Huckleberry pie is a delicious summer treat! But fresh huckleberries can be hard to find, especially if you do not live in the Pacific Northwest. This huckleberry pie recipe combines huckleberry jam with blueberries to give you the sweet-tart flavor of huckleberries, without having to go for a wild berry hunt.
This pie was created as the dessert for our Idaho state dinner. I researched and discovered that I could buy fresh huckleberries through Etsy. I was so excited for an authentic huckleberry pie! But just a couple of days before we were to receive the delivery, the seller reached out and let me know the berries would not make it in time. I was so disappointed and knew I had to get creative. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise because let's face it, since you can't just buy huckleberries at your average grocery store, most people need to be able to make this pie without fresh berries.
Our Huckleberry Pie Dreams were Saved
Upon getting the news that our huckleberries would not be delivered, I started looking for other options and found recipes for jam pie. While that sounded decent, I really wanted to use fresh berries. Then I got the idea of combining huckleberry preserves with blueberries, which is a relative of the huckleberry! It worked perfectly! The pie had the signature huckleberry flavor and the juiciness of the fresh blueberries. Topped with a scoop of ice cream, it was a delightful dessert!
What's the Difference Between Huckleberries and Blueberries?
Huckleberries and blueberries are a part of the same plant family, but they are distinctly different. Huckleberries look like a small blueberry, but it has ten hard seeds inside. These seeds are edible, but give a crunch, where the smaller blueberry seeds are soft. The underlying flavor of a huckleberry and blueberry are similar, but the huckleberry is more tart. The good news about them being so closely related is that you can combine huckleberry preserves and fresh blueberries and get the flavor of huckleberry pie.
It Couldn't Be More Simple
Preparing the pie is so easy! Simply mix together blueberries (fresh or frozen), huckleberry preserves, lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch. The hardest part is the crust.
There are many wonderful pie crust recipes out there, but this butter and vodka pie crust tops the charts. Roll one of the crusts out just a little bigger than how it comes, then place it in your pie plate and press it in. Pour in your filling, then top with the remaining crust. If you want to keep it super simple, just use a fork to crimp the top and bottom crust together. Trim off any excess from around the outside of the pie plate, then cut three slits in the middle of the crust to create vents for the air. If you want to get a little fancier, you could also lattice this top crust. I tried to get a little too fancy with a rope edge, and ended up with a very strange-looking pie. I call it rustic.
Once it is fully baked, let it cool for at least 10 minutes, and top with a healthy-sized scoop of ice cream!
Recipe
Huckleberry Pie Recipe
Recipe by:Ingredients
- 5 cups blueberries, rinse and dry
- 1 cup huckleberry preserves
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon butter, sliced thinly
- 2 pie crusts (one for the top, one for the bottom of pie)
Instructions
- Mix together all ingredients except for the pie crust in a medium-sized bowl.
- Using your favorite pie crust, roll out just a little bigger than 12-inches. Place it in your deep dish pie plate and press it in.
- Pour in your filling into pie crust and place slices of butter over the berries.
- Top with the remaining crust. If you want to keep it super simple, just use a fork to crimp the top and bottom crust together. Trim off any excess from around the outside of the pie plate, then cut three slits in the middle of the crust to create vents for the air. If you want to get a little fancier, you could also lattice this top crust.
- Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Turn oven to 350 and bake an additional 30-40 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.
Alex
Hi, would this work with frozen blueberries? Thanks!
Erin
Yes, frozen blueberries can be used! They do not need to be thawed first. I recommend adding 1-2 tablespoons of flour to account for the additional moisture you will have with frozen berries.