One of the awesome things about this triple berry crumble pie is that you can make it any time of year. This pie is perfect with either fresh or frozen berries, or a combination of the two. Juicy, sweet tart raspberries, blackberries and blueberries are baked until bubbly in my go-to all butter pie crust. Then, to give this pie a bit more crunch and some cinnamon flavor, I topped it with a cinnamon crumble. Sort of like cobbler vibes in pie form. The smell of this baking pie is out.of.this.world. My triple berry crumble pie is one of my favorite any time of the year pies, but is my absolute favorite to make when the berries are at peak ripeness in the summer, and are super affordable.
About the all butter pie crust
Prepare the pie crust first. The dough will need to have some time to chill before baking. I used my all time favorite all butter pie crust. It’s a total keeper. I use it ALL the time. With any pie, be sure to keep the dough lined pie pan chilled while working on the topping and filling. This ensures that the crust won’t shrink, but also makes sure the butter doesn’t just melt out of the crust when baking. You can refrigerate the lined pie plate for 30 minutes, or chill it in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking.
The crumble topping
While the pie crust is chilling, make the crumble topping. The crumble does benefit from some time in the fridge, but it’s not necessary. I like to make the crumble in advance so that it is ready to go when the filling is done.
Flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt are combined in the bowl of a food processor. Cold, cubed butter is added and pulsed until the mixture forms large clumps, and the mixture is no longer sandy. Refrigerate the crumble if it is made in advance.
Triple Berry Pie Filling
This filling. So, so good. Along with the berries, the filling includes brown sugar, granulated sugar, lemon juice and zest, tapioca flour, salt and (surprise) an apple. I learned this trick from Cook’s Illustrated. Adding in a shredded green apple helps to thicken up the filling due to the apple’s naturally high pectin content. I always put an apple in my berry pies. You can’t taste the apple as it takes on the flavor of the berries.
For the most concentrated flavor, and to help reduce the water content in the pie, I cook half of the berries and reduce the mixture by half. Once the berries are cooked down, set aside to cool just a bit. While the berries are cooling, place the remaining berries and ingredients into a large bowl. Peel, shred and wring out the apple, to remove any additional liquid, and add it to the bowl. Add in the cooked berries (they will still be hot) and stir completely. The filling should now be room temperature.
Assembling and baking
Pour the filling into the chilled pie crust. Sprinkle the crumble topping on top of the pie, breaking up really large pieces of crumble into smaller pieces. You want a variety of crumble sizes. It’s going to seem like a lot of crumble, but it’s totally fine once the pie is baked.
Bake the pie on a baking sheet. This helps to crisp up the bottom of the crust and also catch any overflow juices from the pie. It also helps you remove the pie out of the oven easier. The pie is baked at a higher temperature to start browning the crust and the topping, then the temperature is reduced to continue baking the filling, and to make sure the crust and crumble don’t brown too much. Bake until the pie is bubbly.
The pie filling will set up more as it cools. Let it cool completely for 3-4 hours before serving.
If you make this triple berry crumb pie, let me know! Drop a comment or tag me on Instagram. I love seeing your creations.
Enjoy!
Ash xx
For more pie recipes, check out these posts:
Meyer Lemon Ginger Tart with Toasted Honey Meringue
Chai Spiced Apple Cranberry Pie
Triple Berry Crumble Pie
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 1/2 recipe All butter pie dough
Crumble Topping
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
Mixed Berry Filling
- 7 cups combination raspberries, blackberries and blueberries
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 ½ tablespoons tapoica flour, or ground tapioca
- 1 small granny smith apple
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Zest and juice from half of a lemon
Instructions
Prepare the pie crust.
- On a floured work surface, roll out the disc of chilled dough. Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter.
- Place the dough onto the pie dish. Ease the dough, without stretching, into the pie dish.
- Fold and tuck the dough on the edges to create an outer ridge. Flute the edge, or crimp with a fork. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Prepare the crumble topping.
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pulse to combine.
- Add the cold the butter to the flour mixture, and pulse until the mixture starts to form large crumbs. Place in the fridge to keep cold while preparing the berry filling.
Make the berry filling.
- Preheat the oven to 400F and place a rimmed baking sheet, large enough to place the pie on and catch any juices, on the oven rack.
- Place 3 1/2 cups berries in a large saucepan and set over medium heat. Use a potato masher to mash and break up the berries.
- Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally until the mixture is thickened and reduced to 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 cups. Let cool slightly while preparing the remainder of the filling.
- In a large bowl, combine both sugars, tapioca flour, salt, lemon juice, and remaining 3 1/2 cups of berries.
- Peel and grate the apple on a box grater. Place the apple in a clean kitchen towel and wring out as much liquid as you can. Place the grated apple in the bowl with the uncooked berry/sugar mixture and mix to combine.
- Add the cooked, and slightly cooled berries to the mixture and stir until well combined.
- Pour the berry mixture into the chilled pie dough. Top the pie with the chilled crumble topping.
- Place pie on the baking sheet and bake 30 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350F and continue to bake until the juices bubble, 30-35 minutes.
- Place the pie on a wire rack cool to room temperature, about 3-4 hours, before serving.