Celebrate the flavors of summer with triple berry pie! Blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries mingle and meld together into a jammy filling, which is encased in a golden-brown buttery, flaky pie crust. Pre-cooking some of the juicy berry pie filling on the stovetop first ensures it will set into a sliceable consistency. As always, wait for the pie to cool completely before slicing, which is another non-negotiable that helps prevent a soupy pie filling.
While I always focus on pies in November—with my annual Pie Week and the many Thanksgiving pie recipes I’ve published over the years—I definitely don’t limit pie-making to the holiday baking season.
There’s just something so special and perfectly summery about a pie featuring ripe, in-season fruit. Strawberry rhubarb pie, blueberry pie, cherry pie, peach pie… all classic, homestyle summertime desserts that are worth waiting all year for. Today we are adding a new one to this list of summertime pie favorites: triple berry pie. This pie is bursting with blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries: triple the berries, triple the deliciousness!
A Great Pie Starts With a Great Pie Crust
In the summer months when the weather is warm, I prefer to use this recipe for homemade pie crust, because the shortening helps the crust keep its shape. But if you’d prefer to use an all-butter pie crust, I have a recipe for that too! Both recipes make 2 crusts, 1 for the top and 1 for the bottom crust, which is what you need for this lattice-style triple berry pie.
Make the pie dough ahead of time, because it needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before you can roll it out. But it keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and the freezer for up to 3 months, so make it in advance and it will save you time on the day you actually make this pie.
Like most homemade pies, this triple berry pie takes several hours to make; but most of that time is hands-off, as the pie is baking and cooling. It’s an exercise in patience and delayed gratification, that’s for sure! And I should also note that you don’t need to par-bake the crust because this pie bakes for so long.
Triple Berry Pie Filling
After I’ve scared you off about the time it takes, let me mention that triple berry pie filling is actually pretty simple! There’s no peeling, pitting, hulling, or chopping.
Pre-Cook on the Stove
While cooking the filling on the stove is an extra step that isn’t always necessary for fruit pies (it’s actually listed as an optional step in this apple pie recipe), my team and I found it is necessary for this one. Pre-cooking the triple berry filling for a few minutes guarantees the pie will set into a jammy, sliceable consistency. The pies we tested without pre-cooking were a soupy mess.
As they cook, the berries break down into a thick preserves-like consistency (especially the raspberries), so it’s important to reserve some of the berries to stir in after you take the pan off heat, for a delicious variation of textures in every berry bite. (You’ll stir in the vanilla extract and lemon zest at this point, too.)
You want a thick jam-like consistency:
Top Pie Crust Options
Regardless of the design, be sure to crimp or flute the pie crust and brush with egg wash. Egg wash promises a crispier crust and helps develop that beautiful golden sheen. Without it, the crust is noticeably dull and lackluster. While the egg wash is a must, finishing with coarse sugar is optional. I love adding it to sweet pies because it adds a little crunch and sparkle.
5 Triple Berry Pie Baking Tips
I promise this triple berry pie is worth the wait. It’s also deserving of a scoop of vanilla ice cream… and so are you!
Looking to satisfy your berry dessert craving a little quicker? This easy berry galette, blueberry galette, and berry cobbler are always a crowd-pleasers.
Triple Berry Pie Recipe
Description
Celebrate the flavors of summer with triple berry pie! Give the juicy berry filling a head start on thickening by cooking it for a few minutes on the stove. As the pie cools, the filling sets into a jammy, yet sliceable consistency. Serve with vanilla ice cream for a sweet summertime dessert!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Instructions
- Prepare either pie crust recipe through step 5, including chilling for at least 2 hours. I usually make the crust the night before. The pie crust recipe makes 2 crusts and you’ll be using both crusts.
- Place 1/2 cup of each type of berry in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Place the remaining 2 and 1/2 cups blueberries, 1 cup raspberries, and 1 cup blackberries in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Add the sugar and cinnamon and cook, stirring frequently, until the berries begin to release some juice. Place the cornstarch and lemon juice in a small bowl. Remove 3 to 4 Tablespoons of warm berry juice from the saucepan, and add it to the bowl of cornstarch. With a fork, whisk together the cornstarch and juices until cornstarch is dissolved and you have a smooth paste. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the saucepan with the berries. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is simmering and starting to thicken into a jam consistency, about 5–7 minutes; if you have an instant-read thermometer, the filling is done cooking when it reaches about 185°F (85°C). Remove from heat and stir in the reserved berries (1/2 cup of each), lemon zest, and vanilla. Set aside to cool at room temperature for 20 minutes or up to 1 day. If not using after 20 minutes, cover lightly.
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat to 425°F (218°C). Place a baking sheet on the bottom oven rack to catch any berry juices.
- On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough. (Keep the other disc in the refrigerator until needed.) Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth.
- Spoon the filling (it’s ok if it’s still warm) into the crust and place the pie in the refrigerator as you roll out the top crust.
- Remove the other disc of chilled pie dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough into a circle 12 inches diameter. Using a pastry wheel, sharp knife, or pizza cutter, cut strips of dough;, I cut 10 1-inch-wide strips. Remove the pie from the refrigerator and carefully thread the dough strips over and under one another, pulling back strips as necessary to weave. (Here’s a lattice pie crust tutorial if you need visuals.) Press the edges of the strips into the bottom pie crust edges to seal. Use a small paring knife or kitchen shears to trim off excess dough. Flute or crimp the pie crust edges with a fork.
- Lightly brush the top and edges of the pie crust with egg wash. Sprinkle the top with coarse sugar, if using.
- Bake the pie at 425°F for 20 minutes; then, keeping the pie in the oven, reduce the oven temperature down to 375°F (190°C). Place a pie crust shield (see Notes for homemade shield) on the edges to prevent them from over-browning. Continue baking the pie until the filling’s juices are bubbling everywhere, including in the center, 45–55 more minutes. If you want to be precise, the internal temperature of the filling taken with an instant-read thermometer should be about 200°F (93°C) when done. Tip: If needed towards the end of bake time, if the top looks like it’s getting too brown, remove the pie crust shield and tent an entire piece of foil over the pie.
- Remove pie from the oven, place on a cooling rack, and cool for at least 5 hours before slicing and serving. Filling will be too juicy if the pie is warm when you slice it.
- Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
While I strongly urge you to use fresh berries in this pie, you can use frozen berries in a pinch. Keep in mind that the pie will be juicier when using frozen berries. You do not have to thaw them before using. Simply follow the instructions in the recipe card below, swapping in frozen berries. You want a jam-like consistency off the stove.
For best results, I encourage you to use the recipe as written below with blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. If desired, you can replace the raspberries or blackberries with chopped strawberries. Or you can replace the blueberries with halved cherries. No other changes necessary.
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