Fresh blueberry pie is an easy summer dessert you'll love. The sweet berry filling is soft and thick so it won't run all over your plate. Make a lattice pie top to create a jaw-dropping tasty treat that will have people asking for the recipe!
Why this recipe works
- The sweet blueberry pie filling is soft and thick so it won't run all over the plate
- Make with a homemade pie crust, store bought pie dough, or a quick crumble topping
- Weave a lattice crust for an especially pretty presentation
It's so wonderful when you can take advantage of seasonal produce. At the peak of their flavor, fresh fruits and vegetables don't require a whole lot to make them taste great.
Summer's berries are particularly delicious fresh, yet they are quite perishable. That's why a berry pie recipe is one of the best ways to preserve them. Fresh blueberry pie is one that's easy to make, and brings the sweet flavor of blueberries to your table. It's a quintessential summer dessert!
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What you need
A fresh blueberry pie recipe doesn't require any fancy ingredients. Here's what you'll need:
Key ingredients
Fresh blueberries: I suggest using fresh blueberries for the best flavor, but you can make blueberry pie with frozen blueberries. Use them frozen or thawed.
Sugar: If your blueberries are sweet, ⅔ cup (133 grams) of sugar gives the perfect amount of sweetness. You can increase the amount of sugar up to ¾ cup (150 grams) as needed
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Filling thickener: Here I'm using Instant ClearJel, but you can use cornstarch or your favorite pie thickener.
Butter: Adds a little shine and flavor to the filling
Lemon juice and zest: Adds a touch of tartness, plus they help the juices thicken also.
Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg lend a subtle spice to underpin the fresh blueberry flavor.
Other ingredients
Pie Crust: While you can use any pie crust recipe for a double crust pie you'd like (or use a store bought crust, if you prefer), I recommend my flaky all-butter pie crust using a double crust recipe ratio of 12 : 8 : 4 of flour, butter, and water (by weight). That will make enough for the two crusts needed here.
Or, you can replace the top crust with a crumble topping, like the one used for this Apple Crisp. Then just use a recipe for a single pie crust (using a 9 : 6 : 3 recipe ratio) for the bottom shell.
Crust enhancers: Just before baking, the crust is brushed with an egg wash of egg and cream, then topped with a sprinkling of coarse sugar. They add shine and a sweet, crunch texture to the top crust.
How to make blueberry pie
Step 1: Prepare the pie dough
Prepare pie dough for a double crust pie. Divide the dough in half and chill, wrapped in plastic, until ready to use.
If you plan on freezing the whole unbaked pie, see the Pro Tip below. Otherwise, roll out one of the dough portions and ease it into the pie pan. Chill the pie shell and the remaining dough while you make the pie filling.
Step 2: Prepare the filling
In a small bowl, whisk the sugar, Instant ClearJel or cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt (photo 1). Set aside.
In a large bowl, stir the blueberries, lemon juice, and lemon zest together. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the blueberries and toss gently to combine (photo 2).
Step 3: Assemble the pie
Transfer the filling to the chilled unbaked pie shell. Dot butter over the top of the filling (photo 3).
Roll out the top crust. Top the pie with the crust (either whole or in the lattice). Cut slits in the top crust if you're not making a lattice top.
To weave a lattice top crust, cut the dough into strips. Lay every other strip on the pie parallel to each other with the largest strip in the middle. Turn back every other strip (photo 4).
Lay a large strip of dough cross-wise across the non-turned down strips, then straighten the turned strips. Turn down the opposite strips and place the next largest strip. This creates the over-under pattern (photo 5).
Note: I noticed the middle strip (in the lower picture) hadn't been turned down until after I took the picture. No worries, I fixed it!
Repeat the process on both sides until the lattice is woven. Cut off any excess crust and crimp the edges together. Smooth the edges of the pie for a neat finish (photo 6).
Step 4: Bake the pie
Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream. Brush the egg wash onto the crust, then sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Refrigerate the pie for 20 minutes or freeze for 5 minutes before baking to chill the pie dough. Place a half sheet baking pan lined with a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper in the oven to heat for 5 minutes. This helps the bottom of the pie to cook evenly and to catch any drips.
Place the pie in the oven on the heated pan, and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350˚F and bake for another 40 to 50 minutes, or until the crust is golden and filling is bubbling. Cover the edge after 20 minutes if it's browning too fast (photo 7).
If desired, you can cut out decorative shapes from any remaining pie dough. Chill the shapes for 10 minutes, then bake them separately until golden brown. Attach the baked shapes with egg wash about 10 minutes before the end of the baking time. This way the shapes don't burn while the whole pie is baking. Note: I discovered this tip after I baked the pie shown here. Live and learn!
Step 5: Cool the pie
Remove the pie to a wire rack, and cool for 3 hours to allow the filling to set (photo 8).
To serve, reheat the pie in a 350°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes to re-crisp the crust, if desired.
How to store fresh blueberry pie
The whole pie (or any leftovers) can be stored wrapped tightly in foil at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze the baked and cooled pie, well wrapped in plastic wrap and foil, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving. See the Pro Tip below for how to freeze an unbaked pie.
Questions asked and answered
Here are some questions you might have...
What is the best thickener for blueberry pie?
In order to keep all the sweet fruit juices in the pie, and not all over your plate, you'll want to add a thickener to the fruit and sugar mixture. Many bakers turn to flour or cornstarch which need to be fully cooked in order to set.
I prefer Instant ClearJel. It has more thickening power than flour, yet still provides a soft gel consistency. Use the same amount as you would for flour (or slightly less) for terrific results.
Using frozen fruit will increase the baking time and may require a little more thickener to counteract the additional water in the fruit.
