This Huckleberry Pie Recipe is as gorgeous as it is tasty. It’s the perfect summer treat and the last huckleberry pie recipe you’ll need! You’ll love the fact that it’s not overly sweet, like so many other pies are, yet still bursting with huckleberry flavor!
Why This Recipe Works
Huckleberries are the perfect balance between sweet and tart. As a matter of fact, many describe the taste of huckleberries as a combination of blueberries and cranberries. Tart, sweet, and delicious!
I kept this huckleberry pie recipe simple by using huckleberries, sugar, orange juice, and zest. Instead of cornstarch, I used tapioca as a thickening agent. Let’s be honest, don’t we all hate runny pies that ruin an otherwise perfectly tasty crust?
I left the cinnamon as optional because I personally did not want anything to compete with the huckleberry flavor. However, feel free to add 1/2 of a teaspoon if you would like.
Huckleberry Pie begs for a big scoop of French vanilla ice cream, so make sure you have some on hand… and don’t forget a piping hot cup of coffee!
What Goes Into This Recipe
How to Make This Recipe
Preheat oven to 375-degrees F
Step 1 | Line Pan with Crust
Line the bottom of a 9″ pie plate with one of the two pie crusts.
Note: If using frozen fruit, quickly rinse off any ice that may have formed around the berries and drain completely.
Step 2 | Prepare Pie Filling
Mix both sugars, tapioca, orange zest, orange juice, salt, and cinnamon, if using. Add huckleberries and one shredded apple (optional) and mix gently to combine.
Step 3 | Set Aside
Set aside to rest for 15 minutes to allow the tapioca to activate.
Step 4 | Cut Lattice Top
Meanwhile, cut the remaining pie crust into 1/4″ strips using a pastry wheel.
Step 5 | Dot with Butter
After the fifteen minutes are up, pour pie filling into the prepared pie crust and dot with butter.
Step 6 |Top with Lattice
Place the strips of dough in a lattice fashion over the pie and either tuck the ends of the strips under the bottom crust or fold the bottom crust over the strips and crimp.
Step 7 | Bake Pie
Cover pie edges with foil or pie crust protectors. Brush with 1 tablespoon of milk and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons sugar. Bake for an hour, or until the mixture is thick and bubbly and begins to ooze out of the lattice crust. Remove the foil during the last 15 minutes.
Step 8 | Enjoy!
Cool the huckleberry pie before slicing. Enjoy topping with vanilla ice cream.
Crumb Topping Huckleberry Pie Recipe
If you prefer your huckleberry pie recipe with crumb topping, you’re in luck! I actually prefer it that way too! You can easily alter this recipe to make a pie with crumb topping. Just follow these simple steps.
- Follow the recipe steps up to dotting the filling with butter, but do not dot with butter.
- Bake at 375-degrees F for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 3/4 cup of flour, 1/4 teaspoon cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Make sure there are no clumps in the brown sugar, and that the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
- Using your hands or a fork, cut in 6 tablespoons of cold cubed butter until the mixture is crumbly.
- After 30 minutes have elapsed, remove the pie from the oven and turn up the oven temperature to 400-degrees F.
- Carefully distribute the crumb topping evenly over the berries, so that the berries are no longer visible.
- Cover pie edges with foil or pie crust protector. Bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the pie is bubbly and begins to ooze out from under the topping.
- The pie will firm up once refrigerated.
Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
I realize that not too many people know what a huckleberry is, let alone tasted these delicious berries.
“Huckleberries” (also known as ‘Hurtleberry’ or ‘Whortleberry”) are glorious red and purple berries that resemble blueberries in taste and appearance (although smaller).
The berries go from green to light pink, dark pink, and a deep purple when fully ripened.
Some varieties have larger berries that are deep red when fully ripe and tart compared to the purple variety.
Huckleberry bushes grow in acidic mountain soil, and range in size from 1′ to 5′ in height. They are delicious when eaten raw and just as tasty when used to make huckleberry pie, jam, syrup, cheesecake, and wine.
The berries can be used to make huckleberry muffins, scones, ice cream, fudge, and more!
Huckleberries are native to the Northwestern United States. They grow in the wild in elevations from 3000′ to 6,000′.
States, where huckleberries grow, include Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska.
Since huckleberries are not commercially grown, they’re usually handpicked by individuals and sold for as much as $50 to $70 a gallon!
Here in Montana, they are ready to harvest from late June through late August, depending on the elevation.
However, if you’re looking for an exact location, good luck! Most people have their own “secret spot” that they won’t even share with their own mother.
Luckily, I have an angel for a neighbor, who not only shared his spot with us but took us on our first huckleberry picking adventure!
Remember, if you don’t have access to huckleberries, substitute blueberries for this recipe instead!
So, let’s say you got someone to divulge their secret huckleberry picking spot with you … congratulations!
What should you know before you go on your first huckleberry picking adventure?
Well, I’m no expert, but here are some great tips that I picked up from my neighbor, Neil.
Huckleberry Picking Checklist
- Wear long pants, good shoes or boots, and a hat to keep the sun out of your eyes while you pick.
- Take a gun (if you have one) and bear spray, we all know that bears like huckleberries too!
- Take plenty of water, pack a lunch, and wear sunscreen (this is going to take a while). Huckleberry picking is not for the weak!
- Take an empty one-gallon jug, and cut the top off, leaving the handle intact. Loop the jug handle through your belt so that both hands are free to pick these precious berries, and drop into the jug hanging from your waist. You’ll also need a 2-5 gallon bucket to dump your berries into when you’re dong picking.
- Be aware of your surroundings, listen for rustling in the trees and bushes around you. In other words, leave the earbuds at home, kids.
- Berry Pickers are preferred by some people while many believe they damage the plants. I find it easier picking with my hands.
- When picking the huckleberries, be sure to lift the branches to look underneath them. Many huckleberries are hidden underneath the leaves and are only visible when the branches are lifted.
- Above all, go with someone you love spending time with. Enjoy the conversation and the natural beauty that surrounds you!
- Be sure to bookmark this page so that once you have your huckleberries, you can come back here for this huckleberry pie recipe!
How to Clean and Freeze Huckleberries
I’m sure there are many ways to clean and store huckleberries, but these steps worked well for me.
I had originally considered washing and freezing the berries on a cookie sheet before storing them. I thought that if I froze them in a bag all together they might create a solid block.
My huckleberry picking guide, Neil, ensured me that was not the case, and he was right. I chose two-cup portions, but feel free to freeze in any quantity you prefer.
- Add two cups of berries to a bowl of clean water.
- Agitate the berries in the water, and remove any obvious debris that floats to the surface.
- Scoop a handful of berries from the water and add in a sealable Ziplock sandwich bag.
- Continue until the two cups of berries are in the bag, then seal. Repeat the process, using fresh water each time, until all the huckleberries are processed.
- Freeze the berry-filled bags until ready to use.
Now that I’ve told you everything I know about huckleberries, I hope you’ll give this recipe a try, or make plans to go huckleberry picking as soon as possible!
For further information on the Huckleberry plant, check out Britannica.com.
