This Classic Homemade Raspberry Pie is an old family summer dessert recipe made with an all-butter crust and fresh or frozen raspberries. It’s a simple pie recipe that’s easy enough for anyone to make – even beginners! Be sure to follow my pro tips below for the perfect old fashioned raspberry pie!
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I don’t know about you but there are so many recipes that bring back memories of my family and my childhood. This Classic Raspberry Pie recipe is one we would make for almost every family dinner – it’s my dad’s favourite dessert of all time and I think of him every time I make it. And it’s fitting that I’m sharing it with you today since I’ve been missing my family lately more than usual. 2020’s been quite the year and if we weren’t in the middle of a pandemic I’d be back in Canada with my family today, probably enjoying a slice of this delicious pie on the deck in the sunshine!
I just know you’ll love this Classic Raspberry Pie recipe as much as we do!
How to Make the Perfect Classic Raspberry Pie
TIP #1: Use your food processor and COLD butter.
Use COLD butter. And COLD water. This will help the butter stay in small, solid pieces as you mix which will create a flaky crust (and who doesn’t love a flaky pie crust??). Using your food processor to make the crust helps the butter stay cold and creates a nice tender dough, plus it makes making your own pie crust from scratch super easy and low maintenance!
TIP #2: Work quickly and gently when you handle the dough.
If you do work the butter into the flour mixture using your hands, make sure you use quick motions, flattening the pieces of butter between your hands as you slide your hands apart (one toward you, one away from you). The goal here should be to handle the butter as little as possible because the heat from your hands will cause it to soften and even melt. It’s ideal for the butter to remain cold and hard but be distributed throughout the flour mixture in small pieces.
TIP #3: Shape the dough into discs.
Once the dough comes together, divide it in half and gently form it into 2 round disc shapes. This makes it easy to roll out later in a round shape!
TIP #4: Use a thickening agent in the filling.
Adding cornstarch to your pie filling will create a deliciously thick and silky sauce around the fruit and it will help the filling stay together a little better when you cut into the pie. You’ll still have that gorgeous juiciness oozing out of each slice, but it won’t look like soup on your dessert plate.
TIP #5: Create a clean edge and vent your pie.
There’s nothing worse than a pie with uneven, over-browned edges. Creating nice clean edges is easy! Just fold the edges of the dough under and tuck them into whatever pie dish you’re using. And don’t forget to vent the top of the pie so the steam can escape – just poke it with a fork in a few places.
Looking for more delicious summer desserts? You’ll LOVE this No Bake Blueberry Lemon Icebox Cake or this Strawberry Rhubarb Skillet Cobbler!
TIP #6: Use an egg wash.
Combine an egg and 1 tablespoon of water in a small dish and whisk them together. Using a pastry brush, brush on a SMALL amount of egg wash onto the top crust of the pie and around the edges. Don’t overdo it! Cooked egg on the top of a pie is never tasty. The idea is to brush a very light coating of the egg wash over every surface of the crust before it bakes. This will create a shiny finish and it will help the upper crust to brown perfectly and evenly in the oven.
TIP #7: Sugar the crust.
Sprinkle a little bit of turbinado sugar or other coarse sugar onto the top of the pie after you’ve brushed on the egg wash. This will create a beautiful finish on the upper crust, but it will also add a nice crunch and a beautiful texture to the pastry.
TIP #8: Heat Things Up
Bake your pie at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for the first 10 minutes and then reduce the heat to 375 Fahrenheit and bake for 45-50 minutes longer. Baking at a higher heat at first allows the crust to brown beautifully and baking at a lower heat afterwards allows the filling to cook evenly without the crust over-browning in the process.
TIP #9: Protect your oven! It’s also a great idea to bake your pie with a baking sheet on the rack below, just to catch any stray drips before they burn onto the bottom of your oven (been there, done that…more times than I’d care to admit!)
TIP #10: Let it cool before slicing!
Cutting into a hot pie may seem like a good idea, but all it will leave you with is a steamy hot soupy mess. Be sure to let the pie to cool to room temperature before slicing – this will make sure your slices are juicy but keep their shape.
Looking for even more PRO PIE BAKING TIPS? Check out my Apple Cranberry Pie Recipe and my TOP 10 PRO PIE BAKING TIPS!
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I hope you love this homemade pie recipe as much as we do! Let me know in the comments below, what’s your family’s favourite summer pie? I’d love to know!
