My mixed berry pie with frozen berries recipe is easy and delicious. By combining strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries and using premade crust, this simple dessert plays on the strengths and minimizes the weaknesses of the fruits, the end result being one of the best pies ever. If you want to learn how to make mixed berry pie with frozen berries, keep reading!
What Berries are in a Mixed Berry Pie?
Mixed berry pie is made by combining multiple types of berries in the filling. Strawberries and blueberries are in almost every recipe, while blackberries, raspberries, and sometimes even other fruits are in others. In fact, Marie Callender’s Razzleberry Pie combines blackberries, raspberries, and apples!
Can You Make a Pie with Frozen Mixed Berries?
Yes! You can make a pie with frozen mixed berries. Although most people use fresh fruit for baking, my strawberry pie with frozen strawberries recipe shows that frozen fruit works.
In fact, frozen berries are usually more flavorful and of higher quality than the majority of fresh fruit in the supermarket. And since frozen fruit are often cheaper as well, making a pie with frozen mixed berries is probably the better option–unless you have access to farm-fresh or backyard berries.
How Much of Each Berry is in a Mixed Berry Pie?
Look at the Ingredients
As I just said, recipes vary, so there’s no set amount of each berry to use. Since this recipe calls for frozen fruit, the amount of each berry in your pie will depend on the brand of fruit you use. When you buy a bag of frozen mixed berries, check the ingredients list: the mix contains more of the berries listed first, fewer of the berries listed last.
My Pie: Strawberries, Blackberries, Blueberries, and Raspberries
For example, the brand of frozen berries I used stated the ingredients as: strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Thus, the bag contained more strawberries than blackberries, more blackberries than blueberries, etc.
Even though I don’t know how much of each berry was in the mix, I liked the way my pie turned out, so if you’re not sure where to start, look for a bag of frozen mixed berries that has strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries listed in that order. Honestly, even if the order is slightly different, I don’t think it will affect the outcome of your pie very much–so use what you can find.
Mixed Berry Pie with Frozen Mixed Berries Ingredients
My mixed berry pie with frozen mixed berries recipe is easy because it only has a few ingredients:
Frozen Berries – 24 oz (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries)
White Sugar – 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons (250g). I know that this is a very specific amount of sugar, so if you want to round up to 1 1/4 cup white sugar, feel free.
Lemon Juice – 1 Tablespoon
Cornstarch – 8 Tablespoons
Salt – 1/8 teaspoon
Pie Crusts – 2, 9-inch pie crusts
*Extra Sugar – 2 Tablespoons white sugar to sprinkle on top of the pie
Can You Make Mixed Berry Pie with Premade Crust?
Yes! Although I used homemade crust, you can definitely make mixed berry pie with premade crust such as Pillsbury or another brand. With both frozen fruit and premade crust, this recipe would be super easy.
Do You Need to Thaw the Frozen Berries Before Making the Pie?
Yes! Unlike my old-fashioned cobbler recipes in which cooking the filling on the stove allows you to start with frozen fruit, you need to thaw the berries when you make the filling for this pie.
How to Thaw Frozen Berries For Pie
There’s more than one way to thaw frozen fruit for pie:
In the refrigerator – Either leave the berries in the bag or empty the fruit into a bowl and leave in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours, or up to 12.
In Cold Water – Place the unopened bag(s) in a bowl of cold water and change the water every 30 minutes. The berries should thaw in 1-2 hours.
In the microwave – When I made this pie, I thawed the berries in the microwave because it’s my preferred method for defrosting fruit when making pies, cobblers, or other desserts.
Although other recipes might give you a different method, the following is how I do it:
How to Thaw Berries in the Microwave
- Place the berries into a microwave-safe bowl – I don’t usually cover the bowl.
- Use the DEFROST or LOW setting in 3-minute increments – Use 2 to 3 increments, making sure to stir after each increment.
- Then, heat the fruit on HIGH in 1-minute increments – Once again, stir after each increment. Using this setting will speed up the defrosting process significantly.
- Once the fruit is totally thawed, wait 15-20 minutes before making the filling – This is to avoid the possibility of accidentally causing the cornstarch to clump because it was added to a hot liquid.
That’s it! Nice and simple.
