BHA & BHT Free Blackberry Pie
Deep purple filling bubbling up through a golden, flaky crust — this blackberry pie is the kind of dessert that makes people hover near the kitchen window of the oven. The filling comes together with fresh or frozen blackberries, a touch of lemon juice and zest, warm cinnamon, and just enough cornstarch to give it that perfect jammy-but-sliceable consistency. The all-butter crust is made entirely from scratch using flour, sugar, salt, chilled butter, and ice water, so every single ingredient is something you can see and verify — no mystery preservatives hiding in a store-bought shell. That matters a lot when you're avoiding BHA and BHT, which commonly sneak into pre-made pie crusts and packaged baked goods as shelf-life extenders. The two-stage baking method — starting hot at 425°F and then dropping to 375°F — ensures the bottom crust cooks through while the top turns a deep, burnished gold. Patience is the only hard part here: letting the pie cool for a full two hours is what takes it from soupy to beautifully set. Serve it plain or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and don't be surprised when the whole thing disappears before you've had a second slice.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
For the crust
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes and chilled
- 6–8 tbsp ice water
For the filling
- 6 cups fresh or frozen blackberries (about 2 lb)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
For the egg wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tbsp coarse sugar (optional)
Instructions
- 1
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 tbsp granulated sugar, and 1 tsp salt. Add the chilled butter cubes and work them into the flour using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining.
- 2
Drizzle in the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork after each addition, until the dough just holds together when pressed — it should look shaggy, not smooth. Divide the dough into two equal discs, wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
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