đ„§ A Slice of Summer: Homemade Mulberry Pie Thatâll Steal Your Heart (and Your Grandmaâs Approval)
Picture this: golden, flaky crust hugging a jammy filling thatâs equal parts sweet and tangy, with those jewel-toned mulberries bursting in every bite. This isnât just pie, friendsâitâs a sunlit afternoon, a stained apron, and the kind of dessert that turns strangers into family. My grandmaâs mulberry pie was legendaryâsheâd wink as she slid it onto the windowsill âto catch the breeze,â though we all knew she just wanted the neighbors to drool a little. Now, Iâm passing her secret weapon (and a few chef tricks Iâve picked up) to you. Whether youâre shaking mulberries off your backyard tree or hunting them at the farmersâ market, this recipe is your ticket to pie magic. Letâs get buttery!
đ” The Summer I Became a Berry Bandit (And Why My Purple Fingers Were Worth It)
Age eight, barefoot, and convinced I was Robin Hood of the orchard. Grandmaâs mulberry tree was my Sherwood Forestâexcept instead of stealing gold, Iâd stuff my pockets with stolen berries while dodging her âI see you!â laughter. One July morning, she handed me a colander and said, âWant to make magic?â We baked until sunset, flour in our hair and purple smudges on the recipe card. When that pie emerged, crust shimmering like a sunset, she let me carve the first slice. The juice ran down my chin, and I knewâthis was alchemy. Now, every time I bake this pie, I swear I catch a whiff of her lilac perfume in the steam. Your turn to make memories, chef.
đ« Your Pie Toolbox: Ingredients & Why They Matter
- All-purpose flour: The backbone of our flaky crust. For a gluten-free twist, swap in 1:1 GF flour (add œ tsp xanthan gum if your blend doesnât include it).
- Cold unsalted butter: Cube it, chill it, love it. Pro tip: Freeze your butter for 15 minutes pre-bakingâitâs the secret to those Instagram-worthy layers.
- Fresh mulberries: Look for plump, dark berries (avoid greenish ones!). No mulberries? Blackberries + raspberries = a solid plan B.
- Lemon juice: Not just for zingâit teams up with sugar to keep your filling vibrant, not murky.
- Vanilla extract: Splurge on the real stuff here. Your taste buds will high-five you.
đ©âđł Letâs Get Baking: Step-by-Step (With Chef-Approved Hacks!)
Step 1: Crust time! Pulse flour + salt in your food processor (or go old-school with a pastry cutter). Toss in butter cubes like youâre sprinkling confetti. Pulse until it looks like âcheesy breadcrumbsââyou want pea-sized butter bits for maximum flake. Hack: Grate frozen butter on a box grater for foolproof blending!
Step 4: Filling fiesta! Gently fold mulberries with sugar, flour, lemon, and vanilla. Chefâs whisper: Let this sit 10 minutesâitâll get juicy and help prevent a soggy bottom crust.
Step 6: Top crust showdown! Go classic lattice or full coverageâjust cut steam vents! My move? Use a tiny cookie cutter to make heart shapes in the top crust. Because why not?
đŠ Serving Drama: How to Plate Like a Pro
Serve slightly warm (not molten!) with a quenelle of vanilla bean ice cream melting into the cracks. Dust with powdered sugar through a sieve for that âsnow-kissedâ look. For brunch? Add a dollop of lemon mascarpone. Plate on grandmaâs china or a rustic wooden boardâthis pieâs a scene-stealer either way.
âš Mix It Up: 5 Pie Personalities to Try
- âBerry Remixâ Pie: Swap 1 cup mulberries for blueberries + a dash of cinnamon
- Vegan Vibes: Use coconut oil crust + flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water)
- Crunch Top Edition: Skip the top crustâmix œ cup oats + ÂŒ cup brown sugar + 3 tbsp butter for a streusel crow
đȘ Confessions of a Pie-Obsessed Chef
True story: My first solo pie looked like it lost a fight with a tractor. The crust? Shrunk. The filling? A lake. Grandma just laughed and said, âHoney, weâll call it cobbler!â Now I embrace imperfectionsâtheyâre flavor badges. Over the years, Iâve added lemon zest to the crust (game-changer) and sometimes throw in a handful of chopped rhubarb for cheek-puckering contrast. Your pie, your rules!
đ FAQ: Your Pie Emergencies, Solved
Q: SOSâmy fillingâs a soup!
A: Next time, toss berries with 1 extra tbsp flour. For now, pop slices in the freezer for 20 minutesâtheyâll firm up!
Q: Can I use frozen mulberries?
A: Absolutely! Thaw, drain juice (save it for smoothies!), and reduce sugar to Ÿ cup since frozen berries are often sweeter.
đ Nutrition Breakdown (Because Balance is a Thing)
Per slice: 390 kcal | 18g fat | 55g carbs | 3g fiber. Yes, itâs indulgentâbut one bite and youâll agree itâs 100% worth it. Lifeâs short; eat the pie.
đ„ Final Thoughts: Bake the Pie, Make the Memory
Mulberry pie isnât just a dessertâitâs a memory in the making. Itâs flour-dusted hands and sticky fingers, a kitchen full of laughter, and the kind of smell that pulls everyone in before the timer even dings. Itâs the bite you crave when youâre homesick, heart-full, or just hungry for something real. Every slice is summer captured in golden crust and purple juice. Honest. Nostalgic. Delicious.
Whether you grew up shaking mulberries out of trees or you just discovered them at the market, this pie welcomes you in like a handwritten recipe card from someone who really loved you. And while Grandma may have raised the bar with her legendary version, Iâm here to tell you: youâve got this. Pie crust cracks? Filling a little too juicy? Doesnât matter. The second you carve into that buttery shell and serve it with a scoop of ice cream, nobodyâs thinking about perfectionâtheyâre thinking about that next bite.
So bake the pie. Even if your kitchen looks like a flour tornado afterward. Even if you burn the first crust. Even if you canât resist sneaking mulberries by the handful before they hit the bowl. Because somewhere between the rolling, the filling, and the serving, something sweet happens: tradition, joy, comfort⊠and maybe even a little magic.
PrintMulberry Pie Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Ingredients
For the crust:
2œ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
6â8 tbsp ice water
For the filling:
4 cups fresh mulberries (stems removed)
1 cup sugar
Œ cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp butter (for dotting)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
Make the crust: Mix flour and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Add ice water 1 tbsp at a time until dough forms. Divide into 2 disks, wrap, and chill for 30 mins.
Roll out one crust and fit into a 9-inch pie plate.
In a large bowl, mix mulberries, sugar, flour, lemon juice, and vanilla. Pour into crust and dot with butter.
Roll out the second crust and place on top. Crimp edges and cut slits for steam.
Bake for 45â50 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Let cool before slicing.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 45â50 mins
Nutrition
- Calories: 390 per serving
- Fat: 18g per serving
- Carbohydrates: 55g per serving
- Fiber: 3g per serving