Easy Blueberry Pie with Frozen Blueberries
This is an easy and delicious homemade blueberry pie with frozen blueberries. The filling is thick and flavorful, encased in a buttery pie crust.
Reader Debbie says:
I have made blueberry pie twice using this recipe, and it came out beautifully each time! I used 2/3 frozen berries, and 1/3 were fresh. It was a perfect consistency- not too jammy but not runny either. Had to send part of it home with my guests or I might have eaten all of what was left by myself!! Definitely five stars!
Frozen sweet blueberries are brilliant in a pie. Most of the time, frozen fruit is picked when it is at its peak condition, which means the quality of the fruit is very good. Frozen berries are often sweeter than their fresh counterparts, so they need less sugar in the pie filling.
I cook and thicken the filling before adding it to the pie crust when using frozen blueberries. This gives much more control over the amount of liquid in the filling. For a rustic blueberry pie, try this blueberry galette with puff pastry, or this blueberry custard pie!
Ingredients
You can find the ingredient amounts for this blueberry pie with frozen blueberries recipe in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. Here is a rundown of what’s needed.
- A 9-inch pie crust. This pie uses a double pie crust. I use my homemade all-butter pie crust. It makes the perfect pie crust, enough for a 9-inch double-crust pie or a double crust for a 10-inch tart pan. You can use a store-bought pie crust if you’re short on time.
- Frozen blueberries or fresh. I love that this pie can be made year-round!
- Lemon juice and lemon zest and a hint of cinnamon. This enhances the flavor of the fruit filling.
- Sugar. Sweetens the blueberries.
- Cornstarch. This thickens the berry filling. For an extra thick filling you can add in a tablespoon of all-purpose flour too.
- Salt. Enhances the flavor.
Tips and tricks
- Make the pie crust in advance. An extra flaky pie crust needs to chill and rest in the fridge. You can easily make pie crust in advance and refrigerate or freeze it until needed. Pie crust can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Give the pie an initial hot blast in the oven. A flaky crust relies on the butter pieces in the butter pie crust dough to stay cold until they hit the hot oven. In the oven, the heat causes the water to evaporate quickly in the butter, creating little air pockets in the crust. This initial really high heat evaporates the water more quickly and efficiently.
- Ensure the blueberry filling is chilled before adding to the pie crust. If you add it in while it’s still warm, the butter in the pastry will warm up and won’t be flaky.
- Don’t underbake the crust. An underbaked pie crust is gummy and tasteless. Let the pie bake a long time until the filling is bubbling and the pastry is a deep golden brown. If you find the edges browning too fast, tent them with foil.
- Don’t cut the pie too early. Let it cool for at least 4 hours at room temperature so the filling is not too runny. Refrigerating it will make it even thicker.
Here’s how it’s done!
- The filling needs time to cool so start that as soon as you can.
- In a large saucepan, add in your filling ingredients, except for the butter.
- Stir it together, then warm this over very low heat while the blueberries release some of their juices.
You can turn the heat up once lots of the juices have been released. Keep stirring until it’s thick and glossy.
Stir through an optional tablespoon of butter, then let the filling cool completely.
- Roll out one pie crust and scoop in the cooled filling.
- Add the second layer of pie crust on top. I love a lattice toppig.
- Cut off the excess dough but leave an overhang. Roll the top and bottom crust together. You can flute the edges, or use a fork to create some tine patterns.
- Brush with egg wash. I don’t brush the pie edges as they will brown more quickly.
Sometimes, I use a 10-inch tart pan instead of a 9-inch pie dish.
Then, instead of fluting the edges, you can just press these down so the edges of the tart pan cut them off.
Bake the pie until it’s deeply browned and the blueberry filling is doing thick, slow bubbles.
Let the pie cool for at least 4 hours before serving.
Blueberry Pie with Frozen Blueberries
This is an easy homemade blueberry pie using frozen blueberries. The filling is thick and flavorful, encased in a buttery and flaky pie crust.
