Tasty Mulberry Pie
Sweet and fruity, this Mulberry Pie is fun and easy with a commercial crust (or your favorite recipe). Make dessert special!
I love fruit pies. They feel like the best kind of win-win. Enjoy a lovely dessert AND get a serving of fruit. All at the same time.
Perfect!
And if you (or a friend) grows mulberries, it can be a win-win-win. That’s because the trees bear abundant quantities of berries. Which means your pie filling is practically free!
Count me in!
What are Mulberries
Yes, I know we all grew up singing, Here we go ‘round the mulberry bush. But if you’re like me, you never knew what on earth you were singing about.
Then one year a friend rented a flat with a giant Mulberry tree in the backyard. I happened by when it was loaded with berries and was amazed at the bounty. And at that point, I learned it was a tree and not a bush–hmm, guess that means MORE fruit!
Of course, there are different varieties of mulberries with unique pros and cons. But the red mulberry is commonly grown and bears a striking resemblance to blackberries, both in appearance and flavor. 
Now truthfully, I’d rank the blackberry flavor just a little bit higher. But I’ve always struggled to grow them and my mulberries were easy!
On the downside, with a short shelf life, mulberries aren’t generally commercially available. So ask around or check out the farmers market.
Finally, another plus to the mulberry is nutrition. Per WebMD “the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in mulberries provide a variety of powerful health benefits. For example, the flavonoids in mulberries fight free radicals to limit oxidative stress.” And “Mulberries are also a good source of Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, Iron.”
Why You’ll Love This!
Tasty. Mulberries are similar in flavor to blackberries and are great in a pie, especially with a little citrus flavor accent.
Healthy. How nice is it to get some nutrition in your dessert!
Frugal. You can’t find mulberries in the store, so you’re going to need trees or friends with trees. Which probably makes the fruit (typically the most expensive part of a fruit pie) free!
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Double pie crust. This holds the tasty filling. You can go with a commercial crust or your favorite recipe. I have tested using a store brand deep dish pie crust and homemade.
- Mulberries. These form the fruity goodness of the pie filling. You can use fresh or frozen berries, partly thawed.
- Tapioca flour. This is the thickener I prefer for berry pies since it is clear and flavorless. Instant tapioca will work similarly, though you may (or may not) notice a bit of texture. It is possible to use other thickeners like cornstarch or flour but quantities will need to be adjusted.
- Sugar. This sweetens the tart berries.
- Lime zest. This adds a note of balance to the filling. You can also use lemon zest.
- Vanilla. This adds a note of balance to the filling.
- Salt. Enhances flavor—I rarely use in fruit pies, but in this one it made a difference.
Special Tools
- You’ll need a pie pan unless you buy a preformed crust.
Step by Step Directions
Toss the mulberries (partly thawed if frozen) with the tapioca flour, sugar, lime zest, vanilla, and salt (that is, everything but the pie crust). Let them rest about 15 minutes so that the sugar and tapioca flour start to get absorbed into the berries. This might take longer if the berries are pretty frozen still.
Form the bottom pie crust into the pie pan (if needed). Pour the filling into the pie crust, including any bits of sugar, etc that haven’t been absorbed.
Cover with the top crust and crimp to seal (I think that pressing with the tines of a fork easiest). Cut vent holds in the top of the crust.
Set pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 400F for 20 min. Then lay a piece of aluminum foil on the crust to shield it and lower temp to 350. Cook until filling is starting to bubble up, about another 30-45 minutes. Consider dusting with powdered sugar.
How to Serve
Mulberry Pie is wonderful as a dessert, snack or even breakfast item. I usually serve it with either a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
And coffee, tea or milk makes a wonderful beverage accompaniment.
Variations and Special Diets
Mulberry pie is vegetarian–and can be vegan and dairy-free if you use a vegan crust.
For some other lovely fruit pies take a look at my French Pear Tart, Betty Crocker French Apple Pie, or my Raspberry Plum Streusel Pie.
Leftovers
You can keep any remaining pe for a day or two covered at room temperature. After that, move the leftovers to the refrigerator, since cooked fruit can mold.
Tips & FAQs
Mulberries have a little bit of stem that is difficult to remove. While some people remove this, it actually runs down the inside of the berry. So you’ll still have some stem even if you snip off the visible part. I just leave this and tell myself extra fiber.
Mulberry Pie
Ingredients
- 4 cups mulberries
- ¼ cup tapioca flour
- 1 cup sugar
- Zest from 1 small lime or half a lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 double pie crust commercial or your favorite recipe
Instructions
- Toss the mulberries (partly thawed if frozen) with the tapioca flour, sugar, lime zest, vanilla, and salt (that is, everything but the pie crust). Let them rest about 15 minutes so that the sugar and tapioca flour start to get absorbed into the berries. This might take longer if the berries are pretty frozen still.
- Form the bottom pie crust into the pie pan (if needed). Pour the filling into the pie crust, including any bits of sugar, etc that haven’t been absorbed.
- Cover with the top crust and crimp to seal (I think that pressing with the tines of a fork easiest). Cut vent holds in the top of the crust.
- Set pie on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake at 400F for 20 min. Then lay a piece of aluminum foil on the crust to shield it and lower temp to 350. Cook until filling is starting to bubble up, about another 30-45 minutes.
This Mulberry Pie recipe looks absolutely delightful! Mulberries aren’t common in stores here, so will definitely check weekend markets and even possibly change it with other types of berries.
I used to love collecting mulberries when I was young — my mother thought they were terrible and probably just tossed them. I wish I had known pie was an option. The mulberries gwon here are very different – you will see in a couple of weeks in my crêpes post.
We all grew up with the song but who know that the bush ends up being a Mulberry tree.