Classic Blueberry Pie
This classic blueberry pie uses frozen berries so it can be made all year round. There’s a flaky pie crust, a sweet, jammy blueberry filling and a impressive lattice top.
This blueberry pie is made with frozen berries, so you can make it all year round, not just in the summer! This pie has all of the classic components, including a crisp, flaky pie crust and a sweet jammy blueberry filling that’s flavoured with vanilla & a squeeze of lemon juice. Then the whole pie’s topped with an impressive lattice crust that’s sprinkled with crunchy demerara sugar.
Pies are easily one of my favourite desserts to make and I’ve included some really handy tips & tricks in this recipe to ensure that you get a blueberry pie with crisp, golden pastry all over and a filling that’s rich & glossy and set enough to hold its shape once sliced but that’s not overly thick and gelatinous. Plus, there’s a full step by step guide on making a pastry lattice.
For best results, serve slices of this pie with scoops of vanilla ice cream, a drizzle of pouring cream or a generous amount of warm vanilla custard. This blueberry pie is super easy to make and goes great with whatever you serve it with. Or serve it on its own if you like!
For more easy to follow dessert recipes, take a look at our dessert recipe collection! There’s something for everyone here, including homemade ice creams, chocolate cake, sticky toffee pudding, panna cottas & lots more.
Ingredients For Blueberry Pie
- Frozen Blueberries – This pie is made with frozen blueberries. These are cheaper than fresh berries but still have loads of flavour as they’re frozen straight after being picked. It’s best to let the blueberries defrost fully before using.
- Pie Crust – Our pie crust is made with a mix of butter & lard. The butter adds flavour & the lards make it extra flaky & sturdy. We’re also adding a small amount of sugar to the dough for sweetness, plus a splash of apple cider vinegar which makes it flakier. You’ll need to make enough for a double pie crust, as there’s pastry on the top and bottom of the pie.
- Ground Almonds – A sprinkle of ground almonds underneath the pie filling helps prevent a soggy pie crust. A splash of almond extract in the pie filling would be nice as well but that’s optional.
- Cornflour – Mixed with water to make a slurry then used to thicken the blueberry pie filling. It’s key to let the berries simmer once you’ve added in the cornflour slurry, to activate it properly. My go to ratio of cornflour to water is 1:1.
- Demerara Sugar – A generous sprinkle of demerara sugar on top of the pie before baking gives the pastry a crunchy texture and a deeper golden brown colour.
- Egg Wash – I make my egg wash with a whole egg and a teaspoon of milk. Brushing a light layer of egg wash on top of our pie gives it a deeper, golden brown finish once baked.
How To Make A Classic Blueberry Pie
If you’ve ever made a cherry pie, this blueberry pie is made pretty much the same way! We’re making a homemade pie crust for the flakiest texture, the filling is cooked on the stove for the perfect thickness and we’re topping the whole thing with a lattice top and a sprinkle of demerara sugar.
1. Pie Crust
You’ll need to make a double pie crust for this pie, which means that there’s pastry on the bottom & top of the pie! This pie dough is made the classic way, by rubbing fat into flour (plus sugar & salt) then adding in ice cold water & a splash of vinegar, to make a dough. Once made, you need to chill the dough in the fridge for at least 2 hours before using otherwise you’ll risk the pastry shrinking as it bakes.
2. Blueberry Pie Filling (Cooked On The Stove)
To make sure that the blueberry pie filling is thick enough and to avoid making the pastry soggy, the blueberries are cooked and thickened on the stove before being used to make the pie.
To make the pie filling, add defrosted blueberries into a large pan along with sugar, butter, lemon juice and a pinch of salt then cook over a medium-low heat until the berries are starting to soften and have released lots of juice. This will take 4-5 minutes.
To thicken the filling up, we bring it to a simmer then stir in a slurry made with cornflour and cold water. Once cooked out and thick, we take the pan off the stove then stir in a generous spoonful of vanilla paste. Before using, the filling needs to cool completely, so I’d recommend chilling it in the fridge for at least a couple of hours.
3. Assembly
To assemble our pie, we roll half of the pastry into a large disc (about an inch wider than the dish) then use it to line a 9″ pie dish, leaving a couple of centimetres of pastry overhanging the edge of the dish.
Next, we sprinkle a light layer of ground almonds into the bottom of the pie then spoon the blueberry filling on top. Then we top the pie with a pastry lattice, crimp the edges then chill in the fridge for at least an hour before baking. At this point, the pie can be chilled for up to a day before being baked.
4. Preheat Oven
Before baking the pie, we need to preheat an oven to 220°c/428°f. We’re also going to place a baking tray inside the oven at the same time, which we’ll be sitting the pie on to bake (this helps cook the bottom of the pie properly).
5. Baking
Just before baking the pie, brush the top with a light layer of egg wash then sprinkle the lattice with a generous amount of demerara sugar (for a crunchy top!).
The pie gets baked at 220°c/428°f for 20 minutes then the oven gets turned down to 180°c/356°f then we bake for another 40-45 minutes, until the pastry is a deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling. This 2 stage bake ensures that the pastry is crisp & properly cooked, without burning.
