Mixed Berry Pie

Close up of a slice of pie being lifted with a pie server.

This Mixed Berry Pie takes advantage of juicy berries and a flaky, all-butter pastry crust. It is filled with a combination of raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries and baked in a deep dish pie dish.

We have options to thicken the pie with cornstarch, tapioca, or instant clear jel (which is the best choice if you plan to freeze the pie).

You can use fresh or frozen fruit, however, read the notes if you use frozen fruit as you will need extra thickener. If you find fruit in the Farmer's market, you may need to add a bit of extra thickener since that fruit is often picked at its peak and tends to be juicier.

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 1

Additional Time: 45

Total Time: 2 5

Servings: Servings

Calories: 240kcal

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

For the Crust:

3 cups all-purpose flour (360 grams)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2-½ sticks 20 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small cubes
6-8 tablespoons ice-cold water

For the Mixed Berry Pie Filling:

3 cups fresh raspberries 360 grams/12 oz.
3 cups fresh blackberries 410 grams/12 oz.
1-½ cups fresh blueberries 225 grams/7 oz.
Juice of 1 lemon
¾ cups 175 grams granulated sugar
⅓ cup instant clear jel or 6-1/2 tablespoons quick tapioca or 1/2 cup cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cold butter cut into small bits
Egg white mixed with 1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon coarse finishing sugar

Instructions

For the Pastry Crust:

Mix the flour, salt and baking powder together in a large bowl. Add the butter and cut it in with a pastry blender until the mixture looks like cornmeal with pea-size pieces of butter.
Drizzle the water into the flour mixture a tablespoon at a time and stir after each addition. Test the consistency by squeezing a clump of dough together in your hands. If it holds its shape it is just right. If it is still crumbly and does not hold together easily, add another tablespoon or two of ice water until you can squeeze a handful and it holds together.
Divide the dough in half and form each half into a flat disk. Wrap each disk in plastic film and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature to soften up a little so the rolling will be easier.

For the Pie Filling:

Preheat the oven to 425°F
Add the berries to a large bowl. Drizzle the lemon juice over the berries and toss to combine.
In a small dish, add the sugar, clear jell (or use tapioca or cornstarch) and salt. Sprinkle the mixture over the fruit and gently fold together to coat well. (See notes if using tapioca).
Roll out one of the pastry disks for the bottom crust to a diameter of about 14 inches. Carefully fit the pastry into a 9-inch, deep-dish pie plate.
Spoon the fruit mixture into the pastry and dot with the butter bits.
Roll the remaining pastry disk for the upper crust a little larger than 14-inches. Cover the berry mixture with the pastry. Trim and crimp the pastry edges together and cut 4 vents to allow steam to escape. Brush the top with the egg wash and sprinkle coarse sugar over the top of the pie.
Set the pie on a parchment-lined sheet pan to catch any overflow drips and transfer the pie to the lower position of the oven.
Bake for 15 minutes at 425°F, then reduce the heat to 375°F and transfer the pie from the bottom rack to the middle rack. Bake for another 45-55 minutes or until the crust is golden and the berry juices are bubbling up through the vents. If the crust begins to darken too quickly, drape a piece of foil or parchment paper over the top.
Transfer the pie from the oven and let it cool completely before slicing it. Let it sit at room temperature for a couple of hours, then place it in the fridge until it is cold.

Notes

If you choose tapioca as the thickener, let the tossed fruit rest for 10-15 minutes before spooning it into the pastry-lined pie plate. This will give the tapioca time to soften before baking.
If you want to use frozen fruit to make the pie, add an additional 2 tablespoons of the thickener (either tapioca or instant clear jel).
Baking the pie at a higher temperature for the first 15 minutes will help the crust get flaky and prevent the bottom of the pie from getting soggy. Make sure you reduce the temperature after the first 15 minutes, or the pie will burn.
Venting the pie with several slits will allow the steam to escape as the pie bakes. It will also prevent the pie from developing a gap between the top crust and the filling.
Bake the pie until you see juices bubbling out of the vents. Sometimes a pie will need to bake a little longer than the time given in the recipe, especially if you start with frozen fruit.
If the rim of the crust begins to darken too quickly, cover it with a metal or silicone pie shield or strips of foil.
Let the pie cool completely before slicing. A freshly baked warm pie will be runny and not serve up nicely. Refrigerate the pie and cut cold slices. Warm each slice for 15 seconds in the microwave if you want a warm pie.

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