Old Fashioned Blackberry Pie

This dessert is a classic, old-fashioned blackberry pie just like grandma made! We baked our berry pie in a deep dish with a tender, all-butter pie crust filled with sweet, plump blackberries.

Trust us. This old-fashioned blackberry pie tastes just as good as it looks! This is grandma’s blackberry pie, and we used her secrets along with some tips for our modern kitchen. It’s the best of both worlds.

A freshly baked pie cooling on a rack. — A tender, all-butter double pastry crust

Grandma didn’t use flour in her blackberry pie recipe because flour muddles the flavor of the blackberries. Sometimes old-fashioned tips and tricks are the best.

If you have extra blackberries, they combine well with other fruits. Try them in our blackberry-peach pie, blackberry lemon bread, and our mixed berry pie.

Why This Recipe Works:

The pie dough is easy to make or you can purchase pre-made dough for a shortcut.
Baking the pie at a higher temperature for the first 20 minutes helps prevent the bottom crust from getting soggy.
Since blackberries are very juicy and release a lot of liquid, this pie needs a bit more thickener than an apple pie.
We have an option to thicken the pie with cornstarch or instant tapioca.
If you plan to freeze the pie, we recommend using instant tapioca or ClearJel (we have instructions for ClearJel in the recipe notes).

For more blackberry recipes, check out our buttermilk panna cotta with blackberry sauce, razzleberry pie, and our blackberry crumble.

The Ingredients:

Here are the ingredients you need for an old-fashioned blackberry pie. This is pie just like grandma made, making the blackberries the star of the show. Please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the complete measurements and instructions.

Double crust pastry. Use our all-butter pie crust recipe, a store-bought crust, or our gluten-free pie crust.
Blackberries. Store-bought or picked from the wild. You can use fresh berries or frozen.
Lemon juice. It brings out the pectin in the berries and adds a bright tartness. Fresh lemon juice is best.
Granulated sugar. The regular white sugar adds sweetness.
Cornstarch or instant tapioca. Thickens the juices and builds structure.
Salt. Balances out the sweetness of the berries.
Egg-white wash. Brushed on top of the crust for beautiful, crisp color
Coarse white sugar. Adds a finishing sparkle to the pie.

A slice of pie next to a deep dish pie plate. — Freshly picked, plump, juicy blackberries are packed into this pie.

How to Make A Homemade Blackberry Pie:

Fruit pies are one of the more straightforward desserts to make. They can be versatile and have a traditional double crust, a fancy lattice top, or a crunchy crumb top like our Dutch apple pie.

Our old-fashioned blackberry pie uses a traditional double crust. The following is a brief ‘how-to’ of the recipe. Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the entire amounts and instructions.

Prepare the pastry crust, divide the dough, and chill.
In a large bowl, toss the berries with the lemon juice.
Combine the cornstarch or instant tapioca, salt, and sugar and toss with the berries.
Roll out one of the pastry dough disks and fit it into the bottom of the pie dish.
Pour the berry mixture into the bottom crust and dot butter on top of the berries.
Roll the remaining pastry and cover the pie. Crimp the edges of the pie crust, brush on the egg wash and sprinkle it with sugar. You can also make a lattice crust if you like.
Bake the pie and cool to room temperature on a wire rack.

When the pie has cooled to room temperature, transfer it to the refrigerator and cool completely before serving.

Serve the pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. If you want to get fancy, our lavender ice cream also goes well with this pie.

Recipe Tips for the Best Results:

Don’t slice the pie while it is still warm! The thickener in the blackberry pie filling will not set up until it is cold. If you want a warm serving, slice the cold pie and heat each slice for 10-15 seconds in the microwave.
For a golden crisp upper crust, brush with an egg white wash, cream or milk.
Don’t forget to cut the vents in the upper crust before baking the pie. Cut completely through the top crust (do not just score with the knife). Cutting vents will allow the steam to escape and prevent the gap between the top crust and the fruit.
Remember to reduce the oven temperature after the first 20 minutes of baking.
Baking the pie on the lower rack position and at a higher temperature for the first 20 minutes will help the pie crust become flakey and prevent the bottom crust from becoming soggy.
Bake the pie until you see the juices bubbling from the vents.
If you choose instant tapioca as the thickening agent, let the tossed fruit rest for 10-15 minutes before spooning it into the pastry-lined pie shell. This will give the tapioca time to soften before baking.

A slice of blackberry pie with ice cream on top. — Wonderfully delicious! This is how a blackberry pie should taste!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I Make this Blackberry Pie With Frozen Berries?

Yes, you sure can! We baked our Blueberry Rhubarb Pie with frozen fruit, which is delicious! Also, you do not need to thaw the berries first. Increase the thickener by one tablespoon and use the same oven temperatures.

Since the berries are frozen, they will require an additional 20-25 minutes of baking time. The secret to knowing when the pie is fully cooked is not so much the time but to bake the pie until you see the juices bubbling up through the vents.

Can I Use Flour to Thicken My Berry Pie?

