Raspberries are one of our favorite fruits, starring in everything from raspberry sorbet to sherbet to raspberry lemonade. But the crown jewel of any raspberry recipe is the mighty pie! Meet this incredible Raspberry Pie recipe, simple and classic with just the right berry flavor. The filing is thick and jammy, sweet tart and enhanced with a little lemon zest for brightness. It’s all encased in a fluffy, all-butter pastry crust that’s baked to a golden brown. It’s one for the books…and we’re 1000% into it. (Maybe even more than blueberry!)
Ingredients in raspberry pie
Here’s the thing about raspberry pie: you’ll need a lot of raspberries. This recipe calls for 6 cups of berries! That’s not a big ask when you’re using blueberries, which are cheaper and sold in larger quantities. But here in the US, raspberries are very expensive. This pie is great for when you have a bunch of raspberries growing in your yard or go berry picking. Or, decide to make this pie as a splurge! You can also use frozen raspberries, which are cheaper. Here’s what you’ll need:
1 recipe Homemade Pie Crust (2 crusts; or your favorite recipe)Fresh raspberriesGranulated sugarCornstarchVanilla extractLemon zest and juice (or orange zest and juice)Egg, for egg washTurbinado sugar, for sprinkling
Can you use frozen raspberries?
Want to use frozen berries instead of fresh? You can! Pies are the perfect place to use frozen berries because they need to break down into the filling. Frozen raspberries can bleed into the batter of baked goods like muffins and breads, making them turn pink in color! But frozen berries work wonderfully encased in pie dough. Full disclosure: we have not tested frozen raspberries specifically in this pie. However, frozen berries work similarly to fresh in our raspberry sauce, which is same basic concept as this filling. Therefore, we feel confident sharing that this substitution will work!
Tricks to raspberry pie
Fruit pies can notoriously end up with runny fillings. That’s because fruit can vary widely based on its ripeness. The pie recipe should also include a good amount of cornstarch, which interacts with the liquid in the berries to create a thick filling. We had a few test fruit pies that come out runny, so we came up with another solution: pre-cooking the filling! This way, it comes out perfectly set every time. Here are a few tips:
Pre-cook the filling with cornstarch for 5 minutes. Cooking the filling gives it time to interact with the cornstarch, making a thick and gooey filling. Cook it just long enough so that the cornstarch is activated, but not enough that the fruit texture starts to disintegrate.Allow the filling to cool while making the crust. If the filling is too hot, it can heat up the top crust of the pie which can cause the butter to melt. Making the filling first allows it time to cool.Fully cool the pie for 4 hours (or 2 hours, then refrigerate). This is the most important step, which allows the filling to fully set after baking.
Homemade pie crust vs purhased
The star of this raspberry pie recipe is the homemade pie crust. It’s beautifully buttery and flaky, and comes out with a beautiful golden brown color. However, it is a bit of a project! It takes about 15 minutes to put together, 1 hour to chill and 15 minutes to roll out. It also requires a bit of technique to roll out in an even layer and crimp the edges (dough can be finicky!). If you prefer, you can use store bought pie crust here! We much prefer the flavor with homemade dough, but it works in a pinch. Follow the same instructions in the recipe below, making sure to keep the pie dough as cold as possible.
Alternative: use streusel topping instead!
If you’re new to pie crust, the double pie crust requires a bit of finesse to get it right. Want an easier pie topping? Try the crumble topping from this Rhubarb Streusel Pie! It’s easier to put together and has a beautifully buttery, cinnamon-spiced flavor. The streusel topping will add extra sweetness to the pie versus the top crust, but this should be a nice contrast to the sweet tart berries. If you like, you can reduce the sugar in the streusel by half.
More pie recipes
And that’s it! We hope you love this raspberry pie recipe: let us know what you think in the comments below. Want more fruit pie ideas? Here are some of our other favorites:
Add a lattice top for a classic Blueberry PieGo for Strawberry Rhubarb Pie or Classic Rhubarb PieBake up Fresh Strawberry Pie
This raspberry pie recipe is…
Vegetarian. 5 from 1 review **If you’re pressed for time, you can make the pie crust first and then make the filling: you just want to give it ample time to cool.
