Apple and Blackberry Pie

This Apple and Blackberry Pie recipe is a variation on a classic apple pie. It’s made brighter in color and flavor by adding plump blackberries to crisp fall apples.

It’s the perfect fall pie for when apple season comes around. Or this apple blackberry pie will bring back memories of late summer if you have fruit tucked away in the freezer.

four panels showing the pie filling, unbaked and baked pie, and a slice of pie on a plate.
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Recipe inspiration

Inspiration for this blackberry and apple pie recipe came from my strawberry apple pie pictured below. That cutout top crust would also work on this pie, if you prefer.

an unbaked pie with a top crust like flower petals.

 

Key techniques: making pie crust

The key to the flakiest pastry is to treat it gently and to keep it cold. But there are shortcuts if you spontaneously decide you want pie for dessert tonight.

Pie crust can be made by hand, with a mixer, or with a food processor. It’s easier with the food processor, but you lose a bit of flakiness. In my opinion, some times call for convenience. Pie tonight, right?

I use a combination of cream cheese and butter in many of my pie crusts, similar to the dough used in rugelach. It’s so much easier to work with than an all-butter crust, and you get a pie crust that’s still flaky and tender and just a bit tangy.

Tip from the wisequacker: pie and other pastry can be challenging to make when it’s hot. If you make pie in the summertime, try to plan to make and roll the crust in the morning.

Tips and tricks

Making the pie crust

Whatever way you make it, mix the dry ingredients together first and then cut in the cream cheese (Panel #1 below). Add the butter cubes (Panel #2), and cut in or process until the butter is the size of flattened peas.

Four images showing steps in making pie crust.

Add the liquids and mix until your crust just starts to come together when you pinch it with your fingers. Divide the dough into two bowls or plastic bags, with the bottom crust about 360 grams (not quite half of the dough).

With each half, use your hands to gently push and fold the mixture together until it starts to hold together and forms a ball. Flatten the pie crust dough into disks and chill in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

Preparing the apples

First core, peel, and slice the apples. You can do this all with a paring knife. Or I like to core the apples first with this tool, peel the apple, slice it it half from top to bottom, and then cut quarter inch slices. There’s no right or wrong here.

As you cut each apple, toss it into a medium to large bowl with the lemon juice and sugar to prevent browning. Once you’ve sliced all of the apples, put them in a sieve over a small to medium size sauce pan to collect the juices while you prepare the blackberries.

Don’t wash the apple bowl yet!

Making the blackberry purée

The first step in preparing the blackberries for this apple pie is to remove the seeds. I made one version of this pie without doing this step, and it was delicious but crunchy!

Put all of the blackberries into your food processor or blender. Blitz and then pass through a fine mesh sieve to collect all the liquid, scraping the bottom of the sieve with a clean spatula to make sure you get all of the blackberry juice.

Add the blackberry purée to the liquid that has drained from the apples. Heat the pot on low, stirring intermittently, until the liquid thickens. Once it does, pour it over the apples (which are now back in the apple bowl with some cornstarch), toss it all, and let it cool while you roll out your pie crusts.

Rolling out the pie dough

For the bottom crust, I think this is the easiest way to transfer your dough to the pie pan:

Once you have rolled out the dough, take one side and roll it with your hands onto the rolling pin. Use a bench scraper to release it from your countertop if the dough has gotten warm and is sticking. You should be able to roll about half the crust onto the pin. Now slide your pie pan underneath the rolling pin and crust and unroll the crust from the pin.

You might have to do some adjusting to make sure it is even in the pie pan. Then fill the bottom crust with the blackberry apple filling.

the apple and blackberry pie filling in the bottom crust.

Lattice top crusts can be made directly on the pie or made on a cutting board and then transferred to the pie. Loose lattices and top crusts made out of cutouts are easier to make directly on the pie.

However, if you have a messy pie filling, it’s neater to make the crust on the cutting board. If your kitchen is warm, chill the lattice crust so it’s easier to transfer.

lattice pie crust on a cutting board.

