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Blackberry Pie, adapted Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book recipe

May 27, 2015 By Jessica

So hubby and I are strolling through Costco with our three younger boys in tow pushing through some heavy aisle traffic (of all days, we go on a Saturday, ugh) with our huge shopping cart when we pass by stacks of fruit pies, you know those humongous pies full of every ingredient we cannot and will not eat. My boys couldn’t stop ogling. You would think it was some hot babe who just walked by in short shorts.

Random thought here: what magic sales dust does Costco put in the air that makes you buy twenty items when you just came in for three?

Anyway … my heart sunk big-time when I saw the look on their faces how they wish they can eat it like everyone else. I hate that.

My kids love pie. Who the heck doesn’t love pie? 

Remember the Oatmeal Black Bottom Pie I made for us on Pi day? Adapted from Smitten Kitchen? That was from Four & Twenty Blackbirds Bakery in Brooklyn, NY. I have never been there but heard SO much, which compelled me to get their pie book (with a brave mindset) ready to adapt all their pies because well, you know, none are gluten and dairy free, or soy free. A challenge to take on for the kid’s sake. Okay, for my sake too. Are you kidding? I love pie.

So that’s when I decided it was time for the Elsen sisters arsenal a.k.a pie book in my kitchen to make some kick ass pie. Amazon took care of that pronto.

Flipping through the book I could barely contain my drool, then came across their “Black & Blueberry Upside Down Pie” … the pie angels were singing “pick me, pick me”.  It was love at first sight.

Even if you are not much of a pie baker I encourage you to start with this Blackberry Pie … I wish you can taste this right now because I know you will go bonkers. Big time.

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My oh my.  Adapting recipes are fun when you have results like this.

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Now I don’t just casually pull out my rolling pin and make pies every day as if it’s second nature. Ha! As if.

Pies take time and require planning but worth the effort (weekend baking!). I like to prepare dough for two pies at once and freeze the other, it cuts the time in half with the next pie. A neat trick I learned from Martha.

After devouring this thing, I was already thinking about a few more (I do tend to do that often) … cinnamon apricot pie with vanilla pouring cream … peaches and cream pie … strawberry balsamic pie … oh my gosh, I want them all.

I cannot wait to make these for you soon. Though we don’t have the convenience of picking up a pie from a bakery or a store like Costco, it secretly makes me happy. Don’t tell my kids that. It irks me to read the ingredient labels of these things. All the stuff they put in there to make it look pretty for three weeks on the shelf. UGH.

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I used a pasta roller from my late grandmother to create the lattice, but a steady hand and a knife would work fine too.

And don’t worry about your pie shell breaking when you transfer it from your board (it happens to me all the time) just take scrap pieces and stick them together until all areas are sealed, we don’t want the fruit to seep through any cracks (makes a soggy crust). Use remaining dough scraps to roll out into a long thin tube and press it into the pie crust edge, then crimp as you like to make it look all pretty.

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From Jessica's Kitchen Blackberry Pie gluten free dairy free

From Jessica's Kitchen Blackberry Pie gluten free dairy free

Ha! No one noticed my amateur lattice work …

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Right out of the oven, mmmm….wish I could give you a slice right now.

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blackberry-pie-gluten-free-dairy-free-vegan-optional-summer-dessert-recipes

I should also tell you if you were wondering, it isn’t overly sweet and lends a nice amount of tartness (I purposely didn’t add extra sugar to keep it slightly tart, you can if you prefer) to the pie which I find compliments the “buttery” crust.

You will have a hard time believing this is gluten and dairy free, and vegan if you choose to use my vegan wash. The pie book recipe uses Angostura bitters (2 dashes to be exact), I left it out since I didn’t have it on hand. Consensus: it was beyond delicious without it. If you happen to have it, great, but no need to make a special purchase.

I can’t think of a better summertime dessert than this Blackberry Pie now that summer has unofficially kicked off and the white pants have come out. And without any guilt since it’s made with tons of fresh seasonal berries full of anti-oxidants and fiber, so carry on and eat pie.

