It’s the best of both worlds! A juicy, mixed berry pie with a traditional fruit crisp topping. You can have your pie and eat crisp too! 😄
My mother-in-law had heard about the pies. A few days into our family road trip, we were getting close to the spot in Capitol Reef National Park that her friend had raved about. In a historic building surrounded by groves of heirloom fruit trees, their stock sold out by 1pm, she was warned.
We made sure to arrive soon after opening, securing our bounty of five freshly baked, hand pies.
In truth, I’m not a big pie person. Pie crust often doesn’t do it for me, and the fillings have a way of being too goopy and cloying. A well-made pie has the potential to be great though, so I went in with an open mind.
Guess what? They were pretty good! We all had our favorites, and mine hands-down was the mixed berry with a smattering of crumble topping. It got me to thinking… I DO love a good fruit crisp- AND especially this time of year when I can load it up with my summer favorites like nectarines, apricots, peaches, or of course, copious amounts of berries.
So what if I swapped the traditional pie crust for my favorite, super simple, press-in crust that uses almond meal for extra flavor and crispiness? And what if I made a double batch of crisp topping (‘cause that IS my favorite part!), to float atop of two pounds of sweet, mixed berries? In my mind I tentatively dubbed it, the CrispPie!!!
After we got home, I gave it a shot. Warned that it might not work out at all, my family dug in wearing their critics’ hats. Success!!
My in-laws loved that it was not too sweet. My husband loved the crispy crust. I loved how the berries melded into a sweet, juicy mess as it baked. And my kids loved how the vanilla ice cream melted into all of the nooks and crannies (adding that extra sweetness that they desired).
It’s my new summer fruit treat, and it is the perfect centerpiece for your upcoming holiday festivities!
Any tips or tricks?
- Make sure to press the crust all the way up the sides of your pie plate. It is a firmer crust when baked up, so use a sturdy knife and press firmly to cut all the way through for a clean cut.
- The pie is not overly sweet. If you prefer sweeter desserts, increase the sugar in the filling by 2-4 tablespoons. Note that serving it with vanilla ice cream will result in a well-balanced sweetness, and even sweet tooths might find they don’t need to sweeten the filling.
Are there substitutions?
- If you have a nut allergy, omit the almond flour and increase the all-purpose flour to 1 full cup (120 grams).
- Any combination of berries will work!
Mixed Berry CrispPie
Ingredients
Press-in pie crust
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour (90 grams)
- ⅓ cup finely ground almond flour (66 grams)
- ¼ cup sugar (50 grams)
- Pinch of salt
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
For the filling
- 1 pound strawberries hulled and quartered
- 6 ounces blueberries
- 6 ounces blackberries
- 6 ounces raspberries
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup sugar (50 grams)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Pinch of salt
For the crisp topping
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (60 grams)
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup light brown sugar (50 grams)
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Vanilla ice cream for serving
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F.
- Combine the dry ingredients for the crust in a medium bowl and mix to distribute evenly. Pour in the melted butter and stir until there are no dry spots, then dump the mixture into a 9-inch deep pie plate. Press the crust evenly along the bottom and up the sides, then bake for 8 minutes and remove to a rack.
- Combine all of the ingredients for the filling in a medium bowl and stir to combine well. Pour into the crust. It’s okay if the crust isn’t fully cooled down.
- Combine the dry ingredients for the crisp topping in a small bowl, then pour in the butter and mix until everything is evenly moistened. Crumble over the berries, then bake for 45-50 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
- If you’d like the pie to be more set up, refrigerate for at least two hours before serving. If you don’t mind it a tad messy, serve at room temperature. Either way, top with vanilla ice cream.