Ingredients
- 1 Double pie crust
- 1 kg frozen blueberries
- 100 g granulated sugar (can be decreased if blueberries are very sweet, or increased if tart)
- 30 g cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- 1 Tablespoon butter optional
Egg wash
- 1 egg + 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, combine the frozen blueberries, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, sugar, and salt. Don't add the butter yet. On very low heat, stir until the frozen blueberries release some of their liquid.
- Once they've released their juices, turn the heat up to medium and keep stirring regularly until the mixture heats thoroughly and comes to a bubble. Don't forget to stir, or the cornstarch mixture will begin to cook prematurely at the bottom of the pan.
- Once the mixture begins to bubble, let it boil while continuously stirring. Do this for a full minute until it's thick and glossy. It will lose its cloudy appearance and become clear and thick.
- Once it's cooked, remove it from the heat and stir through the tablespoon of butter if using it.
- Pour the hot blueberry mixture into a large bowl and let it cool to room temperature. The filling can also be made a couple of days in advance and stored in the fridge in an airtight container.
Assembling
- Roll half the pie dough on a floured work surface into a 12-inch circle. Drape it over a pie dish or tart pan, leaving an overhang. Scoop in the cooled blueberry filling.
- Cover the top of the pie with the second half of the pie dough. You can simply roll another 12-inch circle, drape it on top, and flute the edges. Make 2-3 slits in the middle to allow steam to escape. Alternatively, take your time and make a lattice crust. See the notes for how to make a lattice top.
- Cut off the excess dough but leave an overhang. Roll the top and bottom crusts together. You can flute the edges or use a fork to create tine patterns.
- If you're using a tart pan intead of a pie dish, then, instead of fluting the edges, you can press these down so the edges of the tart pan cut all the excess dough off. (See the above post for a visual)
- Mix together the egg and water. Using a pastry brush, brush the dough on top of the pie with egg wash.
Baking
- Place the unbaked pie in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C.)
- Once the oven is at temperature, place the pie on the middle rack in the oven, and add a tray underneath to catch any spills.
- Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 15 minutes, then turn the heat down to 375°F (190°C) and continue baking for a further 45 minutes until the pie crust is thoroughly browned and the purple blueberry filling bubbles through the gaps in the top crust.
- If the crust is showing signs of excessive browning, you can cover the top of the pie with a piece of aluminum foil. However, don't be afraid of a deep golden brown crust, as this brings flavor and flakiness.
- Once baked, remove the hot pie from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack. For a firmer filling, let the pie cool completely and refrigerate it for a few hours once it is cold.
- You can also serve a lightly warm pie but the filling won't be as firm as when it is chilled. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- Make ahead – The pie dough and the blueberry filling can be made days in advance and refrigerated for two days or frozen until needed. The pie itself can be assembled in advance for up to a day ahead of time.
- Other berries or fruit– You can mix blueberries with other berries or fruit, either fresh or frozen, to create a mixed fruit pie. Just be mindful of the juice content of each fruit, as it may affect the pie’s final consistency.
- Sweetness: If your blueberries aren’t very sweet, add a tablespoon or two of extra sugar, or decrease the sugar if they’re very sweet.
- Cup sizes – The cup sizes given are US-sized. Note that these are smaller than metric. For best results, use grams.
How to make a lattice pie top
Roll out the remaining half of the pie dough into another 12-inch circle to make a lattice pie crust. Cut dough into 12-16 strips of dough, depending on how wide strips you prefer. Lay 7-8 strips vertically on top of the blueberry-filled pie. The longest strips will go in the middle of the pie, and the shorter strips can go on the ends.
Fold back every second strip halfway. Lay one of the unused strips horizontally in the middle of the pie. Lay it over top of the strips that haven’t been folded back. Unfold the folded strips so they cover the horizontal strip.
