This pink strawberry lattice pie is sweetened with brown sugar & brightened with orange juice & zest. The pie crust is dyed with dragon fruit powder to give it a gorgeous natural pink color for a fun crowd-pleasing dessert. It can be made year-round, since the strawberries are cooked on the stove first, so fresh or frozen both work great.
This Strawberry Lattice Pie is Worth Showing Off
Ever since I read Pieometry, I fell hard for the dyed pie crusts inside, looking more like art than dessert. I wanted to try the technique myself, but I also wanted something a first-time pie baker could pull off without stress. So this lattice pie became my answer, keeping all the wow-factor of a bakery showstopper, built on a method that's genuinely simple to follow.
At the center of it all is strawberry, my favorite summer berry, brightened with fresh orange juice and zest. The citrus doesn't compete with the strawberries, but rather it lifts them, the way a good frame makes a painting pop. Brown sugar (instead of granulated sugar) adds a soft caramel note underneath, and cinnamon rounds it out. It's a filling that tastes just like summer without needing a long ingredient list to get there.
I cook the filling on the stove first, which means the fruit's juices are released and properly thickened with cornstarch before the filling ever goes in the crust. So there's no runny slices, no bubbling-over mess in your oven, and no soggy bottom waiting to disappoint. Then the crust is dyed with dragon fruit powder (also called pitaya powder, which is easy to find online). This step is optional, since the pie is just as delicious in classic golden-brown, and the powder doesn't alter the flavor. But that magenta hue is the kind of detail that makes people stop mid-bite and ask how you did it. It's not something you'll find at the grocery store, or even most bakeries, which is exactly what I was going for.
Once you're in pie-baking mode, my classic blueberry pie is another lattice-topped beauty worth baking in the summer. And if you're craving that same cozy fruit-pie magic outside of berry season, my mixed berry pie leans on frozen berries, so it's a dessert you can make any time of year.
How to Make a Lattice Design with Pie Dough
My Baking Tips for Summer Berry Pie
- For a smooth jammy filling: Whisk the cornstarch with a couple tablespoons of the juice from your pie filling before adding it to the saucepan to prevent clumps.
- Why cornstarch over other thickeners: Tapioca and flour both work, but cornstarch is my go-to here, since it thickens efficiently without the "gluey" texture arrowroot can have. And unlike flour, you only a few tablespoons to get the full effect.
- Keep your butter and dough cold: Warm butter is the number one culprit behind a tough, greasy crust. If your kitchen is warm or your dough starts feeling soft while you work, pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Don't skip the chill before baking: After you've assembled your lattice, give the whole pie 20-30 minutes in the fridge (or freezer, if you're short on time) before it goes in the oven. This helps the crust hold its shape and prevents shrinking as it bakes.
- Avoid burnt the edges: If your crust is browning too quickly around the edges, tent a large sheet of foil on top halfway through baking.
Strawberry Lattice Pie
developed & tested by:
Equipment
Ingredients
Strawberry Pie Filling
- 2 pounds fresh strawberries, with the green tops trimmed off
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice (from about one medium orange)
- 1 tablespoon orange zest (from about one medium orange)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoon cornstarch
Dragon Fruit Pie Dough (from Pieometry)
- ice cubes
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup dragon fruit powder (also called pitaya powder)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Strawberry Pie Filling
- Combine all the pie filling ingredients except the cornstarch in a medium sauce pan. Simmer on medium heat for 10 - 15 minutes, until the strawberries begin to soften and release some of their juice.
- Stir in the cornstarch and bring to a boil on high heat for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
Dragon Fruit Pie Dough
- In a small bowl, combine add a few ice cubes to your water and return it to the fridge to stay ice cold. Cut your cold stick of butter into ½-inch cubes and return it to the fridge to stay cold.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, dragon fruit powder, sugar and salt.
- Toss the cold butter cubes in the flour mixture. Use your index fingers and thumbs to squish the butter cubes until they resemble thick cornflakes.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the ice cold water and mix the dough with a large spoon. Keep adding another 1 tablespoon of cold water at a time, mixing after each addition, until the dough can hold its shape when squeezed in the palm of your hand, and there are no dry pockets of flour.
- On a clean work surface, shape the dough into two discs, one slightly larger than the other. Wrap each dough disc separately in plastic cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to 3 days. You can also freeze your dough in advance.
Assemble and Bake
- Grease a 9-inch pie dish with butter.
- Leave your larger disc of pie dough on the counter for about 10 minutes to warm and soften a bit. Lightly flour a clean work surface and roll out your pie dough to be able to fit in the bottom and up the sides of your pie dish.
- Transfer the pie dough into your greased pie dish. Fill with the cooled strawberry filling.
- Roll out the smaller disc of pie dough on your lightly floured work surface. Use a ruler cut your dough into ¾-inch strips.
- Weave the Lattice: Lay half the dough strips vertically across the filled pie, evenly spaced, then fold back every other strip and lay one horizontal strip across before unfolding them back over it. Fold back the opposite strips, add the next horizontal strip, and unfold again. Repeat this alternating pattern until the lattice is complete. Trim the excess dough, tuck the ends under the bottom crust, and crimp the edges with a fork to seal the top and bottom crusts together.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Bake for 25 minutes, then rotate the pie. If the crust is already starting to brown, cover just the crust edges with aluminum foil. Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F. Bake for another 90 - 100 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and crispy. Let cool for at least 1 hour, then enjoy!
Notes
- Storing: Once cooled, cover the pie loosely with foil and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Yum-number1 says
These colours, wow! Great job!!
Humbly Homemade says
Thank you so much! 😊
popsiclesociety says
Wow! It looks so good 😋
Humbly Homemade says
Hehe thank you!! 🥧
foodinbooks says
What a gorgeous color!
Humbly Homemade says
Thank you! I had no idea dragon fruit powder was so potent!