Boysenberry Pie

This homemade boysenberry pie recipe is made with fresh off-the-vine boysenberries. You'll love the flavor of these berries that a cross between blackberries, loganberries, and raspberries.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated August 08, 2022
Elise Bauer
Boysenberry Pie
Elise Bauer

Come late May and early June, my mother's boysenberry vine comes alive with fruit.

What Are Boysenberries?

Boysenberries look like blackberries, but are actually a cross between blackberries, loganberries, and raspberries. As such they fruit much earlier in the season than blackberries, and they are more delicate in touch and taste.

As a vine to cultivate, they aren't nearly as thorny as blackberries and neither are they as invasive of a plant. I used to grow blackberries in San Francisco and it was a constant struggle to keep them from taking over the yard. (Trivia fact: the hybrid boysenberries were popularized by Walter Knott of Knott's Berry Farm.)

Boysenberries
Boysenberries on the vine. Elise Bauer

This berry pie recipe is easy to put together!

The Trick to Perfect Boysenberry Pie

The tricks are to let the whole berries macerate in sugar first, and to use instant tapioca as a thickener. You can use cornstarch instead of the instant tapioca, but we found that it is harder to gauge the correct amount and tapioca has a nice consistency that works well with berries.

Boysenberry Pie
Elise Bauer
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From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Boysenberry Pie

Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 60 mins
Filling rest time 30 mins
Total Time 110 mins
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pie dough recipe for top and bottom crust

  • 5 cups boysenberries (can substitute blackberries or marionberries), rinsed, picked clean, lightly patted dry (if you use frozen berries, first defrost them and then drain them of excess moisture)

  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you want your pie)

  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

  • Pinch nutmeg

  • 3 tablespoons quick-cooking instant tapioca (you can find it in the baking aisle of your supermarket)

  • 1 egg, lightly beaten, for egg wash

Method

  1. Preheat the oven:

    Preheat oven to 400°F.

  2. Toss the berries with sugar, lemon juice, nutmeg, and quick tapioca:

    Put berries, sugar, lemon juice, nutmeg, and quick tapioca in a large bowl. Gently fold so that the berries are all coated with some sugar. Let sit for 30 minutes.

  3. Roll out bottom crust:

    Roll out one ball of pie dough on a lightly floured surface to 12-inch diameter. Line the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan with the dough. Chill in refrigerator while you roll out the top crust.

  4. Roll out top crust:

    Roll out second ball of pie dough.

    place bottom crust in pie pan for boysenberry pie
    Elise Bauer
  5. Scoop berry mixture into pie crust, top with top crust or make a lattice top:

    Scoop berry mixture into dough-lined pie dish.

    add boysenberry filling to the pie crust for boysenberry pie
    Elise Bauer

    If you would like your pie to have a solid top, place the second rolled-out pie dough crust on top of the pie. Press ends of strips into the rim of the bottom crust.

    OR

    If you would like your pie to have a lattice top, as pictured, weave strips of pie dough over the top of the fruit-filled pie dish.

    Elise Bauer
    Elise Bauer

    Trim the edges to 1/2-inch. Fold the edges back over themselves and crimp to seal.

    If you are using a solid top crust, score the top to create air vents.

    Gently brush the top with beaten egg.

  6. Bake:

    Place pie on middle rack of the oven, on a baking sheet to catch any juices that might bubble over. Bake at 400°F for 30 minutes.

    Place a sheet of aluminum foil over the pie to protect the edges and tops from getting burnt and reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for an additional 30 minutes, until crust is browned and filling is bubbly.

    Baked homemade boysenberry pie
    Elise Bauer

    Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Cool completely before serving (or the filling will be runny).

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
454 Calories
19g Fat
68g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 454
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g 24%
Saturated Fat 6g 32%
Cholesterol 18mg 6%
Sodium 305mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 68g 25%
Dietary Fiber 6g 22%
Total Sugars 26g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 3mg 13%
Calcium 37mg 3%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 187mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.