Blackberry pie is a luscious fruit dessert, great for any spring or summer event. Make this easy double crust berry pie recipe using fresh or frozen blackberries!
This berry pie recipe creates a classic fruit dessert. It's best from late spring through the summer, when fresh blackberries are in season.
Fortunately, this recipe works just as well using frozen blackberries, making it the perfect for serving any time of the year!
The sour cream pie crust for this double crust pie is super flaky, tender, and incredibly delicious!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Better than a store bought pie. Just one bite of homemade blackberry pie will convince you to say goodbye to store-bought!
- Freezer friendly. Save time by making this berry pie recipe up to 3 months before you need it.
- The best spring or summer fruit dessert.
If you've ever questioned if you can make a homemade pie, you will be shocked at how easy it is with this recipe!
If you like blackberry recipes, I also have a blackberry cobbler recipe you should make!
Blackberry Pie Ingredients
See ingredient substitutions in the next section. ⬇️
To make the crust, you will need:
- sour cream: This adds moisture and a fantastic tangy flavor.
- egg yolks: To prevent flimsy pie dough, I use eggs to give it structure.
- all-purpose flour
- granulated sugar
- salt
- unsalted butter: Be sure your butter is very cold.
For the blackberry filling:
- blackberries: Use fresh blackberries if they're in season. If not, frozen blackberries work perfectly, and you do not need to thaw them first.
- brown sugar
- cornstarch: This is my favorite thickener to use in pie filling because it's inexpensive and naturally gluten free.
- cinnamon: The cinnamon and brown sugar add warm flavors to the filling.
- vanilla extract
- coarse salt: You can use either sea salt or Kosher salt. Avoid using iodized table salt - it sometimes gives baked goods a metallic after taste.
Recommended Tools and Supplies
I recommend using a food processor to make pie crust, because it helps to prevent over mixing the dough. If you don't have a food processor, you can use a pastry cutter and large mixing bowl instead.
- Rolling Pin - I like this rolling pin because it has discs that allow you to adjust the thickness!
- Pie Crust Shields - These are great for preventing pie crust from getting burnt.
Substitutions and Recipe Variations
- all-purpose flour: If you'd like to make the sour cream pie crust gluten-free, feel free to swap the AP flour for a cup-for-cup variety of gluten-free all-purpose flour. Two popular brands are Bob's Red Mill and King Arthur Flour.
This recipe will not work with almond flour or coconut flour. - sugar: For the filling of the blackberry pie, you can substitute the brown sugar with white if you'd like. It's best to use white granulated sugar in the crust.
- unsalted butter: If you want to use salted butter, just omit the ¼ teaspoon of salt this recipe calls for. I haven't tested the recipe with dairy free butter, so I can't promise that it will work.
- egg: Egg yolks are important for creating a tender crust, so I do not recommend using egg substitutes.
- vanilla extract: If you need an alcohol-free flavoring, you can use vanilla essence. You can substitute the vanilla with lemon extract, for a burst of citrus flavor that pairs well with the blackberries.
Recipe Variations
- For a prettier appearance and slight crunch, feel free to sprinkle the top of the unbaked pie with white granulated sugar, or a larger grain sugar, like turbinado or sanding sugar.
- Make a lattice top blackberry pie. Instead of a solid top crust, you can make a beautiful woven crust!
Roll the dough for the top crust into a circle 12 inches across. Then use a pizza wheel or sharp knife to cut it into 12 long strips, each 1-inch wide. Weave the strips of pie crust under and over each other to create a lattice top!
How to Make Blackberry Pie
Summary only. The complete recipe instructions are in the card at the bottom of this post ⬇️
Make the Pie Crust
- Whisk the egg yolks and sour cream together.
- Combine the dry ingredients.
- Incorporate cold butter. The goal is to have the butter in pea sized pieces.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients to create a smooth pastry dough.
Assemble the Blackberry Pie
- Chill dough while you make the filling.
- Roll out the pie dough.
