Blackberry Crumble Pie
This delicious blackberry crumble pie has a flaky homemade pie crust and a juicy blackberry filling. Topped with a cinnamon crumble topping.
Using fresh or frozen blackberries allows you to enjoy this pie year-round. It’s a perfect mix of blackberry pie with a flaky pie crust, and a traditional crumble top. The filling is a flavorful blend of juicy blackberries, lemon juice, zest, sugar, and a hint of cinnamon, precooked and thickened with cornstarch. Just like my frozen cherry pie and frozen blueberry pie, I love making this blackberry crumble pie with frozen blackberries all year round.
Precooking the filling in fruit pies helps to thicken it up and minimize the risk of a soggy crust. It also allows you to adjust the sweetness and flavor of the filling, ensuring a perfectly balanced pie.
Try these raspberry crumble bars or blackberry crumble bars next!
Ingredients
You can find the ingredient amounts for this homemade blackberry crumble pie recipe in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. Here is a rundown of what’s needed.
- A 9-inch pie crust. This blackberry pie uses a single pie crust. I use a homemade all-butter pie crust, but you can use a store-bought pie shell.
- Frozen or fresh blackberries. A flexible choice depending on the season. If using frozen blackberries, there’s no need for defrosting.
- Lemon juice and lemon zest. These ingredients add a nice brightness that complements the blackberries.
- Sugar. Sweetens the blackberry filling.
- Cinnamon. Adds warmth and depth to the blackberry filling. There is some in the crumble too.
- Cornstarch. This thickens the blackberry filling. You could also use tapioca starch
- Salt. Enhances the flavor.
- Melted butter, all-purpose flour, a little baking powder, and brown sugar for the crumb topping
Method
First, prepare your favorite pie crust recipe for time to chill. My recipe makes a double crust, so the extra half of the dough can be frozen for up to 3 months for future pies.
Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the cold, cubed butter.
Using a pastry cutter or a food processor, cut the cold butter pieces into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-size pieces remaining.
Sprinkle in the ice water a little at a time and mix until a shaggy dough forms. The dough should come together when you press a handful of it together, but shouldn’t be wet or sticky.
On a floured work surface, roll the dough into a 10-inch/25cm rectangle.
Fold the bottom ⅓ of the dough up to the middle, then fold the top ⅓ of the dough over top to make a pamphlet shape.
Turn the dough a quarter turn, then repeat the roll and fold once more.
Divide the dough into two equal pieces, and shape each into a flat disc. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
The fruit filling
Combine the blackberries, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, sugar, and salt in a large pot.
Stir on low-medium heat until the blackberries start to release their juices.
Once the mixture is nice and juicy, let it boil. Stir frequently, ensuring the fruit doesn’t stick to the bottom.
Once the mixture thickens and becomes glossy, remove it from the heat and let it cool.
Once cooled, cover it tightly and store it in the refrigerator until needed. The filling can also be prepared in advance.
The crumble
Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl or small saucepan and let it cool. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt, and combine it into a coarse crumb with a fork.
As the crumble sits, it will stiffen up and easily crumble with your fingers. Pop it in the fridge for 5 minutes if it’s too soft.
Assembling
Roll the pie dough into a 12-inch/30cm circle using a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface. Lightly dust the top of the pastry with flour, then gently roll it up the rolling pin like a spiral. Transfer it to a 9-inch pie pan and carefully unroll it from the rolling pin until it’s draped over the pie plate and overhangs the sides.
Cut off the uneven edges of dough around the pie dish, but leave around ½ an inch of overhang. Roll the overhanging dough under the edge to make a thick border.
To flute the dough, push an index finger from one hand into the dough edge between the thumb and index finger of the opposite hand. Continue this all around the dough edges.
Alternatively, use a fork to create rustic lines around the edges instead.
Tip in the cooled blackberry filling, then crumble the topping over the berries.
