Blueberry Pie Recipe
Posted Apr 08, 2020, Updated Apr 24, 2023
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This is the best homemade Blueberry Pie Recipe you’ll ever make! It’s made from scratch with a fresh blueberry pie filling and no cornstarch, and includes step-by-step instructions with photos and a video!
There’s nothing more therapeutic than making a homemade pie from scratch. I usually wait until the kids are in bed, turn on some music and drift away into my own little pie-making world, in which the only two inhabitants are me, and the glorious fruit-filled pastry before me.
However, I know that for some people, the task of making a pie from scratch (like this French Silk Pie) seems daunting and unattainable. Don’t worry, I am here to help dispel any such fears by teaching you how to make this fresh Blueberry Pie Recipe!
It’s literally the best blueberry pie recipe ever, and is a great way to use fresh blueberries when they’re in season, but you can also use frozen blueberries. Serve it with a dollop of our homemade whipped cream or homemade vanilla ice cream, and you have total dessert perfection. Let’s walk through this beautiful process together, step-by-step!
Blueberry Pie Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions
Here are a few notes about the ingredients in this homemade blueberry pie!
- Butter (crust). To make this recipe dairy-free or vegan substitute vegan butter spread (like Earth’s Balance) or ghee.
- All-purpose flour (crust). To make this pie gluten-free, substitute an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend that is made to be a 1:1 substitute for regular flour!
- Granulated sugar (crust and filling). I use Organic Evaporated Cane Sugar. In the filling, you can substitute half of the granulated sugar for brown sugar if desired.
- Instant tapioca. this is one of my pie-making must haves. I absolute adore the flavor it adds to fruit pies! However, if you don’t keep it on hand, tapioca flour/starch, arrowroot powder cornstarch or flour also work well in this recipe!
- Blueberries. Any fresh berry works exceptionally well in this recipe (like in this Strawberry Pie)!
How to make fresh Blueberry Pie
Make the pie crust
I am a sucker for an all-butter pie crust, so much so that I created a full tutorial and video on how to make the best pie crust! I really believe those little pockets of buttery perfection make an irresistibly flaky pie crust that pairs perfectly with fruity pie fillings!
So to learn, in detail, how to make the all-butter pie crust in this recipe, head to this post: All Butter Pie Crust. Just note that the crust needs to chill for at least 1 hour, and up to overnight! So prepare accordingly
Make the Blueberry pie filling recipe
The blueberry pie filling recipe is simple and comes together in just a few minutes! Just be sure to mix everything thoroughly so that all the ingredients are evenly distributed. As mentioned above, you can use instant tapioca or tapioca starch/flour (as pictured below).
How to make blueberry pie filling with frozen blueberries:
There are two ways to do this:
- Simply use frozen blueberries in place of fresh, without adjusting the recipe at all. It works perfectly!
- Allow the blueberries to thaw slightly for 30-60 minutes, and drain any excess water. Then proceed with the recipe as written. I prefer this method because it ensures the other blueberry pie filling ingredients won’t freeze when they’re combined.
Put it together
Once the blueberry pie filling recipe is made, it’s time to complete this Blueberry Pie Recipe! Simply pour it into the prepared bottom pie crust. Then you can have fun making the decoration on the top (or not, totally your call). Work quickly so the crust doesn’t become too warm.
Egg wash
I love using an egg wash on my pie crusts because it imparts a rich, deep brown color. It’s not necessary but it is highly recommended. Simply whisk together 1 egg yolk and 1 TBS milk. Then brush it on the crust of the pie and sprinkle it with a little turbinado sugar for a special touch.
Bake
This homemade blueberry pie recipe is baked in a pretty traditional way for fruit pies with an all-butter crust! Begin baking at a higher temperature and then after 20 minutes decrease it and continue baking. This helps bake the crust without it becoming soggy.
Protect the Crust from Burning
Use a pie crust shield to protect the outer crust from burning. If you don’t have a pie crust, you can make one yourself by cutting a circle out of aluminum foil that covers the crust and fits the outer edge of the pie dish.
