How To Make Blackberry Pie Filling
Making homemade blackberry pie filling is not only incredibly simple, it doesn’t need a lot of ingredients either. This easy-to-follow recipe uses common ingredients to create a rich, flavorful filling that’s perfect for lots of desserts like pies, my Blackberry Hand Pies recipe, cobblers, crisps and more.
Whether you’re a seasoned baker or new to the kitchen, this blackberry pie filling will become a go-to for your dessert recipes.
Easy to make pie filling using blackberries!
Ingredients Needed For This Blackberry Pie Filling Recipe
Whole Blackberries– Fresh blackberries are the star of this recipe. Opting for fresh berries ensures your filling is bursting with flavor and natural sweetness. While I’ve used frozen blackberries (a great alternative when fresh isn’t in season), it’s essential to avoid canned berries in sweetened juice, as it alters the taste and consistency of your filling.
Salt – Believe it or not, a pinch of salt is key in baking, especially in sweet dishes. It enhances the natural flavors of the ingredients, making the blackberries taste even more sweet and vibrant. Don’t skip this; a pinch is all you need and a little goes a long way.
Lemon Juice – Lemon juice adds brightness and balances the sweetness of the blackberries and sugar. It brings out the depth of flavors, adding a slight tang that complements the berries beautifully.
Sugar – Sugar does more than just sweeten the filling; it helps draw out the natural juices of the blackberries, contributing to the syrupy consistency that makes pie fillings so delightful.
Cornstarch and Water – This combination is used to create a slurry that thickens the filling, giving it the perfect consistency that holds together well inside your pie or dessert, without being too runny or too thick.
How to Make Blackberry Pie Filling
- Put the blackberries in a pot.
- Add the rest of the ingredients except cornstarch and water.
- Boil until the fruit has broken down.
- Mix the cornstarch and water to form a slurry, then stir it into the fruit mixture.
- Continue to stir until the filling thickens.
***Salty Pot Tip: For the exact amounts, and detailed instructions along with tips for making this recipe perfect, check the printable recipe card below.
Where to Use Fruit Pie Fillings
- Blackberry Pies and Hand Pies: While fruit pies are always a classic dessert, fruit turnovers are ideal for a portable, mess-free dessert.
- Fruit Tarts: Adds a rich, decadent layer.
- Layered Dessert Cups: Perfect for a visually stunning and delicious treat.
- As a Topping: Over cheesecakes (like my 3 Ingredient Cheesecake recipe), pancakes, or waffles for an extra burst of flavor.
Tips and Variations to This Berry Pie Filling
- Add Other Berries: Mix in strawberries, raspberries or blueberries for a multi-berry filling.
- Rhubarb: Adding rhubarb is always a fun, tart addition to the berries as well.
- Add a Kick: A dash of cinnamon, and nutmeg for some warm flavors, but if you want to add a small kick and extra sweetness, try adding some Hot Honey to the mix!
- Combo Fruit Fillings: Combine with peaches or apples for a unique twist.
- How to tell when the filling is ready: After you’ve added the cornstarch slurry, it should be thick enough that you can run your finger through the filling on the spatula and it leaves a solid line where your finger was.
Storage and Freezing
This filling can last up to 5 days in the fridge if it has a tight fitting lid on the container.
For freezing, it’s best to leave out the cornstarch slurry until you’re ready to use the filling. Freeze the berry mixture alone, and when thawing, add the slurry as you reheat it to ensure the perfect consistency. This approach helps to prevent the filling from possibly thinning out if you thicken it before freezing.
Questions You Might Have
Absolutely you can! Often, I prefer to use frozen fruit because it’s frozen at its peak freshness. However, if you have freshly picked berries or you’ve found a great deal on store-bought fresh blackberries, they might be a cheaper alternative than using frozen.
Yes, you can and I recommend using Binky’s Culinary Carnival’s tutorial on how to water bath the filling safely.
Did You Make This Blackberry Pie Filling Recipe?
I’d love to hear from you if you tried making this berry pie filling! Please leave a comment below and let me know if you made changes or cooked it as is!
Thanks for stopping by The Salty Pot today and I hope you have a fantastic week.
~Joanne
Blackberry Pie Filling
Enhance your homemade desserts with this versatile blackberry pie filling. Perfect for pies, tarts, and more, this recipe is a sweet treat that adds a burst of berry flavor to any dessert.
Ingredients
- 6 cups Blackberries
- 3/4 cup Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- Dash salt
- 3 1/2 tablespoons Cornstarch
- 3 tablespoon Water
Instructions
- Add the blackberries, sugar, lemon juice and salt to a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Give everything a gentle stir and let the berries sit for about 5 minutes. This gives the sugar a chance to start pulling out some of those beautiful blackberry juices.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat. Cook the berries for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved and the berries have released plenty of juice. Gently mash some of the berries with the back of your spoon, but don’t completely pulverize them. Leaving a few larger berry pieces gives the filling a much nicer texture.
- While the berries are cooking, whisk the cornstarch and cold water together in a small bowl. Keep whisking until the mixture is completely smooth because nobody wants little white cornstarch lumps hiding in their pie filling.
- Give the cornstarch slurry one more quick stir, then slowly pour it into the simmering berries while stirring constantly.
- Continue cooking the filling over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a gentle boil and thickens. Once it begins bubbling, cook it for 1 minute and then remove the saucepan from the heat. Don’t wander away during this part because the filling thickens quickly once the cornstarch gets to work.
- Let the blackberry filling cool completely before using it in a pie or another dessert. It may look slightly looser while it is hot, but it will continue to thicken considerably as it cools.
Notes
- This recipe makes approximately 4 cups of blackberry pie filling. That should be enough to fill one standard 9-inch pie. It will not make a generously mounded deep-dish pie.
- The exact finished yield can vary slightly depending on how juicy the berries are and how much they break down during cooking. Once the filling is completely cool, you can transfer it to a liquid measuring cup if you need an exact amount for another recipe.
- Fresh or frozen blackberries can be used. If using frozen berries, thaw them first and keep the juices that collect as they thaw. Those juices have loads of blackberry flavor, so there’s no sense pouring them down the drain.
- Frozen berries usually release more liquid than fresh berries. If the thawed berries are especially juicy, use 4 tablespoons of cornstarch instead of 3 tablespoons. Mix it with 4 tablespoons of cold water before adding it to the berries.
- If the cooled filling is thicker than you want, gently warm it and stir in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the consistency you need.
- If the cooled filling is too loose, return it to the saucepan. Mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 teaspoon of cold water, stir it into the warm filling and bring it to a gentle boil for 1 minute.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1/4 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 96Total Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gSodium: 2mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 5gSugar: 16gProtein: 1g
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Hi Joanne, can you freeze the Blackberry pie filling?
Hi Helen! So yes, you can freeze cooked pie filling. When you want to use it, thaw it gently (fridge) and slowly. There might be some liquid that escapes, but it’s easily mixed back in.If it seems a bit loose to you, quickly reheat it and add 1 tsp of a cornstarch slurry to thicken it up again, and go ahead with your recipe. Hope that helps!
I made this Blackberry Pie for a funeral luncheon. It was a hit.
Hi Nita! I’m sorry about the circumstances, but I’m thrilled that everyone liked it 🙂 Thanks for commenting!