Blackberry Pie

The best blackberry pie ever. No kidding! All butter crust, loads of blackberries, spiced with a little lemon, cinnamon, and almond extract.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated March 27, 2024
Elise Bauer
Blackberry Pie in a Pie Dish with a Slice Missing and Topped with Scoops of Ice Cream

Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

Yes my friends, it's time for blackberries! The season is here, the berries are ripe and ready for picking.

Blackberries grow wild here along the American River, and pretty much around all of the creeks and streams in California. Heck, they even grow wild in empty lots and neglected back yards in San Francisco.

Some friends and I went berry picking at the river this week and brought home a couple pounds of fresh, ripe, juicy berries, perfect for a pie.

And a perfect pie it is, or was. It didn't last long.

Honestly I think it was one of the best pies I've ever made, and that's saying something, because I like to make pie. The filling held together (instant tapioca is a great thickener), the additions of lemon, cinnamon, and almond extract just intensified and enhanced the blackberry flavor.

And the crust? Well, in my opinion, homemade pie is just an excuse to eat homemade butter crust.

Blackberry Pie in a Pie Dish with a Slice Raised on a Pie Server

Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

Wild Blackberries or Store-Bought Blackberries for Pie

Not everyone has access to wild blackberries. If that's you, you can easily use market berries or frozen berries. Trader Joe's carries a good quality bag of frozen mixed berries that would work perfectly well with this pie.

Store-bought blackberries tend to be sweeter and have more moisture than wild blackberries. So if you use store-bought berries, you'll want to add a little more lemon juice to the filling to balance the tartness, and use more thickener (cornstarch or flour) than if you are working with wild blackberries.

How To Select Wild Blackberries for the Best Pie

If you do have a blackberry bush nearby, pick mostly berries that are all black, or deeply purple. Do include a few berries that are still a little red. They're not quite ripe and will be rather tart, but they'll help to add a tart balance to the sweetness of the pie, and their pectin will help the pie thicken.

A truly ripe berry should be easy to pick. You shouldn't have to tug on it too much to get it off of the vine.

Tips for Blackberry Picking

  • Wear long pants and a long sleeved shirt for picking, the thicker the cloth the better, as you'll need protection from the berry plant's many many (ouch) thorns.
  • Put the berries in a bucket or thick plastic bag. The juice from the berries will go through any paper bag.
Slice of Blackberry Pie Served with a Dollop of Ice Cream on a Small Plate with Utensils

Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

Blackberry Pie

Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 60 mins
Filling Rest Time 30 mins
Total Time 110 mins
Servings 8 servings
Yield 1 pie

Ingredients

  • 5 to 6 cups blackberries, rinsed, picked clean, patted dry (if you use frozen berries, defrost and drain them)

  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar (depending on how sweet your berries are)

  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice (use 2 teaspoons if using store-bought berries)

  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

  • 4 to 6 tablespoons cornstarch, flour, or ground quick cooking instant tapioca (use 4 tablespoons if making the pie with wild-picked berries that include a few not fully ripe berries, 6 tablespoons if making the pie with store-bought very ripe berries)

  • 1 pie dough recipe for top and bottom crust

Method

  1. Combine the filling ingredients:

    Place the blackberries, sugar, cornstarch (or flour or ground instant tapioca), lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, and almond extract in a large bowl. Gently fold the berries until they are all well coated with sugar. Let sit for 30 minutes.

    Blackberry Filling Mixed Together in a Bowl for Blackberry Pie Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

  2. Preheat oven to 400°F.

    Place the rack in the middle of the oven.

  3. Roll out the bottom crust and chill:

    You should have two disks of pie dough, one for the bottom crust, one for the top crust.

    Roll out one of the disks of pie dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch diameter if you are using a 9-inch pie pan, or 13-inch diameter if you are using a 10-inch pan.

    Line the bottom of your pie pan with the dough. Chill in the refrigerator while you roll out the top crust.

    Pie Dough Rolled Out on a Counter Using a Rolling Pin for Blackberry Pie

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    Pie Dish Lined with Pie Dough

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

  4. Roll out the top crust:

    Roll out the second disk of pie dough for the top crust. You can keep the top crust as one solid disc or cut the dough into strips for a lattice crust.

  5. Add the filling to the crust, top with the second crust:

    Spoon the berry mixture into the dough-lined pie dish. For a lattice top, weave strips of pie dough over the top of the fruit-filled pie dish.

    For a solid top, place the second rolled-out pie dough crust on top of the pie. Press ends of strips into the rim of the bottom crust. Use scissors to trim the edges to 1/2-inch from the outer edge of the pie pan.

    Fold the edges back over themselves and use your fingers to crimp to seal the edges. If you are using a solid top crust, score the top several times with a sharp knife to create air vents for the steam to escape.

    Pie Dough Lined Pie Pan Filled with Blackberry Mixture

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    Blackberry Pie with a Lattice Pie Top

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

  6. Bake:

    Place the pie on the middle rack of the oven. Put a baking sheet on the lower rack to catch any juices that might bubble out of the pie while it's cooking.

    Bake the pie in two stages. First bake it at 400°F for 30 minutes.

    Then place a sheet of aluminum foil over the pie to protect the edges and tops from getting too burnt. (A pie protector is quite useful here.) Reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until the crust has browned and the filling is bubbly.

    Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Cool completely before serving.

    Did you love the recipe? Give us some stars and leave a comment below!

    Blackberry Pie after First Bake

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    Blackberry Pie Covered in Aluminum Foil

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    Blackberry Pie in a Pie Dish Sitting on a Kitchen Towel

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
464 Calories
19g Fat
70g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 464
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g 24%
Saturated Fat 6g 32%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 299mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 70g 26%
Dietary Fiber 8g 28%
Total Sugars 26g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 23mg 116%
Calcium 45mg 3%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 249mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.