Gooseberry Pie
This gooseberry pie recipe has some of the best pie filling I’ve ever tasted! It’s sweet and tart, just like your Grandma used to make!
Recently, my coworker gave me gooseberries from her Mom’s farm. I was THRILLED, but a bit nervous because although I had enjoyed my fair share of gooseberry pies growing up, I had never made one myself! So, I immediately turned to an old family cookbook to find a tried and true gooseberry pie recipe.
“I used this recipe to make my latest Gooseberry Pie and I think it will be my forever recipe! My husband and I love it, the problem is we are eating it all so no one else gets a chance to taste it! LOL I guess I’m just going to have to make another one!”- Rose, Blog Comment
I quickly found a recipe from a family member who is famous for her home cooking and thought, “Bingo!” And even better, her pie called for frozen pie crusts! Like most of you, I rarely have the time or patience to make pie crust from scratch, so I focused entirely on making the most delicious gooseberry pie filling possible.
One thing that you may find unusual about this recipe is the addition of egg yolks to the filling. I was hesitant to add them. I thought, is this a typo? Surely, this is an accident. BUT, I trusted the original recipe and I’m so glad that I did. Adding the egg yolks made such a thick and rich filling. Also, you can see that I attempted a lattice, and kind of failed at it. Don’t be like me!
“Hello from PA, I picked a pint of gooseberries yesterday from my 20-year-old bushes. I topped and tailed and then cooked them per instructions. The pie was perfect. Thank you for your fast and easy recipe.”- Robin, blog comment
But, the pie still tasted wonderful because the filling was PERFECT! I’m so glad that I had enough gooseberries to make two pies; one for my coworker who so kindly gifted the gooseberries to me, and the other for a weekend visit from my parents.
When my Mom took her first bite, she said it was the “best gooseberry pie she had EVER had.” And trust me, that’s very high praise.
What do Gooseberries taste like?
Gooseberries have a unique flavor that largely depends on how ripe they are. Green gooseberries are not ripe, but they are most often what is used it cooking. Green gooseberries are very tart and tangy.
As gooseberries ripen, they turn purple and the flavor changes to semi-sweet, like a grape.
What does Gooseberry Pie taste like?
A great gooseberry pie is equal parts SWEET and SOUR. The buttery taste of the crust, and the sweetness of the filling help tame the unripe gooseberries sour flavor.
So, have you ever had gooseberry pie? I’d love to hear any memories that you have of this sweet and sour pie!
If you love this recipe, I think you’d also love:
- Blackberry Peach Hand Pies
- Deep Dish Strawberry Pie!
- Easy Caramel Apple Dump Cake
- Pecan Pie Cobbler
- Grandma’s Snickerdoodle Cookies No Cream of Tartar
Easy Gooseberry Pie
This gooseberry pie recipe has some of the best pie filling I've ever tasted! It's sweet and tart, just like your Grandma used to make!
Ingredients
- 2 pre-made pie crusts
For the filling:
- 1 pint fresh gooseberries
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 egg yolks
To brush on top:
- 2 egg whites
- ¼ cup sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small saucepan, add gooseberries and water. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Drain off some of the excess water, then return to the burner.
- Add the sugar, butter and flour, continue to simmer.
- Beat egg yolks and pour slowly into saucepan. Cook on medium-low heat until thick.
- Pour filling into still frozen pre-made pie crust.
- Top with a second pie crust, cutting slits to vent (or cut for lattice top).
- Brush the top pie crust with egg whites. Sprinkle sugar on top.
- Cover the outer crust ring of the pie with aluminum foil and bake for 20-25 minutes. You can also use a pie crust shield. Remove aluminum foil or pie crust shield and bake for another 15-25 minutes, until the crust is browned.
Notes
If you can find canned gooseberries, you can absolutely use them in this recipe. Make sure to rinse the syrup off and give them a good pat down with paper towels before making the filling.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 8Amount Per Serving Calories 175Total Fat 3gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 50mgSodium 28mgCarbohydrates 37gFiber 2gSugar 31gProtein 2g
The nutrition for this recipe is calculated by an app and may be incorrect.
I have never had gooseberries! Would love to try them.
They are rare jewels. If you ever find someone that has them on their property, befriend them!
