Striped Berry Pie Recipe (2024)

By Erin Jeanne McDowell

Striped Berry Pie Recipe (1)

Total Time
1 hour 45 minutes, plus cooling and chilling
Rating
4(213)
Notes
Read community notes

You can use three jammy berry fillings — strawberry, raspberry and blackberry — to create a beautiful, naturally colored ombré effect in a pie. Pre-cooking the fillings helps ensure that they’re thick enough to easily slice once they’re baked. You need to keep a close eye on the fruit here, so don’t be tempted to make more than one filling at a time. Berries can vary in juiciness, so it’s very important to make sure you have the right amount of each filling before assembling the pie (see the Note at the bottom of the recipe for how to adjust your filling if it’s too thin or too thick). The pie is best the day it’s baked, but the fillings can be made up to 2 days ahead; stir well before using.

Featured in: 8 Spectacular Pies That Taste as Good as They Look

Learn: How to Make a Pie Crust

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 10 servings

    For the Crust

    • Perfect Pie Crust, prepared for a fruit pie and chilled
    • Egg wash (1 large egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water)

    For the Blackberry Filling

    • 14ounces/400 grams blackberries (about 3 cups)
    • 5tablespoons/65 grams granulated sugar
    • 3tablespoons cornstarch
    • 1teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 3tablespoons heavy cream

    For the Raspberry Filling

    • 14ounces/400 grams raspberries (about 3 cups)
    • 5tablespoons/65 grams granulated sugar
    • 3tablespoons cornstarch
    • 1teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 3tablespoons heavy cream

    For the Strawberry Filling

    • 14ounces/400 grams stemmed and quartered strawberries (about 3 cups)
    • 5tablespoons/65 grams granulated sugar
    • tablespoons cornstarch
    • 1teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 4tablespoons heavy cream

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Make the recipe with us

  1. Step

    1

    On a lightly floured surface and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out a disk of dough into a circle about ¼-inch thick. Starting at one end, gently roll up the dough onto the rolling pin. Unfurl the dough over a 9-inch pie plate, preferably ceramic, and press it in lightly, making sure it’s lining the plate.

  2. Step

    2

    Trim so that there’s about ½ inch of excess dough hanging over the edge of the pie plate. (If the dough feels warm, refrigerate it for 15 minutes.) Tuck the excess dough under itself so it is flush with the edge of the pie plate; leave the pie like this for a straight-edge finish, or crimp as desired. Dock the base and sides all over with a fork and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, and up to 2 hours.

  3. Place a rack on the bottom shelf of the oven, and place a baking stone, if you have one, on the rack. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Use a small brush to evenly paint egg wash on the edge of the crust. Cut a square of parchment paper and use it to line the crust. Fill with pie weights (or dried beans) up to the top edge. Place the plate on a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil.

  4. Step

    4

    Transfer the baking sheet to the oven, placing it directly on the baking stone if using. Bake crust until the outer edge is just starting to turn golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the parchment and pie weights, and continue to bake until the base appears set, 2 to 4 minutes more. If the dough puffs up anywhere, you can puncture it with a fork. Cool the crust completely. Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees.

  5. Step

    5

    Make the blackberry filling: Mix the blackberries and 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries begin to break down, 8 to 10 minutes. Mash with a potato masher or large fork until the mixture resembles a coarse purée. You should have 1 ¾ cup (if you have more or less, see Note below). In a small bowl, whisk the remaining sugar and cornstarch to combine. Add to the pot and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. (The filling should be thick, like jam from a jar at room temperature; it will thicken slightly more when cooled, as will the two other berry fillings below.) Cool completely, then whisk in vanilla and cream. Set filling aside and rinse out the pot.

  6. Step

    6

    Make the raspberry filling: Mix the raspberries and 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries begin to soften and break down, about 3 to 5 minutes. Mash until the mixture resembles a coarse purée. You should have 2 cups of purée (if you have more or less, see Note). In a small bowl, whisk the remaining sugar and cornstarch to combine. Add to the pot and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Cool completely, then whisk in vanilla and cream. Set filling aside and rinse out the pot.