Absolutely! Flour is a popular thickener for pies and sauces. However, it isn’t the best thickener. It can distort the flavors and make a cloudy appearance in the fruit filling. To use flour in this recipe, replace the cornstarch or tapioca with 10-1/2 tablespoons of flour.

Can I Use This Same Pie Recipe and Substitute a Different Fruit?

That depends. Not all fruits are created equal when it comes to pectin and juiciness. Some fruit, like apples, don’t need as much thickener. It is best to find the right recipe for the fruit you have.

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Rolling pin
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Some More Recipes You Will Love:

This peachy dessert is the best cobbler. We baked it in a cast iron skillet, but you can use a regular baking dish.

Our peach pie has a touch of brown butter and bourbon for extra flavor. The filling gets baked in a flakey crust and makes an amazing dessert.

Our strawberry rhubarb pie has a sweet-tart, jammy filling and a flakey, buttery crust. We used the same crust to make our lemon meringue pie and our deep dish apple pie.

Overhead view of a pie on a wire cooling rack

Old Fashioned Blackberry Pie

This recipe is Grandma's old-fashioned Blackberry Pie with a few modern tips for today's kitchen. We started with an all-butter crust and filled it with juicy, sweet blackberries. It has the perfect amount of thickener that makes a jammy filling that doesn't run all over the plate.

Grandma always used tapioca to thicken her pie if she planned to freeze it because cornstarch and flour break down in the freezer. Cornstarch works well if you don't want to freeze the pie.

She never used flour to thicken her pie because it muddled the fruit flavor. This recipe highlights the flavor of the juicy blackberry pie filling.

This is how a blackberry pie should taste!

5 from 24 votes

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Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 50

Total Time: 1 10

Servings: servings

Calories: 363kcal

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

Pie Crust:

Use our all-butter pie crust or store-bought pie dough.
For a gluten-free pie use our gluten-free pie crust.

Blackberry Filling:

8 cups fresh blackberries
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ cup cornstarch or instant tapioca
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup 150 grams granulated white sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter cut into small chunks
Egg-wash 1 egg white mixed with cold water
Coarse finishing sugar

Instructions

Prep the Pie Crust

If you are making a homemade pie crust, make that first, so it has time to chill. Leave store-bought pie crusts in the fridge until you are ready to assemble the pie.

For the Blackberry Pie Filling:

Place the blackberries in a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice. In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch or tapioca, salt, and sugar. Sprinkle the mixture over the blackberries. Gently toss the berries to coat them in the thickener.** Set aside while you roll the pie crust.

Assemble the pie:

Preheat the oven to 425°F Adjust the oven rack to the lower 1/3 position.
Remove the chilled pastry from the refrigerator and roll the larger disk into a large circle about 13-inches in diameter. Use a bench scraper or firm flat spatula to turn the dough and work flour underneath as you roll it. Transfer the pastry to a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with about 1-inch draped over the edge of the pie plate.
Spoon the blackberries into the pie crust. Dot the top with the butter.
Roll the second disk of pastry for the upper crust to a circle of 11-inches in diameter. Transfer to the top of the blackberries.
Trim and pinch the crust with your fingers to seal the two edges together, fluting for a decorative edge.
Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash, cut a few steam vents and sprinkle with sugar.
Place the pie in the oven with a baking sheet or sheet of foil on the rack underneath to catch any drips.
Bake the pie for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375°F.
Transfer the pie to the middle position, and cover the crust edge with foil or pastry guard so it doesn’t brown too much. Bake for an additional 30-35 minutes or until the filling begins bubbling out of the pie vents.
If you don't see the juices bubble, let the pie continue to bake. Occasionally, blackberry pies need an additional 15 to 20 minutes.
Check the color of the crust occasionally and cover with foil if necessary to prevent over-browning.
Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and cool at room temperature for 1 hour then refrigerate until cold before slicing.
The filling in the pie will not set up until the pie is completely cool, so don't slice into the pie while it is warm.

Notes

If you want to freeze the pie, we recommend using instant tapioca, or you can use Instant ClearJel. If you use Clearjel, you only need 1/3 cup in place of the tapioca or cornstarch.

If you use frozen berries instead of fresh blackberries, use an additional 2 tablespoons of thickener. Some people thaw the frozen berries and drain off the extra liquid, but we like to keep all the juicy flavors in the pie. That is why we increase the thickener when we use frozen berries.

Freshly picked blackberries tend to be riper and juicier than store-bought blackberries. They also break apart easier when you mix them with the sugar and thickener. Be extra gentle when you use freshly picked berries so they don't smash.

You may need to increase the thickener a bit if you have freshly picked wild blackberries since they are juicier.
Baking the pie at a higher temperature for the first 20 minutes will help set the bottom crust and prevent it from getting soggy.
Placing the pie toward the lower portion of the oven for the first 20 minutes will also help set the bottom pie crust. Make sure you transfer it to the middle of the oven after 20 minutes, so the bottom does not overcook.
Use a sharp paring knife to cut the pie vents in the upper crust. You want to cut the dough enough so the berries are a little visible.
Venting the pie with several slits will allow the steam to escape as the pie bakes. It will also prevent the pastry from developing a gap between the upper crust and the filling.