Cranberry Orange Pecan Crisp for Holiday Dessert Tables
This Cranberry Orange Pecan Crisp is a perfect holiday dessert dish featuring fresh cranberries, vibrant orange zest and juice, crunchy pecans, and a buttery, crumbly topping baked to golden perfection. Ideal for festive tables, it combines tart, sweet, and nutty flavors with a delightful texture contrast.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert, Holiday Recipes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Crisp Topping
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks), cold and cubed
Cranberry Filling
- 2 (12 ounce) packages fresh cranberries
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- Zest from 2 oranges
- Juice from 1 orange
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup butter, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) to ensure it’s hot enough to crisp the topping and cook the filling evenly.
- Make Crisp Topping: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and brown sugar until combined. Add 1 cup of the cold butter and use a mixer on low speed to mix until the mixture becomes crumbly and coarse pea-sized clumps form.
- Prepare Cranberry Filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Rinse the cranberries well and place them in a large bowl. Add chopped pecans, orange zest, and fresh orange juice. Pour in the sugar-spice mixture and gently fold everything together to coat the cranberries and pecans evenly.
- Assemble the Crisp: Transfer the cranberry mixture into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, spreading it out evenly. Distribute the remaining ¼ cup of sliced butter randomly over the fruit mixture. Then, evenly spread the buttery flour topping over the fruit mixture to cover it completely.
- Bake: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake uncovered for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and crisp and the cranberry filling is bubbling around the edges.
- Cool and Serve: Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly so the filling can set. Serve warm or at room temperature. This crisp pairs wonderfully with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Notes
- Use fresh cranberries rather than frozen for best texture and flavor.
- For extra crunch, toast the pecans lightly before adding to the filling.
- This crisp can be made a day ahead and reheated gently before serving.
- For a juicier filling, add an additional ¼ cup of orange juice.
- Butter should be cold for the topping to create the best crumbly texture.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for 3-4 days and can be reheated in the oven.