  7. Step

    7

    Make the strawberry filling: Mix the berries and 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries begin to soften and break down, 4 to 5 minutes. Mash until the mixture resembles a very coarse purée. You should have 1 ¾ cups of purée (if you have more or less, see Note). In a small bowl, whisk the remaining sugar and cornstarch to combine. Add to the pot and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Cool completely, then whisk in vanilla and cream.

  8. Step

    8

    Working with one filling at a time, spoon each filling into the crust in thick stripes: Put the blackberry and strawberry fillings (the two sides) in first, using a little more than half of each. Then spoon the full amount of the raspberry filling into the center. After the raspberry is in, spoon the remaining blackberry and strawberry fillings on top on their respective sides. Take care to fill just to the inner edge of the crust (you may have leftover filling). The fillings should be thick enough that they stay where you put them, but a small amount of spreading is normal. Use the tip of a knife to swirl the fillings wherever they meet, then use a small offset spatula or a silicone spatula to spread them evenly flat.

  9. Step

    9

    Place the pie plate on a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet and transfer it to the 400-degree oven, placing directly on top of the baking stone if using. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling appears evenly set on the surface, 35 to 40 minutes; start checking the pie after 30 minutes of baking to be sure it doesn’t bubble over. When ready, the surface will form a skin and look set, but it will move slightly when the pie is wiggled. If the crust or the surface of the berries begin to look too dark, tent the pie with foil in the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking.

  10. Step

    10

    Let pie cool completely on a rack, at least 5 hours, before serving. The pie is best the day it is baked; store leftovers at room temperature, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.

Tip

  • If you get less berry purée mixture than you should have, your mixture is too thick: Add an additional ¼ to ⅓ cup fresh berries off the heat, stir to combine, then mash into the purée. If you get more mixture than specified, your mixture is too thin: Return the pot to medium-low heat and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens more.

Ratings

4

out of 5

213

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Madeline

Put the flavors in concentric rings, instead of side by side. I decided that as soon as I saw it.

Jamie

if you made all of the individual pieces and then assembled & baked the day of you'd be fine. I just wouldn't try to fill it and then put it in the fridge overnight because your crust WILL be incredibly soggy.

jennysorel

I think this is an odd choice for Thanksgiving seeing as berries are not in season. This would be a great summer pie. I try to buy local and what’s in season, and, seeing as I live in the Mid-Atlantic, berries do not fit the bill! #tryingtocutdownoncarbonfootprint

lbswink

I just think you have to eat more pie! LOL

Korynn

Some folks have plenty of local frozen berries picked from the summer in my freezer. I think it's a great TG pie!

Amber

Doesn't taste good enough to be worth the trouble it takes, particularly on a busy Thanksgiving day

Marqua1

I made the blackberry filling as a test before working the whole pie. Frankly, I found the flavor to be disappointing and bland. The berries were flavorful and fresh and I measured everything carefully. So I'm not inclined to make the "investment" of time and hope in the whole recipe.I would be curious to know what others thought of the taste - not the look. Thanks.

Rich

When I first met this pie I wish thought using rings would be best, and I believe this was a mistake. It was not nearly as visually appealing, and trying to have all three berries in one piece is also overrated. No matter what, it is a delicious, dessert and everyone raves about it, both ways.

Ingrid

why not just use good quality jarred jam or fruit spread and doctor it if necessary, add the cream and vanilla too?

Allison Bret

I had an easy fix to the stripes- combined half the fillings together and made the bottom layer with the triple-berry jam. Striped it on the top and it came out clear as day! Tasty with berry flavor in every bite!

Leanah

Is it possible to use frozen fruits for this pie or no?

bluetomatoes

Watch the cooking time. I found that 20 minutes was sufficient and 30+ minutes created a darker color to the filling than was visually appealing. On a different note, also tried sprinkling matchstick sized apple slices on top as a decoration experiment. Ok.

