There’s a certain sweet treat our family only enjoys once a year – when the blueberries are in season, freshly picked, and just waiting to be eaten.
That treat, ladies and gentlemen, is blueberry pie.
Why do we only eat it once a year? Well, it’s certainly not an everyday style treat. The pie crust, while delicious, is jam packed with butter. And the filling has quite a bit of sugar. Plus, to be honest, the pie just tastes best when made with berries just picked that morning.
A lot of people are intimidated by making pie. In particular, I’ve noticed that making a pie crust scares a lot of folks. It’s so easy for the crust to come out poorly – either too wet, or too dry, or it just rips apart when you try to put it into the pie plate.
Today I’m going to share with you my family recipe, tips and tricks for making a perfect pie crust every time. Plus the instructions on how to use this crust as a cornerstone for your amazing blueberry pie!
Read on for the recipe – you can also pin it to try later, or check out my YouTube video with full instructions! You can watch me make these delicious scones, as well as having some frugal family fun picking blueberries with my boys, see a number of other blueberry recipes, and drool over the finished product.
Blueberry Pie – The Crust
Here’s a few tips and tricks on pie crust before we start.
First of all, if you just can’t handle making your own pie crust right now (you don’t need that kind of stress in your life!) you of course can use a store-bought crust. But don’t be too intimidated by pie dough! This particular dough will work for any kind of pie you want to make – from other sweet pies like pumpkin and apple, to a savory chicken pot pie. So even if you mess up a few times learning this skill, it’s worthwhile to give it a shot.
Second, you want everything to be cold. A cold bowl, cold butter, and ice water are key. Refrigerating the dough for a while before rolling it out also helps the dough stick together better and roll out more easily. So remember – cold.
The ingredient list is simple – to make two pie dough parts (one for the pie top, and one for the bottom), you need:
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 12 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8-10 tablespoons ice water
Essentially, you’re going to mix the first three ingredients together in a bowl until the butter is incorporated into tiny crumbs. You can use your hands, a pastry blender, or a fork. Heck, I’ve done this with a stand mixer before too.
If you’re not sure what that should look like, scroll on down to the end of this post and watch the YouTube video I posted on making the pie.
Once your ingredients are well incorporated, you’re going to add in the ice water. Start with the eight tablespoons and add more as needed. You don’t want the dough to be too wet, but if it’s too dry it won’t stay together.
After you’re happy with your dough ball, divide it in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Then you’re going to put it in the fridge for half an hour. If you leave it in longer, it’s OK, just make sure to let it warm up a bit before you try rolling it out.
To roll, sprinkle your work surface with flour, sprinkle the top of the dough ball with flour, and roll it out into a circle. Add more flour if needed to keep it from sticking to the counter or rolling pin, but don’t add too much or it will get tough. You want the circle to be a bit bigger than your pie plate. Then gently fold it into quarters, put the dough into the pie plate, and unfold.
After you add your filling (stay tuned for the blueberry pie filling below), just repeat the process with your top crust. You’ll want to cut slits in the top crust to let your pie breathe. You can use a pie bird for this like I did in the video, but you don’t need to. It’s just kind of fun. 🙂
Be sure to watch the video to check out my trick for making an easy, pretty crimped crust – and some fun things we like to do with leftover pie dough!!!
Blueberry Pie Filling and Baking
The filling for the blueberry pie is almost as simple as the crust. Be sure to preheat your oven to 425.
- 4 cups blueberries
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon butter
I will say this tends to come out a bit “soupy” on the inside – but I like to have some blueberry soup to drizzle on my ice cream. If you prefer a thicker filling, add a bit more flour.
Just mix all the ingredients except for the butter in a bowl. Then put the filling inside your pie bottom crust, topping it with your top crust.
Bake for 10 minutes at 425, then turn down the temperature to 350 and bake another 30-40 minutes. Take it out and let it cool before slicing. Serve with ice cream, whipped cream, or eat it plain.
Pin it for later!
Want to make this later? Be sure to pin the recipe below.
Watch the video!
Want to watch this pie in action – and check out our family blueberry picking adventures, as well as some other amazing recipes? Be sure to check out the YouTube video below!