The Only Formula You Need to Make Your Best-Ever Fruit Pie Filling (2024)

FAQs

What is fruit pie filling made of? ›

Fruit, sugar, cornstarch, acid, extras. These are the only things you need to remember to turn out a perfect pie filling.

Very often flour or cornstarch is used, but in certain instances tapioca, arrowroot and potato starch can also help achieve the desired consistency. Tapioca starch is preferable for products that will be frozen because it will not break down when thawed. We like tapioca in blueberry, cherry or peach pies.

There are three different methods of making pie fillings: cooked juice, cooked fruit, and old-fashioned.

Pie Filling Enhancer thickens fruit pie fillings the same way Instant ClearJel does. Its advantage is added ascorbic acid (which adds a bright, tart note), and superfine sugar, which prevents it from clumping.

A cream pie, crème pie, or creme pie is a type of pie filled with a rich custard or pudding that is made from milk, cream, sugar, wheat flour, and eggs and typically topped with whipped cream.

Start with a baked pie crust and make your filling: On the stove top, cook a mixture of fresh strawberry puree, sugar, vanilla, and cornstarch to make a lightly sweetened, thickened sauce.

Which one you use is a matter of personal preference. Cornstarch makes for a shiny, glossy filling. A little goes a long way because it has twice the gelling power of flour. Flour thickens nicely but leaves more of a matte finish.

Adding Thickener

A thickener prevents the filling from being too watery by adding a substance that will absorb some of the liquid that seeps out of the fruit. A small amount of thickener should not alter the flavor of your pie. Use cornstarch as a thickener.

The three most common starches used to thicken the fruit juices of a pie are flour, tapioca, and cornstarch. I prefer cornstarch because I find that it actually enhances the flavor of the fruit.

Line the crust with foil, parchment, or a paper coffee filter. Fill it about two-thirds full with dried beans, uncooked rice (or other uncooked grain berries), pie weights, or granulated sugar. Bake the crust in a preheated 375°F oven for 20 minutes, set on a baking stone or steel if you have one.

When making baked fruit pies, the bottom crust should be? ›

Sprinkle dried breadcrumbs or crushed cornflakes, or other types of cereal, on the bottom crust before filling and baking in the oven. The layer will absorb moisture and prevent the filling from turning the crust soggy.

With the right dough and equipment squared away, simply make your cherry pie, blueberry pie, or mixed-fruit pie as directed, and refrigerate it until the decorative border is cold and firm. Wrap your pie in several layers of plastic to minimize exposure to air, then stick it in the freezer.

Tapioca-it's not just for pudding! This old-school ingredient may be what your great grandmother used to thicken her pies, and it's still great for making a perfect fruit pie with a clear, stable filling. Tapioca is derived from cassava (also known as yuca or manioc), a starchy root native to South America.

Instant ClearJel is made of only one ingredient: modified food starch. While modified food starch can be made from a number of ingredients, including wheat, potatoes, and tapioca, ClearJel is derived from corn that has been ground and processed to sort out specific starches with certain sought-after gelling properties.

King Arthur Flour contains no bleach, no bromate, and no artificial preservatives of any kind. What you get—instead of those chemical bleaching agents—is flour from superior grains grown by farmers we trust.

This fruit tart's filling is a lusciously creamy and decadent without being too heavy. It's made with rich cream cheese, sour cream for a hint of tang, powdered sugar, and delicious vanilla bean paste, but you can use vanilla extract if that's all you have on hand.

Crisp apples, rich butter, a blend of sugars, cinnamon and apple juice come together in perfect harmony to create the best apple pie filling of all time! There are so many reasons to make your own apple pie filling from scratch.

There are four types of pies: cream, fruit, custard, and savory.

Generally speaking, a fruit filling has higher fruit content (50-90%) than fruit jams (ca. 35%), and lower sugar content. And whereas fruit jams (for industrial baking purposes) are smooth, fillings can have wide range of textures, from a creamy puree to fillings with high fruit integrity.