Let me show you how easy slab pies are! Unlike traditional round pies, you can roll slab pies into any shape you want as long as it fits onto a sheet pan. This mixed berry slab pie uses a super flaky all butter pie crust and extra juicy berry filling. This is a very easy way to make and serve pie!
Summer pie season is here and that’s nothing to take lightly. Let’s make a free-form mixed berry slab pie with a flaky all-butter pie crust, juicy strawberries, fresh blackberries, and a squeeze of lemon to brighten up the whole dessert. I love slab pies because not only are they 100x easier than an actual pie, they’re essentially a giant pop-tart. If that doesn’t convince you, I’m not sure much else will. But I’ll give it a shot!
Start this recipe with the same pie crust used for apple slab pie. This pie crust recipe is essentially my traditional all butter pie crust, but it yields 3 pie crusts instead of 2. (Slab pies are larger, so we need more pie dough.) You know I’m a cheerleader for the shortening and butter combination in pie crust, but I find this particular crust is fantastic for slab pie. It’s a wonderful balance of tender and crisp and browns beautifully in the oven.
The pie dough must chill for a couple hours, so it’s easiest to prepare the crust in advance. It can hang out in the refrigerator for a few days or in the freezer for 3 months. When you’re ready to make the mixed berry slab pie, don’t stress over rolling out the pie dough. Unlike traditional round pies, slab pies are no-fuss. Let the pie dough take on whatever shape, as long as it’s about 1/8-inch thick and can fit onto your baking pan.
To make transferring the rolled out dough easier, roll it out on parchment paper. Pick up the parchment and place it on your baking sheet. I recommend a rimmed baking sheet, like a jelly roll pan, so any possible filling juices don’t go overboard. You could also roll the dough out on a silicone baking mat.
Low maintenance free-form pies will be your new favorite. You’ll love my berry cobbler and berry galette, too!
I love combining fruits to create unique pie fillings with varying textures. Juicy strawberries are the perfect match for the more sturdy blackberry. This duo yields a hot pink filling and if the giant pop-tart-ness doesn’t make you smile, this barbie pink filling will. Feel free to swap blueberries for the strawberries or blackberries.
There are some exceptions, but whenever you make pie filling, you need anywhere between 6-10 cups of fruit. For this slab pie, you need about 8 cups. Use half chopped strawberries and half blackberries. The blackberries I bought were extra large, so I chopped them in half.
Listen up! Berries are naturally juicy and will excrete even more juices after you mix the filling ingredients together. You will be tempted to pour the filling on the crust but DON’T DO THAT. There’s a lot of liquid at the bottom of the bowl—I measured about 1/3 cup—and that excess liquid leads to a soggy crust. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the filling to the pie crust, leaving excess liquid behind. Don’t worry, the baked pie filling will still be very juicy!
Roll out the top pie crust in the same shape as the bottom. If desired, you can cut into strips to weave a lattice pie crust topping.. For a golden sheen, brush the top crust with egg wash. And because it’s fun to be EXTRA, add some sparkle with coarse sugar. Be sure to crimp or flute the pie crust edges to seal in that filling!
Serve the mixed berry slab pie warm or wait for the whole thing to cool down and slice into bars. (You’ll get neater slices if the pie has cooled down!) If you’re simply serving on plates, cut and serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a dollop of whipped cream.
Celebrating summer pie season just got a whole lot easier and if you’re looking for more pie recipes, I’m your gal.
Simple strawberry blackberry slab pie recipe with an all butter flaky pie crust feeds a crowd! This is a free form summer pie assembled and baked on a baking sheet.
