Why not celebrate — with a red, white, and blue pie that’s bursting with berries?

Start by making a graham cracker crust. You can crush the graham crackers with a rolling pin inside a sturdy plastic bag, or whiz them in a food processor. If you will be making a lot of pies this summer with this crust, you can also buy graham crackers in crumb form. Or swap out your favorite not-too-sweet cookie for the crumbs.

The texture of the filling is akin to cheesecake, but with the pleasant tang of yogurt. The pie will keep well for a day or two in the refrigerator, so you can make it ahead of time for your Fourth of July festivities.

Graham Cracker Crust

Ingredients:

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 10 graham crackers, finely crushed)
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • pinch of salt

Directions:

  1. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350°.
  2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, or in the microwave, melt the butter and honey together.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, butter-honey mixture, lemon zest, and salt. Spread mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan. Use the bottom of a glass or a dry measuring cup to press the crumbs evenly and firmly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
  4. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the crust begins to set and has browned slightly. Let cool.

Honey-Yogurt Filling

Ingredients:

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 2 egg yolks (reserve whites for later)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 2/3 cups plain whole milk yogurt
  • 2 egg whites

Directions:

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk the butter until creamy. Whisk in the honey, egg yolks, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the flour and salt, and whisk until incorporated. Whisk in the yogurt and mix until smooth.
  3. In a mixer bowl, beat the egg whites until they look creamy and form soft peaks. Take care not to overwhip them. Gently fold them into the filling and pour mixture into baked and cooled crust. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the filling is set and pale golden brown. Cool and then refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight before topping.

Berry Topping

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 cups blueberries
  • 1 cup raspberries

Directions:

  1. In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Add the water and lemon juice, and whisk until smooth. Set the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Let the sauce boil for 30 seconds, then add 1 1/2 cups blueberries. Stir over the heat for 1 minute longer, or until the berries release a little juice but still hold their shape. Transfer to a bowl to cool to room temperature.
  2. Spread the blueberry sauce on top of the chilled pie. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup fresh blueberries and the raspberries. Chill until ready to serve.