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.
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; 900g) 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 9×2-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 1.5-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 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): Pastry Blender | 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. (900g) 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.
Keywords: blueberry pie
Can I use strawberries in place of blueberries?
Hi Ammaarah! Strawberries have a different consistency. We haven’t successfully made an all-strawberry pie that isn’t overly runny. You can try subbing out all the rhubarb for strawberry in our strawberry rhubarb pie, but again, it’s always a little too runny for our taste.
Thanks, Sally, for this recipe. Also thank you for also providing many videos along with your recipes. This was my fist attempt with a lattice crust and the video was a great aid.
While I was very impressed with the consistency of the pie and the delicious crust, I am going to say I’m on team: “hold the lemon/zest”. In reading many comments prior to baking the pie, I decided to cut the lemon juice and zest in half for fear of it being to overpowering. In my opinion, it would have been better to leave it all out. I found the test to be just too sour. I will definitely make this pie again, but next time I will not include the lemon/zest.
Sally’S is my go to for baking. I love the pumpkin cream cheese muffins. Unfortunately though the consistency and look was yummy, all I could taste was the lemon. I was disappointed. Will not make this again.
★★★
Can I use apples and how would you adjust it?
Thanks!
Candy
Hi Candy! Here’s our apple pie recipe. Enjoy!
I’m a baker but not a big pie baker, however I have 10lbs of fresh picked blueberries and gave this a whirl. Really lovely. Followed the recipe exactly and was super happy w the results. Especially that the filling was wet, but not soupy!
★★★★★
I was hoping to make this without a top crust. Any changes to cooking?
Hi Alison, you can skip the top crust if desired. The pie will need the same baking time. Or try this blueberry crumble pie.
Could the blueberries be substituted with mixed berries?
Hi Mattie, a mixed berry pie should work well here!
I baked this pie the day before using wild small blue berries. I bake a lot of pies but this was a bit of a disappointment since the flour and corn starch made the pie far too dry. I would suggest dropping either the corn starch or flour or cutting both to 1/2 or even 1/3 of the recipe amounts!
Made this pie with Oregon blueberries and wild huckleberries. Both were amazing and I already made three more blueberry pies. Friends and family are raving about them. Thank you for another great pie recipe!
★★★★★
I read through the comments and figure that anyone that had an issue with the flavour must not have cooked long enough. This pie is excellent used a mix of wild and store bought as I didn’t have quite enough. The tip about the thermometer reading 200 at the end is a game changer. Had I took the pie out at 40 or even 50 minutes it was not ready in the centre when it bubbled. I tented the pie until the centre got to about 190 with a thermometer stuck in the middle. This is also hands down the best crust I’ve ever made.
This pie was amazing! I love to bake but always avoided pies until this recipe(my mother-in-law excelled at making pies so I was a bit intimidated). She has since passed and I always wanted to make a blueberry pie for my husband in honor of her. He said it equals hers which made me very proud. I followed the recipe completely using frozen Maine blueberries. It was delicious!
I love how you teach the basics in your recipes and model with videos. So helpful! I also appreciate your cooking tips with tools and what’s worked best for you. I have followed your other recipes and am hooked! Now on to your zucchini bread. Thank you so much!
★★★★★
The pie looks great. Lemon juice and cinnamon though good are best used if the berries aren’t the best, it’ll help boost their flavor. Fresh low bush blueberries in season are not enhanced by lemon & cinnamon, let these berries speak for themselves.
Delicious- and the lattice tutorial was much appreciated!!
★★★★★
What adjustments should I make for a deep dish blueberry pie? I’m so excited to try this recipe!
I wouldn’t make any adjustments if using a deep dish pie dish because there is plenty of filling. You may need extra pie dough to fit the dish, so I would make 2 batches of dough and use 3 crusts (cut the 3rd disc of dough in half and combine half with the bottom crust and half with the top crust so each has more dough). I hope this makes sense.
Truly…this is the best blueberry pie I have ever had!!! My daughter made this pie for a Sunday dinner. First of all, she did a divine job! It was picture perfect We had all dessert at that time. I had a sliver (which held up beautifully) and couldn’t believe my taste buds, they were going Crazy! Undeniably the “BEST” Blueberry pie I have ever eaten! Today I’m making it for my first time. I can’t wait till tomorrow comes…YUM YUM YUMMY
Thank You for your recipe!
★★★★★
The only pie I’ve ever made is apple (using the recipe from this site!) and this was my first attempt at blueberry. I followed the directions/ingredients exactly, no substitutions and it tasted terrific. The only thing I had to do differently was bake mine longer – it was about 95 minutes before it looked done. I only let it cool for 3 hours but when I sliced it the filling was already set, not soupy or runny and no soggy bottom crust. My husband isn’t a big pie fan but he ate 2 big slices and said it was delicious. I made this using the all butter pie crust recipe from this site as well and the crust was perfect.
Will definitely make this recipe again!
