Grape Pie: A Juicy and Delicious Year-Round Dessert

Grape pie is a deliciously juicy, sweet, and tart pie. It has a beautiful, rich purple color and the texture is similar to blueberry pie. It’s the perfect pie to enjoy when grapes are freshly picked in season, which is usually late summer to early fall. But you can enjoy this pie any time of year. We recommend using red or black seedless grapes for the recipe, the preparation is much easier.

Grape PiePhoto byThyme of Season

It's amazing that such a unique creation can be made from simple red or black grapes! What's more, unlike many other pies that are typically seasonal or tied to holidays, this pie can be enjoyed all year round since grapes are readily available all year round.

The fact that you can easily find red or black grapes at your local grocery store makes it a great option for whenever you feel like making it. Best part is you can make ahead the pie filling and pie crust. Just tightly wrap and refrigerate. Bake within three days for freshest flavors.

Ingredients for the Grape Pie Filling:

• 7-8 cups red or black seedless grapes – washed and padded dry
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons red wine
• zest of one lemon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Ingredients for the Homemade Pie Crust:

• 2 ½ cups flour
• ⅓ cup shortening (cold)
• ⅓ cup butter (cold)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup cold water (chilled with ice cubes)

How to Make Grape Pie

Instructions for the Pie Filling

• Place grapes, granulates sugar, light brown sugar, cornstarch, red wine, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and salt into a large saucepan.

• Cook for 15-20 minutes on medium heat. Mash the grapes with a potato masher as the grapes cook. The mixture will bubble. Stir to prevent the pix mixture from burning. Reduce the heat if it begins to burn.
• Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Instructions for the Pie Crust

• Place flour, shortening, butter and salt into a large mixing bowl.
• With a hand held pastry blender, mix the ingredients until pea sized pieces have formed.
• Add water to the dough, a few teaspoons at a time, while mixing it until the dough comes together. Continue mixing until the dough sticks together when pinched.
• Combine the dough and form and separate into two equal sized portions. Roll into a ball, but do not overwork the dough.

Assemble the Pie and Bake

• Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Place the dough ball onto a well-floured surface and roll with a rolling pin into a 12 inch circle and pace into the pie pan. Repeat the step by rolling the second ball into a 12 inch circle.
• Transfer the cooled filling into the pie crust and cover it with the second crust. Use a fork to crimp the edges or tuck the dough underneath and crimp with your fingers. Cut an "X" in the middle of the pie to allow the steam to escape during baking.
• Optional: Sprinkle granulated sugar on top of the pie for an extra touch of sweetness.
• Place the pie on the lowest baking rack of the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes. After 30 minutes, check the pie and if the crust begins to darken too much, turn the heat down to 350 F. This will ensure that the pie is cooked evenly, and the crust doesn't burn.
• Let the gape pie cool completely before serving.

Helpful Hints for Perfect Pie Dough

When making pie dough, it is important to ensure that all of the ingredients are cold. If your kitchen happens to be warm and your dough becomes sticky, simply chill it for several minutes before rolling it out. Additionally, the pie dough can be prepared up to a day in advance; it should be wrapped tightly and stored in the fridge.

Grape Pie Recipe is available for Print or Save as PDF for later reference.