Homemade Blackberry Pie with Buttery Crumble Topping
With a classic pie crust on the bottom and a buttery crumble on top, you no longer have to choose between crumble or pie—you get to have both with this homemade blackberry crumble pie! Recipe tested with both fresh and frozen blackberries, this baked fruit-filled pie is ready to serve warm in 90 minutes.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Oregon Berries. All opinions are 100% mine.
Blackberry Crumble Pie – Both a Pie and a Crumble!
Is it a blackberry crumble? Is it a blackberry pie? Yes, and yes. A blackberry crumble pie is a blackberry pie with a crumb topping. It is a delicious blackberry recipe idea that gives you the best of both worlds, making both pie lovers and fruit crumble lovers happy!
The most famous crumble pie I know is Dutch apple pie, but here, we’ve swapped out the spiced apple filling for one made with spiced blackberries. Like an apple pie, this berry pie with crumb topping is a welcome addition to your Christmas or Thanksgiving menu. Served next to these peach crumble bars it’s a delicious dessert idea for an end-of-summer treat when the heat has finally cooled enough to use your oven again.
This easy blackberry pie recipe has three elements: the all-butter crust, the spiced blackberry pie filling, and the crumble topping. Making a pie from scratch isn’t going to be quick or easy, but it will be oh-so worth it.
What You’ll Need
The easiest way to approach this blackberry pie with crumble topping recipe is to divide it into three sections: the pie crust, the filling, and the topping. We will work through them in order, then assemble and bake. The exact measurements for everything are in the recipe card below.
Pie Crust
The foundation of your crumble pie, this pie calls for a classic buttery pie crust. You can find pre-made versions in the refrigerator or freezer sections of your local grocery store, or you can go fully homemade and make it yourself from scratch.
Blackberry Pie Filling
The blackberry pie filling is easily the most important part of the pie. Since this pie was originally created to sit next to a butterscotch apple crisp at my Thanksgiving table, it incorporates a blend of warming spices and a splash of port wine to enhance the natural flavor of the blackberries.
Like my recipes for blackberry lime tart and pork chops with blackberry applesauce, this berry pie with crumb topping can be made with either fresh or frozen blackberries. After initially developing the recipe using frozen berries thickened with cornstarch, I tested it with both fresh and thawed berries to ensure you could make it with all three options. While the results were delicious regardless of the berries used, one thing that must be stressed is that volume measurements are not equivalent and must be adapted.
What this means for you: If you have a scale, use it. If you don’t have a scale, you’ll have to adjust the volume of berries depending on their state. While exact quantities are not absolutely necessary to make delicious berry crumble pie, the flavor is going to be best if the sugar, spice, and berry ratios are the same.
Volume Equivalents: Frozen, Fresh, and Thawed Blackberries
Blackberries measured by volume (ie, cups) will not give consistent results compared to blackberries measured by weight. Berries that are frozen solid take up more volume than firm fresh berries, which take up more volume than soft, overripe berries or thawed berries. However, once baked, all these different volumes of berries are cooked down to give pies of a similar size.
– Frozen berries: 2 lbs = approximately 8 cups
– Fresh berries: 2 lbs = approximately 6 1/2 cups
– Thawed (previously frozen) or overripe, mushy berries: 2 lbs = approximately 6 cups.
Crumb Topping
Unlike the oat topping you would find in a strawberry rhubarb crisp, a standard crumb topping calls for only three ingredients: all-purpose flour, butter, and sugar. For this recipe, we rely on the richness of brown sugar to create our sweet element. Then, we bring the same warming spices from the pie filling into the pie topping to better connect the flavors of the layers.
Recommended Kitchen Tools
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- Mixing bowls
- Wet measuring cups or a food scale
- Dry measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Spatula or mixing spoon
- Sharp knife, pastry cutter, or grater
- A 10″ pie pan
How to Make a Berry Pie with Crumb Topping
Pies can easily be intimidating, but we are going to break this down and make it as simple as possible. First, we make each of the three layers. A store-bought crust is easy enough, but if you are making it from scratch, it will be the most labor-intensive part of this recipe. The easy, no-cook berry filling thickens in the oven while the pie cooks, while the crumb topping is as easy as crumbling butter. Lastly, we will assemble the elements together and then bake.
