Crustless Cranberry Pie

Thanksgiving may be over, but the marathon of food is only beginning. I am emotionally preparing myself for all the amazing baked goods that I will be making and consuming. No joke, I am meditating over recipes with apples, pumpkin, and spices; I am crying over beautiful pictures of melty, caramel goodness; I am going to therapy with large quantities of butter and sugar; I am sympathizing with all of the glorious dishes of mashed potatoes, carrot souffles, and stuffing. This is real people.

There will be loads of holiday celebrations in the next month or so, and this crustless cranberry pie is an excellent and festive addition to the table. I don’t know if I would actually say it tastes like a pie. It’s almost a hybrid between a pie, a cake, and a dense bar dessert because of the flour and egg and the lack of crust.

I made it several times and really enjoy that it isn’t as heavy as some of the traditional winter desserts. It definitely is more tart and not as sweet. It’s loaded with gorgeous, shiny cranberries and crunchy walnuts. And as far as desserts go, it is incredibly simple and requires hardly any prep – perfect for a busy dinner.

Cranberries are a lovely fruit. They take on a delightful sweet, but tart flavor after baking. Frozen cranberries work well for this dessert also, but you’ll notice that the batter is MUCH thicker and a little bit more difficult to incorporate the ingredients.

Walnuts add a wonderful crunch to the dessert. You could also sub in pecans if you don’t have any walnuts handy.

Cranberries, walnuts, and sugar in a bowl. I just love seasonal desserts!

Before the oven. The batter is reminiscent of a thicker, quick bread-type batter than a pie filling.

40 minutes later and you have golden baked goodness.

Jump on it.

Crustless Cranberry Pie (from All Recipes)

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup butter, melted but not hot
2 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract (vanilla works too)

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch pie dish.
In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt, stir until mixed. Add cranberries and walnuts, and mix. Add melted butter, eggs, and extract stirring until combined. *Remember it may be thick if you are using frozen cranberries*. Spread batter into prepared dish.
Bake pie for 40 minutes or until the top in golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or room temperature with sprinkled powdered sugar or ice cream, if desired.
Refrigerate leftovers for up to one week. It also freezes well for up to 3 months.