If you find that the center crust is browning too fast, create a loose-fitting “tent” out of aluminum foil and place it over the entire pie. This way the filling will continue baking and the browning of the crust will be slowed!
Cool & Serve
This blueberry pie recipe sets up as it cools. I recommend letting it cool for at least 3-4 hour before serving, or in the refrigerator overnight. Serve it room temperature or slightly cold, whichever you prefer!
We enjoyed this blueberry pie from scratch with a dollop of fresh homemade whipped cream, however you can top it with whatever you like (vanilla ice cream, cool whip, etc.). It also stands on it’s own extremely well, nothing extra required!
FAQs about Blueberry Pie
As discussed above, yes you can use frozen blueberries in this blueberry pie recipe! They actually thaw relatively quickly during mixing and in the oven, so they work well and hold up without becoming too soggy.
This homemade blueberry pie relies on instant tapioca or tapioca starch as the thickener. I believe instant tapioca imparts the best flavor and thickens beautifully. You can also thicken this blueberry pie by substituting tapioca with one of the following ingredients:
Flour
Cornstarch
Arrowroot starch
No, you do not need to thaw frozen blueberries. They actually thaw relatively quickly, so they bake well in this blueberry pie recipe and hold up without becoming too soggy.
However, I usually opt to thaw them slightly to avoid freezing any of the blueberry pie filling ingredients as I mix them together. When I use frozen berries I put them in a mixing bowl, cover with saran wrap, and let them thaw on the counter for about 1-2 hours. If the berries release a lot of juice, pour some of it off before baking to avoid a soupy blueberry pie! Then, proceed with the recipe as written.
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Blueberry Pie
Equipment
- pie
- rolling
Ingredients
Pie Crust:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 TBS white sugar
- 1 cup butter chilled, and cut into 1” pieces
- ½ cup ice water
Blueberry Pie Filling:
- 6 cups fresh blueberries
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup instant tapioca (or tapioca starch/flour)
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1 ½ to 2 TBS lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla
Egg Wash:
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 TBS milk
Instructions
Make the crust:
- Cut butter into ½“ cubes and place the in the freezer.
- Put dry crust ingredients in a food processor fitted with an “S” blade and pulse to combine.
- Add butter and water and pulse until the dough just holds together when pinched. If necessary, add more water. Do not process more than 30 seconds.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly-floured work surface and gather into a ball.
- Divide the dough in half, flattening each half into a flat circle, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to overnight.
- After dough has chilled: Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 4-5 minutes until it’s soft enough to roll.
- Place ½ of the dough on well-floured surface or pastry cloth and roll into a circle that is the size of your pie dish.
- Carefully put the dough into the pie plate and store covered in fridge until ready to use.
- Repeat with the rest of the dough and form into your desired top shape (lattice, cookie cutter shapes, etc). Place dough in the fridge while you make the blueberry filling.
Make the Blueberry Filling
- 10. Preheat the oven to 400*F.
- 11. Place blueberries in a large mixing bowl.
- 12. Add lemon juice and vanilla to the blueberries and stir to combine.
- 13. In a small bowl mix together sugar, tapioca, cinnamon and sea salt.
- 14. Add the dry ingredients to the blueberries and gently stir until it’s evenly distributed.
- 15. Pour the blueberry filling into the prepared pie crust.
- 16. Top the filling with your desired pie crust shapes/design.
Egg wash:
- 17. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and cream and lightly brush the pie crust with the mixture.
Bake the pie!
- 18. Cover the outer rim of the pie crust with a pie crust shield, or a piece of aluminum foil cut in the shape of the crust.
- 19. Bake the pie in the lower third of your oven for about 20 minutes.
- 20. After 20 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake the pie for about 40 – 50 more minutes or until the crust is a deep golden brown color and the juices are bubbling and thick. If necessary, remove the pie crust shield/foil in the last 5-10 minutes of baking.
