A deep-dish pie bursting with plump, juicy blueberries in a sweet-tart syrup beneath a golden lattice pastry top, the most beautifully dramatic summer pie that tastes of fresh berries at their peak.
About This Recipe
Blueberry pie is one of the great summer pies, its vivid purple filling visible through the lattice top and the intense, slightly tart sweetness of the cooked blueberries providing a flavour that is simultaneously familiar and genuinely excellent. Unlike apple pie, which is a year-round staple, blueberry pie is specifically a summer pie, best made when blueberries are at their seasonal peak and the filling requires the minimum of added sugar because the fruit provides sweetness of its own.
The filling thickener is a matter of genuine debate among pie makers. Cornflour produces the clearest, glossiest filling with clean blueberry flavour. Tapioca starch produces a very similar result. Plain flour produces a more opaque, slightly starchier filling with less visual drama but reliable setting. The filling will look very liquid when poured into the pastry case and will appear to have nowhere near enough thickener. This is correct. The thickener activates during baking and the filling will be properly set when the pie is cut.
The lattice top is not merely decorative, though it is certainly beautiful. It allows steam to escape from the berry filling during baking, which prevents the filling from becoming waterlogged and the pastry from becoming soggy. A sealed top crust traps the steam and produces a wetter, less well-set filling. The lattice is also the visual element that most identifies blueberry pie as a specific thing, the vivid purple filling visible through the woven pastry strips creating the image that has appeared on American diner menus and kitchen calendars for a century.
History and Origins
Blueberries are native to North America and have been eaten by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years before European colonisation. Commercial blueberry cultivation began in the early 20th century following the work of New Jersey botanist Elizabeth Coleman White and USDA botanist Frederick Coville. Blueberry pie became a fixture of American summer cooking throughout the 20th century and is particularly associated with New England and the American Northeast.
Why It Is Good For You
Blueberries are one of the most antioxidant-rich foods available, providing anthocyanins with documented benefits for cardiovascular health, brain function, and anti-inflammatory response. A single serving of blueberry pie filling provides more antioxidants than most other fruit desserts. The berries also provide vitamin C, vitamin K, and manganese.
Blueberry Pie
Course: Pie u0026amp; Tart8
servings30
minutes55
minutes3360
kcalIngredients
•tFor pastry: 350g plain flour, 175g cold butter, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp sugar, 6 to 8 tbsp ice water
•tFor filling: 900g fresh blueberries, 150g white sugar, 3 tbsp cornflour, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp lemon zest, 0.5 tsp cinnamon
•t1 egg beaten for wash, sugar for sprinkling
Directions
- Make pastry, divide into two discs, wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Toss blueberries with sugar, cornflour, lemon juice, zest and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 200C. Roll one pastry disc and line a 23cm deep pie dish.
- Pour blueberry filling in.
- Roll second disc and cut into strips. Weave strips over filling to create a lattice. Crimp edges.
- Brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake for 50 to 55 minutes until pastry is deeply golden and filling bubbles thickly through the lattice.
- Cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.
Notes
- The filling will look very thin and liquid before baking. This is correct. The cornflour activates during baking.
The filling is properly set only when it bubbles thickly through the lattice. Thin, watery bubbles mean more time.
Cool for a full 2 hours minimum. Hot blueberry filling is completely liquid and produces a wet, messy slice.
A baking sheet under the pie catches any bubbling filling and makes oven cleaning easier.
Make Ahead Tips
The pastry keeps refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 3 months. The baked pie keeps at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerated for 4 days.
Storage and Serving
Store at room temperature covered for up to 2 days. Refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat slices in a 160C oven for 10 minutes. Freeze baked pie for up to 3 months. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Variations and Substitutions
Replace half the blueberries with raspberries or blackberries for a mixed berry pie. Add a tablespoon of rum to the filling. Replace the lattice with a crumble topping of oats, brown sugar, and butter. Make mini individual blueberry hand pies from the same recipe.