How to Make a Mixed Berry Pie with Frozen Berries
Learning how to make mixed berry pie with frozen berries is easy. You just have to follow a few, simple steps:
Get the Pie Crust Ready (Premade or Homemade)
Before you start the recipe, make sure your pie crusts are ready to go. As stated above, you can use either premade from the store or homemade–I made my own crust using my oil and melted butter pie crust recipe, but you can use your favorite recipe.
Thaw the Frozen Berries
The first step in making the mixed berry pie filling is thawing the berries. As explained above, I thawed my berries in the microwave, but you can also thaw the frozen berries in the refrigerator or in cold water.
However, if you thaw the berries in the microwave, remember to let the fruit sit on the counter for 15-20 minutes so that it can cool off. Adding cornstarch to hot liquids can cause the cornstarch to clump, so let the thawed fruit come back down to almost room temperature before making the filling.
Parbake the Bottom Crust
While the berries thaw / cool down, use this time to parbake the bottom crust. By partially baking the bottom crust, it’s much less likely to get soggy. Here’s how to parbake the bottom crust:
- Place the bottom crust in the pie plate – If necessary, cut off the excess crust hanging over the edge.
- Use a fork to poke holes in the crust – I would poke the bottom crust 5-7 times. These small holes will prevent air bubbles from forming under the crust.
- Parbake the empty crust – Bake the bottom crust–with nothing in it–for 5 minutes at 350F, uncovered.
- Let the bottom crust cool off to the side – After 5 minutes, remove the bottom crust from the oven and let it cool off to the side.
Make the Mixed Berry Filling
As the bottom crust cools off to the side, it’s time to make the filling for the mixed berry pie. Once the berries are thawed (and if defrosted in the microwave, at around room temperature), making the filling is easy: simply add the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt to the berries and stir to combine. That’s it!
Pour the Filling into the Bottom Crust
Once the ingredients are thoroughly combined, pour the filling into the bottom crust. Then, use your spoon to distribute the berries and juices evenly.
Add the Top Crust
Next, put the top crust on top of the pie. If using a premade crust or a homemade crust rolled out between two pieces of wax or parchment paper, pull off one piece of wax paper, flip the crust over, and pick up the crust with the remaining piece of wax paper.
Then, center the top crust over the pie and then peel off the second piece of wax paper. Once the pie crust is on top of the pie, cut off any excessively-overhanging crust and then crimp the edges so that the juice doesn’t boil out from the sides while the pie bakes.
Refer to the YouTube video embedded at the end of this article for a visual. If a picture’s worth a 1,000 words, a video’s worth a 1,000,000.
Cut Slits In The Top Crust
Once the top crust is on the pie, don’t forget to cut slits in the top so that steam can escape. Otherwise, the steam produced when the filling boils as the pie bakes will push up the crust, giving the pie an unappealing domed appearance.
Sprinkle On Extra Sugar
The final step before putting the mixed berry pie in the oven is sprinkling the top with 2 Tablespoons of sugar. While optional, this sugar gives a touch of extra sweetness and crunch that’s very nice.
Bake the Pie
Bake the pie at 350F, uncovered, for 45-55 minutes. The pie I made in the video was in the oven for 55 minutes, but I would recommend checking your pie at the 45-minute mark since every oven is different.
Cool the Pie
Resist the temptation to cut into the pie right away; instead, let it cool for at least 1-2 hours so that the juices can thicken. If you cut the pie too soon, the mix berry filling will be runny. Although I would let the pie cool at least 1-2 hours, it’s even better to wait 3-4 hours until the pie is cooled completely.
Serve
Enjoy the pie!
What to Serve with Mixed Berry Pie
Although this mixed berry pie with frozen berries is delicious enough to eat on its own, you could also serve it with:
Whipped Cream – A bit of whipped cream cuts through the sweetness and adds a nice, soft texture. If you’ve never made homemade whipped cream before, I suggest you try my recipe: the touch of vanilla extract really makes it delicious.
Cool Whip – If you prefer whipped topping, it would be great on this pie as well.
Ice Cream – There’s nothing like pie and ice cream.
What Ice Cream to Serve with Mixed Berry Pie
If you’re not sure what type of ice cream to serve with mixed berry pie, I suggest:
Vanilla – Honestly, vanilla ice cream is the standard go-to for a reason: it goes with everything.
French Vanilla – I think the egg custard flavor would be good with this pie.
