Sangria Pie – with Wine Syrup and Candied Blood Oranges

Did I just say sangria pie? And wine syrup? Why yes. And it’s just as rich, sumptuous, sweet, fruity and red as you would think it is. It’s Valentine’s Day in a pie. You should make your sweet thang sangria pie for Valentine’s Day.

As I was trying to think of the perfect Valentine’s pie, blood oranges came to mind since it’s still citrus season. Then I remembered that sangria is made with oranges and apples – or your choice of luscious fruits- plus wine. So why not put that all in a pie? Sangria pie with wine syrup and candied blood oranges. That’s a whole sentence in itself.

Imagine baking this for your special someone. You pull this stunner out of the oven and announce that you’ve handmade them sangria pie with wine syrup and candied blood oranges. Imagine the dazzled expression on their face. Now THAT’S how you say “I love you.

So let’s get started.

There are only 3 steps for the pie. Soak the fruits, make the crust, bake the pie. Candied blood oranges (this was my inspiration) and wine syrup just add an extra wow factor.

You’ll want to marinate your fruit from the night before (or at least for a few hours) to get maximum sangria flavor.

What You Need For the Crust:

• Use my basic pie crust recipe. It’s flaky, buttery, and crispy.

What You Need For the Filling:

• 3 apples (I used golden delicious)
• 3 naval oranges (the blood oranges can add a bitter taste to the pie)
• 2 cups of blueberries (16 oz)
• 1 cup of raspberries (8 oz)- (or any 3 cup combo of blueberries, raspberries or blackberries)
• 1/2 cup sugar (you can do half brown, half white)
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 bottle (at least 3 cups (24 oz) of red wine. Pick one with fruity tones, or a dry Spanish red wine). I used a red Zinfandel.
• 1 cup orange juice
• Optional: 2 tsp of fresh squeezed lemon juice, and 1 tsp lemon zest

What you Need for the Wine Syrup:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup flour

What you Need for the Candied Blood Oranges:

• 2 blood oranges (washed well). You may use 2 medium oranges if you can’t find any blood oranges. They’re just not as fancy.
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 cups water

Instructions For Sangria Pie

The night before: soak fruits, candy the blood oranges

1. Prep the Fruit Bath

• Peel, core, and cube your 3 apples. Supreme the oranges (see Pro Tips below if you’re not sure now).
• Toss the fruits into a glass or stainless steel container that has a lid. Pour in about 2 cups of wine. Add 1 cup of orange juice. Make sure the fruits are fully immersed (add more wine if you need to). Give it a stir and refrigerate overnight.

2. Make the Candied Blood Orange Garnish (Optional)

• Slice the blood oranges into thin rounds (skin on). Discard the ends and seeds.
• Dissolve the sugar in the water (by stirring) while bringing it to a boil in a wide skillet. Put in the orange slices (no layering), and simmer, uncovered for 45 min to 1 hour. The liquid will darken and the orange slices become more transparent.
• Remove the orange slices, and allow them to dry on a cooling rack (or piece of parchment paper if necessary) overnight.

The Day Of: Bake the Pie, Make the Wine Syrup

1. Wash and add the berries to the wine bath (reserve a few raspberries for the garnish).
2. Make your crust and put the bottom of the crust in the pie dish. Refrigerate the crusts while you get the filling ready.
3. Drain the fruits in a colander. Reserve the wine in a saucepan. In a medium sized bowl, toss the fruits with the flour, sugars, cinnamon, and optional lemon juice and zest.
4. Assemble the pie, brush with egg wash. When I rolled out the top crust, I cut out the word “love” with small cookie cutters.
5. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes, then reduce to 375 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.

Wait! Don’t waste the wine!

Make it into a syrup (or more simply, just drink it with your meal):

• Heat the wine in a saucepan with the 3/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Whisk to dissolve the flour and sugar, bringing the mixture to a boil.
• Reduce to medium heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes. The longer it reduces, the more intense the flavor. I allowed mine to reduce for 20-30 minutes, but that is because I forgot about it. It tasted great anyway.

You’re Done!

Garnish the pie with candied orange slices. I also added fresh mint, raspberries, and thin slices of starfruit and grapes. For each slice of pie, I drizzled on a bit of wine syrup. I invited a few people over to try Sangria Pie (no one declined – not sure why), and it was polished off in about 30 minutes.

But I had a bunch of wine syrup left over, which I shared with no one [insert evil laughter]. I jarred it up, and I’m waiting to eat with a slice of cheesecake!

Want more of our pie recipes? Check them out here. You can also make this easy Foolproof No-Sew Throw Pillow that says “love”; toss it on the bed or couch to display in time for Valentine’s Day.

Pro Tips

• Supreme the oranges by slicing off the top and bottom (including the navel), then slicing the skin off the sides leaving no white parts. Cut out wedges of the orange flesh from between the segments, taking no ‘skins’). Cut out your wedges over the container so the sweet juices can run into your wine marinade instead of being lost forever.

• Do candy the oranges the night before if you’re going to use them. They need 24 hours to ‘dry out’.