Montana Wild Berry Pie
intro
A rustic, jammy Northern Rockies pie loaded with foraged Montana wild berries in a flaky buttery crust, balanced with bright tartness and subtle warm spice.
Ingredients
Steps
Prepare flaky pie crust
In a large bowl, mix 315g all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, and 25g (2 tbsp) granulated sugar. Cut in 226g cold 1cm-cubed unsalted butter with a pastry cutter until the mixture forms coarse, pea-sized butter crumbs. Drizzle in 60-80ml ice cold water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing gently until the dough just holds together when squeezed. Split the dough into two equal discs, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Mix wild berry filling
In a large mixing bowl, gently toss 600g mixed Montana wild berries (patted dry if fresh, thawed and drained if frozen) with the remaining 75g (6 tbsp) granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons (24g) cornstarch, 1 tablespoon (15ml) fresh lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon (0.5g) ground cinnamon, and the remaining 1/4 tsp fine sea salt. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes at room temperature to release natural juices, stirring once gently at the 5-minute mark.
Roll bottom crust layer
Remove one chilled dough disc from the refrigerator, let it soften at room temperature for 5 minutes to prevent cracking when rolling. Roll it on a lightly floured work surface to a 30cm (12-inch) circle that is 3mm (1/8-inch) thick. Gently lift and lay the rolled dough into a 23cm (9-inch) glass pie dish, pressing it firmly against the dish bottom and up the sides, leaving a uniform 2.5cm (1-inch) dough overhang around the dish rim. Trim any excess dough longer than 2.5cm with kitchen shears.
Assemble filled pie
Pour the rested wild berry filling and all accumulated juices into the crust-lined pie dish, spreading it into a smooth, even layer. Roll the second chilled dough disc into an identical 30cm (12-inch), 3mm-thick circle, then drape it gently over the top of the berry filling. Pinch the top and bottom crust overhangs together firmly to create a tight seal, then crimp the edge decoratively with your thumb and forefinger or a fork. Cut 4 evenly spaced 2cm (3/4-inch) slits in the top crust to allow steam to vent during baking.
Bake to golden brown
Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F) with a rack positioned in the lower third of the oven. Beat 1 large egg with 1 teaspoon (5ml) cold water to make an egg wash, then brush the entire top crust and crimped edge evenly with the wash. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon (12g) coarse turbinado sugar evenly over the brushed crust. Set the pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet to catch bubbling drips, then bake for 55 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and thick purple filling bubbles actively through the vent slits.
Cool fully before slicing
Remove the baked pie from the oven, transfer it to a wire cooling rack, and let it rest undisturbed for 2 full hours at room temperature before slicing. This extended resting time allows the hot, liquid berry filling to set completely, so slices hold their shape instead of running onto the plate.
Tips
2.If using frozen wild berries, drain off 2 tablespoons of excess thawed juice before mixing the filling to prevent a soggy bottom crust and overly runny filling. There is no need to thaw frozen berries completely before use.
3.Tent the crimped pie edge with a strip of aluminum foil after the first 30 minutes of baking if the edge is turning dark brown faster than the rest of the crust, to prevent burning while the filling finishes cooking.
OMG this pie is a total game changer! I foraged wild huckleberries and raspberries on our last trip up to Glacier National Park and used those instead of grocery store berries, and my entire extended family went crazy for it at our Sunday dinner. The crust is so flaky and the berry filling isn’t too tart or too sweet, perfect balance. 10/10 will make every berry season from now on!
Full transparency, I’m terrible at baking pies and was nervous about the medium difficulty rating, but this turned out so good on my first try! I used a mix of frozen wild blueberries and blackberries since I couldn’t find fresh huckleberries near me in Chicago, and it still tasted like summer in a crust. Took it to my office potluck and people were asking for the recipe before I even left.
Made this for my husband’s birthday cookout and he said it’s better than his grandma’s wild berry pie (don’t tell her I said that lmao). I added a tiny pinch of cinnamon to the filling like I do with all my fruit pies and it complemented the berries so well without overpowering them. The lattice top was way easier to pull off than I thought it would be following the little tip in the recipe!