Pie Crust
The first element of our holiday-worthy blackberry crumble pie is the pie crust. If you’ve never made homemade pie crust and want to give it a try, see this post about all-butter pie crust. It’s an old family recipe that always gives me great results and is the only pie crust I’ll use. I’ve adapted it to include instructions for making it by hand, with a food processor, or a stand mixer. If you have a pie crust you know and love, by all means, use it.
If you aren’t ready to tackle homemade pie crust (or just don’t have the extra time), a store-bought crust is a great alternative. Check the refrigerator and/or freezer sections at your local market, and follow the instructions on the packaging to roll out the dough, if needed.
Blackberry Pie Filling
Blackberries are very juicy. Since we aren’t going to cook them prior to baking the pie, we have to use some sort of thickener to prevent a blackberry mess that runs all over your pie plate. The best option for this crumble pie is heat-reactive cornstarch, which will activate with the heat of the oven, absorbing the liquid in the filling and causing the juices to thicken and gel.
Blackberry Crumble Topping
When making a buttery crumble topping, the goal is to have small chunks of butter wrapped in a layer of sweet, spiced flour. When the crumble topping bakes, the fat melts, the flour and spices crisp up, and the sugar caramelizes, giving it that crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth texture that makes crumbles so much better than pie.
Assemble and Bake
The last step is to assemble and bake your crumble pie. There is no need to parbake the crust on this one.
Cover the pie with aluminum foil and bake on the lowest rack for 30 minutes at 375º. Remove the foil and drop the oven temperature down to 325º. Continue to bake for 25 – 35 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and the crumb topping has turned a golden brown. Your kitchen should smell like spiced blackberries.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this crumble pie slightly warm, at room temperature, or chilled. I know it’s hard to give it time to cool, but cooling down is the only way for the filling to set properly. If you simply cannot wait, be prepared for the pie filling to run all over the pan. It’s still going to taste great; it will just be a bit messy.
I like my pie ala mode, with a serving of vanilla or sweet cream ice cream. You can also opt for whipped cream too!
How to Store and Reheat
Like most pies, this one can be stored for 3 – 5 days at room temperature or in the fridge, depending on personal preference. If your house is hot, the fridge may be the better option. If you want it warmed up, you can microwave individual servings or reheat the entire pie in the oven.
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Homemade Blackberry Pie with Buttery Crumble Topping
Ingredients
Blackberry Pie Filling
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 2 pounds blackberries (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons port wine
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Crumble Topping
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cold butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Pie Crust
- Make the pie crust according to the recipe directions. Roll it out into a circle that is about 14" wide and 1/8" thick. Carefully transfer it to a 10" pie dish. Trim the edges if necessary, then shape the edges pressing them into the rim of the dish. Refrigerate at least 20 minutes.
Blackberry Pie Filling
- Preheat the oven to 375º.
- In a large mixing bowl combine sugar, spices, and salt. Add blackberries and toss to combine. In a small bowl make a slurry by combining the cornstarch and dessert wine. Pour the cornstarch and wine slurry over the berries and toss to combine. Set aside.
Crumble Topping
- In a small bowl combine together sugar, spices, and salt, then combine with the flour. Chop or grate the cold butter into small chunks. Work the butter into the flour until you have a texture of large chunks, small chunks, and a mixture the texture of damp sand. Set aside.
Assemble. Bake. Serve.
- Pour the berry mixture into the chilled pie crust. Spread the crumble topping over the berries, making sure to cover them as evenly as possible.
- Cover the pie with foil and bake on the bottom rack of a preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil cover, drop the heat to 325º and bake an additional 25 – 35 minutes, until the topping and crust edges are golden brown.
- Allow the pie to cool at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving with your choice of ice cream or whipped cream.
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Notes
- Frozen berries: 2 lbs = approximately 8 cups
- Fresh berries: 2 lbs = approximately 6 1/2 cups
- Thawed berries (previously frozen): 2 lbs = approximately 6 cups.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is for general information purposes only. For the most accurate information, calculate using your select brands and exact measurements.
