No Bake Cranberry Cream Pie
No Bake Cranberry Cream Pie has a creamy, sweet-tart filling with a hint of orange zest. Use a ready-made graham cracker crust or make the cinnamon-ginger graham cracker crust. Chill it overnight for an easy make-ahead holiday dessert.
Servings: 8
Equipment
- Microplane or Fine Zester
- Food Processor or Rolling Pin (if using whole graham crackers)
Ingredients
- 1 (9-inch) Ready-Made Graham Cracker Crust (or make the homemade crust below)
Homemade Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 ½ cups Graham Cracker Crumbs (about 10 to 12 full sheets, finely crushed)
- 7 Tablespoons Butter, melted
- 2 Tablespoons Packed Brown Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Ground Ginger (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Cranberry Filling
- 12 ounces Full-Fat Block Cream Cheese, softened (1½ (8-oz) blocks)
- ½ cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons Orange Zest
- 1 (14-ounce) can Whole-Berry Cranberry Sauce (drained if liquid present)
- 1 (8-ounce) tub Whipped Topping, thawed
Optional Garnishes
- Additional Whipped Topping
- Fresh Cranberries
- Orange Peel Curls
- Fresh Mint Leaves
- 1 Cinnamon Stick, broken
Instructions
Make the Graham Cracker Crust
- If using a ready-made crust, skip to the filling. If starting with whole graham crackers, crush them in a food processor or in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin.
- In a small mixing bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Add the melted butter and stir until the crumbs are evenly moistened.
- Use the bottom of a flat-bottomed glass to press the crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch pie dish. Press the crumbs up the sides of the dish. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
Make the Pie Filling
- Use a fine zester or Microplane to zest the orange. In a medium mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and orange zest until smooth.
- Pour off any loose liquid from the can of cranberry sauce. Add the sauce to the cream cheese mixture and beat on low until evenly combined.
- Use a silicone spatula to gently fold in the full tub of thawed whipped topping until the filling is evenly pink.
- Spoon the filling into the prepared crust. Use the silicone spatula to mound it high in the center and smooth it toward the edges.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, until the filling is firm enough to slice.
Garnish & Serve
- If desired, garnish however you like once the pie is set. I spooned extra whipped topping into the center and decorated with cranberries, orange peel curls, mint leaves, and cinnamon sticks.
- Remove the cinnamon stick pieces before slicing. Serve chilled.
Notes
Make ahead
Make the pie the day before you plan to serve it, or first thing in the morning if you’re serving it after dinner. Once the pie is set, decorate it as desired and return it to the refrigerator until serving. If you used cinnamon stick pieces, remove them before slicing. Filling a ready-made crust
If your 9-inch crust is shallow, pile the filling high in the center of your crust, then use a spatula to smooth it into a mound that slopes gently toward the edges. Whipped topping for garnish
The full 8-ounce tub goes into the filling. Have a little extra on hand if you’d like to decorate the center as shown in the photos. Storage
Cover the pie in its dish and refrigerate for up to 3 days from the day you make it.
Make the pie the day before you plan to serve it, or first thing in the morning if you’re serving it after dinner. Once the pie is set, decorate it as desired and return it to the refrigerator until serving. If you used cinnamon stick pieces, remove them before slicing. Filling a ready-made crust
If your 9-inch crust is shallow, pile the filling high in the center of your crust, then use a spatula to smooth it into a mound that slopes gently toward the edges. Whipped topping for garnish
The full 8-ounce tub goes into the filling. Have a little extra on hand if you’d like to decorate the center as shown in the photos. Storage
Cover the pie in its dish and refrigerate for up to 3 days from the day you make it.
Nutrition
Calories: 440kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 287mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 37g