Who needs Costco pie anyway when we have this?

blackberry-pie-gluten-free-dairy-free-vegan-optional-summer-dessert-recipes

Blackberry Pie {gluten free, dairy Free, soy free, vegan optional}
 
Save Print
Prep time
65 mins
Cook time
54 mins
Total time
1 hour 59 mins
 
You will have a hard time believing this is gluten and dairy free, and vegan! This blackberry pie is full of sweet, yet tart blackberries with a butter-like flaky crust that's perfect as a summertime treat.
Jessica: Adapted Recipe from Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: Serves 6-8
Ingredients
  • Crust Recipe:
  • Note: see my apple pie post for crust preparation
  • 1 package Bob’s Red Mill Pie Crust
  • 8 tablespoons (4 oz) organic palm shortening, cut up into pieces
  • 12 tablespoons (6 oz) earth balance soy free spread, cut into pieces
  • 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
  • 7 tablespoons ice water (I leave more like ½ cup in a measuring cup with an ice cube, for easy measuring at the counter)
  • Note: This will make two pie crusts (one 14½ oz and the other 14¾ oz), save the lighter weight for the lattice or cover of the pie *if you do not have a scale: divide in half then take about a tangerine sized piece and combine it with the other dough, to be used for the bottom crust
  • 1 teaspoon Earth Balance OR Palm Shortening for greasing pie dish
  • Blackberry Filling:
  • 1 small granny smith apple
  • 5 cups blackberries (about 24 ounces)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ cup raw sugar plus 1 tablespoon
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar (or another 2 tablespoon if you prefer less tart)
  • 3 tablespoons arrowroot or tapioca starch
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Egg wash: 1 egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water
  • Vegan wash: 3 tablespoons dairy free milk with 1 melted teaspoon non dairy butter, like Earth Balance
  • Demerara sugar, for finishing
Preparation
  1. For the crust:
  2. Prepare crust, reserving slightly more than ⅓ of the dough for the lattice top. Roll out to about ⅛-1/4 inch thick. Transfer the larger crust onto the greased pie dish (I use a 9-inch deep pie dish). Seal up any broken pieces using whatever fell off the crust, making sure there aren’t any holes for filling to seep into.
  3. Note: Do not worry about taking too long to fix up patches. The dough will not get tough because there is no gluten in here so fix away as long as you need, we will still have a flaky crust!
  4. Refrigerate pie shell until ready to bake.
  5. Meanwhile, roll out the other piece of dough to a ¼-inch thickness and cut into 1-inch strips. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes if you find it to be too soft to hold its shape when transferring to your pie shell.
  6. Note: Rather than turning it upside down (which they do as pictured in the pie book and slathered with vanilla ice cream, I just didn’t have the heart to) I created my first-ever lattice cover for the pie. Not difficult at all, just a good eye and a steady hand is needed, and maybe a pasta roller but you can simply use a knife to cut even widths. If I can do it so can you. Martha Stewart may not approve of my short-cut version, but none the wiser. It came out beautiful and if you didn’t look closely you would never notice the strips don’t overlap — trying to intertwine gluten free, dairy free dough without gums is frustrating. Let’s have fun with this!
  7. For the filling:
  8. Peel and grate the apple using the large holes on the grater. Combine with the blackberries, lemon juice, raw sugar, light brown sugar, spices, and salt. Stir until well mixed. Pour the filling into the chilled pie shell. Arrange the lattice then roll out remaining dough into thin log-style molds and crimp along edges. Pinch all around decoratively. I push out slightly and pinch, anything goes really, just make sure to crimp and seal the edges.
  9. Chill the pie for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, position your oven rack to the bottom position, then place a rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack and preheat the oven temperature to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C).
  10. Generously brush the pie with the egg or vegan wash. Sprinkle with the desired amount of demerara sugar (I used about 3 tablespoons).
  11. Note: the Elsen sisters say to be careful not to drag the filling onto the pastry because it will burn. When “washing” the lattice I tapped it rather than dragging my pastry brush across. For the edges I dragged my brush in brushstroke movement.
  12. Place the pie on the preheated rimmed baking sheet. Bake pie for 20-25 minutes (as directed in the cookbook, I did so for 22 minutes), until pastry is set and beginning to brown. Lower the temperature to 375 degrees F (191 degrees C), and continue to bake 30-35 minutes until the pie is a deep golden brown and the juices are bubbling throughout (mine was perfect at 32 minutes). Total baking time: 54 minutes.
  13. Note: the four & twenty blackbirds pie book states to move the pie to the center oven rack to continue baking. I forgot to do that and just reduced the heat, it still came out perfect despite my imperfect following through. Whew.
  14. Remove pie from the baking dish and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack, at least 2 hours. If I’m not cooking anything on one of my gas burners I let it cool right on the stove top.
  15. Note: The reason for the long cooling time is to thicken the fruit filling. If you cut into it while it’s still very warm it will be very watery and hard to serve. Serve slightly warm or room temperature. The pie will keep refrigerated for 3 days (ha! I would like to see this last 3 days) or room temperature for 2 days.
  16. For freezing: Par-bake the pie crust (20 minutes) then cool completely, fill with fruit filling, tightly plastic wrap a few times and freeze up to a month. Wrap or place the lattice dough in a freezer-safe plastic container separately. When ready to bake, thaw pie & lattice dough in the refrigerator for few hours then roll out and decorate with lattice strips, brush on wash, sprinkle sugar generously and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a deep golden brown.
3.5.3208