Wait, who meal preps pie? Me, apparently. I made this Sunday to have as a little treat throughout the week and it held up perfectly in the fridge for 5 days! The only tweak I made was using a whole wheat crust for a little extra fiber, and it didn’t feel heavy at all. My roommate kept sneaking slices so I had to hide the last piece behind the frozen broccoli. Only knocking a star because the total time felt a little longer than advertised when you factor in chilling the crust, but otherwise solid.
I was so worried I wouldn’t be able to adapt this for my gluten allergy, but I swapped the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten free baking flour for the crust and it came out perfect! My kids loved it so much they asked for seconds before they finished their first slice. No weird gritty texture from the GF flour either, which is always a win.
Made this over a campfire on our last hunting trip using a cast iron dutch oven and it slapped. Used wild berries we picked along the trail, added a splash of bourbon to the filling because why not, and the whole crew devoured it in 10 minutes flat. Don’t overcomplicate it, this recipe is forgiving even when you’re cooking off grid.
Tried this for a little dinner party I hosted in my apartment last weekend and it was the star of the menu. I served it with a scoop of homemade vanilla bean ice cream on top and every single guest asked for the recipe. The only heads up is you definitely need to set aside enough time for the crust to chill, don’t skip that step or you’ll have a mess on your hands.
As someone who grows wild berries for a living, I can confirm this recipe does them justice! Most pie recipes overload on sugar and cover up the actual berry flavor, but this one lets the natural tartness and sweetness of the fruit shine. Took first place at our county fair pie contest with this recipe last weekend, no cap.
Okay, I don’t bake. At all. But my daughter has been begging for a berry pie after reading that Little House on the Prairie book at school, so I decided to give this a shot. It was way easier than I thought it would be, even with me messing up the lattice top the first time. She said it was the best thing I’ve ever made, which is a huge win considering I usually burn toast.
Veganized this super easily by swapping the butter for cold vegan butter and using a flax egg for the crust wash, and it came out incredible! I was worried the crust wouldn’t be flaky without dairy butter, but it was perfectly crisp and buttery tasting. Brought it to my vegan potluck and even the non-vegan folks were going back for seconds.
I’ve been making berry pies for over 40 years, and this is now my go-to recipe. The ratio of thickener to berries is spot on—no runny filling, no gummy texture—and the crust recipe is foolproof. I added a little lemon zest to the filling like I always do, and it brightened up the berry flavor even more. Excellent recipe, will be passing this along to my grandkids.
Made this as the dessert for our weekend BBQ brisket cookout and it paired so well with the smoky meat. I was skeptical a sweet berry pie would go with BBQ, but everyone raved about it. The tartness cut through all the rich brisket and mac and cheese perfectly. Only note: make two, because one pie will not be enough for a crowd. Knocked a star because I forgot to chill the crust and it shrank a little, that was totally my bad though.
Okay so I had a total disaster the first 20 minutes of making this: I spilled half the flour on my kitchen floor and then my cat ate a chunk of the raw crust while my back was turned. But I started over, followed the directions step by step, and it turned out SO good! I can’t believe I made a pie that looks like it came from a fancy bakery, honestly.
Picked a whole bucket of wild berries on a day hike last weekend and decided to give this recipe a try. It was the perfect way to use up our foraged haul! The hint of almond extract in the crust is such a nice surprise, I never would have thought to add that but it pairs so beautifully with the wild berries. 10/10, will be a staple every summer.
This is the perfect make-ahead dessert for busy school nights! I made it on Sunday, sliced it up, and pulled out slices for the kids’ after school treats all week. They thought I was the best mom ever, and I loved that I didn’t have to make a dessert every single night. The cook time is totally worth it for how much time it saves during the week.
The filling was absolutely amazing, don’t get me wrong, but I had a really hard time getting the crust to roll out without cracking even after chilling it for the full recommended time. I ended up patching it together and it still tasted good, it just didn’t look very pretty. Maybe I just need more practice with pie crusts, because the flavor was top tier.