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There’s nothing quite like a freshly baked blackberry pie – sweet, tart, and bursting with juicy berries. It’s pure summer in every bite. This blackberry pie recipe is a must when you can pick wild blackberries off the vine or at a local farmer’s market. Frozen blackberries can also be used with optimal results.
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Plump, juicy blackberries taste delicious in this Blackberry Pie recipe. It’s a summertime staple around our house, especially when we happen upon a roadside fruit stand during our summer travels. I love how the sweet and tart flavors work together when tucked into a homemade pie crust that’s light, flaky and baked to a golden brown. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or or chill straight from the fridge with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. You’ll love how gorgeous it looks in the pie dish and more importantly, how good it tastes!
Blackberry Pie Ingredients
From the easy blackberry pie filling to homemade pie dough, this pie comes together with just a few simple ingredients. It’s one of the easiest fruit pies to make. See the Blackberry Pie Recipe below for measurements.
- Pie Crust: Only 4 ingredients needed – flour, shortening, water, and salt.
- Blackberries: 6 cups of fresh or frozen blackberries, or two pints, make a nice abundantly filled pie. I prefer to use fresh, especially during the summer months, but frozen blackberries work great. See notes below for how to use frozen blackberries.
- Sugar: For added sweetness to the tart berries.
- Flour: This will help thicken the blackberry juice and make it a delicious pie filling. Cornstarch can also be used.
- Lemon Zest: This is optional, but a little lemon zest or lemon juice brightens the blackberry flavor. A sprinkle of cinnamon, or almond extract can also be used to enhance the flavor of the pie. Baker’s choice!
Tips for Picking the Best Blackberries
How do you know if your blackberries are pie-perfect? There are a few tips and tricks to picking the best berries fresh off of the vine, or at a farmer’s market or grocery store.
- Color: Find blackberries that are deep in color, ranging from dark purple to black. Perfect berries have a natural sheen. If they’re matt or dull, they might not be as fresh.
- Size: For plump and juicy berries, the bigger the better. Look for larger sized berries for the best flavor and texture. Try to find berries similar in size and color for even cooking and consistent flavor in your pie.
- Firmness: Avoid berries that are too soft or mushy. The blackberries should be slightly firm when you gently press on the fruit. If purchasing fresh berries, check the container for any signs of moisture or leakage, which could be a sign they have passed their peak ripeness.
- Smell: Ripe blackberries should have a sweet and slightly floral aroma.
- Freshness: Whenever possible, choose locally grown blackberries that are in season. They’re likely to be fresher and much more flavorful.
Can You Use Frozen Blackberries?
You can absolutely make a blackberry pie from frozen blackberries, with a few tips. Frozen blackberries become super juicy when they defrost and can create a mushy pie crust. The trick is to let the frozen berries defrost in a large bowl on the counter, then drain most of the juice. The berries will still have liquid in them while baking so you’ll still have a perfect pie filling. Frozen berries cost less than fresh, and you’ll always be able to find them in the freezer section of a grocery store. Frozen berries taste delicious, too.
Tips for Cooling and Serving
Make sure to allow the pie to cool completely before slicing to ensure the filling sets. If you cut it right out of the oven, the filling will run out over the plate. You can still serve it slightly warm, but the filling needs a bit of time to gel before serving.
Serve at room temperature with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. Or serve cold straight from the refrigerator with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. This pie is sweet, but still tart and the sweetness of the topping really complements its flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
No time to make a homemade crust? No problem! You can find really delicious premade pie pastries from your regular grocery store. I like using the frozen ones. They usually come in disk form and have two to a package, perfect for this pie recipe.
I toss the blackberries in a flour sugar mixture to sweeten and thicken the pie filling. Other options for thickening the filling are cornstarch or tapioca. You will have a little juice in the pie after it is bakes, but it shouldn’t be soupy. If your blackberries are especially juicy, you may need to add an additional two tablespoons of flour. A runny pie can also indicate the pie isn’t done baking or cooling yet, be sure to follow the baking times and temperatures in the recipe.
I recommend using 6 cups, or approximately 2 pints, of blackberries for an abundant blackberry pie filling. This fills the pie crust and ensures an abundance or berries in every delicious bite!
According to usda.gov, leftover fruit pies can be stored at room temperature for one to two days or seven days in the refrigerator. I recommend wrapping the top of the pie with plastic wrap or foil to prevent the crust from drying out.
Blackberry Pie Recipe
Ingredients
Homemade Pie Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup Crisco shortening *heaping cup, see notes
- 5 tablespoons cold water
Blackberry Pie Filling
- 6 cups fresh blackberries (see recipe notes if using frozen blackberries)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest or lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425. Mix flour and salt in a medium bowl.
- Using a pastry blender or fork, blend in the shortening until it forms a pea size shape. Do not over mix.
- Sprinkle cold water over the top 1 tablespoon at a time until all the flour is moistened, tossing with a fork until pastry leaves side of the bowl.
- Combine together with a wooden spoon then switch to your hand and gather pastry to form a ball.
- Separate the pastry into two equal parts. One will be for the bottom crust and one for the top crust.
- Take one ball and flatten on a lightly floured surface.
- Roll pastry using floured rolling pin into a circle 2 inches larger than your upside down pie plate.
- Transfer pastry to pie plate.
- In a bowl, combine blackberries, sugar and ½ cup of flour. See notes if for frozen blackberries.
- Pour blackberries into pie pastry.
- Repeat the rolling out process for the second pie pastry and place on top of the pie.
- Cut off the excess pie crust.
- Seal the two pie pastries together by rolling them under then flute the edges.
- Poke holes with a fork or cut slits on the top of the pie.
- Cover the crust with 2-3 inch strips of aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil and continue baking the pie for an additional 15 minutes.
- Take pie out of oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack for 2 hours.
- Serve on its own, with ice cream, or whipped cream. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Tips for Using Frozen Blackberries
Frozen blackberries become super juicy when they defrost and can create a mushy pie crust. The trick is to let the frozen berries defrost in a large bowl on the counter, then drain most of the juice. The berries will still have liquid in them while baking so you’ll still have a perfect pie filling. Frozen berries cost less than fresh, and you’ll always be able to find them in the freezer section of a grocery store.Blackberry Pie Variations
Mixed Berry Pie:
For a variety of pie flavors, use mixed berries. You can combine blackberries with a combination of any amount of raspberries, blueberries or strawberries for a vibrant mixed berry pie bursting with different flavors. You can find bags of frozen mixed berries in the grocery store as well. Just make sure to defrost the berry mixture and remove excess liquid before baking.Blackberry Peach Pie:
Another variation on this pie is Blackberry Peach Pie. Substitute 2 ½ cups of sliced peaches for 4 cups of blackberries. This is less tart and a delicious variation if you don’t have enough blackberries on hand or if you don’t want such a tart pie. My family loves doing this variation, especially during summer when we have access to fresh, ripe peaches.Nutrition Information
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