If you’ve been gentle with your crust so far, the final pie is the point where chilling can really make a difference whether the crust shrinks or not.

unbaked lattice top blackberry and apple pie.

Right before baking, brush the pie with the cream and sprinkle with sugar. Or you can use an egg wash to get a glossier brown like in that strawberry apple pie.

Baking the pie on the stone helps the bottom crust to cook well. And be sure to bake your pie on a sheet of foil, because this pie definitely bubbles.

After about 20 to 30 or so minutes of baking, protect your crust from over-browning. I use a piece of aluminum foil with a small hole ripped out of the center. I have used purchased rings before and never found them to work well, so save your money!

the baked lattice top apple and blackberry pie.

Serving and storage

This pie is best served after it has cooled, so the fruit filling has time to set up. But there’s nothing wrong with warm and a bit runny!

Leftover pie can be covered and kept on your counter-top for a few days. It does not need to be refrigerated. It is possible to freeze pie, but I don’t think it keeps the same texture.

To make pie ahead of time, I will make the crust in advance. You can keep pie crust dough in the refrigerator for two or three days or freezer for three to six months. It’s always great to have extra pie crust in the freezer that you can use for future pies, pot pies, pop tarts, or rugelach!

Recipe FAQs

Do I really have to weigh out my ingredients?

No. But there is so much variation in how people measure that you are much more likely to get a reliable result if you weigh your ingredients. This is the easy-to-use kitchen scale I have used for years.

Why do you use cake flour in pie crusts?

The cake flour is there because it has less gluten. You don’t need or want to have a lot of strong protein in pie crust, which is why you want to treat pastry more gently than bread. You can definitely make a crust from 100% all purpose flour – it just might be a bit less tender.

Why do you keep pie crust cold?

Keeping pie crust, puff pastry, other pastry cold keeps the fats cold, which increases the flakiness of the dough when baked. Resting the dough after making it and constructing the pie helps to prevent the dough from shrinking from the pie pan as it cooks.

What apples do you use in apple pie?

Use a mix of apples in my pies, depending on the season and what is available where you are. Personally, I prefer crisper apples that keep their shape rather than turning into applesauce.

a slice of blackberry apple pie and a fork on a plate.

Check out other Ugly Duckling Bakery pie and pastry recipes like this strawberry apple pie, rainbow fruit tart, or these strawberry heart pop tarts. Or make mini blueberry pies using mini pie crust shells for two-bite desserts for your next cookout or holiday party.

Got a bit of extra pie dough? Make these pie crust cookies!

Got too many blackberries? Here are some of my favorites:

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-heart 💜💜💜💜💜 rating in the recipe card below. Let me know how much you loved it, or any problems you had, in the comments section further down.

Recipe

Apple and Blackberry Pie

5 from 1 vote
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: Unspecified
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 1 hour
resting: 1 hour
Total Time: 3 hours
Servings: 12
Calories: 410kcal
This apple and blackberry pie is a classic apple pie made brighter in color and flavor from the addition of plump blackberries.
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • Mixer or food processor for crust
  • Food processor or blender for blackberries
  • 9 inch pie pan

Ingredients

Cream cheese pIe crust

  • 1⅓ cup (167 grams or 5.9 ounces) cake flour
  • 1⅓ cup (167 grams or 5.9 ounces) all purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 6 ounces cream cheese, cold
  • 16 tablespoons (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cold plus additional for greasing the pie pan
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream or water to substitute
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Blackberry apple pie filling

  • cup (67 grams) granulated sugar
  • cup (64 grams) brown sugar
  • teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 4 medium sized apples
  • 12 ounces (about 3 to 3.5 cups) blackberries, fresh or frozen brought to room temperature if frozen
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Finishing touch