6. Cooling And Serving
Once baked, let the pie cool to room temperature then if you’ve got the time, I’d highly recommend letting the pie chill in the fridge for at least a couple of hours, to let the filling set fully.
How To Make A Lattice Pie Top
Lattice pie crusts look impressive but they’re actually pretty easy to make! All you’ll need is a sturdy pie dough, a ruler and something to cut the pastry with; I like to use a pizza cutter. This is the way that I make a lattice for a 9″ pie.
- First, roll your pie dough out on a lightly floured surface, into a 12″ circle.
- Cut the pastry into 12, 1 inch wide strips. You’ll need a ruler for this.
- Place 6 of the strips on top of the pie so that they’re laying across the top horizontally and are evenly spaced apart.
- Starting from the right hand side, fold one end of every other strip back so that they fold back over themselves by a couple inches. Make sure that the pastry sits on top of itself and doesn’t go into the pie filling!
- Place another strip of pastry on top of the pie so that it’s facing vertically and sitting next to the folded back pieces (on top of the unfolded lengths). Fold the horizontal lengths back over the top of the vertical length.
- Next, fold the other 3 horizontal strips back, this time start from the left side then let the ends sit over the first vertical piece and the edge of the pie dish.
- Place another unused strip next to the folded pastry, facing vertically then fold the horizontal strips back over the top.
- Repeat this process, with alternating strips of pastry until you’ve used all the pastry up & you’ve got a complete lattice.
- If needed, use a pair of scissors to trim the edges of the lattice strips so that they’re sitting on the edge of the pie dish.
- Fold the overhanging pastry (from the bottom crust) over onto the edge of the pie dish then crimp as desired. I like to pinch the edge into a fluted edge.
Tips & Tricks
- Pre cook the blueberry filling on the stove & thicken it with cornflour. This ensures that the filling will be perfectly set once cooked and cooled down. This is how you’ll get perfect slices of cherry pie!
- Use a mix of lard & butter in the pie crust, for the best balance between flavour & flakiness.
- Sprinkle a tablespoon of ground almonds into the base of the pie before adding in the filling. This helps prevent the filling making the pastry soggy.
- Sprinkle a generous amount of demerara sugar on top of the pie before baking. This gives the pastry extra crunch.
- Bake the pie at a higher temperature to begin with then turn the oven down slightly. This helps brown the pastry & gives it extra flakiness. We bake the pie on a preheated baking tray as well, to help properly cook the bottom of the pie, which ensures that it doesn’t get a soggy bottom!
- Let your blueberry pie cool completely before serving as this gives the filling time to set.
Serving Suggestions
Homemade blueberry pie is great on its own but is even better topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Or serve it with warm vanilla custard, fluffy whipped cream, clotted cream or pouring cream. Something lemony would work also work really well! Think lemon ice cream or add some lemon zest into a batch of homemade custard.
Reheating Blueberry Pie
The great thing about blueberry pie is that you can serve it cold, at room temperature or warmed up! To serve it cold, take your pie out of the fridge, slice then serve straight. To serve at room temperature, let slices of pie sit out for 30 minutes. And the best way to reheat blueberry pie, is to microwave individual slices until warm. Be careful not to overheat your pie though, as the filling will melt & turn runny.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use the simmering plate to cook the blueberry filling. Bake the pie in the roasting oven on the bottom set of runners for 20 minutes then move over to the bottom set of runners in the baking oven for the rest of the cook.
In order for the filling to be completely set, blueberry pie needs to be cooled completely before you cut into it. You can either let the pie cool at room temperature for at least 4 hours or if you have time, give it an overnight chill in the fridge.
Homemade blueberry pie should be stored in the fridge and is best eaten within 3 days. The baked pie can be frozen and will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. Make sure to defrost the pie fully before serving.
For blueberry pie that holds its shape when sliced, you should add enough cornflour slurry (cornstarch & water) to thicken the juice so that it coats the back of a spoon. The juice should be glossy and thick enough to bind with the whole berries, to make a jammy filling. Remember, the filling will continue to thicken as it cools so it will appear a bit looser than it should be when you take it off the stove.
If your blueberry pie filling is too thick, simply stir in enough water to thin it out to the correct consistency.
More Dessert Recipes To Try
- Classic Cherry Pie
- Roasted Strawberry Ripple Ice Cream
- Brown Butter & Bourbon Pecan Pie
- Profiteroles With Chocolate Sauce
- Scoopable Vanilla Panna Cotta (Restaurant Style)
- Cherry Bakewell Crumble
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Classic Blueberry Pie
Equipment
- 9" Pie Dish
- Rolling Pin
- Mixing Bowl
- Large Saucepan
- Pastry Brush
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 350 g Plain Flour
- 30 g Caster Sugar
- ½ tsp Fine Sea Salt
- 150 g Unsalted Butter (Cold & Cut Into 1cm Chunks)
- 65 g Lard (Cold & Cut Into 1cm Chunks)
- 50 g Ice Cold Water
- 2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
Blueberry Pie Filling
- 800 g Frozen Blueberries (Defrosted)
- 200 g Caster Sugar
- 50 g Unsalted Butter (Roughly Chopped)
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- A Pinch Of Sea Salt
- 20 g Cornflour (Cornstarch)
- 20 g Cold Water
- 1 tsp Vanilla Paste
Assembly
- 1 tbsp Ground Almonds
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp Milk
- Demerara Sugar
Instructions
Pie Crust
- Place the flour, sugar & salt into a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine then add in the cold butter & lard.
