Mixed Berry Pie

Ingredients

• 1 package (2 crusts) refrigerated pie dough (store-bought or homemade), or a double batch of homemade dough
• 6 cups mixed fresh or frozen blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
• 1 tbsp coarse sugar, for sprinkling

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Fit one crust into a 9-inch pie dish.
2. In a large bowl, gently toss the mixed fresh or frozen blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries with the sugar, thickener, spice, lemon juice, and salt until evenly coated.
3. Pour the filling into the crust and dot with the butter pieces.
4. Top with the second crust, forming a lattice top, or cut several vents in a full top crust. Crimp the edges to seal, then brush the top with the beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
5. Bake for 45–55 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and the filling is bubbling through the vents.
6. Cool on a wire rack at least 2 hours before slicing so the filling has time to set.

The Tale of Mixed Berry Pie

Story updated September 19, 2026

Mixed berry pie has no single origin story; it is less a historic recipe than a practical response to how berries ripen. Colonial and nineteenth-century home bakers gathered whatever wild blackberries, raspberries, blueberries or gooseberries were fruiting at once and combined them in one crust rather than wait for enough of any single fruit. A close Canadian cousin, bumbleberry pie, follows the same logic. Its popularity owes less to any founding moment than to the summer harvest, when several berries are in season together and home bakers put them to use.