Have you been looking for a beautiful, delicious dessert for any wonderful occasion? Well, here it is. This is really special. A buttery cookie crust with a creamy cheesecake topped with a cranberry lemon sauce all bake together into HEAVEN.
The original recipe is from Bake or Break – Adventures of an amateur baker. You should check her out for all sorts of wonderful things. This recipe really couldn’t be improved upon…I just wanted it to be more substantial. The original makes more of a tart or a thinner pie. I wanted it to be a thicker pie and serve more people! And then I threw in some frosted cranberries.
Cranberry sauce


Bring all the ingredients to a boil and then let simmer for 10 minutes. Then just set aside and let it cool!
Crust
Mix all the dry ingredients together and then cut in the butter.


I still use a fork to do this…just like my mama did.
Mix until the butter is well incorporated. Use your hands if you that’s easier. There is no added moisture so you want to mix this until the dough will hold together.
**Remove 1/2 cup into a bowl and set aside.
Pour the rest into the sprayed pie plate and press the crust mixture to the sides of the pan.

Don’t worry if it’s a little crumbly. Throw it in the oven to bake for 10 minutes. Cool it on a rack for a couple of minutes while you make the cheesecake filling.
Cheesecake
Whip the cream cheese until light and fluffy and then add in the eggs and vanilla.



Pour it into the slightly cooled crust and smooth it out.



Spoon the cranberry sauce over the top staying about 1/2 inch away from the edges.


Grab the crust mixture that you set aside and sprinkle it evenly over the top of the pie.


Throw it into the preheated oven and let it take it’s time. This pie has a lot of filling so it will need it.
How to know when a cheesecake is done:
Well now, there’s the question. Because of the cranberry topping, using a knife or a toothpick doesn’t work. Plus, who wants to split the cheesecake?
I prefer the jiggle test. While the cheesecake is still in the oven give the pie a gentle shake to see how much jiggling happens. You know that it’s done when most of the jiggle is just in the center. BUT, with this cranberry sauce on top it is a little bit harder to tell.
It helps to note when the cheesecake crust has browned and is beginning to dry out.
Bottom line…if it’s been baking for 70 minutes, it’s done. It will set up as it chills.
After removing from the oven, lay a piece of foil or cling wrap on top and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Frosted Cranberries
This is such a simple way to glam this up!
Just heat water and sugar over medium heat…stir just until the sugar dissolves.
Stir in the cranberries and let sit for 10 minutes.


Remove them from the syrup with a slotted spoon and gently toss in a little sugar until coated. Dry them on a rack.


These are wonderful! The sugar makes a crispy coating around the fresh cranberries. So good!
After the pie has chilled garnish with the cranberries and serve!

Store covered in refrigerator.
ENJOY!!!

Cranberry Cheesecake Pie
Equipment
- 9-inch pie plate
Ingredients
Cranberry Sauce
- 16 ounces fresh cranberries
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 cup water
Crust
- 1¼ cup flour
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ½ cup butter
Cheesecake
- 16 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
Sugared Cranberries
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup sugar +½ cup for coating cranberries
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
Instructions
Cranberry Sauce
- Stir all ingredients together in a saucepan. Heat and stir over med-high heat until it comes to a boil. Turn heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes until cranberries are soft. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Crust
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Add in butter and mix in with fork or pastry blender, Mix until dough will hold together. Measure out ½ cup of crust mixture and set aside for later.
- Spray pie pan with cooking spray. Use a spoon or your hands to press pie dough into the pie plate, pressing dough up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on rack.
Cheesecake
- Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add sugar, eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.
- Pour into slightly cooled pie crust. Smooth with spatula.
- Spoon the cranberry sauce onto cheesecake mixture. Leave about ½-inch around the edges.
- Spread the ½-cup crust mixture over the top of the pie. Bake 50-60 minutes until edges are browning and pie passes wiggle test. Continue to bake in 10 minute increments if needed. **Test for doneness by gently shaking the pie pan while still in the oven. The finished pie will still be a little jiggly, mostly in the center. Don't worry too much, there is a lot of disagreement as to when cheesecake is set.
- Cover loosely and chill for at least 2 hours.
Sugared Cranberries
- Stir the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.
- Remove from heat. Stir in cranberries until well coated. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Remove cranberries with a slotted spoon into a bowl with sugar. Gently spoon sugar over the cranberries until they are coated. Place onto a cooling rack to dry.
- After the pie has chilled garnish the pie with the sugared cranberries.
This looks absolutely amazing and I will be making today !!