Simply the Best Blueberry Pie
My dad and I have identical tastebuds. We’re pie people. And since Father’s Day is around the corner, I made homemade blueberry pie, his favorite variety. And he said it was “simply the best blueberry pie” he’s ever had. (Hi Dad I know you’re reading this and thank you for saying that and for naming this recipe and I know I’m the only person you follow on Instagram.)
Weird nerd alert fact about me: my dad’s birthday is the day after mine and when I was little, I thought it was HILARIOUS to tell people I was older than him. Like, I would talk about it throughout the year and laugh until my stomach hurt.
The things that entertain you at 11 years old before the existence of smartphones.
Out of all my summer baking ideas, summery pies are at the top of my list to share on Sally’s Baking Addiction. No particular kind– just all of them. You know I love pie. You know I love baking pie. And you know I especially love eating the pie that I bake. But but but. I also love showing you how to bake pie. And encouraging you to bake pie. Summer goals, ok? *Hoping you’re a pie person too.*
There is something so soothing, satisfying, and stress-relieving getting your hands in there, making pie crust from scratch, and taking that first warm bite of your pie masterpiece. The buttery crust flakes in your mouth. All those juicy blueberries, apples, strawberries, whatever linger on your tongue. How satisfying is it all? Both the process and the taste. Makes you fall in love with food all over again because YOU MADE THIS FREAKIN PIE FROM SCRATCH.
Applause to you!
Now let’s get our hands and counters dirty.
Blueberries are showing their plump little faces in grocery stores and farmer’s markets. In fact, they’re probably on sale. Stock up! You’re going to need 6 cups of ’em for this blueberry pie.
I like to keep the filling “clean” and no that’s not the healthy clean, more like the minimal ingredients clean. (But since blueberries are a superfood, we can pretend it’s both cleans.) Other ingredients for that blueberry pie filling: sugar, cornstarch, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a squeeze of lemon. I usually use cornstarch, instead of flour, as the thickener in summery berry pies. Why? For the same amount of thickening and holding power, you usually need much more flour than cornstarch. I don’t like tossing delicate berries with a heavy amount of thickener because the pies end up just tasting gummy and gooey rather than soft and juicy. So, I usually grab cornstarch because you need less. I use around 1/4 cup cornstarch for blueberry pie. It’s just enough to slightly firm those berries up, but not too much to take away from their beautifully juicy texture.
If your blueberries aren’t super sweet, feel free to add another few Tablespoons of sugar. I find 2/3 cup is the perfect amount for sweet summer blueberries. Also: the cinnamon is optional, but I love the very slight flavor there.
OH MY STARS.
I had so much fun baking a few blueberry pies the other week and this patriotic version may have been my favorite of them all. You can top the blueberry pie however you’d like whether that’s with an intricate lattice crust, festive stars for 4th of July, or even streusel if you’ve only got 1 pie crust. The stars are super simple; just roll the 2nd pie crust out and use a cookie cutter to make stars. Place on top. Everyone always thinks it’s the coolest thing when, in reality, it’s easier than any other way to top a pie. You’re literally just placing the cut-out shapes on top. No sealing the edges, no crimping, no weaving.
When all is said and done, there is really no trick to blueberry pie. You just have to take the time to make it right. And that includes letting the pie dough chill and the baked pie rest before digging in. It sounds incredibly silly considering that time is a luxury for us all, but I promise the result is worth the wait!
And you know what? This blueberry pie is simply the best I’ve ever had too.
Homemade Blueberry Pie
Prep Time: 3 hours- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 7 hours
Yield: 1 pie
Category: Pie
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American
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Simply the best blueberry pie! The filling’s juicy but stable. The crust is buttery and flaky. Decorate however you’d like, but always serve with ice cream!
Ingredients
- homemade pie crust (my recipe makes 2 crusts; 1 for bottom 1 for top)
- 6 cups (890g) fresh blueberries*
- 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (28g) cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon (15g) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk
- optional: coarse sugar for garnish
Instructions
- The crust: Prepare my pie crust recipe through step 5.
- Make the filling: Stir the blueberries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and lemon juice together in a large bowl. Set filling aside as the oven preheats.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough (keep the other one in the refrigerator). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9×2 inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. Spoon the filling into the crust, leaving any excess liquid in the bowl (you don’t want that in the filling– discard it). Dot the pieces of butter on top of the filling.
- Arrange the lattice: Remove the other disc of chilled pie dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough into a circle that is 12 inches diameter. Using a pastry wheel, sharp knife, or pizza cutter, cut strips 1-2 inches wide. Carefully thread the strips over and under one another, pulling back strips as necessary to weave. Press the edges of the strips into the bottom pie crust edges to seal. Use a small knife to trim off excess dough. Crimp the edges with a fork, if desired. (Alternatively, you can top with pie crust stars, as pictured above. See notes below. Or simply cover the filling with the 12-inch pie dough circle. Cut slits in the top to form steam vents. Trim and crimp the edges. Or a crumble or streusel topping would be great as well.)
- Lightly brush the top of the pie crust with the egg/milk mixture. Sprinkle the top with a little coarse sugar, if desired.
- Place the pie onto a large baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Keeping the pie in the oven, turn the temperature down to 350°F (177°C) and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes. After the first 20 minutes of bake time, I place a pie crust shield on top of the pie to prevent the edges from browning too quickly.
- Allow the pie to cool for 3 full hours at room temperature before serving. This time allows the filling to thicken up. Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: This a great pie to make 1 day in advance since it is so juicy – the filling will have time to set overnight. The pie crust dough can also be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Baked pie freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving. Prepared filling can be frozen up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
- Blueberries: I strongly suggest using fresh blueberries, not frozen. The pie will be quite soupy if using frozen. If you decide to use frozen, do not thaw first. The pie will take several more minutes in the oven due to the increased liquid.
- Pie Crust Stars: On a floured work surface, roll the 2nd crust out into a large circle about 12 inches in diameter. Use a star shaped cookie cutter (any size works) to shape into stars. Here is the cookie cutter I used. Arrange stars on top of filling and bake the pie as directed.
Keywords: blueberry pie
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