Blueberry Pie

(3)

Picked a peck of blueberries? That's a great reason to make this classic pie.

Southern Living Blueberry Pie ready to serve with a slice cupt out
Photo:

Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke

Active Time:
40 mins
Total Time:
4 hrs 45 mins
Servings:
8

Homemade blueberry pie is as pretty to look at as it is delicious to eat. This recipe’s take on the dish has a bit of a twist: While traditional blueberry pies contain spices like cinnamon or nutmeg, this one gets its freshness from herbs and honey, plus brightness from zest. Overall, it makes for a scrumptious summery bite, and a cheerful, purple presentation.

Serve this blueberry pie with ice cream — or even mix in some balsamic vinegar for an unexpected twist.

Blueberry Pie Ingredients

To make this blueberry pie recipe, start with fresh blueberries.

You'll also need:

  • Granulated sugar
  • Cornstarch
  • Honey
  • Fresh sage
  • Lime zest and juice
  • All-purpose flour
  • Egg
  • Heavy whipping cream
  • Turbinado sugar
  • Refrigerated pie crusts

You'll need ice cream for serving if you wish. 

Southern Living Blueberry Pie ingredients

Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke

How To Make Homemade Blueberry Pie

The full recipe is below, but here's a brief recap for making a blueberry pie. Plus, get more instructions on how to make the beautiful lattice crust top.

Step 1. Prepare the blueberry pie filling: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Stir together blueberries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, honey, sage, lime zest, and lime juice, crushing some of the berries with the back of a spoon to release juices. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Southern Living Blueberry Pie filling ingredients in a bowl

Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke

Step 2. Prepare the crust: Meanwhile, unroll a refrigerated pie crust and place it onto a pie plate, pressing into the bottom and up the sides. Cut the second pie crust into strips, and place them on a large baking sheet. Refrigerate to chill for about 10 minutes.

Step 3. Bake pie: Spoon the blueberry mixture into the pie crust in the pie plate, make a lattice pie crust (read more below), and bake. Let it cool completely on a wire rack (at least three hours).

How To Add a Lattice Crust

  • To add the lattice crust to this blueberry pie, place four crust strips across the blueberry filling and fold back the alternating strips.
  • Then, place one strip over the top in the center of the pie; unfold and replace pie strips.
  • Repeat this process, folding back alternating strips and placing the remaining strips on either side of the center strip over the top of the pie to create the lattice pattern.
  • Fold bottom crust over the lattice strips, seal, and crimp.
  • Whisk together egg and cream in a small bowl, and use a pastry brush to brush the dough edges and lattice with egg mixture. Sprinkle the dough with turbinado sugar.
  • To finish, place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F, and bake the pie until the crust is fully browned and the filling is bubbling. (If needed, tent the pie with aluminum foil halfway through to prevent over-browning.) Serve at room temperature with ice cream if desired.

How To Store Homemade Blueberry Pie

Store homemade blueberry pie covered with plastic wrap at room temperature for up to two days. Or refrigerate it for up to four days.

Blueberry Pie Tips and Tricks

If fresh blueberries are not available, you can instead use frozen blueberries in this recipe. If you’re using frozen berries, use them in their frozen state—not thawed.

Cornstarch activates at higher temperatures, so make sure you see even bubbling throughout this pie as a visual indicator while baking—that means the cornstarch has activated and therefore will thicken the juices.

Do not cut the pie while it is still warm, as this will cause the filling to spill out and the pie to lose its shape. 

More Classic Pie Recipes

Blueberry pie is a favorite, but no one will be upset if these classic Southern pies were at the picnic, too:

Editorial contributions by Alesandra Dubin.

Ingredients

  • 6 cups fresh blueberries (from 5 [6-oz.] containers)

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar

  • 3 Tbsp. cornstarch

  • 2 Tbsp. honey

  • 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh sage

  • 1 tsp. grated lime zest plus 1 Tbsp. fresh juice (from 1 lime)

  • All-purpose flour

  • 1 Double-Crust Pie Pastry or 1 (14.1-oz.) pkg. refrigerated piecrusts

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream

  • 3 Tbsp. turbinado sugar

  • Ice cream

Directions

  1. Prepare pie filling:

    Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in lower third position. Stir together blueberries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, honey, sage, lime zest, and lime juice in a large bowl until berries are fully moistened and cornstarch is dissolved, crushing 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the berries using back of a spoon to release juices.

    Southern Living Blueberry Pie stirring together the filling ingredients

    Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke

    Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature for 15 minutes (berries will be slightly juicy).

  2. Press crust into pie plate:

    While berries stand, roll each pie dough disk on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch round (about 1/8-inch thick), or unroll refrigerated piecrusts. Place 1 piecrust into a 9-inch pie plate, pressing into bottom and up sides.

    Southern Living Blueberry Pie fitting the bottom crust into the pie plate

    Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke

  3. Cut strips for lattice crust:

    Cut second piecrust into 7 (1 1/2-inch-wide) strips; place in an even layer on a large baking sheet. Refrigerate pie plate and strips until chilled, about 10 minutes.

    Southern Living Blueberry Pie top crust cut into strips for lattice

    Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke

  4. Fill pie, and top with lattice crust:

    Spoon blueberry mixture into piecrust in pie plate. Place 4 strips about 3/4-inch apart over top of blueberry filling.

    Southern Living Blueberry Pie strips placed on top of filling

    Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke

    Fold back alternating strips.

    Southern Living Blueberry Pie folding back alternating strips on top of pie

    Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke

    Place 1 strip over top in center of pie; unfold and replace pie strips.

    Southern Living Blueberry Pie center strip placed on crust

    Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke

    Repeat process, folding back alternating strips and placing remaining strip

    Southern Living Blueberry Pie lattice halfway done

    Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke

    Repeat process, folding back alternating strips and placing remaining 2 strips on either side of center strip over top of pie about 1 1/2 inches apart, creating a lattice pattern.

    Southern Living Blueberry Pie finished lattice top

    Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke

  5. Seal edges of pie:

    Fold bottom crust over lattice strips, and seal, creating a thicker crust edge.

    Southern Living Blueberry Pie folding the outer crust over the edges

    Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke

    Crimp as desired.

    Southern Living Blueberry Pie crust crimped

    Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke

  6. Add sugar topping to crust:

    Whisk together egg and cream in a small bowl; using a pastry brush, brush dough edges and lattice with egg mixture.

    Southern Living Blueberry Pie brushing the crust with egg wash

    Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke

    Sprinkle dough evenly with turbinado sugar.

    Southern Living Blueberry Pie topped with turbinado sugar

    Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke

  7. Bake pie:

    Place pie on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until crust edges just begin to turn golden brown, about 20 minutes.

  8. Lower heat, bake until bubbly:

    Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (with pie still in oven), and bake at 350°F until crust is fully browned and filling is bubbling throughout, 50 to 55 minutes, tenting with aluminum foil halfway through baking time to prevent overbrowning, if needed.

    Southern Living Blueberry Pie after baking on baking sheet

    Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke

  9. Cool and serve:

     Let cool completely on a wire rack, 3 to 4 hours.

    Southern Living Blueberry Pie cooling on cooling rack

    Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke

    Serve at room temperature with ice cream. Store pie, covered using plastic wrap, at room temperature up to 2 days, or refrigerate up to 4 days.

    Southern Living Blueberry Pie whole in the pie plate to serve

    Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke

Additional reporting by Alesandra Dubin

Related Articles