Baking
Bake the pie at 425°F/220°C for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F/190°C and continue baking for another 35-40 minutes until the filling is bubbling.
If the crust edges are browning too much, shield the top of the pie with a piece of foil. You want a well-baked bottom crust.
After baking, let the pie cool on a wire rack to room temperature. For a firmer filling, refrigerate it for a few hours.
Serve the blackberry crumble pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Variations
- Mixed Berry Crumble Pie: You can easily make this a mixed berry crumble pie by combining blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. Add in a little vanilla extract to the berry filling instead of cinnamon.
- Blackberry Peach Crumble Pie: Add a summer twist by incorporating peaches into the pie. Use half the blackberries and replace the other half with fresh or canned peaches.
Blackberry Crumble Pie
Made with fresh or frozen blackberries, a flaky pie crust and a juicy blackberry filling. Topped with a cinnamon crumble topping.
Ingredients
Pastry
- 312g (2 ½ cups) all-purpose flour or pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 190g (¾ cup + 2 ½ Tablespoons) butter
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar (apple cider vinegar or white vinegar)
- 120g (½ cup) ice-cold water, plus more as needed
Filling
- 1kg (2.2 pounds) fresh or frozen blackberries
- 100g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 30g (¼ cup) cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
Crumble
- 45g (3 Tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 63g (½ cup) all-purpose flour
- 50g (¼ cup) soft brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Pastry
- Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the cold, cubed butter.
- Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut the cold butter pieces into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-size pieces remaining.
- Mix the vinegar or lemon juice with the iced water. Drizzle in the water a little at a time, and combine with your hands until a shaggy dough forms. The dough should hold together when pressed with your hands, but it shouldn't be wet or sticky. If it's crumbly, add in a little more water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time.
- Tip the dough onto a floured work surface, and roll into a 10-inch/25cm rectangle.
- Fold the bottom ⅓ of the dough up to the middle, then fold the top ⅓ of the dough over the top to make a pamphlet shape.
- Turn the dough a quarter turn, then repeat the roll and fold once more.
- Divide the dough into two equal pieces, and shape each into a flat disc. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Blackberry filling
- Combine the blackberries, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, sugar, and salt in a large pot.
- Stir on low-medium heat until the blackberries release their juices, around 6-8 minutes. Once the mixture is nice and juicy, let it come to a boil while stirring regularly. Ensure the fruit doesn't stick to the bottom.
- Once boiling, let it bubble while stirring for 2 minutes as the mixture thickens and becomes glossy. Remove it from the heat and let it cool.
- Once cooled, cover it tightly and store it in the refrigerator until needed. The filling can also be prepared in advance.
Crumble
- Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl or small saucepan and let it cool. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt, and combine it into a coarse crumb with a fork.
- As the crumble sits, it will stiffen up and easily crumble with your fingers. Pop it in the fridge for 5 minutes if it's too soft.
Assembling
- Roll the pie dough into a 12-inch/30cm circle using a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface.
- Lightly dust the top of the pastry with flour, then gently roll it up the rolling pin like a spiral. Transfer it to a 9-inch pie pan and carefully unroll it from the rolling pin until it's draped over the pie plate and overhangs the sides.
- Cut off the uneven edges of dough around the pie dish, but leave around ½ an inch of overhang.
- Roll the overhanging dough under the edge to make a thick border. To flute the dough, push an index finger from one hand into the dough edge between the thumb and index finger of the opposite hand. Continue this all around the dough edges.
- Tip in the cooled blackberry filling, then crumble the topping over the berries.
- Bake the pie at 425°F/220°C for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F/190°C and continue baking for another 35-40 minutes until the filling is bubbling. If the crust is browning too much, loosely cover it with a piece of aluminum foil.
Notes
The pastry recipe makes a double-crust. The unused dough half can be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 3 months for future pies.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 366Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 293mgCarbohydrates: 57gFiber: 7gSugar: 21gProtein: 6g
This is an informational estimate only. I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist