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gluten free dairy free recipes
recipe image
Recipes
Blackberry Pie Gluten Free Dairy Free
Published On
2015-05-27
Preparation Time
65 minutes
Cook Time
54 minutes
Total Time
1H59M
Average Rating
4.51star1star1star1star1star Based on 4 Review(s)

Filed Under: dessert Tagged With: dairy-free, dessert, gluten-free, soy-free, vegan-optional

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Comments

  1. Jill says

    May 27, 2015 at 11:08 pm

    Your pie looks incredible I can't wait to taste this! Pinned and on my short list!!
    Reply
  2. Leah says

    May 28, 2015 at 7:28 am

    OH MY GOODNESS! There aren't even words for how delicious this looks. I'm so with you on you Costco thing -- sometimes I'm slightly sad that I can't just pick up a pie on a whim, but I am so, so happy that I know each and every ingredient going into mine when I make it from scratch. And is it just me or do desserts like this taste sooo much better when you've been able to bake some love into it? Thanks for sharing!! Can't wait to give it a try :)
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      June 1, 2015 at 8:52 pm

      I am so with you on that! And YES a dose of love does make everything better!!
      Reply
  3. Lisa says

    May 28, 2015 at 8:29 am

    How can you compare that luscious blackberry pie you made to costco's. What a gourgeous delight...cant wait to pick up some blackberries and have some pie.
    Reply
  4. Megan says

    May 28, 2015 at 8:42 am

    You are killing me with the photos of this pie! I want this with my coffee right now. I cannot wait to try this! Haha so true about buying more than I need to at Costco :)
    Reply
  5. Zoe says

    May 28, 2015 at 8:50 am

    This bakery is near me and is always super full. It was a bummer that I could never try their pies with all the buzz on how good they are. Think it's amazing how you adapt recipes and now THIS! OMG. This is what's going down at my house this weekend. Thanks for sharing! :)
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      June 1, 2015 at 8:50 pm

      Oh how funny. Wish we could try their pies at their bakery too but now we can! Hope you loved it as much as we do.
      Reply
  6. Irina says

    May 28, 2015 at 9:18 am

    I am impressed and inspired to make this! I love the abundance of blackberries and look forward to more pies. I love pie but also cannot just buy one because of my gluten and dairy allergy and with all the step photos you have I feel confident I can do this. The thought of having homemade pie again makes this girl a happy camper!!
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      June 1, 2015 at 8:48 pm

      You sure can! After reading the recipe and notes, beforehand it should give you a good idea of how to manage time, ingredients, etc and you are on your way. Remember you cannot overwork gluten free dough so do not worry about overworking the dough :) Homemade pie awaits, enjoy!
      Reply
  7. Molly says

    May 28, 2015 at 9:50 am

    You have me at pie! Crazy for the in-your-face photo!
    Reply
  8. Alex says

    May 28, 2015 at 9:57 am

    Hello from Anchorage! Don't know of Four & Twenty Blackbirds other than the Mother Goose rhyme, nevertheless this blackberry pie looks like a showstopper. I cannot wait to get baking. Love Amazon too!
    Reply
  9. Alex says