★★★★★
Best blueberry pie I’ve ever made. I did use an egg wash on the bottom crust before putting the filling in so there would be no danger of a soggy bottom. I can’t believe I didn’t think of the easy way to protect the crust. I’ve always used bias strips of foil which was a real pain. I did have one problem. The pie had only cooled for 3 hour before it was dessert time. I gave the family the option of waiting or maybe a little runny. You can guess which they took
★★★★★
I love your blog so much, Sally! I have tried almost every recipe on your site, and am constantly impressed. I have made this pie with blueberries and it was wonderful, but I was wondering if I could replace blackberries for the blueberries next time I make it?
★★★★★
Hi Jasmine, thank you so much for making and trusting our recipes! You can use blackberries. If they aren’t super sweet, we would use 3/4 cup (150g) sugar as mentioned in the notes.
Amazing recipe! I’m a new baker and tried this pie with fresh picked blueberries after making a couple of Sally’s Cherry pie recipes. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. It took 45 minutes for the pie to reach the 200 degrees. I used a silicone pie crust shield and used a full crust instead of lattice. The pie came out amazing and was not runny. I am so psyched now to try more. As a soon to be 70 year old guy I wished I had come across Sally’s recipes a long time ago. These recipes and detailed instructions make baking fun!
★★★★★
Thank you so much for the kind feedback, John — happy baking to you!
Spot on recipe! As are all your recipes! Served with vanilla bean ice cream … yum!
Wow! I made this pie today, and we just finished a slice. It is absolutely the best blueberry pie (and crust!) I’ve ever eaten. Even my stepmom loved it, and she is an amazing cook. I followed the recipe exactly and had no trouble at all with “soupy” filling. I did use the entire 50 minutes to get the filling to 200 degrees, and the pie looked and tasted amazing. This is the first recipe I’ve made from your site, but I’m a new subscriber and will be coming back and trying new recipes often. Thank you for your detailed explanations and helping me to understand the “whys” instead of just giving directions.
★★★★★
Our blueberries have been extra juicy this summer. Is there any need to parable the bottom crust if I suspect the filling might be *too* juicy (if there is such a thing as too juicy, ha ha)?
Hi Michelle, you can absolutely par-bake the bottom crust. To apply a top crust to a par-baked bottom crust, see this helpful tutorial on another site. It’s great! https://food52.com/blog/18422-par-bake-your-double-crust-pies-join-the-anti-soggy-crust-crusade
(The link may not be clickable, so copy/paste the URL into your browser.)
This looks too wonderful to pass up! How can I convert this recipe to a Blueberry Slab pie? Would the baking tine be the same?
Hi Diane, for a slab pie, we’d recommend following this recipe instead and using blueberries. Let us know if you give it a try!
I’ve made this twice with fresh picked blueberries and both times it’s been absolutely delicious! It’s not too sweet, the flavor of the berries comes through really well. And the bit of cinnamon makes it stand out from other pies
★★★★★
Hey Tweedle (or Sally )- I hope you see this question! I just picked fresh wild blueberries in Alaska. They are pretty tiny compared to regular blueberries one would buy in the store. Did you find you needed to add any extra liquid? And did you do a full 6 cups, or did you adjust the amount?
Our blueberry pie is in the oven right now with freshly picked Alaskan blueberries! I used the recipe as is with 6 cups of berries and It looks delicious – how did yours turn out?
Wowowow, this pie was amazing! I love baking but tend to be less experienced in the pie area (I’m very intimidated by pie and bread doughs as they’re more finnicky) but followed this one to a T – including the pie crust recipe- and it turned out so well! This is the first time I’ve made a pie crust that I LOVED (i honestly didn’t know I had it in me), and I really appreciate the explicit directions and emphasis on super cold ingredients (and being careful not to overwork the dough, which has always been my failing when it comes to pastry dough). Will 100% be making this again and again.
★★★★★
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I’ve made pies over the last 35 years but always I feel like I can always do better with the crust. Your crust was so easy to make and the filling is beautiful. I can’t wait to serve it tomorrow with homemade vanilla ice cream. 😉
★★★★★
As usual…Sally has done it again! I had my favorite Blueberry Pie recipe and made two pies today with Sally’s recipe. Just delicious. Bottom crust was browned beautifully and this pie cuts like a dream. Keep ‘em coming Sally!
★★★★★
I notice the first instruction was to place the over rack on the lower third, with the drip pan on the bottom rack. Then in the baking step it said to bake the pie on the center rack. Which do you recommend? Or does it matter?
Hi Amh, I do recommend lower in the oven. (That “center rack” instruction wasn’t necessary and I removed it.)
My husband does NOT like berry pies however, this blueberry pie made a believer out out of him! He absolutely loved it! Thank you Sally for making a pie believer out of my husband!
★★★★★
Great pie
★★★★★
I was disappointed with this recipe. The 2 T of lemon juice made my beautiful fresh blueberries taste like cranberries. I’d say forget the lemon juice altogether.
★★★
The lemon juice and zest make the pie taste like lemon pie. This is a terrible recipe.
The lemon juice overpowered the blueberry. The blueberries I use are sweet, I also put extra sugar, however, it still turns out sour like raspberry pie. Suggest taking the lemon out completely
★★★
really?
Agreed , no
Lemon !!!!otherwise awesome
You can’t go wrong with lemon in a berry pie. This was probably the best pie I’ve ever made. Certainly your crust recipe was the best a rolled one of mine ever came out. Thank you!