  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Instructions

Cream cheese pie crust

  • Add the flours, sugar, salt, and baking powder to the food processor or mixer and process or mix until combined.
    1⅓ cup (167 grams or 5.9 ounces) cake flour, 1⅓ cup (167 grams or 5.9 ounces) all purpose flour, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Add the cream cheese and pulse 10 times or mix on low speed about one minute.
    6 ounces cream cheese, cold
  • Add the butter cubes and pulse 20 times or mix on medium speed for about one minute. You should not be able to see any large cubes of butter.
    16 tablespoons (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cold
  • Add the cream and vinegar and pulse another 10 times. You should be able to pinch the mixture together between your fingers.
    3 tablespoons heavy cream, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • Divide the dough into two bowls or plastic bags, with the bottom crust about 360 grams (not quite half of the dough). With each half, use your hands to gently push and fold the mixture together until it holds together and forms a ball. Flatten it into a disk and chill it in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

Blackberry apple pie filling

  • Mix the granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, and lemon juice in a medium to large mixing bowl large enough to hold all of the pie filling.
    ⅓ cup (67 grams) granulated sugar, ⅓ cup (64 grams) brown sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • Core, peel, slice the apples, and toss them with the sugar and lemon juice mixture to prevent browning.
    4 medium sized apples
  • When you have cut all of the apples, give them a final toss with the sugar and lemon juice, and place them in a sieve over a medium sized pot to drain for at least 30 minutes. Don't wash the apple bowl yet.
  • Make the blackberry puree by blitzing the blackberries in your food processor or blender. Pour them into a sieve to strain out the seeds and other solids.
    12 ounces (about 3 to 3.5 cups) blackberries, fresh or frozen
  • Combine the blackberry puree with the juice that has drained from the apples and add the cornstarch. Heat this liquid over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened.
    2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • Meanwhile add the apples back to the large bowl that previously held the apples.
  • When the blackberry and apple juice mixture has reduced to a thick syrup, add the vanilla, then add this liquid to the bowl with apples and cornstarch. Toss gently and let cool a few minutes.
    1 teaspoon vanilla

Constructing the pie

  • Lightly butter your empty pie pan.
  • Remove the bottom crust disk from the refrigerator, roll it out on a lightly floured countertop, and transfer it to your pie pan. Trim the edges so that it goes just to the outside edge of your pan. Cover it lightly with plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator while you are doing the lattice.
  • To make the lattice, roll out the top crust into a rectangle at least 10 inches in width and ¼ inch in thickness.
  • Slice strips of your desired width using a knife or pizza roller and a ruler to guide you, if desired.
  • To weave a lattice either directly on your pie or on a clean cutting board, lay down all of the strips that will go in one direction. Weave in the cross strips by lifting up alternating strips and sliding the cross strip under. Repeat with the other alternating strips for the next cross strip. Continue until you have a 9 inch by 9 inch square.
  • If you have constructed the lattice on a cutting board, chill the lattice in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes.
  • Fill the bottom pie crust with the apple and blackberry filling and transfer the lattice. Trim the edges of the lattice and tuck them underneath the bottom crust. Seal with a fork or other design, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least one hour.

Finishing touch

  • Put a baking stone on a rack in the middle of the oven and cover it with aluminum foil. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • When ready to bake, brush the lattice with the cream and sprinkle sugar liberally over it.
    1 tablespoon heavy cream, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • Bake for about 1 hour, until the juices are bubbling thickly. Check the pie at about 30 minutes, and protect the crust with foil with a small hole cut out of it when it has browned lightly.
  • Let cool for at least 3 hours prior to serving. Fruit pies can be stored at room temperature for a few days.

Notes

Please see the Tips and Tricks above for lots of additional notes about how to make this pie.
Buttering the pie pan helps create a crispy bottom crust.
An egg wash can be used as a finishing touch in place of the cream and sugar.
Berry pies need time to cool before serving so they have time to set. You can definitely eat this warm, but the filling will be slightly runny.

Nutrition

Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 119mg | Potassium: 179mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 824IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 1mg
Love this recipe?Mention @Uglyducklingbakery or tag #uglyducklingbakery!

This blackberry apple pie recipe was first posted December 4, 2021 as my submission for the reddit 52 weeks of baking challenge, week 47: pie. It was last updated June 17, 2023.

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