Yesterday when I shared a recipe for cinnamon peach crisp, Becky from Tennessee asked if there was something she could substitute the granulated tapioca I had in the ingredient list with, and my first thought was why!?
Why wouldn’t Becky want to use granulated tapioca in her peach crisp? It’s practically the best thing ever to thicken up fruit fillings. And then I was like… duh, maybe she doesn’t have any in her pantry. 😉
And so that got me to thinking, maybe YOU would like a few other options in case you don’t have a container of tapioca granulates sitting in your pantry either. So I put a list together of the thickeners I’ve used over the years in my pies, crisps and cobblers.
Hopefully, you’ll find it helpful on How to Thicken Fruit Pies
Granulated tapioca is hands down my favorite thickener to use in fruit pies because it gives the fruit filling a somewhat bright and glossy look to them. It also tens to make the filling nice and sticky, which works to hold the filling together and often times, will result in a slice of cold pie that you can hold in your hand.
Granulated tapioca also doesn’t break down when thawed making it a great option if you are planning on making a few pies ahead of time and popping them in the freezer to bake later.
I typically add 2 -3 tablespoons of granulated tapioca to a fruit pie.
Clear Jel powder {the cooking type} is simply modified corn starch and works well to keep fillings nice and thick whether you are going to cook them right away, or stash in the freezer for later. Clear Jel powder also works great to thicken up cream pies too.
I used 5 tablespoons of Clear Jel powder when I made Zoë’s coconut cream pie.
Corn starch is similar to Clear Jel with two exceptions, it tends to leave fruit fillings cloudy and can sometimes leave your filling tasting a little on the starchy side.
When using corn starch as a thickener, you really need to make sure your pies come out of the oven all nice and bubbly so you don’t have any lingering starchy taste to them.
I used 1/4 cup corn starch when I made a fresh raspberry pie, 1 tablespoon when I made a peach pie and 2 tablespoons when I made pineapple custard. It really just depends on the type of fillings and thickness you are going for when using corn starch.
All-purpose flour, while I don’t use it my pies very often anymore, we all have it in our cupboards and it does work in a pinch to thicken up pie fillings. Plus, people have been using it forever. It works. Flour just wouldn’t be my first choice.
I used a 1/3 cup flour in a strawberry rhubarb pie I made back in 2012.
So there you have it, four ways to thicken up your fruit pies. 🙂
Which one do you use?
~Mavis
Peg says
Dry instant tapioca pudding is called for in a stew recipe I make, but I’ve never used it in anything else. Would it be considered granulated tapioca? If not, granulated tapioca and Clear Jel powder are items I don’t buy either.
Wynne says
I would check the box to see if it’s a complete pudding mix (e.g., with sugar)–you may not like a stew with the pudding extras. I use and really like a beef stew recipe from Cook’s Illustrated that has plain tapioca for thickening.
I usually use flour for thickening and cook it enough not to have flavor issues, but it’s definitely cloudy. Corn starch is a little better. I really ought to be using my tapioca. I thought if you don’t grind it up, though, it’s pearly in the finished pie? I was too lazy for the extra step and am less of a pie connoisseur.
Lana says
Plain tapioca, which is what I have always called it, is not pearly in your pie. You won’t even know it was tapioca that was used to thicken it.
Peg says
It’s such a tiny amount, there’s no discernible sweet taste.
Ashley Bananas says
I have never heard of granulated tapioca or clear jel. Thank you! I have some new tricks to try for baking!
Becky-TN says
Wow! I was checking your blog to see if there might be a response to my question, and I was shocked and surprised to see a whole blog post. You rock, Mavis!!
Thanks!
Erin says
I was taught that clear jel is the only thickener that is safe to use for canning pie fillings. Just a tip for those who maybe have with a bumper crop of something they want to make pie filling out of for the winter. 🙂
Linda says
Instant clear gel is for baking pies fresh. The cook type clear gel is to be used for thickening canned pie filling at the time of canning. I love both types and buy it at our Amish store in the bulk bags.