Tiramisu is my all-time favorite dessert…but I came up with this recipe for Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving calls for pie and cranberries! This is a delicious, decadent, and festive treat and it has become a staple on our holiday table!
Full disclosure: I’m using the term Tiramisu a little loosely here, but this dessert still captures so many of the classic tiramisu characteristics that I decided to keep it in the name. This was so fun to create. I wanted it to be easy and approachable and while I love a traditional tiramisu with zabaglione, I decided to keep things simple here. I opted for an easy whipped mascarpone frosting (or dairy-free mascarpone-style frosting) for the creamy layer and a slightly sturdier sponge for the base, so that it would slice beautifully as a pie.
Cranberries bring the perfect holiday flavor along with an orange and cinnamon drizzle. The star anise lends the syrup a unique flavor and helps it depart from a basic cinnamon syrup
I skipped the coffee and alcohol to make it kid-friendly, but don’t think I skimmed on flavor! This pie is a perfect make-ahead dessert and tastes even better after a little time in the fridge. Don’t let the multiple steps intimidate you – each one is simple, and this unique pie comes together quickly! It is easily one of my favorite recipes on this site!
Step by Step Instructions for Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Tiramisu Pie (Dairy-Free Option)
Gather all ingredients: Cranberries, orange, eggs, coconut sugar, vanilla paste or extract, sorghum flour, arrowroot starch, baking powder, fine sea salt, maple syrup, cinnamon stick and ground cinnamon, water, star anise, one recipe orange mascarpone frosting or dairy-free mascarpone style frosting.
To make the sponge, separate the egg yolks from the whites. To the bowl with the yolks, add the coconut sugar and vanilla and stir to combine.
Add the whites to the bowl of a standing mixer and whip until stiff peaks form, about 7-10 minutes.
In another small bowl, whisk together the sorghum flour, arrowroot starch, baking powder, and sea salt.
Add the dry mixture to the yolk mixture and stir until well combined.
Add about a cup (more if needed to loosen the batter more) of the whipped egg whites to the yolk batter and stir until the batter loosens.
Then gently fold in the remaining whites with a spatula until just combined.
Pour the batter into your prepared pie dish, spread evenly.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
To make the cranberry puree. Heat a medium sauce pan over medium low heat. Add the cranberries, orange juice, maple syrup, cinnamon stick, and pinch of sea salt.
Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until most of the cranberries have popped and the mixture begins to thicken like jam.
Add the cranberry sauce to a blender....
...and puree until smooth.
For the syrup, gently heat orange juice, maple syrup, water, cinnamon, and star anise in a small saucepan for 5 minutes. Let cool.
Make the Orange Mascarpone Frosting.
Pierce the sponge with a fork all over, then drizzle with the syrup.
Top the sponge with the cranberry puree. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Dab the mascarpone frosting on top of the cranberry layer to create a crumb coat.
Finish with another smooth layer of frosting and a dusting of cinnamon.
Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Tiramisu Pie (Dairy-Free option)
A festive, creamy holiday dessert that combines tangy cranberries, zesty orange, and a mascarpone-style frosting over a tender gluten-free sponge. Kid-friendly, make-ahead, and perfect for any celebration!
8
servings35
minutes30
minutes2.5
hoursKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
- For the Sponge
2 eggs, divided
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
1/3 cup sorghum flour
3 Tbsp arrowroot starch
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- For the Cranberry Puree
12 oz fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked through
juice of 1/2 an organic orange (about 3 Tbsp)*
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 small cinnamon stick or ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of fine sea salt
- For the Syrup
juice of 1/2 an organic orange (about 3 Tbsp)*
1/4 cup water
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1 small cinnamon stick or ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 star anise
- For the Cream
1 recipe orange mascarpone frosting (or dairy-free mascarpone-style frosting)*
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350F and position a rack in the center. Lightly oil a pie dish. If using the dairy-free mascarpone-style frosting, prep it ahead - it requires overnight refrigeration of coconut cream and soaking of cashews. If using orange mascarpone frosting, you can make it during the assembly step, so no advance prep is needed.
- To make the sponge, separate the egg yolks from the whites. Add the yolks to a medium bowl and set aside. Add the whites to the bowl of a standing mixer and whip until stiff peaks form, about 7-10 minutes.
- To the bowl with the yolks, add the coconut sugar and vanilla and stir to combine. In another small bowl, whisk together the sorghum flour, arrowroot starch, baking powder, and sea salt. Add the dry mixture to the yolk mixture and stir until well combined. The mixture will be quite stiff at this point.
- Add about a cup (a little more if needed to loosen the batter further) of the whipped egg whites to the yolk batter and stir until the batter loosens. Then gently fold in the remaining whites with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into your prepared pie dish, spread evenly and bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
- In the meantime, make the cranberry puree. Heat a medium sauce pan over medium low heat. Add the cranberries, orange juice, maple syrup, cinnamon stick, and pinch of sea salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until most of the cranberries have popped and the mixture begins to thicken like jam. Allow to cool (it will thicken further as it cools). Remove the cinnamon stick and blend the mixture (ideally with a small blender such as a nutribullet) until smooth.**
- To make the syrup, heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the orange juice, maple syrup, water, cinnamon, and star anise. Heat gently for about 5 minutes, until fragrant. Remove the star anise, take off the heat, and allow to cool.
- Meanwhile, prepare the orange mascarpone frosting.
- Once everything has cooled, pierce the sponge all over with a fork to help it soak up the syrup. Drizzle the syrup over the sponge, then spread the cranberry purée on top. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set.
- Top with orange orange mascarpone frosting or dairy-free mascarpone-style frosting: dollop spoonfuls across the cranberry layer, then gently spread. It’s ok if they swirl together slightly - think of it like a crumb coat. Finish off with the remaining frosting and a light dusting of cinnamon and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Enjoy!***
Notes
- *Zest your orange before cutting it in half so you can use the zest in the orange mascarpone frosting or dairy-free mascarpone-style frosting. I used the juice of half an orange for the cranberry sauce and half for the syrup, which allows the zest to be added to the mascarpone frosting - so you only need one orange total.
- ** Do not skip blending! When I first tested this recipe, I left the cranberry sauce chunky, but a smooth texture makes a big difference in this dessert.
- ***Depending on how thick of a mascarpone frosting layer you like, you may have a little bit leftover from either from either frosting recipe. Save it to serve with fresh fruit or a batch of soft and fluffy gluten-free pumpkin bars.
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