- Lay bottom crust in the pie plate.
- Add the filling and cover with top crust.
- Bake and cool the blackberry pie.
Liz's Tips for the Best Double Crust Pie
- For the flakiest pie crust, be sure all of the ingredients are very cold. Also, avoid over mixing the pastry dough.
- To prevent a soggy bottom crust, set a foil-lined baking sheet or foil-lined pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven. Allow it to preheat, then bake the pie directly on it.
- Using a glass pie plate allows you to look at the bottom crust to determine if it is thoroughly baked.
- To prevent runny pie filling, let the pie cool for at least 2 hours. The filling will thicken as it cools.
Storage
Refrigerator: Because the crust contains sour cream, butter, and eggs, it is best to store it in the fridge. If it's wrapped well, your blackberry pie should stay fresh for about 5 days. Check out this post on how to store pies after baking
Freezing: You can wrap and freeze the whole pie, or individual slices to enjoy at a later date. Allow it to sit in the freezer for 2 hours before wrapping it up and placing it in a freezer bag.
A baked pie will last up to 4 months in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this pie on its own, but it would also be delicious with:
- Topped with Vanilla Ice Cream
- Fresh Whipped Cream
- If it's a warm day, try it with Honey Mint Lemonade
Blackberry Pie Recipe FAQ
Using a thickener like cornstarch in the filling will prevent it from being runny. Also, be sure to let your pie cool for at least 2 hours, as the filling will thicken as it cools.
Other Double Crust Fruit Pies
Perfect Blackberry Pie
Ingredients
For the crust:
- ½ cup sour cream cold
- 2 large egg yolks cold
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons granulated white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (1½ sticks), chilled and cut into cubes
For the filling:
- 4 cups fresh blackberries
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch or tapioca flour
- ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
Pie Crust
- In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream and egg yolk until combined. Set aside.
- In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt a few times to combine. Alternatively, whisk the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the butter to the flour mixture and pulse about 10 times, until butter is in pea size pieces. Alternatively, use a pastry cutter to combine the ingredients. Do not over mix.
- Add half of the sour cream and egg mixture to the bowl. Pulse about 5 times to combine, then add remaining mixture and pulse/process to fully combine. Alternatively, whisk or stir the sour cream/egg mixture into the flour mixture.
- Gather the dough and form two equal sized balls. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- While the pastry dough chills, make the blackberry pie filling.
Blackberry Pie Filling
- In a large bowl, stir together blackberries, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, vanilla extract and salt. Let the filling sit for 10 minutes.
- When pie crust is cold, preheat oven to 350℉.
- Lightly flour your work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll one of the dough balls out to a diameter of 10 inches. Place the crust into a 9-inch pie pan, and gently press into place. Trim excess dough from the edge. Roll out the other ball of dough to a diameter of 10 inches.
- Pour blackberry filling evenly into the bottom crust.
- Gently place the top crust over the berries and press down gently so it lays flat against the filling. Flute the edges of the crust using your thumb and forefinger.
- Using the tip of a sharp knife, cut a small slit in the center of the pie crust to allow the filling to vent.
Bake
- Bake in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes. Check the pie after 35 minutes to be sure the edges aren’t over-browning. If it is browning too quickly, cover the crust with foil or a pie crust protector.
- When the pie is fully baked, the internal temperature should be at least 200℉, and filling should not be jiggly.Allow the pie to cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.
Helpful Notes and Tips From Liz
- For the flakiest pie crust, be sure all of the ingredients are very cold. Also, avoid over mixing the pastry dough.
- To prevent a soggy bottom crust, set a foil-lined baking sheet or foil-lined pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven. Allow it to preheat, then set the pie dish directly onto it to bake the pie.
- Using a glass pie plate allows you to see the bottom of the crust to determine if it is thoroughly baked.
- The filling will thicken as it cools. Allow the pie to cool for at least 2 hours before slicing. Otherwise, the filling will be too runny.
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