.
I made this for Thanksgiving, but as tiny pies (2-1/2” pie tins). They were a big hit! The curd is absolutely delicious. Thanks!
Love the idea of tiny pies! So glad you tried this recipe! 🙂
Made this pie today for Thanksgiving and we loved the tartness of the cranberries paired with the sweetness of the meringue. It was my first time baking with fresh cranberries and making Swiss meringue and this dessert was a success all around. Happy Thanksgiving, Laura!
Thank you so much, Ana! You made my day! 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving!
I made this today and ohmygosh the cranberry curd is out of this world good!! It was a test recipe for Thanksgiving! Do you have any tips for getting it out of the aluminum pan? My pie cracked in half when removing it.
Thx for a delicious pie!
Hi Debbie, so glad you tried this pie! 🙂 I left the aluminum pan on until after the pie was chilled – the crust and curd firmed up and were sturdier once fully chilled. You can also use a sharp knife or kitchen shears to carefully cut away the aluminum pan. Hope that helps!
That pie is stunning! I just added this recipe to our Thanksgiving menu!
Thank you so much, Stephanie! I absolutely love this pie for the holidays! 🙂