Summer Berry Pie (Reduced Sugar)
By America's Test KitchenPublished on April 18, 2020
Time
1⅓ hours, plus 3½ hours chilling and cooling
Yield
Serves 8
Sugar
24 grams (down from 38)
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
9 whole graham crackers, broken into 1-inch pieces5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 5 pieces and softenedBerry Filling
10 ounces (283 grams/2 cups) raspberries 10 ounces (283 grams/2 cups) blackberries 10 ounces (283 grams/2 cups) blueberries ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons Sucanat (3½ ounces/99 grams)3 tablespoons cornstarch ⅛ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon lemon juiceMaple Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons maple syrup ½ teaspoon vanilla Pinch saltBefore You Begin
Tightly packing the crumbs ensured perfectly clean slices every time. We don’t recommend using store-bought graham cracker crumbs here, as they can often be stale. You can learn more about Sucanat in this article.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Process graham crackers in food processor to fine, even crumbs, 30 to 60 seconds. Scatter butter over top and pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand, 15 to 20 pulses.
- Sprinkle mixture into 9-inch pie plate. Using bottom of measuring cup, press crumbs firmly into even layer on bottom and sides of pie plate. Bake until crust is fragrant and set, 20 to 22 minutes, rotating plate halfway through baking. Let crust cool completely, about 30 minutes.
- Gently toss berries together in large bowl. Process 2½ cups berries in food processor until very smooth, about 1 minute. Strain processed berries through fine-mesh strainer into small saucepan, pressing on solids to extract as much puree as possible (you should have about 1½ cups puree); discard solids.
- Whisk Sucanat, cornstarch, and salt together in bowl, then whisk into strained puree. Bring puree mixture to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, and cook until thick and pudding-like, about 7 minutes. Off heat, stir in lemon juice and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Add 2 tablespoons cooked puree to remaining berries in bowl and toss gently to coat. Pour remaining warm berry puree into cooled pie crust. Spread berries evenly over top. Cover pie loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until filling is chilled and set, at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip cream, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Serve with pie.
for the graham cracker crust
for the filling
for the maple whipped cream
Time
1⅓ hours, plus 3½ hours chilling and coolingYield
Serves 8Sugar
24 grams (down from 38)Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
Berry Filling
Maple Whipped Cream
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
Berry Filling
Maple Whipped Cream
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
Berry Filling
Maple Whipped Cream
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
A mix of raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries struck the perfect balance of sweetness and brightness. The filling did not require much additional flavoring beyond a small amount of Sucanat, which rounded out the sweetness of the berries, but we still needed a way to thicken the filling. We knew that the berries contained natural pectin, so we pureed a portion of them and cooked them with the Sucanat, which helped create a more cohesive pie. Tasters liked the consistency, but still wanted neater slices. To achieve this, we found that we needed a small amount of cornstarch to supplement the natural pectin in the fruit. To give the remaining berries a beautiful, glossy appearance before using them to top the pie, we tossed them with a small amount of the pureed filling. A dollop of whipped cream offered a rich counterpoint to the sweet-tart brightness of this delicious summery treat.
Before You Begin
Tightly packing the crumbs ensured perfectly clean slices every time. We don’t recommend using store-bought graham cracker crumbs here, as they can often be stale. You can learn more about Sucanat in this article.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Process graham crackers in food processor to fine, even crumbs, 30 to 60 seconds. Scatter butter over top and pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand, 15 to 20 pulses.
- Sprinkle mixture into 9-inch pie plate. Using bottom of measuring cup, press crumbs firmly into even layer on bottom and sides of pie plate. Bake until crust is fragrant and set, 20 to 22 minutes, rotating plate halfway through baking. Let crust cool completely, about 30 minutes.
- Gently toss berries together in large bowl. Process 2½ cups berries in food processor until very smooth, about 1 minute. Strain processed berries through fine-mesh strainer into small saucepan, pressing on solids to extract as much puree as possible (you should have about 1½ cups puree); discard solids.
- Whisk Sucanat, cornstarch, and salt together in bowl, then whisk into strained puree. Bring puree mixture to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, and cook until thick and pudding-like, about 7 minutes. Off heat, stir in lemon juice and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Add 2 tablespoons cooked puree to remaining berries in bowl and toss gently to coat. Pour remaining warm berry puree into cooled pie crust. Spread berries evenly over top. Cover pie loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until filling is chilled and set, at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip cream, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Serve with pie.
for the graham cracker crust
for the filling
for the maple whipped cream
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