My homemade blueberry pie is better than ever and bursting with sweet juicy blueberries that sit in a golden-brown buttery, flaky pie crust. Follow my precise baking instructions for a filling that sets perfectly and is neither runny nor soupy. From-scratch pie can be hard work, so my team and I made sure to repeatedly test this recipe so the results are completely worth your time and effort.
This slightly updated recipe produces a better-than-ever blueberry pie. Reader reviews reporting a soupy, runny filling inspired me to rework the baking instructions on my original 2016 recipe and make a slight change to the filling ingredients. My team and I tested a LOT of blueberry pies in the last few weeks. We searched for the magic trick to a perfectly flavorful, non-runny blueberry pie.
So what’s the verdict? What’s the magic trick to a perfect blueberry pie? Drumroll please…
The magic trick is: patience.
Here’s Exactly Why This Blueberry Pie Recipe Works
It turns out that you need to (1) really work the filling ingredients together, (2) bake the pie for longer than I thought, (3) embrace a bubbling juicy messy pie filling, and (4) let it cool completely in order for the filling to fully set up. Just like peach pie, blueberry pie takes several hours and is undoubtedly a delayed-gratification dessert. But I promise you, they are both worth it. Get ready for the most incredible, juicy-yet-sliceable blueberry pie experience:
6 Ingredient Filling
After I’ve scared you off about the time it takes, let me mention that blueberry pie filling is actually one of the quickest fruit pie fillings to prepare! There’s no peeling, pitting, hulling, or chopping the fruit. You do NOT need to pre-cook the filling either (a step we tested but found useless). Just rinse and pat the berries dry and then mix with sugar, flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, lemon juice, & lemon zest:
Pie Filling Success Tips:
- Use Flavorful Ingredients: You don’t need to add much to this pie filling to achieve amazing flavor. The berries are already pretty sweet on their own, so we only need to add ⅔ cup sugar. The zest and juice of a fresh lemon + a hint of cinnamon both add a subtle zing that really amplifies the natural flavor of the blueberries.
- Use 2 Thickening Ingredients: In the previous version of this recipe, I used ¼ cup of cornstarch to thicken the juicy filling, but we were still getting reader comments that their pies were turning out too runny. Taking note from my blueberry crumble pie, a reader favorite, I decided to use a mix of both cornstarch and flour. As long as you bake the pie long enough, the jammy filling sets up and thickens beautifully.
- Work the Ingredients Together: Between the flour, cornstarch, and sugar, there’s a lot of dry ingredients. To ensure there’s not too much dry powder, you may have to smash a few blueberries to help soak it all up.
Below Left: Your filling won’t bake properly if it’s this dry and powdery. Below Right: Work the ingredients together until the dry ingredients are moistened.
Assemble Your Pie
You can use your favorite pie dough recipe, but here’s why I encourage you to try mine. To make a perfect pie crust, I use a mix of shortening and butter because the two ingredients work together to make an unbeatable texture. Butter adds flavor and flakiness, while shortening’s high melting point keeps the crust tender and workable. The recipe yields 2 crusts—one for the bottom and one for the top—which is what you need for this pie. You don’t need to par-bake the crust because this pie bakes for so long.
A few topping notes:
- Lattice: I like a signature lattice pie crust design for this blueberry pie (doesn’t it just scream “state fair blue ribbon winner“?!) but decorate the pie however you’d like. Here’s my detailed How to Lattice Pie Crust video & instructions.
- Other Designs: Feel free to check out other pie crust designs.
- Crumble: Or you could try this blueberry crumble pie. Note the slight variation in the filling to make up for a very buttery topping.
Regardless of the design, be sure to crimp or flute the pie crust, too. I simply crimped the edges with a fork in the photos here.
Don’t Forget…
- To dot butter on top of the filling. Like in this cherry pie recipe, a touch of butter adds richness and helps the filling ingredients bind together.
- To brush the top dough with egg wash. Egg wash promises a crispier crust and helps develop that signature golden sheen. Without it, dough is dull and lackluster. You use egg wash on many other bakes, like apple pie, croissants, stromboli, breakfast pastries, and peach cobbler, to name a few.
Unlike the butter and egg wash, coarse sugar is an optional topping. I love adding it to sweet pies because it adds a little crunch and sparkle.
Many More Blueberry Pie Success Tips & Tricks
- Make the Pie Crust Ahead of Time. It has to chill for at least 2 hours, but it keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and the freezer for up to 3 months, so make it in advance and it will save you time on the day you actually make this pie.
- Baking Sheet on Rack Below the Pie: This pie gets pretty messy when it’s happily bubbling away for over an hour. Place a baking sheet on the bottom oven rack to catch the bubbled-over juices. If you really want to save yourself cleanup time, line it with foil first.
- Start at an Initial High Temperature: 425°F (218°C) for 25 minutes, then the remainder at 375°F (190°C). The reason for the initial hot oven burst is to set the crust and encourage the cornstarch to begin working quicker.
- Pie Crust Shield: After the first 25 minutes in the oven, when you lower the temperature, I recommend placing a pie crust shield (see Notes) on the crust’s edges to prevent it from over-browning too quickly. You can purchase a pie crust shield, but I often use aluminum foil. See the next photo.
- Bake for a Long Time: Blueberry pie takes a lot longer than some pies (like pumpkin pie and pecan pie). You want the filling to be bubbling at the surface nearly everywhere, and this takes close to 75–80 minutes total. The internal temperature in the test pies (easy to take with an instant read thermometer because of the lattice top) was around 200°F (93°C) when done. If you think about it, in order for gravies and other sauces to begin thickening, they must be boiling/simmering. Same with this blueberry pie filling.
- Cool Completely: Slicing warm will give you a soupy slice of pie. Cool for at least 4 hours at room temperature because the pie filling continues to set up as it cools.
Make a homemade pie crust shield out of a large square of aluminum foil by cutting a circle in the center of it:
There is something so soothing and satisfying about making pie from scratch and I hope you try this endlessly tested pie perfection soon. It’s perfect for summertime picnics, as part of your Father’s Day Recipes, or anytime you have fresh blueberries. Want to skip some pie drama? This blueberry cream pie, berry cobbler, or these blueberry pie bars will satisfy your berry cravings and require half the work. 😉
Recommended Tools
- Pastry blender for making pie dough.
- This is my favorite pie dish. I prefer baking pies in a glass pan so I can see the crust browning on the sides and bottom. Want to skip the pie dish? This easy mixed berry galette is always a crowd-pleaser.
- This rolling pin has held up well over several years with constant use.
- Zester for lemon zest.
- Citrus juicer for lemon juice.
- Pastry brush for the egg wash.
Homemade Blueberry Pie
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
- Total Time: 7 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: 8-10 servings
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
After a few additional years of testing, this is now the best blueberry pie. As the pie bakes, expect a messy, bubbly, and juicy filling. As the pie cools, the filling sets into a jammy, yet sliceable consistency. For a truly out-of-this-world summer dessert experience, serve each flavorful slice with vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
- Homemade Pie Crust or All Butter Pie Crust (both recipes make 2 crusts, 1 for bottom and 1 for top)
- 6 cups (3 pints; about 860g) fresh blueberries*
- 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar*
- 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons (14g) cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 Tablespoon (14g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk
- optional: coarse sugar for sprinkling on crust
Instructions
- The crust: Prepare either pie crust recipe through step 5.
- Make the filling: Stir the blueberries, sugar, flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, lemon juice, and lemon zest together in a large bowl. Mix together until it’s no longer dry and powdery; burst a few blueberries if necessary to moisten. Set filling aside as the oven preheats. Filling can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours if needed.
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat to 425°F (218°C). Place baking sheet on the bottom oven rack to catch any blueberry juices.
- Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough (keep the other one in the refrigerator). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch round pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. Pour and spread filling evenly into pie dish. Dot the pieces of butter on top of the filling. Set aside at room temperature or in the refrigerator as you assemble the top pie crust.
- Arrange the lattice: Remove the other disc of chilled pie dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough into a circle that is 12 inches diameter. Using a pastry wheel, sharp knife, or pizza cutter, cut strips of dough; in the pictured pie, I cut 10 1-inch-wide strips. Carefully thread the strips over and under one another, pulling back strips as necessary to weave. (Here’s a lattice pie crust tutorial if you need visuals.) Press the edges of the strips into the bottom pie crust edges to seal. Use a small paring knife to trim off excess dough. Flute or crimp the pie crust edges with a fork.
- Lightly brush the top of the pie crust with the egg wash. Sprinkle the top with coarse sugar, if using.
- Bake the pie at 425°F for 25 minutes; then, keeping the pie in the oven, reduce the oven temperature down to 375°F (190°C). Place a pie crust shield (see Note for homemade shield) on the edges to prevent them from over-browning. Continue baking the pie until the filling’s juices are bubbling everywhere, including in the center, 40–50 more minutes. This sounds like a long time, but under-baking the pie means a soupy filling with paste-like flour and cornstarch chunks. If you want to be precise, the internal temperature of the filling taken with an instant read thermometer should be around 200°F (93°C) when done. Tip: If needed towards the end of bake time, remove the pie crust shield and tent an entire piece of foil on top of the pie if the top looks like it’s getting too brown.
- Remove pie from the oven, place on a cooling rack, and cool for at least 4 hours before slicing and serving. Filling will be too juicy if the pie is warm when you slice it.
- Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: This a great pie to make 1 day in advance, because the filling will have time to set overnight. The pie crust dough can also be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Feel free to prepare the filling 1 day in advance. See end of step 2. Baked pie freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowl | Rubber Spatula or Wooden Spoon | 9-inch Pie Dish | Rolling Pin | Pastry Wheel or Pizza Cutter | Zester | Citrus Juicer | Pastry Brush | Sparkling Sugar | Pie Crust Shield | Instant Read Thermometer | Cooling Rack
- Blueberries: You need 6 cups (3 pints) of blueberries, which is about 2 lbs. (about 860g) total. I strongly suggest using fresh blueberries, not frozen. If you decide to use frozen, do not thaw first. The pie will take several more minutes in the oven if using frozen berries.
- Sugar: If your blueberries aren’t super sweet, such as in the wintertime, feel free to add another few Tablespoons of sugar. I find 2/3 cup (135g) is the perfect amount for sweet summer blueberries. You can increase to 3/4 cup (150g) if needed.
- Aluminum Foil Pie Crust Shield: You can purchase a pie crust shield or make one from aluminum foil. Cut a 14-inch square of aluminum foil. Fold in half. Cut out a 5-inch semi-circle on the folded edge. Unfold. Carefully fit the aluminum foil over the pie crust edges, securing down on the sides as best you can (careful, the pie is hot!), leaving the center of the pie exposed.
- Updated in 2022: The recipe you see above was very slightly updated in 2022 to produce a thicker, less soupy filling. The old recipe did not call for flour and instead used 1/4 cup (28g) of cornstarch. The old recipe also baked for less time (about 60 mins total), which is why the filling was often too runny. For a jammy, yet sliceable filling, bake the pie as instructed above in step 7.
Hello Sally. I made a yummy pie from your recipe. However, i did make a few changes. I did add 3/4 cup of sugar as you suggested for a sweeter taste, but left out the lemon zest as I prefer sweet rather than sour. I rested my pie over night before cutting and success! It wasn’t runny at all. I cheated a little and used refrigeratorated pie crust. I also sprinkled coarse sugar on top before baking, that resulted in a nice crunch. I used frozen blueberries and thawed 1 cup before mixing, this way I was able to smash them and get some juices, which helped with blending the corn starch and flour. Wooo! I know that’s a lot, but I figured these tips might help others. My first homemade pie ever. Now I can make another one for Christmas day knowing my pie taste great. BTW one of my Christmas gift wishes is your cook book I hope Santa gives me one. Have a blessed Christmas and a blessed new year.
Can I use heavy cream in the egg wash?
Yes!
I love this recipe! When I bake the pie, I put parchment paper under the pie pan to catch any overfill during the baking process, but when I take the pie out of the oven, is there a safe way to use something to scrub the filling residue that was stuck along the sides of the pie pan?
Hi Mo! We usually just wait until the dish is empty to let it soak a little before scrubbing.
Hello Sally. Can this recipe be made with store bought refrigerated dough?
Hi Kathleen, absolutely.
Yooo such detailed instructions..I don’t even bake but I followed the in depth instructions at every part and it turned out amazing!!
I have never made a blueberry pie this good. Thanks so much for all the helpful hints and excellent ingredients. My family loved it.
Hello Sally’s team, this pie has the potential to be the best ever. My daughters and I made this for Thanksgiving and the tutorials were great. The crust and flavor were amazing. Our one issue is that is was very soupy. We did make the berries a few hours ahead and put them in the fridge. When we poured them in the pie, it was more liquidy than at first and in your video. But the recipe said we could make it ahead. We also did not see that it needed to sit for 4 hours, it was probably two. What are your suggestions for how to avoid this our next time? Again, the butter crust and taste were best ever!!! Thank you
Hi Allyson, we’re so glad you and your daughters enjoyed the pie! You can certainly make the filling ahead of time. If it seems like the blueberries have released too much of their juices, you can strain it a bit so that it better resembles the photos in the post. Cooling for at least 4 hours at room temperature is crucial because the pie filling continues to set up as it cools. Hope this helps for next time!
I made this for Thanksgiving and my guests from Maine, known for great blueberry pies, gave it high marks. I used the small blueberries like I see in pies from Maine. Very delicious! Thank you
Perfect recipe. Will use again.
Hi, judging from the comments this recipe sounds like a hit. If I were to make this recipe but in mini 5 inch pie pans what would the baking time look like?
Hi Eve, We haven’t tested mini pies so are unsure of the exact bake time. Pies will be done when the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Let us know how they go!
I made this recipe with very few alterations, and it was the most amazing thing my family and I have ever had. The biggest alteration; we made it using Bob Red Mills all-purpose 1- to -1 gluten free flour. And we made the all-butter crust. Ah-may-zing!
Thank you for doing what you do, you’ve allowed my gluten free kiddo (and the rest of us!) to experience truly great pie.
Made this for pie social at churck. Everyone said it was wonderful.
Hello. I have been baking pies for 50+ years, and received many compliments. I thought my pies were great. However, since I came across your method last summer, I have completely changed my mind. I made a blueberry and a peach pie then and they were excellent. Tuesday I started the crust and put a blueberry pie together yesterday. It is spectacular! It went together so easily. Thank you so much!
Although I have made homemade pie before, I have never done blueberry, and I have always been intimidated by a lattice top. I followed your instructions exactly and I have to say that both my husband and I were very impressed! As a matter of fact, today is Thanksgiving and we just had our first try of this pie for dessert. Excellent and, as you have said, it set up wonderfully! The crust was flaky and the filling was not too sweet, with whole berries bursting in our mouths! I am so inspired that I just ordered a silicone pastry mat so I can refine my technique. Thank you! I’d save you a piece of pie, but, um……nope… we’re too greedy!
Question…is the oven temperature listed for this recipe (and all your site’s recipes) for a Fan/convection oven or conventional oven? In the UK/Celcius the difference between the two is typically 20C…so wanted to check so I don’t get a soggy bottom! 😀
Hi Shelly, We always recommend conventional settings for baking (not convection/fan). The flow of air from convection heat can cause baked goods to rise and bake unevenly and it also pulls moisture out of the oven. If you do use convection/fan settings for baking, lower your temperature by 25 degrees F and keep in mind that things may still take less time to bake.
I used this recipe and my pie set perfectly, thank you 🙂 It was very lemony and quite tart for my taste, so next time I will add just a dash of zest and more sugar.
Sally, we love the blueberry pie. Does it work with raspberry?
Hi Mark, I wish we could help, but we haven’t tested a raspberry pie, or this pie with subbing raspberries, so can’t tell you whether it would work or not. If you try it, please do report back!
Hi Sally! I’m making this pie for my family and I had one question before I start. Will the pie be any less delicious if I do not make a lattice crust? I wanted to carve Snoopy and Woodstock into the crust for a cute Thanksgiving decoration. Thank you!!
Hi Jill! You can use any pie decoration you like – happy baking!
Baking time needs to be adjusted or something. After the 25 minutes at 475, the sugar on top of the pies was burnt black and the edges were also burnt, despite being covered in foil. Not sure how to cook it for another 50 minutes after it’s already burning… 25 minutes at such a high temp is way too long. 10 at the most. Disappointed to be serving burnt pies at family Thanksgiving. 🙁
My father and uncle make special requests for this pie at every family function. This year for thanksgiving I’m making 3 one for the dinner. One for my uncle to take home and one for my dad to take home.
It’s now simply referred to as “ THE PIE” and is slowly transitioning into a family tradition
Thanks Sally!
I made this last week to bring to the office and it was a hit! Everyone loved it. Sally’s recipes are always a hit and the best, never a failed recipe. I am making 2 this week for Thanksgiving! Thank you Sally for all the amazing recipes and for all the work and effort that goes into them.
I’ve never had luck with fruit pies…my family loving referred to them as pie soup, as they never just set quite right. Well, I am making the blueberry pie as one of Thanksgiving desserts and I did a test run about a month ago to see how it would turn off and I followed your receipe to the letter. IT. WAS. PERFECT! Thank you so much…I’ll be making one tomorrow to have ready for Thanksgiving to go along with the pumpkin and apple pies (being made by others!)
A big hit today! I used store bought refrigrated pie crusts and frozen blueberries…followed the recipe as written. I did bake this until my thermometer reached 200*…so it was a few inutes longer than the recipe. Everyone at today’s church coffee hour complimented of the pie! Your recipes continue to make me a “rock star baker!”
I wanted to use the Maine frozen wild blueberries. You said not to thaw them before. If you did
thaw the berries would that be an issue or mess with the recipe at all?
Also, some recipes call for cooking the berries down some. I was curious what the benefit would be, if any?
Hi Jess! Thawing the berries would make them too wet for the pie to set. We don’t find it necessary to cook the filling first for blueberry pie.
But if they are frozen it won’t mix up to be moist
It was so easy and my pies never turn out so good. Thank you will make it again.
I’ve made this 3 times now only gets better.
I absolutely LOVE EVERY recipe of yours that I’ve tried! I want to try this recipe for my partner’s birthday, but he cannot eat gluten. I plan on buying a gluten-free already made crust. What should I do in place of the flour?
Hi Kathy, Admittedly, we don’t have much experience with gluten free baking and haven’t tackled a gluten free pie crust before. Sorry we can’t be of more help here!
Hi there—I’ve had good luck substituting flour with GF flour, specifically Namaste brand. It seems to work perfect for me when making a GF crust, apple pie filling, enchilada sauce, etc.
Would I be able to make this pie using all blackberries?
Hi Asha, You can use blackberries. If they aren’t super sweet, we would use 3/4 cup (150g) sugar as mentioned in the notes. Let us know how it goes!
I made this pie and it is AMAZING! I NEVER baked a blueberry pie before nor have I ever made my own pie crust. I used the homemade pie crust recipe. I’ll admit I struggled a tad with the pie crust but it was my first one – and the taste was out of this world amazing!!! I wish I could show you a picture of my pie but I can’t figure out how to post it here – thank you, thank you thank you for this recipe – this pie is going to be a big part of our Thanksgiving celebration this year!
I love that this recipe has so many important details such as the photos of the blueberry filling with flour and “filling should be 200 degrees” etc. I feel like this was a foolproof recipe because of all those extra details. It’s important to read the full article for those tips. I used Pillsbury Pie Crusts due to time. It’s mid-October and blueberry season is over so when I bit into a blueberry it was as sour as a lemon, therefore, I used a heaping cup of sugar and it still came out a bit tart. I think the people complaining that their pies were too sour was because their blueberries were too sour, not the lemon juice. Many blueberry pie recipes have 1-2 T lemon juice. When I made another blueberry pie recipe with summer blueberries it required 2T lemon juice and was not sour because the blueberries were sweet. Under the Notes, #4 states to use more sugar if your blueberries are not summer sweet. The texture of this pie was good, the blueberries were cooked but not overcooked like jam, they still held their shape. People also need to be sure their blueberries are dry and the interior reaches 200 degrees—maybe that’s why their pies didn’t set-up. I’m a bit puzzled why it took people to complain that the first version of this recipe (1/4C cornstarch) led to soup before it was changed. I would think a published recipe would have been repeatedly tested prior to publishing so it doesn’t fail people. Well, this version did work well.
Yes yes and yes – making sure the blueberries are dry I think is a critical step to ensure success. I am going to try the next time putting my flour in the fridge too. That is mentioned in the tips as well. I baked my pie with fresh blueberries just this week (October) – the pie was just the exact right amount of sweet vs. tart. I am overjoyed with how it came out.