Strawberry – Although I personally think that a “berry” ice cream would be “too much of a good thing” when served with this pie, some people might like it.
How Long to Cook Mixed Berry Pie
Cook your mixed berry pie at 350F, uncovered, for 45-55 minutes. Although I baked mine for 55 minutes, I recommend checking your pie after 45 minutes just in case.
How Do You Know When the Pie is Done Baking?
There are two visual cues to look for that indicate your pie is done baking:
Golden brown crust – The crust should be perfectly golden brown.
The filling is boiling – If the juicy filling is bubbling up through the air vents and any other holes in the crust, your pie is done. In fact, cornstarch needs to boil in order to activate its thickening power, so make sure there are visible signs of boiling for 5-10 minutes before you take the pie out of the oven.
How to Store the Pie
Once the pie is fully cooled, keep it in the refrigerator, uncovered. I recommend uncovered so that you don’t trap in the moisture and make the crust soggy.
How Long is Mixed Berry Pie Good For?
If kept in the refrigerator, your mixed berry pie should good for 2-3 days. Although it may actually last 4-5 days, the crust will start getting soggy after the third day, lowering the quality of the eating experience.
Can You Freeze Mixed Berry Pie?
Yes! For best results, assemble the pie (without the sugar sprinkle) in a disposable pan and then freeze it unbaked. When you want to bake it, take it directly from the freezer to the oven without thawing and bake. It will take a bit longer to bake, but other than that, there should be no difference. Remember to sprinkle on the extra sugar before baking!
However, once the pie is baked, I don’t recommend baking the pie or even individual portions. Cooked crust tends to get soggy once thawed, so the quality of the dessert suffers.
How to Make Mixed Berry Pie Less Liquid
If you want to make your mixed berry pie be less liquid or runny, then here are some helpful tips:
Use enough cornstarch – As stated above, I recommend using 8 Tablespoons of cornstarch for this pie. Although it seems like a lot, frozen fruit gives off a lot of moisture when it thaws, so you’ll need more thickener than you think.
Make sure the filling boils – Also explained above, cornstarch needs to boil in order to activate its thickening power. That’s why there should be visible signs of the filling boiling (juice bubbling up through holes, the top moving up and down) for 5-10 minutes before taking the pie out of the oven.
Don’t serve the pie warm – Mixed berry pie filling is very liquidy when right out of the oven, so if you cut into the pie too soon, you’ll have a watery, soup filling that’ll never thicken up correctly. That’s why earlier in the article I recommended waiting at least 1-2 hours, if not 3-4, before cutting and serving the pie.
Don’t cook the pie too long – A Better Homes and Gardens article explains that it’s possible to overcook cornstarch to the point where it loses its thickening power. I’ve baked pies for an hour and never had this problem, so I think this is unlikely to happen–but it is possible.
How to Keep the Bottom Crust from Getting Soggy
If your fruit pies sometimes have soggy bottoms, here are some ways to combat that:
Parbake the bottom crust – Like I already said, partially baking the crust before adding the filling helps to create a “seal” so that the liquid doesn’t make the bottom soggy.
Bake the pie on a pizza pan or cookie sheet – As explained in a Cooks’ Illustrated article on AmericasTestKitchen.com, baking your pie on a metal sheet helps prevent soggy bottoms. So, as shown in my YouTube video, place your pie on a pizza pan or cookie sheet before putting it in the oven.
How Much Sugar to Flour / Cornstarch in a Mixed Berry Pie?
I recommend using about 1 1/4 cup sugar to 1/2 cup cornstarch in a mixed berry pie. Honestly, I don’t recommend using flour to thicken this pie. Flour tends to make liquids cloudy and negatively affects the taste much more than cornstarch does.
Can You Make this Pie with a Lattice Top?
Yes! In fact, many versions of mixed berry pie on the Internet use a lattice top instead of a solid second crust. Although you could use a lattice top without changing the recipe, you may be able to get away with using 1 fewer Tablespoons of cornstarch since more moisture from the filling will evaporate.
Can You Make This Pie with a Different Combination of Berries?
Yes! If you decide to make your own mix of frozen berries, I would recommend at least 3 berries: strawberries, blueberries, and at least one sour berry like blackberries or raspberries. If you want to make a triple berry pie, my recommend would be equal parts strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries.
Can You Make This Recipe with Fresh Berries?