Having been raised in CA I did not know what they were, let alone people love to make pies with them! I bought two plants and am growing my own In CO. Patience, and now, three years later, I don’t still yet have enough for a pie, but a few to snack on, oh yes the Gooseberries when ripe are delicious. BTW Jostaberries ( a plant that is a cross of a black current and a gooseberry and is pronounced like Yostaberry) are very easy to grow and propagate just line gooseberries, they have, lovely yummy dark big berries; make great jams and in hand snacks!
@Marianne, I now have two 1 year old nice looking Jostaberry plants, too. I can’t wait till next year when I hope they start producing berries, too!
I love a good pie! I’ve never used gooseberries, but it’s never too late to try. 🙂 Great idea!
I think the lattice on your pie looks great! This pie looks amazing!
LOL! I forgot to “weave” it. I was struggling to get them in the oven before my son woke up from naptime. Oh well!
I’ve never had gooseberries before, but the pie looks wonderful — love that crust!
I’ve ever had gooseberries! This pie looks seriously delicious, though…..I think I need to change that! 🙂
I cant believe that I’ve never had gooseberries! I need to try those asap! Also I LOVE your pie! It looks perfect!
I grew up in Kansas and had gooseberry pie often. I want to make a pie, but can’t even find a can of them.
Anyone have any suggestions? Joy
Hi Joy! Check with your Walmart to see if they carry the “Oregon” brand of pie fillings. If they do, ask the store manager to order you a case of their Gooseberries. It’s as good as you can do without access to fresh! Good luck!
@Joy Holderby, You can order a case of canned gooseberries from Walmart.com. Shipping is free and a case cost $37.75. I just bought them today. The brand is Oregon Fruit
Oregon Fruit is what I buy when I buy canned! Thats a good price too. Thanks for sharing, Lois!
@Joy Holderby, You can find them at the Farmers Market. They are in season right now. The Amish pick these and sell these where I live.
This is the real old fashioned recipe! This tastes like childhood!!! Thank you so much for this!!!!!!
I’m so glad you liked it, Rebekah!
I grew up eating gooseberry pie and when I got married, a gooseberry bush was one of the first things I planted. I made a cobbler last year but I’m hoping this pie reminds me of my childhood. It’s in the oven now!
Good luck Teri! Hope it turned out well!
Where can you find a nursery that sells gooseberry plants?
Teri, it looks like Burpee sells them online in their store, beginning to ship in March depending on your zone. I’ve also had great luck with the “Oregon” brand gooseberry pie filling, if you’re unable to plant your own bush. I just drain and rinse the contents of the can, and then lessen the sugar in the recipe just a touch considering the berries have been sweetened a bit. They’re very good quality berries!
Hi Michelle! Thanks for sharing this recipe. I can’t wait to make it for a family BBQ this July. The instructions say to drain off some of the water. How much do you suggest I leave? I don’t want to screw this up! 🙂
I wouldn’t go through the trouble of using a strainer! I just carefully tilt the pot into the sink and try to get the most water I can get out without losing any berries!
GOOD LUCK! It will be great!
I couldn’t find my moms old recipe for gooseberry pie so I am trying this tonight!
Super excited to see how it turns out! Gooseberry pie has always been a huge part of our family desert table:)
Yes! Let me know!
I remember my Mom having a plant in her yard. She made a thing or two with the berries, but I can’t recall my. opinions. I just purchased 3 container pots from a local nursery. 1 with red fruit, and the other is green, and the third was free due to not being labeled to tell me which kind it was. I’m now researching uses for them, and found this page. Wish me well!
Good luck! I hope they bear a lot of yummy berries for you!
Gooseberries can be red or green depending on the variety. So if you have the green variety they will be ripe and still green. Several nurseries in Oregon and Washington have the plants for sale.
@Robert, We have two varieties locally here on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. We have both the Hanimoki Reds, and Hanamoki Gold. The golds are not as hardy, which surprises me, as in MN, we had the green varieties. I can never remember them ever turning red. Next Year I will probably harvest some while they are still green to mix w/ the reds for the tartness.
I’m really into berries. I have blackberries growing too, and saw a recipe somewhere for a dessert made with both blackberries and gooseberries. Sounds intriguing.
I think you could do a “black goose” pie using this recipe, Jack! I should really try that…
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Can you use frozen gooseberries?
Yes ma’am! The only concern is excess water, so make sure they’re fully thawed, strain and pat dry with paper towels!