    May 28, 2015 at 10:15 am

    guys, this isn't JUST pie! This is HEAVENLY. One of the few recipes where I'm drooling over every PREP photo, and YES, I'd eat the raw dough and blackberries -- not a patient guy. So gorgeous! Can I order like 12 or so?? :)
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      June 1, 2015 at 8:44 pm

      *Gushing* Thank YOU Alex!!
      Reply
  10. Penny says

    May 28, 2015 at 11:04 am

    Thank you for your details in your recipes they are always so helpful with every recipe turning out delicious. My girls will be thrilled when I bake this. So beautiful. Nope, don't need Costco pie when I will be having this :)
    Reply
  11. Liz says

    May 28, 2015 at 12:59 pm

    It is frustrating not having the convenience to buy store bought treats living with food allergies but completely agree with you that we are better off without all the junk ingredients. Would much rather bake this beautiful pie and feel good about what's in it. On my weekend to-do list!
    Reply
  12. Ruby says

    May 28, 2015 at 1:10 pm

    Those berries, that crust. SWOON. I want to come over for dinner AND dessert every day!
    Reply
  13. Brenda says

    May 30, 2015 at 6:21 pm

    The pie was out of this world! It actually looked like yours, I made sure to use your photos as reference for color doneness. I didn't chill the dough as long as you suggested (only 10 minutes) and it still was manageable. I did follow the rest of the recipe and used the vegan wash. Great recipe and notes! Beyond excited to have this recipe, thanks Jessica!!
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      June 1, 2015 at 8:41 pm

      So happy to hear you loved it and the notes came in handy! I'm a little OCD about notes in case you couldn't tell (wink wink)!
      Reply
  14. Lisa K. says

    June 1, 2015 at 3:57 pm

    I had to tell you how much we enjoyed this pie today. As beautiful as your lattice is I just couldn't find the patience to do it so I covered my pie with a whole piece of dough and brushed it with egg. It came out golden and beautiful even without it. I now am eager to make more pies!
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      June 1, 2015 at 8:36 pm

      YAY! Thank you for sharing. Happy to hear you loved it as much as we do!
      Reply
  15. Stephanie says

    July 11, 2015 at 10:10 pm

    I came across your pie on bob's red mill pinterest page and oh my word does this look stunning. You have me inspired to get my pie on!!
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      July 28, 2015 at 5:55 pm

      AWW! Thank you Stephanie, you will LOVE it...enjoy!
      Reply
  16. Trish Y. says

    August 28, 2015 at 9:09 am

    Your pie looks outstanding! I am so glad I happened to have found it on Pinterest before blackberry season is over. Can't wait to have my own this weekend! Thanks for sharing!!
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      August 29, 2015 at 8:43 pm

      Enjoy!!
      Reply
  17. Julie says

    November 2, 2018 at 10:50 am

    The recipe did not indicate where to add the tapioca starch but since I have experience with making pies I assumed it should be added with the fruit sugar mixture, so I did. The pipe came out wonderful. Please make a note in the recipe where to add the tapioca starch as it is not clear.
    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Baked or Griddle – Lemon Pancakes with Blackberry Sauce (gluten free, dairy free, soy free, vegan) – From Jessica's Kitchen says:
    May 6, 2016 at 1:18 am
    […] a Costco or other wholesale retailer near you pick up a big bag of frozen and save the rest for blackberry pie or […]
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Welcome!

Hi! I'm Jessica, welcome to my blog! I'm a wife and mother of four (all boys, including twins. Did not see that coming!) who loves to eat. Discovering food intolerances in my family and myself had me think about cooking differently with an emphasis on nutrition, but not any less deliciously. No, won't settle for that, neither will my kids! Here you will find simple, healthy, seasonal recipes we love that are gluten, dairy, and soy free. Many are also egg free, nut free, plant-based and/or grain free, given our evolving dietary lifestyle. Even though we live a life of dietary restrictions, my passion for food keeps me on a constant quest to create tasty recipes or adapt our favorite recipes from my stack of cookbooks to bring back the joy of eating again, without sacrificing flavor. Hope you find some inspiration and recipes to enjoy ... thanks for stopping by!

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