Yes! Although you can make this pie with fresh berries, you’d have to adjust the amount of cornstarch. I’m not sure exactly how much cornstarch to use, but I’d guess about 4-6 Tablespoons would be enough since fresh fruit doesn’t release as much moisture as thawed frozen fruit does.
A Chef’s Review
My mixed berry pie with frozen berries recipe was easy and delicious. Using frozen fruit eliminated all the work. To make the filling, all I had to do was thaw the berries, add sugar and a few other ingredients. If you also use premade pie crust, this dessert is even simpler and quicker.
The pie had plenty of berry flavor. Although the flavor is hard to describe, all 4 berries were represented in the flavor profile. I think the raspberries and blackberries made the filling not as sweet as you might expect. But that wasn’t necessary a bad thing: the filling was still good.
In terms of appearance, the filling was red with bits of purple from the blueberries and blackberries. Combined with the golden brown crust, this pie was definitely very eye-catching, too.
Even though this pie was very good, it wasn’t my favorite. I’m not quite sure why, but my guess is that since I didn’t care for the raspberry pie I made right before this one, it was the raspberries in the mixed berry filling that I didn’t like. If I had made a strawberry, blueberry, blackberry pie, I would probably have liked it a lot more.
My critique aside, I think that most people would really like this mixed berry pie with frozen berries–honestly, I am a bit picky with my desserts, haha. For something so easy, this tastes very old-fashioned and homemade. If you need a berry dessert for the summer, this is the one for you!
Possible Changes to the Recipe
Although I was pleased with how this turned out, possible changes to the recipe include:
Cinnamon – Just 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon would add a nice bit of extra flavor in the background.
Light Brown Sugar – Replacing about 1/4 cup of the white sugar with light brown sugar may mute the bright colors of the filling, but the bit of molasses would add to the flavor.
Strain Out the Seeds – Some people don’t like raspberries and blackberries because they’re too seedy. Crushing them off to the side and straining out the seeds might solve that problem and make this pie palatable to more people.
Mixed Berry Pie with Frozen Berries Recipe Variation
If you want to try other versions of this mixed berry pie, here are a few ideas:
Strawberry and Blueberry Pie – I’ve made mixed berry desserts with 1/2 strawberries and 1/2 blueberries, and I really liked how they turned out. I think you could remake this pie the same way.
Mixed Berry Pie with Crumble topping – Dorothy from CrazyForCrust.com has a mixed berry pie with crumble topping recipe that adds even more texture to this dessert.
More Pie with Frozen Fruit Recipes
If you liked the ease of using frozen fruit in this pie recipe, you’ll want to check out these recipes:
Strawberry Pie with Frozen Strawberries – The bright red filling makes this pie perfect for the 4th of July.
Peach Pie with Frozen Peaches – Make this southern summertime classic at any time of the year!
Other Berry Dessert Recipes
If you like anything with berries, here are some other recipes you’re sure to enjoy, too:
Blackberry Cobbler with Pie Crust – My version of the old-fashioned southern classic is super easy.
Mixed Berry Pie with Frozen Berries Recipe Directions
Mixed Berry Pie with Frozen Berries
Notes
*Every brand of frozen berries has a different ratio of berries. Mine had, in order from most to least: strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Honestly, I think that although you could adjust the sugar and lemon juice, this recipe should be fine for all brands.
**I am a perfectionist, so I used a very specific amount of sugar. However, if you want to round up to 1 cup + 3 Tablespoons, or even 1 1/4 cup (1 cup + 4 Tablespoons), I think that would be fine.
Ingredients
- 24 ounces frozen mixed berries (3 cups / 680 grams) *See Note
- 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons white sugar (250 grams) **See Note
- 8 Tablespoons cornstarch (80 grams)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons white sugar for sprinkling on top of pie (30 grams)
- 2 9-inch pie crusts
Instructions
- Thaw berries and mix with sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt.
- Parbake 1 pie crust at 350 F for 5 minutes.
- Pour berry pie filling into parbaked crust
- Place second crust on top of pie and crimp edges
- Cut air vents so that the steam can escape
- Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of sugar on top crust
- Bake at 350 F for 55 minutes, uncovered. Be sure to bake on top of pizza pan or cookie sheet in case filling boils over
YouTube Video Tutorial
Be sure to watch my YouTube video tutorial:
