Chef notes
Blueberries have long been a favorite fruit of mine. I think if someone were to put a quart of them in front of me, I could probably finish it in an alarmingly short amount of time. In recent summers, I’ve become (slightly) obsessed with using them in cobblers, pies and crisps. While I absolutely adore double-crust blueberry pie, they often require a little more hands-on work, which is why I love an easy crumb-topped pie like this one.
This blueberry pie is made up of three main components: a flaky bottom crust, a no-cook, toss-everything-together blueberry filling and a buttery, cinnamon crumb topping. I love using a homemade crust for my pies, but store-bought will work just as well here. Using a hefty amount of blueberries for the filling ensures that you’re still left with a decent layer of filling once cooked down. If you’re short on time, you can prepare the crust and crumb or even the whole pie ahead of time.
The crust for the pie can either be par-baked up to a day ahead of baking or can be prepared and chilled up to a day ahead so that it’s ready to par-bake the day of baking. Moreover, the crumb topping can be made and stored in an airtight container in the fridge up to a day ahead. I like to bake the pie the night before serving and let it cool on a wire rack at room temperature overnight. While delicious on its own, serve with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream for the perfect summertime à la Mode treat!
Technique Tip: Par-baking the crust first in combination with baking in the lower third of the oven ensures the bottom crust comes out golden and cooked through rather than soggy.
Rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar releases the oils from the zest, permeating the pie with lemon to help brighten and bring out the flavor of the blueberries.
Swap Option: You can use frozen blueberries in place of fresh noting the filling will have a stiffer, jammier consistency. Use frozen and do not thaw first.
Ingredients
- 1 disc homemade pie dough or pre-bought pie crust
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 24 ounces fresh blueberries
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- vanilla ice cream, for serving
Preparation
Make the Crust
1.Preheat the oven to 425 F with a rack positioned in the lower third. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2.Roll out the pie dough on a floured work surface into a 1/8-inch thick round and transfer to a 9-inch pie plate.
3.Use a pair of scissors to trim any excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch to 1-inch overhang. Tuck the overhanging dough under itself all around the top edge and crimp as desired. Prick the bottom and sides of the crust all over with a fork. Transfer the crust to the freezer until cold and firm, about 10 minutes.
4.Once chilled, press a sheet of parchment paper against the crust and fill with enough dried beans or pie weights to fill the plate to the top.
5.Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly golden around the top edge. Remove the parchment and beans/weights. The dough will still look wet underneath. Return to the oven and bake for 4 to 6 minutes more or until matte.
6.Remove from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 375 F. Set aside to cool slightly on a wire rack while you prepare the filling and crumb topping.
Make the Crumb Topping
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Add the butter and vanilla and work the chilled butter into the flour mixture by hand, until the mixture clumps when you squeeze it. Set aside in the refrigerator.
Make the Filling
1.In a large bowl, use your fingers to rub the lemon zest into the sugar until fragrant. Add the blueberries, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla and salt and toss with a spoon or rubber spatula until glossy and the sugar and cornstarch is dissolved.
2.Scrape the blueberry mixture into the crust in an even layer. Top with the crumb mixture.
3.Place the pie back on the lined baking sheet. Bake for about 90 minutes or until the crumb topping and crust are deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Loosely tent with foil if it is getting too brown before the filling has a chance to bubble and cook down.
4.Cool the pie on a wire rack until warm for a juicier filling or completely cooled for clean, set slices. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.
