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Active Time
45 minutes
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Total Time
2 hours 15 minutes
Homemade blackberry pie tastes like summer, no matter what time of year you bake it. It’s fantastic with fresh blackberries in season, but frozen blackberries can do the trick (just don’t thaw them before tossing them with the rest of the ingredients).
You’ll usetapiocaand cornstarch as thickeners for this blackberry pie recipe. The combination ensures the berry mixture bakes up juicy, not soggy, and beautifully set. But before you start mixing, give your berries a taste. If they’re very sweet, use the smaller amount of sugar suggested below. A little lacking? Boost the sugar to the full amount. Thisberry piealso gets a dash of lemon juice to keep the filling bright and zippy. While you’re at it, go ahead and include the lemon zest, or add a pinch of cinnamon, cardamom, or a little almond extract to enhance the berries’ flavor even further.
While ourgo-to pie dough recipeis an all-butter one, the pastry here has amix of cold butter and shortening. The duo builds an extra-flaky, durable crust that’s easier to arrange into the lattice top and holds its shape beautifully. Instead of a traditional egg wash, this recipe calls for brushing the top of the pie with egg whites only, and dusting with sparkling sanding sugar. The resulting pie crust practically shimmers and is tastier than any store-bought version. Serve your homemade blackberry pie warm or at room temperature, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetenedwhipped cream.
Ingredients
8 servings
Pastry:
Blackberry pie filling and assembly:
Pastry:
Step 1
Blend together2½ cups all-purpose flour,¾ cup (6 oz.) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch cubes,¼ cup (2 oz.) cold vegetable shortening, and½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp Morton kosher saltin a medium bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with remainder in small (roughly pea-size) lumps.
Step 2
Drizzle4 Tbsp. ice waterevenly over and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in processor) until incorporated.
Step 3
Gently squeeze a small handful: It should hold together without crumbling apart. If it doesn't, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) after each addition until incorporated, continuing to test. (Do not overwork dough or it will become tough.)
Step 4
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 2 portions. With the heel of your hand, smear each portion once in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather each portion of dough and form it, rotating on surface, into a disk. Wrap disks separately in wax paper and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
Do ahead:Dough can be chilled, wrapped in plastic wrap, up to 1 day.
Blackberry pie filling and assembly:
Step 5
Place a baking sheet in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 400°F.
Step 6
Toss together6 cups blackberries (1¾ lb.),1–1¼ cups granulated sugar(if berries are very sweet, use the smaller amount),¼ cup cornstarch,2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted,2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice,2 Tbsp. water, and1 Tbsp. quick-cooking tapioca, ground into a powderin a large bowl. Let stand, tossing occasionally, 20 minutes.
Step 7
Roll out 1 piece of pie dough into a 14" round and fit into a 9" pie plate (4-cup capacity). Trim edge, leaving a ½" overhang. Chill bottom crust while rolling out top.
Step 8
Roll out remaining piece of dough into a roughly 16x11" rectangle. Cut crosswise into 11 (1¼"-wide) strips with a fluted pastry wheel or a knife.
Step 9
Stir berry mixture, then spoon evenly into shell. Arrange strips in a tight lattice pattern on top of filling and trim strips close to edge of pan. Roll up and crimp edge. Brush top and edge with1 egg white, lightly beaten, and sprinkle all over with1 Tbsp. coarse sanding sugar or granulated sugar.
Step 10
Bake on hot baking sheet until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling, 60–70 minutes. (Check pie after 45 minutes: If edge of crust is browning too quickly, cover edge with aluminum foil or a pie crust shield and continue baking.) Cool completely on a rack before serving withwhipped creamorvanilla ice cream.
Editor’s note:This recipe was first printed in the July 2000 issue of ‘Gourmet.’Head this way for more of our best fruit pies →
Leave a Review
Reviews (48)
Back to TopI started making this pie in the late summer of 2015, when I started harvesting wild blackberries on my cycling rides all over Washington state. I use Pillsbury pie crusts and wild blackberries, and with my thorn-scratched hands make the most wonderful pie from this recipe. This pie is easy to make, has a gorgeous presentation, and will embarrass you with the number of compliments you receive, considering the amount of time you spent actually making it! Except, of course, the hours spent harvesting. All worth it!
ambershadow
Bellevue, WA
3/14/2016
I made this pie for my crew @ the firehouse & it was a winner! I added nutmeg & small amt of cloves. It was very tasty. I also used less sugar & added Agave sweetener
ChuckandTroy
Washington, DC
7/15/2013
Love this pie! I made it with 1/2 c. maple syrup, no sugar, omitted the water and upped the tapioca to 2 Tblsp, same cornstarch. Works like a charm. I have used both fresh and frozen blackberries (2- 1 lb. bags frozen seems about right). I make the lattice strips 1" wide and that works better for me.
aguralnick
Encinitas, CA
4/28/2013
Doubled the tapioca, eliminated the water. Tried grinding tapioca in food processor, but it didn't really do much to change the texture, so I stirred the filling pretty thoroughly prior to letting it rest AND I let it rest in a warm place outdoors. I figured, those berries being right out of the fridge would be too cold to really saturate the tapioca. Anyway, it worked--not runny at all, and no visible pieces of tapioca in the finished pie! FABULOUS FLAVOR! I used an all butter crust and it remained crispy underneath despite all the juicy berries. I used 2 1/2 times the recipe for a 12" deep dish pie.
Tina_Sanchez
7/30/2012
味道很棒。也许可以少一点见sub吗ar. The pie was very watery. Maybe the pie needs to cool much longer. Also, the crust browns very quickly. For other pies, I put the foil on the edges initially and would suggest others do for this pie as well. In addition, the top browned too quickly.
Anonymous
7/17/2012
Pie turned out beautiful. I prefer tapioca as my thickener because it works well without distracting from the taste of the fruit. Before using it, I grind it so that it isn't visible and I'm thinking it might prevent it from getting hard when it is close to the surface of a lattice top. Also, I added a touch of nutmeg and substituted lime for lemon, as a matter of preference, like I do with all of my pies (except apple). Perfecto!
kbmcelhatten
Blue Knob, PA
7/11/2012
Wonderful & easy. I didn't know the tapioca would be visible after cooking, so my only suggestion is to make sure the tapioca is all covered up or it will get hard. Probably everyone else knew that.
flouncyone
va
5/29/2012
Made with mulberries and strawberries combined. 1C sugar plenty. Had issues with the pastry so didn't do the lattice. Husband loved it - he never compliments anything so it must be good!
Anonymous
Beijing
4/8/2012
Blackberry soup en croute! Perhaps my berries (big, fat, ripe, glorious berries) were just too juicy... but the filling was terribly runny. If I try it again I'll eliminate the water, up the cornstarch and add some flour. Seems criminal to drain off any of that gorgeous juice.
GratefulTable
Seattle, WA
8/30/2011
Just a delicious pie. Deep dish, I added 2 extra cups of blackberries and could have added 2 more. Let cool and chill before serving - it is best when completely set. Will make over and over again!
Anonymous
western washington
9/6/2010
Hello lover! That is some good pie. Mostly followed the recipe (added a Tbs of flour to the berries before filling the pie). The filling was the perfect combination of berry gooey, not gummy at all.
disorientasian
PDX
4/4/2010
I used fresh blackberries and after making the pie per instructions the first time, the second time I made it added the extra tapioca and drained the berries even more after they sat for 20 minutes. Pie is easy and delicious!
suzannh
Seattle
8/15/2009
I made my own pie crust and screwed it up so I didn't have enough for the lattice top, but this still turned out delicious, I just covered the pie top with aluminum foil before popping it in the oven. I was also baking at a friend's house and didn't have a cookie sheet to put under the pie, just baked in my Pyrex pie dish directly on the oven rack. I didn't use even as much as the minimum sugar called for because it seemed like a LOT when I was tossing the berries (I sliced in a few strawberries with the blackberries for variety), but the sweetness came out perfect. This was easy and delicious, got rave reviews and disappeared really quickly, I will definitely be making it again!
kimlehmkuhl
Oakland, CA
6/7/2009
Made just the way it was stated. I also cooked the bottom crust in the oven prior before adding the filling. Father in-law stated it was the best black bery pie he has ever had. I used fresh blackberries from the farm. it had a bit too much liquid i thought. i would add a little bit more tapioca. loved it myself. no complaints!
candybar4
olathe ks
7/21/2008
Have made this pie many times, I always increase the sugar to 1 3/4 cups, and substitute a tablespoon of flour for the tapioca.
Anonymous
New Liskeard
3/2/2008
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