Summer just isn’t complete for me without a fresh berry pie. A jammy filling of ripe berries and a tender, cookie-like crust (butter-free) is one of my favorite seasonal treats.
This recipe highlights wild blackberries (also called dewberries) that grow all around our home, along with wild raspberries. The bushes feed us, the dogs who nibble on the trail, the birds, deer and even the occasional bear — and somehow there’s always enough to share. When berries are plentiful I like experimenting with simple, fragrant preparations, and this pie has become a go-to all summer long.
If you don’t have wild blackberries, use wild raspberries or small store-bought berries. Very large supermarket blackberries may need to be cut smaller to work well in this small-format pie.
I flavor the filling with a touch of lemon and a little cinnamon for warmth — a combination I always love. The aroma as it bakes is lovely, and the finished pie is bright and fragrant. For a perfect pairing, serve warm slices with a scoop of your favorite vegan vanilla ice cream.
I had fun freestyle-decorating the top of this pie, but feel free to use any pattern you like — a classic lattice, cut-out shapes, strips, or whatever creative idea comes to mind. My advice: enjoy the process and don’t worry about perfection. Even a rustic design will taste wonderful.
This recipe is for a small 6″ pie that serves about four. To make a standard 9″ pie, triple the ingredients.
Wild Blackberry Pie
This vegan, gluten-free wild blackberry pie is a flavorful way to enjoy abundant summer berries.
- Author: Audrey @ Unconventional Baker
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 6″ Pie
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Dessert
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Pie Crust:
- ¾ cup white rice flour
- ¼ cup cashew butter
- ¼ cup dark maple syrup
- 2 tsp lemon extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
Blackberry Filling:
- ¾ cup wild blackberries (or small berries of your choice)
- 3 tbsp dark maple syrup
- 2 tbsp tapioca starch
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of salt (about 1/16 tsp)
Optional Topping
- 1 tsp raw sugar crystals to sprinkle over the crust (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly oil a 6″ pie plate or a similarly sized baking dish and set aside.
- Make the crust: combine all crust ingredients in a food processor until a dough forms. Gather the dough into a ball, knead lightly, and divide into two equal balls. Flatten one ball into a disk and press it into the prepared pie plate to form the bottom and sides of the crust. Set aside.
- Mix the filling: stir the blackberries, maple syrup, tapioca starch, lemon juice, cinnamon, and pinch of salt together in a small bowl. Pour the filling into the prepared crust and smooth into an even layer.
- Roll out the remaining dough between two sheets of parchment to roughly 1/8″ thickness. Cut or shape strips and pieces to decorate the top of the pie as you like — lattice, strips, shapes, or a freeform design. Use leftover dough to patch edges or make small decorative pieces. Seal the pie edge with a fork.
- Optional: very lightly sprinkle raw sugar crystals over the top crust pieces, taking care to keep sugar off the filling so it remains visible on the crust after baking.
- Bake for about 45 minutes, until the crust edges are golden and the filling is bubbling and set. Cool on a wire rack; the filling will firm up as it cools. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
If you have a small amount of leftover dough, roll it into tiny cookies and bake them alongside the pie for 7–9 minutes.
A freshly baked pie can be slightly runny when first cut; allow it to cool completely for the filling to set.
Happy baking!
x Audrey