Fresh Blueberry Crumble Pie

One of my all-time favorite desserts, this blueberry crumble pie marks the transition between late summer and early fall, when blueberries are fresh and in season! The crust is buttery and flaky, the filling perfectly sweet, and the top crunchy and delicious — perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate summer treat!

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Having grown up in blueberry country, I absolutely love all things blueberry: They are just the perfect combination of sweet and tart, with so much summer freshness!

Blueberries grew wild on the property of my childhood home, and I have such fond memories of spending summer afternoons sitting in the bushes, picking blueberries. I would sit there and fill up a measuring cup with just the right amount needed, then run back to the kitchen and help my mom continue baking! I think that’s a big reason why fresh blueberries will always “taste like summer” to me.

I tested so many different combinations and baking methods to make sure the texture and sweetness of the blueberry pie would come out perfectly.

After many, many attempts (this was one of the most challenging ones yet!), I think I finally landed on the perfect recipe. This produces a buttery and flaky golden-brown crust — without the need to spend extra time pre-baking (or “blind baking”) the crust — along with a luscious filling that has an excellent balance between sweet and tart. The filling doesn’t come out runny (and won’t spill out into a soupy mess), but it also doesn’t come out too firm.

That being said, I distinctly remember a household debate over who in the family prefers a looser blueberry pie filling over a firmer one, and vice versa. So, as always, feel free to adjust this recipe to suit you and your family’s particular taste and texture preferences!

BAKING TIME AND TEMPERATURE

As mentioned, this recipe doesn’t require you to pre-bake the crust; although, you totally could if you wanted to. Thus, baking time and temperature are especially important: You don’t want to end up with a raw, gummy crust!

I’ve tested several different baking methods for this recipe — comparing mine to those already out there — and I’ve found it best to bake the pie at a high heat (400℉) for about 75 to 80 minutes in total. I know that seems like a long time, but you need to trust me on this: this will help you achieve a crisp, golden-brown crust and a filling that sets up perfectly.

After about the 30-minute mark, I start to keep an eye on the pie and periodically check to make sure that the crumble topping doesn’t begin to burn. If it starts to darken, I simply drape a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the pie and continue baking it.

In fact, this is where I have had a lot of trouble with this recipe: sometimes I’ve needed to place aluminum foil over the top after 35 minutes, and other times after 60! Given this, and the slight variations between different ovens, I recommend peeking into the oven every 10 or 15 minutes and having the foil ready if/when needed.

Also, if you are using a pie dish made of glass, you can always take the pie out at any time during baking and very carefully check the bottom of the crust for color (just to be extra sure!).

Nevertheless, if you follow my recommendations in this recipe, you shouldn’t have any issues!

This recipe uses my recipe for homemade Flaky Pastry Dough, but you will only need half of that recipe for this blueberry pie.

Start by preheating your oven to 400℉.

Place the pastry dough on a well-floured surface and roll it out using a floured rolling pin. Keep rotating the dough to prevent sticking.

Roll out the dough into a circle about 1 inch larger in diameter than the pie dish (i.e. for a 9” pie, roll out the dough to a 10” diameter). Be careful not to stretch the dough while rolling it, or it may end up shrinking back to its original size in the oven.

Carefully transfer the rolled-out dough onto the pie dish and gently press the dough into the bottom and side edges of the dish to form the crust, as desired.

To prepare the streusel (crumble topping), combine the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, and salt. I use a stand mixer (fitted with the paddle attachment) on low speed for this, but you could also do this by hand.

Then, add in the oats and continue mixing until well combined. (I add in the oats last to prevent them from disintegrating in the mixture).

Dice up the chilled butter in small pieces and add into the topping mixture. Mix on low/medium speed for about 2 to 3 minutes, until only a few pea-sized lumps of butter remain.

Then, using your fingers, clump the dry mixture together until it reaches the desired crumble “look”.

Set the topping aside while you prepare the pie filling.

To make the blueberry filling, combine the blueberries with the lemon juice and lemon zest in a large bowl. (Zest the lemons first before juicing them — trust me on this!) Stir the mixture gently to coat the blueberries with the lemon juice.

In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt. Coat the blueberries with this dry mixture, then stir once again until all of the blueberries are evenly coated.

Next, it’s time for pie assembly! Pour the blueberry filling into the pie dish with the formed pie dough and, using your fibers, sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the top of the filling.

Set the pie on a sheet pan and place it in the oven on the middle rack.

Bake the pie for about 30 minutes, until the crumble topping begins to turn golden brown. At this point, I sometimes place a loose-fitting piece of aluminum foil over the pie to prevent burning, but this may not be necessary depending on your oven and how the ingredients react to the heat. (Just keep an eye on it!)

Continue baking the pie for another 45 to 50 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the blueberry filling is bubbly.

If using a glass pie dish, you can always take the pie out at any time and very carefully lift the pie dish to check the bottom of the crust to ensure that it is golden brown.

Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool completely for several hours.

Try to allow the pie to cool for at least three hours before cutting and serving. Cutting the pie too soon after baking will not allow the filling to fully set and it may turn out soupy!