This is my cottage bakery's best selling pie! I bake them so often around the Holidays, and am happy to share so you can have your own little slice of heaven. The pie filling is thick and not runny, the crust packs extra flavor and color with freeze-dried berries, and best of all, it can easily be made vegan to accommodate additional allergies. I have no doubt this is the best gluten-free mixed berry fruit pie you'll ever try!
It's perfect any time of the year! You can use fresh berries in the summer, or frozen berries (used here) any other time. It's a crowd pleaser for any occasion. Wouldn't it be so good with a scoop of fresh homemade vanilla ice cream?
My pie crust recipe yields a dough that is easily shapeable, and you can decorate your gluten-free mixed berry pie with a lattice, or use dough stamps or cookie cutters to make intricate designs. Check out my gluten-free cherry pie recipe, too!
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Ingredients
The freeze-dried berries add subtle taste and fun visual appeal to the crust. Simply add 2 tablespoons of freeze-dried berries of your choice to my pie crust recipe. You can find freeze-dried berries at the grocery store, I buy mine from Trader Joe's, Target and Walmart! For this pie, I used freeze-dried blueberries, and freeze-dried raspberries. Simply pulse them a few times in the food processor to create a rough powder.
As far as berries, I use frozen mixed berry bags from Costco, which contains blackberries, raspberries and blueberries. I use frozen because I personally find these berries taste the same as fresh when baked, unlike strawberries which would have to be fresh.
- Berries: blackberries, raspberries, blueberries - you may use frozen or fresh
- My gluten-free pie crust, which can be made dairy-free!
- Freeze-dried berries of choice
- Sugar
- Corn starch
- Lemon juice
- Lemon zest
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Let's get started!
Measure the berries: fill your pie pan TWICE. That's how many berries you need for a thick filling that won't be runny for one pie!
In a large saucepan on medium heat, cook the berries, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest (not the corn starch!) Mix often. It should take 10-15 minutes for the berries to thaw, cook and release their juices.
Here is the secret for a thick filling that won't be runny: set the cooked berries in a colander to drain the juices. Add the juices back to the saucepan.
Add corn starch to the berry juice saucepan and cook on medium heat until thickened. Whisk constantly to prevent clumps.
Bubbles will form as the berry juices thicken. Whisk until the texture is thick, like jelly. Remove from the heat. Counter cool both the berries and the berry jelly. Store each separately in the fridge until ready to assemble the pie.
For assembling the gluten-free mixed berry fruit pie, please watch this step-by-step video which includes a gorgeous lattice tutorial! Don't the freeze-dried berries just make the crust pop?
The pie bakes for 10 minutes at 375F, and then an additional 35 minutes at 350F. I know it's tempting, but don't cut the pie until it has fully cooled to room temperature, that's the trick to a thick filling that won't be runny.
Hint: I ALWAYS set my pie in a baking tray covered with aluminum for baking. Here are the two reasons I do this:
- The aluminum foil can be used as a pie shield about ~20 minutes into baking to protect the edges of the pie from browning more (or burning) than the rest of the pie.
- Even when reducing the filling on the stove top, pies are messy. I'd rather excess juices and butter end up in my baking pan than at the bottom of my oven. You're welcome!
Substitutions
I often get requests for gluten-free vegan fruit pies, which I happily and flawlessly bake!
- Dairy-free - you must use the dairy-free version of my gluten-free pie crust, which involves both a gluten-free dairy-free pastry flour using coconut milk powder (or oat milk powder, or other plant-based milk powders), as well as vegan butter. I always suggest using a vegan butter rich in saturated fats. The one I use is coconut based. You could also use lard or shortening.
- Egg-free - omit the egg wash. You can get a nice brown color by brushing the pie with melted vegan butter, sprinkling with sugar, and you may have to bake slightly longer.
- Store-bought crust - sure, you can give it a try. My pie crust was developed to be easily shapeable so can't guarantee you'll be able to use a lattice... but it should be tasty!
Variations
Want to change a few things around? Sure!
- Other berries - you can use any combination of the three berries I used. My favorite is raspberry pie.
- Mint - add chopped mint to the berry filling!
- Sweeter - I try to use sugar sparingly when I can, but you can definitely add more sugar to taste here! You can also use less lemon to increase the sweetness.
I also have a recipe for gluten-free blueberry pie, that's combined with oranges and cinnamon. Check it out!
Equipment
This recipe was designed for a 9 inch pie pan. You can use the slider in the recipe card if your pie pan is larger. Here's what I used:
- 9 inch pie pan
- Baking tray
- Digital scale
- Whisk
- Saucepan
Storage
Once baked, the gluten-free mixed berry fruit pie will be shelf-stable at room temperature for 2 days. It's the perfect dessert to eat after a summer BBQ, where you can serve my gluten-free hot dog buns! If you haven't eaten it all by then (this has never happened in my family!) you should freeze the leftovers: wrap tightly in plastic, freeze for up to a month. You can thaw to room temperature when ready to eat.
