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Slice of crustless cranberry pie on a white plate showing a tender cake crumb with whole cranberries and pecans under a golden sugar top, the rest of the pie in a glass dish behind

Crustless Cranberry Pie

Cranberries and pecans baked under a buttery almond batter that turns into a crackly-topped cake. No pastry, about 15 minutes of hands-on work.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 8 slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 440
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cranberry layer
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries 200 g, do not thaw
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100 g
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts 55 g
For the batter
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter 170 g, melted and slightly cooled, plus more for the pie plate
  • 1 cup granulated sugar 200 g, plus 1 tbsp for sprinkling
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour 125 g
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and generously butter a 10-inch pie plate.
  2. Toss the cranberries, 1/2 cup sugar and pecans and spread them evenly in the pie plate.
  3. Whisk the melted butter with 1 cup sugar, then whisk in the eggs one at a time and the almond extract. Stir in the flour and salt just until no dry flour remains.
  4. Drop spoonfuls of batter over the cranberries, spread gently to cover, and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar.
  5. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until deep golden and a toothpick in the center comes out without wet batter. Add 5 to 10 minutes for a deep-dish 9-inch plate and about 10 minutes for frozen cranberries.
  6. Cool on a wire rack before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Storage: cover leftovers tightly and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Warm slices in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds.
Make ahead: bake up to 1 day ahead, cool completely and keep covered.
Substitutions: walnuts instead of pecans, or leave the nuts out; 1 1/2 tsp vanilla instead of almond extract; replace 1 cup of the cranberries with diced apple.
Without a pie plate: use a well-buttered cast iron skillet of a similar size; for a 9x13-inch pan, double the recipe and use the toothpick test.
Nutrition: calories are an estimate per slice (1/8 of the pie), calculated from standard ingredient values, not a laboratory analysis.