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How long to cook if I make my own pie crust, if I don’t use a frozen crust…my husband doesn’t like the frozen pie crusts available. I was successful with my pie crust a couple of weeks ago, so going to try again…fingers crossed 😊
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I have a gooseberry bush and I just picked the berries today. I was looking through the website for a gooseberry pie recipe and came across your family recipe. I was smelling amazing while simmer in the sauce pan. it is now in the oven. I am actually baking it in the Emeril Lagasse oven.it smells amazing while baking too. Having it for after church Sunday Dinner dessert. Thank you and bless you for this recipe.
I hope you enjoyed it, Roxann! 🙂
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Hi!! I found some of the Oregon canned gooseberries at the store this morning & was intrigued! Like many others, I had never heard of them before & am so happy to have found your family recipe! I am curious if using canned, would I skip step 2 on your instructions? I read in another comment thread to rinse them from the can and add less sugar (maybe 3/4 cup instead of 1 cup?). I figured step 2 was more or less to soften the berries & break them down, but feel they might already come this way straight from the can. Thank you for the recipe <3
Hi Meg! Yes, I think you’re fine to skip step #2. Gooseberries are pretty hard when fresh, so that step is meant to soften them! I hope you like the Oregon gooseberries, I thought they were pretty dang good for canned! 🙂
Michelle, thank you for the response. You are awesome!! I will be trying very soon! Stay safe & healthy! God bless! ☺️💕
I used this recipe to make my latest Gooseberry Pie and I think it will be my forever recipe! My husband and I love it, the problem is we are eating it all so no one else gets a chance to taste it! LOL I guess I’m just going to have to make another one!
Rose, you made my day! I am so glad you enjoyed it.
Hello from PA, I picked a pint of gooseberries yesterday from my 20-year-old bushes. I topped and tailed and then cooked them per instructions. The pie was perfect. Thank you for your fast and easy recipe.
Robin, that’s wonderful! Thank you for letting me know.
I made this over the weekend with gooseberries from our bush! Very good, much more like a custard type pie than what I’ve made before. I did find that I needed many more gooseberries than the recipe called for. I would recommend about 6-8 cups of gooseberries , depending on how much you cook them down and how deep your pie pan is. Thanks!
Gooseberry pie is one of my favorites from my Grandmother. When I had to drive gross country fo the Army, I would make sure I would stop in Salinas, KS at a certain truck stop that had Gooseberry pie! I now have two Gooseberry bushes that are 2-3 years old and loaded w/ ripe gooseberries. I will pick, freeze; then make Gooseberry pie this winter or this fall after all produce is in from the garden! I cant wait to try your recipe!
Funny enough, I am about an hour away from Salina Kansas where I live right now! Gooseberries are one of those things that you just have to have a source (or a bush!) We grow our own now. I really hope the recipe turns out well for you, Donna!
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My brothers favorite pie is Gooseberry since he lives quite a distance from me i do not get to see him as often I promised him on his next trip I would make him a pie, tried this recipe when he got back home this is what he texted me ” Gooseberry pie is spot on perfect” yeaaaaa
You absolutely made my day! We love this pie, too. Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Is the butter really needed? Any substitute for it please?
Hi D, if you can’t do butter, just omit it.
Made this Saturday with berries I had frozen from my Dad’s backyard and it was great! I added another cup of berries (total 3 cups) as it seemed a little small but no other changes. Family loved it and said it was my best yet!!
Oh my gosh!! I have always thought it was a pretend pie for Christmas like for songs or movies,if I could find gooseberries I’d have to make and bake a gooseberry pie!! It sounds good and besides it’s not many gooseberries around that I know of.. Best believe I’ll have my eyes looking for gooseberries or a gooseberry pie!!
Good luck!!! I get mine (frozen) from a Dutch country store, or I can sometimes find the Oregon brand canned gooseberries near the pie fillings at the store!
Are you using unripe gooseberries for this recipe? Those are what my husband prefers. If not I would have to adjust the recipe with sugar and flour.
Hi Becky! Yes, the fresh gooseberries I used were unripe (and sour as heck!) 🙂
This was such a hit. Thank you!
Thanks Kelli!
Is it possible to can the filling? My dad loves to make pies and gooseberry is his favorite. I was going to make a filling for him for Christmas….
Hi Cheri! I think this could work, but my instinct is to leave the egg out if you’re canning it?
Can you use frozen gooseberries
Hi Norris! Yes, you can. Just make sure they’re fully thawed, and if they’re water logged you may want to pat them with paper towels to remove excess water!