- 21. If the top of the pie begins to brown too quickly before the filling bubbles, cover the entire pie with a loosely fitting tent of aluminum foil.
- 22. Place the pie on a wire rack to cool for at least three hours. Serve at room temperature! Or alternately, put the pie in the refrigerator overnight and serve cold.
Video
Notes
How to make blueberry pie filling with frozen blueberries:
There are two ways to do this:- Simply use frozen blueberries in place of fresh, without adjusting the recipe at all. It works perfectly!
- Allow the blueberries to thaw slightly for 30-60 minutes, and drain any excess water. Then proceed with the recipe as written. I prefer this method because it ensures the other blueberry pie filling ingredients won’t freeze when they’re combined.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Butter (crust). To make this recipe dairy-free or vegan substitute vegan butter spread (like Earth’s Balance) or Ghee.
- All-purpose flour (crust). To make this pie gluten-free, substitute an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend that is made to be a 1:1 substitute for regular flour!
- Instant tapioca. tapioca flour/starch, arrowroot powder cornstarch or flour also work well in this recipe!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More delicious summer desserts & blueberry recipes
- This fresh strawberry pie and this peach pie are perfect for summer.
- Who doesn’t love peach cobbler? And this is the best recipe!
- This is truly the best key lime pie ever, and it’s really easy to make!
- You will love this raspberry peach crisp.
- Blueberry coffee cake is out of this world delicious!
- This berry crisp is so healthy you can eat it for breakfast!
- Blueberry Muffins are a classic (or try these paleo blueberry muffins).
- Everyone adores this blueberry baked oatmeal.
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I was looking for a recipe that used frozen wild blueberries, and tapioca. Tapioca is the right thickener for fruit pies. Thanks, Laura!
Absolutely love it. First time making a fruit pie and it was so delicious. I couldn’t find instant tapioca so I’ve used arrowroot starch and I used table salt but I’ve reduced the amount as instructed. It was just how I wanted it. Not too sweet or sour. Crunchy and buttery pastry though I made it too thin. I had the pie with clotted ice cream. Lovely pair. My friends liked them very much as well. I can’t wait to try other recipes.
I took this pie to a dinner party. Everyone loved it. The host called me to tell me that her family was fighting over the leftovers.My husband said this is the best, most perfect blueberry pie ever. Followed your recipe exactly. I went to our local blueberry farm and picked the berries myself.
WOW! That means so much to me Linda! You really can’t beat freshly picked blueberries baked into a pie!
you mention in the recipe that If necessary, remove the pie crust shield/foil in the last 5-10 minutes of baking.. how would
one know if this is a necessary step or not? thank you so much
If the outer crust isn’t browning or the same color as the top.
thank you. now I have 2 other questions after making the pie.
1. how do I prevent the crust outer layer from cracking? this happened as I rolled it out.
2. the instant tapioca granules didn’t dissolve fully into the pie. a good amount of them rose to the top and you can bite down on the crunchies as you eat the pie. do I maybe need a different brand that works better?
I made your pie today using instant tapioca. The tapioca is crunchy? Especially near the top. Flavor is great. Have you ever had this happen?
Hey Donna! No I haven’t had this happen! Make sure to thoroughly mix the filling and let it sit to avoid that in the future!
I used tapioca flour, instead, which is fine ground tapioca. No problems with this. Before making this pie, I had read that this happens often, and to use the flour to avoid.
Delicious pie & the crust was so easy! I may never use the folded premade crusts again. thanks.
This pie is simply delicious and so easy to bake. All my family loved it. I also had to use cornstarch and it worked out very well. Thank you for this lovely recipe.
This pie was delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Diane!
Hi Laura!
So I can add regular cornstarch (same amount) if I don’t have tapioca flour or instant tapioca?
Yes!
Thanks!
MMmmm…. Yummy. You totally have my heart whenever you show me a berry pie. 🙂