Classic Blackberry Pie Recipe
Originally published July 2017. Updated August 2026, with new photos by Katie Prestemon and more memories because this pie has become one of our favorite birthday traditions!
Our Blackberry Pie Story
My husband Chad and I fell in love over food.
We went to high school together and were good friends. Years later, when we reconnected, it felt so different and it was like everything just clicked.
He was living in Brooklyn. I had just moved to St. Louis. We spent countless days texting each other about what we were making for dinner, mailing handwritten letters, and shipping boxes of homemade cookies.
Back then, when we were together, we'd spend a lot of time in the kitchen - handmaking noodles in his New York apartment, roasting a Thanksgiving turkey at my sister's New York apartment, and baking granola on slow winter mornings.
When I look back at the beginning of our relationship, so many of my favorite memories revolve around food. A recipe can instantly transport me back to a season, a celebration, or a moment I wish I could relive all over again.
Over the years, we've created traditions that have become part of who we are. Recipes we make every year. Meals we look forward to. Foods that immediately remind us of a specific chapter in our lives.
This classic blackberry pie is one of those traditions.
I first made this pie for Chad's birthday back when we were dating. His birthday always falls right in the middle of summer & blackberry season, and blackberry pie is one of his favorites. Making a homemade blackberry pie with berries we picked ourselves made it feel even more special.
Fast forward to today, and I still make this pie every single year for his birthday. It's become just as much a part of his birthday as blowing out candles. And now that we have three kids, they help make the pie with me, making it feel extra special.
If you're looking for the perfect homemade blackberry pie recipe for summer, birthdays, holidays, or just because blackberry season is too good to waste, this is the one I come back to every single year.
And if you want more real-life traditions and recipes straight to your inbox, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter.
This pie is adapted from my mom's recipe, and it's always been my go-to when I need a classic blackberry pie. One that is simply all about the blackberry. And now it's become a birthday tradition!
If you make it, be sure to connect on IG at @urban.apron, would love to see it!
Classic Blackberry Pie RECIPe
Basic Pie Crust:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes {to make this vegan, you can use a vegan shortening}
6-8 tablespoons ice-cold water, plus more if needed
Blackberry Filling:
4 cups blackberries (fresh or frozen)
3/4 cup white sugar
3 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt.
1 Tbsp butter (omit if making this vegan)
Directions:
Make the pie crust: In a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar and salt to combine. Add the butter and pulse until it is coarsely incorporated, with few pieces remaining. Drizzle in the cold water and then pulse until the dough crumbles, but it holds together. If it is too dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Pulse a few times - don't over mix the dough! (You can also use a pastry cutter or forks to cut in the dough to mix, instead of a food processor.) Pour the dough onto a pastry slab or floured surface and form into 2 round discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator until ready to use, at least 30-60 minutes. You can even let it chill overnight. (This will make a double crust for a 9 inch pie)
Make the pie: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together the blackberries, sugar and flour. Add the lemon juice and salt and combine.
On a floured surface, roll out one disk of pie dough to about 1/8-inch thickness and larger than the pie dish. Roll dough around the rolling pin and unroll it over a 9-inch pie plate, pressing gently to fit in plate, with some pie dough overhanging.
Pour the blackberry mixture into the pie shell. Dot with 1-2 tablespoons butter.
Roll out remaining disk of dough in the same manner. Either drape over filling or slice into thin (or thick as I did here) strips to make a lattice design. Fold or trim the pie overhang and crimp the edges - with a thumb and index finger of one hand, gently press dough against index finger of other hand. Continue around the pie. You can also use a fork and press it around the edges.
Place in oven and bake 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce heat to 375 degrees. Continue baking until bottom and top crusts are golden and juices are bubbling in center, 50 to 60 minutes. Tent the pie with foil if the top is browning too quickly
Transfer pie to a wire rack to cool completely, at least 4 hours, or up to overnight.
NOTE: You can make an egg wash to brush over top of pie dough before you bake it to lend a golden crust. Just whisk an egg yolk and 1 tbsp. water in a small bowl and brush it over the top crust. Then, sprinkle with sugar.
