A delicious Christmas dessert from Jack, Lucy, Lisa and Michael Colton. Read more recipes from the Wildwood Family Cookbook here. Bon Appetit!
This is special to us because we make it every Christmas Eve when we have friends and family over for a big, loud, fun dinner. We always make at least 2, so there’s pie for days! 
The Colton Family’s Triple Berry Pie
- Total Time: 5 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
A delicious Christmas dessert from Jack, Lucy, Lisa and Michael Colton. Read more recipes from the Wildwood Family…
Ingredients
Pie Filling
- 4 cups (960 ml) fresh or frozen berries (if using frozen, do not let thaw). Can use any combination of blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, boysenberries or marionberries.
- 7/8 cups sugar
- 5 tbsp flour
- sprinkle of cinnamon
- 5 dots of butter
Pie Crust
- 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (115 g) butter, chilled and diced
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) ice water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- For crust, combine flour and salt in bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, a tbsp at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
- Split dough into 2 balls with one ball about 2/3 for the bottom crust and the remaining 1/3 for the strips across the top. If you’d like to have an entire crust across the top, I double to recipe to make sure I have plenty. Roll 2/3 ball out to fit a 9 inch pie plate and place crust in pie plate. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate and then pierce a few times with a fork. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon. Roll out remaining 1/3 and cut into 1 inch strips to make lattice across the top.
- For pie filling, mix sugar, flour and cinnamon together and set aside. Pour berries into pie plate with crust and spread out evenly. Pour flour/sugar mixture evenly over fruit. Add 5 dots of butter on top, evenly spaced.
- Put 1 inch pieces of crust on top, weaving above and below each other to create lattice work. Wet the edges of the crusts with a little water and then press together with the bottom crust and flute edges all the way around. If you make a top crust, do the same procedure but also cut 6 slits in the top.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 425, then reduce to 400 and bake another 15 minutes. Reduce again to 375 and bake 15-20 minutes more. Depending on your oven it may still need more time. You’ll know it’s done when the fruit is bubbling. If the crust edges look like they’re getting too done, put a little tin foil around the edges. Enjoy!!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 380
Photo by Dilyara Garifullina on Unsplash
Frequently Asked Questions
Which berries can I use in this pie?
The recipe says you can use any combination of blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, boysenberries, or marionberries — fresh or frozen. If using frozen, the instructions specifically say do not let them thaw before adding them to the crust.
Why does the pie bake at three different temperatures instead of a single steady heat?
The recipe starts at 425°F for 15 minutes to set the crust quickly, then steps down to 400°F for another 15 minutes, and finally to 375°F for 15–20 more minutes. This stepped approach browns the crust without burning it while giving the fruit filling — thickened with 5 tbsp flour and 7/8 cup sugar — enough time to bubble and cook through. You’ll know it’s done when the fruit is visibly bubbling.
Why does the pie crust need to rest in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight?
After the dough is mixed and formed into a ball, the recipe calls for wrapping it in plastic and refrigerating for 4 hours or overnight. Chilling relaxes the gluten and firms the 1/2 cup of diced cold butter back into the flour matrix, making the dough easier to roll out and resulting in a flakier crust after baking.