Placing the pie on a heated baking stone or half sheet baking pan lined with a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper (to catch drips) will help to conduct more heat to the bottom of the pie. This in turn allows the bottom crust to bake faster before it has a chance to soak up too much liquid from the filling.
Pro Tip: How to freeze an unbaked fruit pie
Did you know that you can assemble a fruit pie and freeze it to bake later? It's true! I learned about this tip on King Arthur Baking. You can, of course, freeze a pie in its pie pan, well wrapped with plastic wrap and foil, but that ties up your pie pan until that pie is baked. Instead, you can store the frozen pie without its pie pan. Here's how:
- Start by spraying the pie pan with baking spray, then lining the bottom with parchment paper. Proceed with the recipe to prepare the pie.
- When making the filling, add a little extra ClearJel or cornstarch to soak up any extra juices from the pie being frozen.
- Place the assembled, unbaked pie (in its pan) in the freezer, and freeze until solid, about 2 to 3 hours.
- Remove the pie from the freezer. Remove it from the pie pan (you can set the pan in a slightly larger pan of warm water, to thaw the underside just a bit), then peel away the parchment paper.
- Wrap the pie in 2 layers of plastic wrap and a layer of foil, then place back in the freezer.
- The night before you're ready to bake the pie, unwrap it and place it back in its pie pan.
- Defrost the pie overnight in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap propped by a couple of toothpicks to keep it from sticking to the top crust.
- Brush the defrosted pie with egg wash and proceed with baking as usual.
You can store the frozen, unbaked pie for several months. Note: this method works for fruit pies (perfect for apple pie!), but not egg- or milk-based fillings (like pecan pie or pumpkin pie).
The best blueberry pie recipe
With s blueberry pie filling recipe, you really want the fruit flavor to shine, and it's certainly the star here. The blueberry filling is sweet and soft, but not runny - the juices don't drip all over your plate. Subtle flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg bring out the sweetness of the blueberries even more. And, that flaky all-butter pie crust is the perfect vessel to contain the filling.
This is the best blueberry pie recipe I've ever had, and I've had a fair few!
This pie begs to be served warmed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Fresh blueberry pie is so pretty when made with a lattice top decorated with fun shapes, and it's perfect for sharing. Taken to a party or picnic, it's a jaw-dropping summer dessert that will have people asking for the recipe!
Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!
Tammy
Related Recipes
Pies, tarts, and cobblers can be sweet or savory, and there are so many fillings from which to choose. From fruits to nuts and custards, there's bound to be a pie, tart, or cobbler recipe that catches your fancy! Here are a few choices to try.
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Recipe
Easy Fresh Blueberry Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 recipe double pie crust, homemade or store bought, see Recipe Notes
For the filling
- ⅔ to ¾ cup granulated sugar, or to taste
- ¼ cup Instant ClearJel, or cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2¼ pounds blueberries, 2 pints or 6 cups, see Recipe Notes
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut in small cubes
- 1 large egg, mixed with 1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream
- coarse sugar, for sprinkling
- vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream, for garnish
Instructions
- For the crust: Prepare pie dough for a double crust pie. Divide the dough in half and chill, wrapped in plastic, until ready to use.
- If you plan on freezing the whole unbaked pie, spray a 9-inch pie pan with baking spray and line the bottom with an 8-inch parchment paper round cut down to fit the bottom of the pan. Roll out one of the dough portions and ease it into the pie pan. Chill the pie shell and the remaining dough while you make the pie filling.
- For the filling: Preheat the oven to 400 °F.
- In a small bowl, whisk the sugar, Instant ClearJel or cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside. Note: if you plan on freezing the unbaked pie, add a little extra ClearJel to soak up any extra juices from being frozen.
- In a large bowl, stir the blueberries, lemon juice, and lemon zest together. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the blueberries and toss gently to combine.
- Assemble the pie: Transfer the filling to the chilled unbaked pie shell. Dot the butter over the top of the filling.
- Roll out the top crust. If desired, cut the dough into strips for a lattice crust.
- Top the pie with the crust (either whole or in the lattice) and crimp the edges together. Cut slits in the top crust if you're not making a lattice top.
- Whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream. Brush the egg wash onto the crust, then sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Refrigerate the pie for 20 minutes or freeze for 5 minutes before baking to chill the pie dough. Place a half sheet baking pan lined with a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper in the oven to heat for 5 minutes. This helps the bottom of the pie to cook evenly and to catch any drips.
- Place the pie in the oven on the heated pan, and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 °F and bake for another 40 to 50 minutes, or until the crust is golden and filling is bubbling. Cover the edge after 20 minutes If it's browning too fast.
- Remove the pie to a wire rack, and cool for 3 hours to allow the filling to set.
- To serve: Reheat the pie in a 350 °F oven for 5 to 10 minutes to re-crisp the crust, if desired. Slice and serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
- To store a baked fruit pie: Leftovers can be stored wrapped tightly in foil at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze baked and cooled pie, well wrapped in plastic wrap and foil, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving.
- To store an unbaked fruit pie: Place the assembled pie (in its pan) in the freezer, and freeze until solid, about 2 to 3 hours. Remove the pie from the freezer. Remove it from the pie pan (you can set the pan in a slightly larger pan of warm water, to thaw the underside just a bit), then peel away the parchment paper. Wrap the pie in 2 layers of plastic wrap and a layer of foil, then place back in the freezer.
- The night before you're ready to bake the pie, unwrap it and place it back in the pie pan. Defrost the pie overnight in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap propped by a couple of toothpicks to keep it from sticking to the top crust. Brush the defrosted pie with egg wash and proceed with baking as usual.
- You can store the frozen, unbaked pie for several months. Note: this method works for fruit pies (perfect for apple pie!), but not egg- or milk-based fillings (like pecan pie or pumpkin pie).
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