This simple recipe for fresh blueberry pie comes to you from my Great Aunt to my Mom to me and now to you! It is the perfect dessert to enjoy in midsummer with the freshest fruit and a big dollop of whipped cream.
Hello, all.
Many years ago my family would have big summer parties on my Aunt Yolanda’s property every year. There were fields and woods and a stream to splash in and LOTS of food. This is an Italian family. We had so much good FOOD.
One of our favorite desserts was the blueberry pie. Baked crust, fresh berries in a thick syrup, and plenty of whipped cream. Yum!
My mom continued the tradition and made it many times over the years when blueberries were in season and then shared the recipe with me. It took me a couple of tries to the get the thickness right (so the slices stay neat) and then a little more tinkering with the sweetness (taste your berries and use that to decide on the amount of sugar), but now I have ALL the into you’ll need to get it right the first time.
(And, yes it was hell eating all those tasty – but not perfect – pies. The things I go through for all of you. š )
What do you need?
- Blueberries – The freshest you can find! You don’t need to pick them yourself like daughter and I did for the photo above, but this isn’t cooked so you want firm, fresh berries.
- Sugar – The original recipe calls for a cup of sugar, but that can be too much so I’m giving you a range.
- Vinegar – This balances the flavors. Don’t skip!
- Cornstarch – You are going to be making a THICK syrup.
- Whipped Cream – Heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla.
- Pie Crust – Enough for a standard 9-inch plate and baked on its own until golden brown.
How to make this
To make a fresh blueberry pie first make a thickened syrup with a portion of the berries, sugar, and cornstarch. Then pour that into a prepared pie shell. Top with more fresh berries and whipped cream.
1. Make the Crust
If you are making a standard short crust pastry, please note this will take a while so plan accordingly. You will need about 1 hour to rest the dough, 2 hours to rest/chill the rolled crust, and 1 hour to bake.
- Mix and Roll
For all the info on making the best and flakiest pastry, please see my post on Flaky Pie Crust. (Or use your own favorite recipe!) Once you have the dough made and rolled, put it in the fridge for 2 hours. This will chill and rest the pastry so that it will bake up nice with minimal shrinking.
- Blind Bake
Heat the oven to 350F. Then brush or spray a piece of foil with oil and press it onto the crust, making sure to press it into the corners. Fill the foil with pie weights and put the crust into the oven. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the sides look golden brown.
Then remove the foil and look at the bottom of the crust. If it’s still light brown, put the crust back in the oven for 5-10 minutes. Then remove and put on a rack to cool.
Tip: Dried beans make great pie weights. Once you have used them, let them cool and then put them in a bag for the next pie. (Don’t try to eat them!)
2. Make a Thick Syrup
Start with 1 cup berries and 3/4 cup water. Simmer for a few minutes, then strain out the berries and reserve.
Now add in the sugar plus a slurry of cornstarch and water. Boil and whisk! In a few minutes this will be VERY thick.
Add in the cooked berries plus some uncooked ones and mix together.
3. Assemble the Pie
Pour the syrup and berries into the crust. Top with the remaining fresh blueberries and smooth it all out. Let this all chill for a few hours.
4. Whip the Cream
Before serving you are going to want to make the whipped cream. This key to the pie!
Whip together heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla until you have fairly stiff peaks. Then spread it over the top and eat.
Variations to Try
- Make a graham cracker crust. Make sure to use a lower amount of sugar in the filling since the crust will be sweet.
- Use a mix of berries. Switch out a cup of blueberries for blackberries, raspberries, or chopped strawberries. (My mom usually does the blackberry variation to rave reviews.)
- Play with flavorings. Add cinnamon or allspice to the filling. Use a bit of orange (zest, liqueur, etc.) to the whipped cream.
Storage
Since this is a FRESH (mostly uncooked) filling, you will want to eat this within a day or two of making it. Beyond that you are likely to have issues with the berries becoming decidedly less than fresh.
If you try my recipe for Fresh Blueberry Pie, I would love to hear from you in the comments with your experience and rating! And Iām happy to answer any questions you might have.
– Stay Safe, Annemarie
Fresh Blueberry Pie
Ingredients
- 4 cups (~1 lb) blueberries
- 1 cup water, divided - 3/4 c + 1/4 c
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 - 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1-2 pinches kosher salt
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 baked 9-inch pie crust
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup blueberries with 3/4 cup water.
- Bring to a boil and simmer for 5-6 minutes. The berries will be cooked and soft.
- Strain out the berries and reserve. Return the water to the saucepan.
- Mix the cornstarch with the remaining 1/4 cup water to make a slurry.
- Add the slurry, sugar, and salt to the saucepan.
- Bring to a boil while whisking constantly and cook until VERY thick and reduced, 2-3 minutes.
- Take off the heat. Stir in vinegar. Then mix in reserved cooked berries and 1 cup of fresh berries.
- Pour the mixture into your pie crust. Top with the remaining blueberries and chill for 3-4 hours.
Whipped Cream
- Put a large bowl and your beaters into the freezer and chill until very cold, about 15-20 minutes.
- Pour heavy cream into the cold bowl and add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla.
- Whip on medium speed until the cream is frothy and starting to make trails with the beaters, about 4 minutes.
- Now increase the speed to high and continue beating until you just reach medium peaks. These peaks will be well formed when you lift out the beaters but the tips will curl over a little.
- Spread the whipped cream over the top of your chilled pie and serve.
Notes
- Crust - Use the crust of your choice, premade or homemade. For homemade, I use my Flaky Pie Crust recipe.
- Blind Baking - If you are using homemade or unbaked crust, you will need to blind bake. Roll out the crust and press it into a 9-inch pie plate, edging/or crimping as you like. Then put the crust in the fridge and let rest for 2 hours. Heat the oven to 350F. Press a piece of oiled foil onto the crust and fill with pie weights. (I use dried beans and fill to the top of the crust.) Bake for 50-55 minutes with the weights. Then remove and - if the crust isn't brown enough on the bottom - bake for 5-10 minutes more. Let cool.
- Sugar Amount - Blueberries can range from very sweet to rather tart. Taste and let the tartness be your guide in how much sugar to use.
- Variation - Switch out 1 cup of the raw blueberries for 1 cup of another berry of your choice - blackberries, raspberries, chopped strawberries, etc.
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