Classic Blueberry Pie Recipe (Fresh or Frozen Filling)

Nothing beats a warm slice of blueberry pie topped with vanilla ice cream on a cold summer day. The buttery flaky pie crust and simple, yet very flavorful blueberry filling with cinnamon and lemon zest are a combination worth waiting for. Yes, pies take a while, but they are nothing but worth it. This classic pie has the easiest blueberry pie filling which can be done two different ways!

 

 

I love pies in the summer and one of my other favorites is this strawberry peach pie. Pies are such a great way of using a lot of fruit, so it's all about what we have on hand and what's in season right now. However, we can also use frozen fruit which makes it a great all year round dessert.

 

Difference between fresh and frozen blueberries

 

Making a blueberry pie with frozen blueberries, your blueberry filling will be equally delicious but it will have a jammier texture. In a way, that will help your pie slice to look cleaner. If you don't like it jammy, then I recommend opting for fresh blueberries.

 

Fresh blueberries can tend to be more runny, but you can see the shapes of the blueberries better. I think that makes it feel more like a real blueberry pie. I don't mind if the filling is slightly runny, but if you want a clean slice - frozen blueberries are your friends! 

 

Jammy, cooked blueberry filling using frozen blueberries.

 

Cook or no cook blueberry pie filling

 

I prefer to cook the frozen blueberries to make the blueberry pie filling, that way you don't have to worry about thawing the fruits and berries. You can (and should) combine the cooked blueberry filling with a little fresh blueberries for an extra berrylicious texture. Using a cooked blueberry filling, also requires more blueberries as they release their juices when become more like a jam.

 

Using only fresh blueberries, I like to not cook it and just combine them with the other blueberry pie filling ingredients. Easy peasy and it will only be slightly runny but oh so GOOD. You can't get an easier blueberry pie than that! 

 

Fresh, uncooked blueberry pie filling. Sorry for the lack of focus, excuse to make a new pie. (:

 

Prepared pie crust

 

Below, I'm talking about a prepared pie crust. What I mean about this is that you have made your pie crust, added it to your pie pan and it has been in the freezer for at least 20 minutes - but not baked it yet. This is step 7 in my butter pie crust recipe (but you can use other pie crusts if you want to of course). 

 

You will also pre-heat the oven to 350F (175C) when you place the pan in the freezer.

 

 

Fresh blueberry pie filling

 

My favorite, I think it is best in terms of eating. Not necessarily to look at. It's super juicy and textural with whole blueberries in it. Sure, it might be a little runny, but who cares. You're topping it with ice cream anyway, and it will soon be one hot but delish mess.

 

Mix blueberries with lemon juice. Mix all the dry ingredients together: cornstarch, cinnamon, salt and sugar. Add the dry ingredients to the blueberries and add to your prepared pie crust. Now you can either lattice the top crust, another shape or even make a crumble top.  

 

 

Frozen blueberry pie filling

 

Well, not exactly frozen blueberry pie filling but rather frozen blueberries used in a pie filling. Anyway, add ⅔ of the frozen blueberries (you can use fresh here if you want) to a large saucepan, along with the other ingredients. Bring it up to a simmer and let it simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat.

 

Now mix with the remaining ⅓ of the berries and let it cool while you pre-heat the oven. I prefer to use frozen blueberries in the saucepan, and combining them with fresh blueberries in the end, but you can use frozen as well. 

 

When oven is pre-heated, add the cooled blueberry filling to the prepared pie crust. Now top with either a lattice top or any other pie crust top or even crumble top. 

 

 

Lattice top for pie

 

I know I have talked about a lattice top crust before, in my strawberry peach pie, I will mention it here as well. It is such a classic shape and it gives me associations of a warm and humid summer in the Deep South, with iced teas and barbecues in the backyard. 

 

Roll the top crust out a few inches bigger than your pie pan and using a pizza cutter, cut 1 inch (2.5 cm) strips. Take every other strip and place vertically on your pie, with about ½-1 inch between each strip.

 

 

Pull every other of the strips back. Take the shortest unplaced strip and add to the top of the pie, horizontally, placing the pulled strips back on top of the newly placed strip.

 

Now take the un-pulled strips back and place a new horizontal strip underneath, placing the pulled strips back on top. Always pull back the strips that are under the horizontal strip. Continue altering the strips and eventually you will get a beautiful lattice pattern.

 

This is one of those things that are hard to explain but easy to do! Just give it a try and if you mess up a little, who cares - it will taste the same!

 

Bake the pie

 

Once the top crust is finito, brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle course sugar on top for extra crisp and texture. Add the pie to the bottom rack of your pre-heated oven and bake for 40 minutes. 

 

Then increase the temperature to 400F (200C) and place the pie on the middle rack. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the crust is beautifully golden! 

 

 

The sad thing about homemade blueberry pie is that you have to wait until it has fully cooled before slicing into it. Or else it will be a hot, delicious mess. The filling firms up when the pie cools, making the slices look cleaner. And pie must always be served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

 

Enjoy!

 

Did you like this recipe? Here are more berry recipes to try this summer:

 

• Homemade berry cordial (use the berries you have on hand!)
• Strawberry peach pie
• Chocolate raspberry 6 inch cake
• Lemon blueberry 6 inch cake
• Strawberry scones
• Homemade jello (also use any berries you have)

 

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Comment below or tag me @thegingerwithspice on Instagram. And don’t forget to Pin it for later! To make sure you’re never missing another recipe, please feel free to subscribe to my newsletter. As a thanks you will receive a free e-cookbook Travels Through the Seasons, with many delicious recipes from around the world that suit different seasons of the year. 

 

In order to keep the blog up and running this post may contain affiliate links, it will be at no extra cost to you, please read the disclosure for more information.

 

Download your FREE copy of Travels Through the Seasons Cookbook here!