- Using your fingers, rub the fats into the flour until the pieces are roughly the size of peas. We want to keep the pieces of fat fairly large as this makes the pastry extra flaky!
- Next, mix the cold water & vinegar together then add into the flour. Mix by hand, until a rough dough forms. Stop mixing as soon as this happens!
- Tip the dough out onto a clean work surface & knead gently until smooth (be careful not to overwork the pastry) then cut in half, flatten into discs & wrap in clingfilm. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Blueberry Pie Filling
- Add the blueberries into a large saucepan, along with the sugar, butter, lemon juice and salt. Set the pan over a medium-low heat then cook, stirring regularly until the berries are starting to soften and have released lots of juice. This will take 4-5 minutes.Give the blueberries a taste before thickening, adding more sugar & lemon juice if needed.
- Whilst the berries are cooking, add the cornflour & cold water into a small mixing bowl then stir together to make a smooth paste.
- Once the blueberries are ready, turn the heat up to medium and bring to a simmer. Stir in the cornflour paste then continue cooking, stirring regularly until the juice has thickened, this will take 2-3 minutes. The juice needs to be just bubbling, in order to activate the cornflour.The juice needs to be thick enough to coat the blueberries but the filling shouldn't be a solid jelly! If you think your filling needs to be thicker, mix a bit more cornflour & water together then add in & cook out. If you need to thin the filling out, stir in a splash of water. Keep in mind that the filling will set slightly thicker as it cools.
- Take the pan off the heat then stir the vanilla paste into the pie filling. Transfer the filling to a container, leave to cool then chill in the fridge until completely cold (or for up to a day).
Assembly
- Take one piece of pastry out of the fridge, leave to sit out for 10-20 minutes then roll out on a lightly floured surface into a disc that's an inch bigger than your pie dish. The pastry should be 3-4mm thick.Lightly dust the top of the pastry with flour to stop it sticking to your rolling pin. To get a uniform circle, turn the pastry a quarter turn after each roll. Take the other piece of pastry out of the fridge just before you roll out the first piece.
- Carefully roll the pastry around your rolling pin, unroll into a 9" pie dish then gently press the pastry into the tin. The pastry should be overhanging the edge by a couple of centimetres.Trim the overhanging pastry with a pair of scissors if needed.
- Sprinkle the ground almonds onto the bottom of the pie then spoon the cold blueberry filling on top. Use a spatula/palette knife to spread it out into an even layer. If your kitchen is warm, place the pie in the fridge whilst you prep the pastry for the lattice.
- Next, roll the other piece of pastry out into a 12" circle then cut it into 12x 1 inch strips.I find that a pizza cutter works best here! Don't worry if the pastry isn't perfectly round, as long as you can cut 12x 1" wide strips that are long enough to cover the top of the pie. You can re roll any trimmings if necessary.
- To assemble the lattice, place 6 of the strips on top of the pie so that they're facing horizontally & are evenly spaced apart. Fold one end of every other strip back so that they fold back over themselves by a couple inches. Make sure that the pastry sits on top of itself and doesn't go into the pie filling!
- Place another strip of pastry on top of the pie so that it's facing vertically and sitting next to the folded back pieces (on top of the unfolded lengths). Fold the horizontal lengths back over the top of the vertical length.There's a visual guide on doing this in the post above!
- Next, fold the other 3 horizontal strips back, this time fold them so that they sit over the first vertical piece & off the edge of the pie dish. Place another vertical strip next to the first then fold the horizontal strips back over. Repeat this process, with alternating strips of pastry until you've used all the pastry up & you've got a complete lattice.Use the longer strips for the middle of the pie & the shorter ones for the edges. Make sure to space the vertical strips out evenly, like the horizontal ones.
- If needed, trim the edges of the lattice so that it's level with the edge of the pie dish then fold the overhanging pastry (from the bottom crust) over onto the edge of the pie dish. Crimp as desired then chill the pie in the fridge for at least an hour.
Baking
- Preheat an oven to 220°c/200°c fan (428°f/392°f). Place a large baking tray in the oven at the same time. Make sure to give the oven & tray plenty of time to heat up.
- Next, place the egg & milk into a bowl then whisk together. Brush a thin, even layer of the egg wash over the top of the pie then sprinkle a generous amount of demerara sugar over the lattice.
- Place the pie onto the preheated tray, bake for 20 minutes then turn the oven temperature down to 180°c/356°f. Continue baking for another 40-45 minutes until the pastry is a deep golden brown all over & the filling is bubbling. If the pastry starts to brown too much, cover it loosely with foil.
- Once cooked, let the pie cool completely then chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving. If you've got the time, an overnight chill is best.I've found that a small, sharp knife works best for cutting the pie into slices!