Kitchen Products I Recommend:
Looking for more recipes featuring fresh summer fruit? You’ll love these:
- Easy Classic Peach Pie
- No Bake Lemon Blueberry Icebox Cake
- Classic Apple Berry Fruit Crisp
- Strawberry Swirl Cupcakes with Fresh Strawberry Buttercream
- Easy Strawberry Hand Pies
- Easy 3-Ingredient Chia Seed Raspberry Jam
- Strawberry Spinach Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing
- Classic Blueberry Pie
- Classic Strawberry Pie
- Best Ever Fresh Strawberry Pie
Classic Raspberry Pie
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 6-7 tablespoons ice cold water
For the filling
- 4 cups fresh raspberries (or use frozen raspberries)
- 5 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
For finishing:
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1-2 tablespoons coarse sugar
Instructions
For the crust:
- Add the flour, sugar and salt to the bowl of your food processor (or a large bowl if your making the dough by hand).
- Turn the food processor on low speed and add the chunks of cold butter one at a time while the food processor runs until all the butter is added and the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.If making by hand, use a pastry blender or your hands to work the butter into the dough until the mixture is crumbly. Try not to handle the butter too much (the heat from your hands will soften it) - use quick movements and don't worry if some larger chunks of butter still remain.
- Add the lemon juice and the water slowly as the food processor runs on low, just until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Depending on the weather and even on the brand of flour, I use anywhere between 5 and 8 tablespoons of water. If making by hand, use your hands to form the dough gently and quickly using just enough water for the dough to come together.
- Dump the rough dough onto the counter and divide the dough into two disc shapes and wrap each one separately in plastic wrap, placing it in the fridge to chill for 45 minutes or overnight.
For the filling:
- Add the raspberries to a bowl, along with the cornstarch, sugar, salt and lemon juice. Toss just until combined. If using frozen raspberries, make the filling with the raspberries as they're frozen (do not defrost the raspberries first).
- Set the filling aside while you prepare the crust for baking.
Assembly:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. If your oven runs hot, set it to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. (Use an oven thermometer to ensure the correct temperature)
- Remove the chilled pie dough from the fridge and let it sit for about 10 minutes before rolling. Roll out one of the balls of dough into a large circle using a rolling pin. Add a generous amount of flour to the rolling surface and to the rolling pin, to prevent sticking and cracking.
- Peel the rolled out dough off the counter surface gently by rolling it backwards onto the rolling pin.
- Transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate and gently press the dough into the bottom of the pie plate and over the edges (try for a 1-2 inch overhang if possible).
- Add the raspberry filling to the pie crust and smooth out the top.
- Repeat the rolling out process with the second ball of dough, rolling it into a flat circle, just larger than the pan. Place it gently over the filling, letting the excess hang over the sides.
- Trim any dough that hangs over the edge of the pie to 1-2 inches past the edge (try to keep the overhang amount even all the way around). Tuck any overhanging dough under and into the pie plate to create a clean edge.
- If your pie plate has a wide edge, seal the edge of the pie by creating a fluted pattern - press into the edge of the pie from the outside with your left thumb and index finger while pressing into the edge of the pie from the inside with your right index finger. Do this all the way around the edge of the pie to create a fluted pattern (and see my tutorial HERE for how to create a beautiful fluted edge to your pies!)
- Use a fork to make some holes in the top of the pie. This will help the pie vent and steam to release without cracking the top of the pie.
- Beat the egg and 1 tablespoon of water and brush it lightly onto the unbaked crust. Use a light hand while brushing - too much egg wash creates an eggy texture after baking.
- Dust the crust with the coarse sugar and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 375 (350 if your oven runs hot) and bake for an additional 35-45 minutes or until the crust is evenly browned and the filling is bubbly.
- Let the pie cool to room temperature before slicing and serving with whipped cream or ice cream.
MARYANA says
Oh goodness, this pie looks delightful! I bet it tastes perfect 🙂
Julia Mazurchak says
LOVE the looks of this pie! I’ve never had a raspberry pie, but I can just imagine how good it’d be with some ice cream!
Mary Bostow says
This pie just screams summer! We loved every bite of it!
Anita says
Made this today. Way too much lemon juice and not enough sugar. It was so tart my family could barely eat it. Followed directions exactly, even leaving out 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and it was still too sour.
Chrissie says
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy it. The recipe is very tart, and unfortunately the tartness of the raspberries can make a big difference in this recipe too.