Every November we host a pie party, one of our favorite annual traditions. The day is filled with friends, plenty of pie, and all the classic pie accompaniments. One pie that always makes an appearance is this cardamom crumb triple berry pie. It combines flaky butter crust, a slightly spiced berry filling, and a crunchy cardamom crumb topping—everything we love in a fruit pie.
Year after year this pie is a crowd-pleaser. If you enjoy crisps or cobblers, you’ll love this recipe: mixed berries cook down into a tangy, sweet filling, finished with a spiced crumb. We usually use a mix of raspberries, blueberries, and ollaliberries, but any combination of frozen berries works well (avoid strawberries for texture reasons). The cooked berry filling is delicious on its own—try it over vanilla ice cream or straight from the spoon.
Making the Triple Berry Pie with Cardamom Crumb:
Begin with a par-baked (blind-baked) pie crust. Once the crust is ready, prepare the berry filling. In a saucepan combine the berries, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, a pinch of salt, cardamom, and a touch of cinnamon. Simmer over medium heat for about 5–10 minutes until the berries are juicy and warmed through. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking juices, whisk it together with the cornstarch until smooth, then return this mixture to the pan and cook another 2–5 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat, stir in the butter, and let the filling cool briefly before filling the crust.
Prepare the cardamom crumb separately. Once the crumb is ready and the filling has cooled slightly, pour the berry mixture into the par-baked crust and evenly sprinkle the cardamom crumble over the top. Bake the assembled pie at 400°F for about 40 minutes, until the center is bubbling and the crumbs are golden. Remove from the oven and allow the pie to cool for at least two hours so the filling sets and the slices hold together.
Notes:
- Cardamom: If you prefer a different spice, substitute cinnamon. Cardamom adds a warm, aromatic note that pairs especially well with berries.
- Par-baking the crust: You can use raw pie dough without par-baking, but the bottom may be less crisp.
- Cooling: The pie is tasty warm, but the filling won’t be fully set and slices will be messy until it cools for a few hours.
Triple Berry Pie with Cardamom Crumb
Ingredients
- 7 cups fresh or frozen berries we use 1 cup raspberries, 2 cups blueberries, and 4 cups ollaliberries
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of cardamom
- Pinch of cinnamon
- 4 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 par-baked pie crust. Recipe below
- Cardamom crumble. Recipe below
Instructions
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Add berries, sugar, lemon juice, zest, cardamom, salt, and cinnamon to a saucepan over medium heat.
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Simmer for 5–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the berries release their juices.
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Spoon ½ cup of the cooking liquid into a small bowl and whisk in the cornstarch until smooth.
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Return the cornstarch mixture to the pot and simmer 2–5 more minutes until the filling thickens.
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Stir in the butter until melted and let the filling cool about 5 minutes.
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Pour the filling into the par-baked pie shell.
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Top evenly with the cardamom crumble.
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Bake at 400°F for 40 minutes. Allow the pie to cool for several hours before slicing for the cleanest slices.
Notes
Pie Crust: a par-baked crust gives a crisper bottom; use your preferred pie dough recipe.
Entertainer’s Note:
Make this pie the night before for easy serving the next day. It stores well and slices neatly once fully cooled, making it perfect for entertaining.