Repeat this now but with the other vertical strips. Repeat until the whole pie is covered.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 179kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 5gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 380mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Can you use a crumb topping on this pie
Yup you could! 🙂
I made this recipe using only 1/3 cup sugar and a tablespoon of tapioca as well as cornstarch. My family said it was the BEST blueberry pie they ever had! So I am making it again. We get Wyman’s wild frozen blueberries from Maine. Yum!
Yay thank you Jenny, I loved reading that! 😀
Hello, I would love to try this recipe but I do not have the food scale, can anybody tell me approximately how many cups of frozen blueberries that might be roughly?
Sure! It’s roughly 6 1/2 cups 🙂
I am confused. The recipe for the filling says flour, but the instructions say cornstarch. Which should I use? Other recipes I have seen use a combination of both. What do you recommend? Also,thank you for explaining why it is best to cook the filling first. I hesitate to use frozen blueberries because they tend to all break down when stirred and cooked and my pie would have NO whole berries. How do you avoid this? Thanks so much for any tips!
Hey Ann,
The instructions only mention flour for the pastry. The filling is definitely cornstarch and says so in the instructions and ingredients :).
As for the blueberries breaking down, I’ve actually never had this problem. They do break down a bit but majority still keep their shape even after cooking.
Is the recipe for a deep dish?
No just a standard 9inch pie
this blueberry pie is absolutely delicious!!! My family really likes it! I like that you can use frozen blueberries with this & i also bake this pie for 15 minutes @ 425 and only 30-35 minutes @ 375 instead of 45 minutes. thanks so much for sharing this recipe:)
Could I make this pie and then freeze for later? If so, would I freeze before baking it or after?
You can freeze the pie unbaked for up to 2 months, just wrap it tightly 🙂
I have made blueberry pie twice using this recipe and it came out beautifully each time! I used 2/3 frozen berries and 1/3 were fresh. It was the perfect consistency- not on jammy but not runny either. Had to send part of it home with my guests or I might have eaten all of what was left by myself!!Definitely five stars!
Thank you Debbie!! so happy you loved it!
Today is Friday and I am making the pie for the county fair to be brought on Tuesday and judged on Wednesday. I am making the filling tonight, when should I bake it?
Thank you
Blueberry Pie is my favorite! I don’t put vinegar in mine, so I’ll have to try this version.
I’m using a store bought gluten-free crust. Do you still recommend baking at a higher temperature for 15 minutes?
Hey Janice, I would not bake at the higher temp first for that crust
Blueberry pie is my favorite. I’m using a store bought crust. Is that ok?
Yup! 🙂
I am a 75 year old Grammy in Texas. My 12 year old grandson wants us to make a blueberry pie for Christmas because he has never had one. I was stressing because of having so much to do this time of year, but when I read that both the filling and the crust can be made ahead I was so relieved. I will be using gluten free flour so I hope it turns out well. Thank you for your thorough explanations.
I want to use glass pie pan. I am afraid of putting a cold dish in a hot oven. Do you use glass pie plate with it?
Hey sometimes I do use a glass pie dish. If you want to be on the safe side, you can chill the pie just to firm up the butter in the pastry dough after it has been shaped, but then let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before placing it in the oven so it’s not a super cold plate before it goes in 🙂
I have 1 medium sized can and 1/2bag of frozen blueberries . How do I combine them to make filling for one pie so that the filling is nice and firm? Thanks for the help!
Hey Susan, I’m not sure how much your bag of blueberries weighs, so I can’t really give you any amounts!
I am baking this pie this morning, I do not have a weigh scale, please tell me in cups how much flour, sugar and cornstarch to use.
Thank you for sharing.
Lorraine
Hey Lorraine, there is a toggle above the list of ingredients that switches between metric and us cups measurements 🙂
I know the recipe says you can do this with a streusel on top but in my experience it needs the top crust to hold all the filling in. Mine overflowed all the way around (thank goodness I put a pan under it in the oven!!!). So either less filling or second crust! Filling is delish though.