Amber

Doesn't taste good enough to be worth the trouble it takes, particularly on a busy Thanksgiving day

Maria Bowman

I made this for Thanksgiving - a big hit- with Red raspberry and Strawberry - as I could not find black raspberries. I think a bit more (1/2 T) cornstarch per berry would help it set up firmer. It made quite a bit more filling, but was wonderful in crepes the next morning.

Rachel

Instead of making the 3 types of berry fillings, I tripled the ingredients for the raspberry filling to make an all raspberry pie. It came out well, but I had lots of extra filling. Next time, either make 2 crusts or double instead of tripling the filling.I put the extra filling into ramekins without crust and plan to whip up the remaining heavy cream to put in top,

Martha Claus

What does it mean to "line the crust" with a piece of parchment? Step 3: "cut a square of parchment paper and use it to line the crust."

Joe

You need parchment paper to prevent the pie weights from sticking to the crust during blind baking.

Joe

I noticed the berry seeds might not be so advantageous to the texture of the pie. Would it be okay to put it through a fine mesh sieve?

Dawdlin Mama

What @Madeline said. Why go to all this trouble if you're not getting all three tastes in one slice? Doing stripes is basically like making three separate pies. I haven't made this yet, but definitely going to try rings or a spiral pattern.

Ellen Oliver

“Dock the base and sides with a fork...”, does that mean poke holes in the dough w/a fork? I’ve never seen that expression before.

EG

Will using a "Checkerboard Cake Ring" for a 9-inch pan give you equal divisions for each filling?

Lucy

You would need to construct sections in each ring of the checkerboard divider, otherwise you'll just end up with a bullseye pattern with the outermost ring having the largest quantity of that flavor of filling. I think you could chill the fillings to stiffen them and then pipe them into a spiral but I'm not sure there would be a really visible difference in the colors. I'd love to try lemon filling spiraled with raspberry, though!

Amanda

Could I substitute blueberries for blackberries? I am allergic to blackberries.

jennysorel

I think this is an odd choice for Thanksgiving seeing as berries are not in season. This would be a great summer pie. I try to buy local and what’s in season, and, seeing as I live in the Mid-Atlantic, berries do not fit the bill! #tryingtocutdownoncarbonfootprint

Korynn

Some folks have plenty of local frozen berries picked from the summer in my freezer. I think it's a great TG pie!

Private notes are only visible to you.

Striped Berry Pie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep a berry pie from being runny? ›

The Solution: Grate an Apple (& Use Tapioca Flour)

To ensure the perfect, firm blueberry filling, they also added two tablespoons of ground-up tapioca. Tapioca flour has a milder taste than wheat flour or cornstarch and is a little more forgiving than other types of starch-based thickeners.

How do you make a berry pie not soggy? ›

5 Tips To Avoid Soggy Summer Fruit Pies
  1. Blind Bake The Crust. Blind baking is really just another way of saying "pre-baking." It simply means that you bake the pie crust on its own before adding the filling. ...
  2. Thickening The Fruit Filling. Cornstarch vs. ...
  3. Pay Attention To Bake Times. ...
  4. Prepare Your Fruit. ...
  5. Soak Up The Juice.

How do you thicken a berry pie filling? ›

All-purpose flour is an easy solution, as you're sure to have it in your pantry. Since it's lower in starch, you'll use more of it than you would higher-starch thickeners. Quick-cooking tapioca makes filling bright and clear, but also gives it a stippled and somewhat sticky texture.

What is the best thickening agent for fruit pies? ›

Very often flour or cornstarch is used, but in certain instances tapioca, arrowroot and potato starch can also help achieve the desired consistency. Tapioca starch is preferable for products that will be frozen because it will not break down when thawed. We like tapioca in blueberry, cherry or peach pies.

How do you keep the bottom crust of a fruit pie from getting soggy? ›

Brush the Bottom with Corn Syrup or Egg White

Coating the inside surface of the bottom crust will create a barrier to prevent sogginess.