If you'd like to make the pie ahead of time, I have a couple tips for you:
- 1-2 day ahead: assemble the gluten-free mixed berry fruit pie fully as shown in the video (minus the egg wash/sugar sprinkle), wrap in plastic and store in the fridge until ready to bake.
- 1 month ahead: same as above, but store in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the fridge (not room temperature) when ready to bake!
Top tip
Keep a close eye on the oven for the first 15-20 minutes, which is when you'll likely have to use a pie shield (I use an aluminum cover) to protect the edges from burning. This is especially true with a lattice crust.
FAQ
This recipe is designed to yield a THICK filling that is not runny. The steps responsible for this are: separating the berries from the juices and thickening the juices with cornstarch on the stove top, as well as to completely let the pie cool (and thus let the juices gelatinize).
This recipe has been perfected using my gluten-free pie crust recipe which requires the use of my gluten-free pastry flour mix. If your pie crust is falling apart, you may have used store-bought or used commercial mixes. You can read my post on blending your own flours for the reasoning!
Short answer yes. If you'd rather use something else, I recommend another starch like tapioca or arrowroot. Not gluten-free flour. When heated, starches contribute to gelling the mixture which is what we really want here. I have not tested this, but you could also likely use pectin!
Gluten-Free Mixed Berry Pie with Freeze-Dried Berry Crust and Thick Filling
Equipment
- 1 pie pan
- 1 whisk heat proofed
- 1 Baking Tray
- 1 saucepan
- 1 digital scale
Ingredients
- 2 gluten-free homemade pie crusts
- 10 grams freeze-dried berry powder added to the pie crust recipe
- 950 grams frozen mixed berries or fresh - used here: raspberries, blackberries, blueberries
- 165 grams sugar
- 1 lemon juiced and zested
- 32 grams corn starch
- 1 egg wash optional, omit for the vegan option
Instructions
Prepare the Pie Crust
- Follow the instructions for the gluten-free homemade pie crusts linked in the ingredients above. Add the berry powder directly in the gluten-free pastry flour and proceed with the recipe as written.
Make the Filling
- Add the mixed berries, lemon juice, lemon zest and sugar to a saucepan. Heat on medium.
- Stir often with a wooden spoon. After about 10-15 minutes, the berries should have released all their juices.
- Separate the berries and their juices using a strainer. Strain the juices into a saucepan.
- Let the berries cool on the countertop in a large bowl.
- Meanwhile, heat the berry juices in a saucepan on medium heat.
- Add corn starch and whisk constantly.
- The mixture will bubble and thicken after just a few minutes.
- Once thickened, remove from the heat and let cool on the counter.
- Store the thickened berry jelly and the cooked berries in separate containers in the refrigerator.
Assemble the Pie
- Preheat oven to 375 °F (191 °C)
- Roll out the pie crust on a rolling mat, or parchment paper. Sprinkle with gluten-free pastry flour as needed, as shown in the video in the instruction section of this post.
- Once the bottom pie crust is in the pie pan, add the refrigerated cooked berries.
- Pour the berry jelly on top.
- Roll out the top pie crust. Decorate as desired. The video in the instruction section details how to create the lattice: each dough strand goes over, then under adjacent perpendicular dough strands.
- Brush with the optional egg wash (or vegan butter) and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Set the pie pan in a baking tray lined with aluminum foil.
Bake the Pie
- Place the pie in the middle of the preheated oven. Bake for 10 minutes and reduce the temperature to 350 °F (177 °C)
- After an additional 10 minutes (20 minutes total in the oven), inspect the edges of the pie crust. Lattice crusts tend to brown unevenly. If browning too rapidly, cover the edges with the aluminum foil from the baking tray.
- Bake an additional 25 minutes (for a total of 45 minutes).
- Remove the pie from the oven and let fully cool before cutting. This ensures a thick non-runny filling.
Vicky
This gluten-free mixed berry pie looks absolutely delicious! I love how the recipe is perfect for me to make when entertaining gluten free friends and how it doesn't compromise on flavor.
Elisa
This gluten-free mixed berry pie recipe, looks so delicious. Will have to make it really soon. Thanks for sharing :)
Kushigalu
I love this gluten-free version of mixed berry pie. Thanks for sharing.
Stephanie
Such a delicious pie and nice I can serve to my gluten-free family and friends. Thanks for sharing another amazing recipe!
Anjali
I made this pie during the holidays and it turned out so well!! It was the perfect dessert for our gluten free guests, and honestly even our non-gluten-free guests loved it too!
Caitlin
I haven’t tried to make this myself yet but I did order this pie for Thanksgiving along with the apple version and they were so good! One day I will find the time (and bravery) to try to make it myself.
Naelle @ GlutenFreeDIYers
I fully trust you can do it, and I'd love a slice when you do!