Old Fashioned Blackberry Pie

There’s nothing like an Old Fashioned Blackberry Pie with its fruity tart filling wrapped in a flaky pie crust. So grab your oven mitts and let me show you how to make this old-fashioned recipe using only a few simple ingredients.

My grandmother was an amazing baker and she was known for her pies and cookies. Whenever I came home from university for a visit my grandma would have ready-made pies for me. Meat pie and fruit pies.

My waistline didn’t appreciate the goodies but I appreciated the quick dinner options and delicious dessert, especially when I was hunkered down studying.

She would most often make me raspberry or blackberry pies so when I saw blackberries on sale at the market I picked up an entire flat. I got to work recipe testing and perfecting my blackberry scone recipe and blackberry jam along with this recipe for blackberry pie.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Pie Pastry – Fresh is best but if you are in a pinch frozen will work just as well. You will want enough for the top and bottom.
• Blackberries – When in season fresh are best and less expensive but off-season blackberries can be pricy so if you find them on sale great but if they are pricing frozen work just as well for this recipe.
• Granulated Sugar – Add sweetness and when the berries are cooked down the juice and sugar combine to create a little blackberry syrup.
• Lemon Juice – Balances out the sweetness with a little acidity.
• Cornstarch – Works to thicken up the filling so that the pie does not create a soupy mess giving the pie a bit of structure and making it easier to serve. If you don’t have cornstarch you can use all-purpose flour as well. Use a 2:1 ratio to double the measurement.
• Egg and Water – Whisked together to make an egg wash that gives the freshly baked blackberry pie its golden glow. You can use milk instead of water if you prefer.

Choosing the Best Fresh Blackberries

During blackberry season from June to October it is easy to find perfectly ripe blackberries but how do you know which ones are best? Look for blackberries that are:

• Deep dark purple similar to the shade of eggplant.
• Plump berries that aren’t starting to look wrinkly or dry in spots.
• A shiny look free of any mould.
• Firm to the touch and not easily squished.

Frozen blackberries are just as good and sometimes better than what you find in the store during the off-season because they are picked and flash-frozen at their peak.

If using frozen you don’t need to thaw them in fact I would advise against doing so. Instead, just increase the cooking time by a few minutes to account for a little thaw time in the oven.

How To Make Blackberry Pie

1. Start by positioning your oven rack on the lowest run and preheating your oven to 425°F.
2. In a large bowl gently mix together the blackberries, lemon juice, sugar and cornstarch.
3. Roll out the pie pastry into a 13″ circle. Fill the bottom of a 9″ pie plate with your first layer of pie pastry. Gently press the pastry into the bottom to ensure it is snug to the pie plate. Fill the pie plate with the blackberry mixture and gently spread it out evenly edge to edge.

4. Roll out the second layer of pie pastry. You have a choice of using a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut out strips of pastry to create a lattice top. Adding a full layer of pastry to the top and cutting slits or shapes in the top to allow the steam to escape. Your choice but as you can see I went with a lattice top with one fancy braided pastry piece.
5. Use a fork to seal the edges of the pie pastry top and bottom together. You can again be fancy and pinch the edges to create a fluted look. I went with using a fork to seal this pie. When done, use a sharp knife to trim off the excess pastry crust.

6. Place the pie plate on a foil or parchment-lined baking sheet. This will catch any juices that may boil over from ending up burning and making a mess on the bottom of your oven.
7. Whisk the egg and water together in a small bowl. Use a basting brush to baste the egg mixture over the top of the pie crust. This will give it a nice golden look once baked.
8. Bake at 425°F for the first 15 minutes on the bottom rack. Reduce the temperature to 375°F and continue baking for another 40-45 minutes. Remove from the oven when the filling is bubbling and the crust has turned a golden brown. Let the pie cool and set for about 2 hours before serving.

What if The Pie Browns Too Fast?

Every oven is different which is why the timing I give can never be exact. But if your pie is browning too much before the filling is bubbly place a sheet of aluminum foil over the top. This will act as a protective layer to stop further browning but still allow the pie to bake for the full time needed.

Why is My Pie Runny?

Often times it’s just because you didn’t let the pie bake long enough. This is why the little trick above to stop the browning process is key to being able to give the pie more time to cook without burning.

Another common reason is that the pie was served too quickly and wasn’t allowed to set up. The filling of the pie when it comes out of the oven is way too hot to enjoy anyway. Allowing it to cool for an hour will give the filling time to thicken up and make it much easier to serve and eat without burning your mouth.

Why is The Bottom of the Pie Undercooked?

With fruit pies, the juices of the pie may make it more difficult for the bottom of the pie to bake as quickly because it is cooler than the top of the pie. This is why placing it on the bottom rack closer to the element is key. Doing so at a higher temperature will help the bottom of the pie bake faster before the juices of the berries start to release.

But sometimes depending on your oven even this won’t do so blind baking is another great option. Before adding the fruit to the pie dish add pie weights or even dried beans to the unbaked pie shell and bake at 425°F for 15 minutes first. This will give the bottom of the pie a head start in baking before the fruit is added.

Once blind baked, remove the pie weights from the crust, add the berries and top with the second layer or pie pastry as you would and bake at 375°F for 40-45 minutes.

Storage

Fruit pies can be stored at room temperature for up to two days. Simply cover it with plastic wrap or store it like a cake inside a cake plate with a dome cover. If using plastic wrap be sure to wrap it in several layers so keep out as much air as possible and to keep the plastic wrap from slipping off.

After two days, storing the homemade blackberry pie in the fridge for a few additional days is best. The crust may get soft in the fridge so if you want to toast it back up you can pop it back in the oven at 400°F for 10 minutes. It may never be as flaky but it will help lose some of the softness caused by refrigeration.

Freezing

It is always best to freeze a fruit pie before baking because the pie crust when frozen will likely lose its flaky texture. It will still taste delicious and you can certainly pop it back in the oven to try and toast the crust again but it won’t be the same.

So once the pie is assembled tightly wrap the fresh blackberry pie in several layers of plastic wrap and set it on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer so that the pie sits flat until completely frozen. This blackberry pie recipe can stay frozen for up to 3 months.

Freezing the pie on a baking sheet flat will ensure that the filling stays even in the centre not doesn’t pool on one side. It will also capture any spills in your freezer if something topples over and disturbs the pie before it is frozen. I also have trained my kids and husband if they see something on a baking sheet in the freezer to not touch and find something else to eat.

More Great Pie Recipes To Try!