How to make pie less watery? ›

Let the pie cool completely — preferably overnight

As the pie cools, its filling will solidify. It takes time for pie to cool thoroughly and its filling to thicken completely, so control your appetite and let it rest for several hours.

Should you pre-bake the bottom crust of a fruit pie? ›

You do not need to pre-bake a pie crust for an apple pie or any baked fruit pie really, but we do freeze the dough to help it stay put. Pre-baking the pie crust is only required when making a custard pie OR when making a fresh fruit pie. you should probably get: Pie weights are super helpful to have for pre-baking.

How do you get a crispy crust on the bottom of a pie? ›

Getting a brown, flaky/crispy bottom crust on your pie is all about quick and effective heat transfer. That's why aluminum or aluminum/steel pans — rather than glass or stoneware — are your best choice for baking pie. Metal, especially aluminum, transfers heat quickly and efficiently from oven to pie crust.

How do I bake a pie without a soggy bottom? ›

Blind-bake your base before adding a filling to help to firm the base and avoid liquid being absorbed into it. Prick the base with a fork to help steam escape, cover with foil or parchment, and weigh it down with ceramic baking beans, uncooked rice or white sugar.

Is cornstarch or flour better to thicken a berry pie? ›

Which one you use is a matter of personal preference. Cornstarch makes for a shiny, glossy filling. A little goes a long way because it has twice the gelling power of flour. Flour thickens nicely but leaves more of a matte finish.

What can I use instead of EZ Gel? ›

For Compotes and Pie fillings—Substitute equal parts cornstarch for Instant Clearjel and cook all filling ingredients over the stove until you reach your desired thickness. Cornstarch requires heat to thicken, so it will take more time, but you should be able to reach similar results.

Is it better to use flour or cornstarch for apple pie? ›

Corn starch lends a glossy thickness and adds sheen to the filling while flour adds opacity and some mouthfeel so that it has a sort-of creaminess. With all corn starch the filling reminds me too much of store-bought pies with that gloopy clear gel-like texture and with all flour it can get too lumpy and stodgy.

Why are my fruit pies always runny? ›

We reserve using flour as a thickener for heartier fruits like apples and pears. 2. Pay attention to bake times: one reason you'll often end up with a runny fruit pie is simply that it hasn't been baked long enough.

What is a substitute for cornstarch in fruit pies? ›

All-purpose flour is an easy substitute for cornstarch; in fact you may see recipes for thickening pie fillings or soups with either. You'll need 2 tablespoons of flour for every 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a recipe.

Which of the following starches is best for thickening baked fruit pies? ›

The three most common starches used to thicken the fruit juices of a pie are flour, tapioca, and cornstarch. I prefer cornstarch because I find that it actually enhances the flavor of the fruit.

How do you keep a berry pie fresh? ›

Fruit pies keep at room temperature for two days; you can store them, loosely covered, in the refrigerator for up to two days longer. (In warm climates, always store fruit pies in the refrigerator.)

What do I do if my cream pie is runny? ›

To fix this, you can cook the pudding mixture over low heat until it thickens, or add a thickener such as cornstarch or tapioca flour. Another possible reason for a runny banana cream pie is that the pie filling was not chilled properly before being added to the crust.

What causes runny pie filling? ›

Allow your pie to bake for the entire recommended period.

Your pie may start to brown early, making it look ready. People often pull their pie too soon out of fear that it will burn. This leads to runny pie because it prevents the filling from thickening. Check the recommended cooking time, and set a timer.

How do you keep a peach pie from getting watery? ›

Mushy Peach Pie Crust? Not With This 1 Trick
  1. Put sliced peaches in a bowl with sugar and a pinch of salt. Let it sit for 30 minutes until it looks like this.
  2. Then set a strainer over a sauce pan. ...
  3. Now the real key to ensuring a moist but not watery pie is to use a lattice top on your pie.
Jun 14, 2021

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