Old Fashioned Blackberry Pie

Overhead view of a pie on a wire cooling rack

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5 from 24 votes

Old Fashioned Blackberry Pie

An old-fashioned blackberry pie with a flaky crust and a rich, thick blackberry filling.

Prep Time20

Cook Time50

Total Time1 10

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Keyword: blackberry pie

Servings: servings

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

Pie Crust:

1 recipe for all-butter pie crust or store-bought pie dough (or gluten free pie crust)

Blackberry Filling:

8 cups fresh blackberries or frozen blackberries (see notes)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ cup cornstarch or instant tapioca
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter cut into small chunks
1 large egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water
coarse 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 ⅓ 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

For freezing: Use instant tapioca if you plan to freeze the pie.

Using frozen berries: If you use frozen blackberries, do not thaw them. Add 2 extra tablespoons of thickener.

Fresh-picked berries: Fresh-picked blackberries are often softer and juicier than store-bought berries, so stir gently to keep them from getting crushed.

Prevent a soggy crust: Bake the pie at a higher temperature for the first 20 minutes and place it on a lower oven rack to help set the bottom crust. Move it to the center rack after 20 minutes so the crust does not overbake.

Venting the crust: Use a sharp paring knife to cut several vents in the top crust so steam can escape as the pie bakes.

Let it cool: Let the pie cool completely before slicing so the filling has time to set.

Nutrition