Nothing tastes more like summer than the burst of flavor from a bite of blueberry pie. This simple recipe for blueberry pie uses a touch of honey to highlight the blueberries’ sweetness and cut down on the sugar.
One of our favorite summer desserts, this homemade blueberry pie recipe has the added benefit of being made with a superfood. So you can make the argument that eating dessert is good for you.
We prefer to use a graham cracker crust when making fruit pies because they have more crunch and tend to hold up better than traditional pie crusts. They also require a lot less oven time on those hot summer nights.
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Fresh or Frozen Blueberries
If they’re available, always choose fresh blueberries when you’re making a pie. They have brighter flavors and are easier to work with, which isn’t a slight on frozen blueberries that still taste delicious. This pie will work just fine with fresh or frozen berries.
Fresh berries give the pie a burst of flavor
If you’re using frozen berries, make sure to fully thaw and drain them. The easiest way to thaw them is in a colander placed in the sink. The freezing process breaks down the cellular walls inside the berries, letting them release more liquid, which can make the filling soupy.
When we’re using frozen berries, we usually add another teaspoon or two of corn starch to the filling to make sure it sets up.
How to Make Blueberry Pie Filling
It’s easy to make blueberry pie filling from scratch, we use 6 cups of blueberries, fresh or frozen will work, a little corn starch, some sugar, a touch of lemon juice, and some honey to bring everything together and add some complexity to the filling.
Adding a touch of honey takes the pie from good to great
We start by cooking down a couple of cups of blueberries into a slurry that holds everything together while concentrating the berries’ flavor.
We spent a lot of time developing this recipe, trying small changes like varying the amount of sugar, replacing the white sugar with brown sugar, and using a variety of cooking times. The thing that made the biggest difference in flavor and texture was the honey.
A couple of tablespoons of honey took the pie from good to great.
A beautiful thing about blueberry pie filling is it’s not just for pies. It can be used for pancakes or waffles, as the filling for cheesecake, or as the topping for an amazing ice cream sundae. This filling can also be frozen as is but should not be used for canning, which requires some extra ingredients and a lot more heat.
We prefer to use corn starch to thicken fruit desserts over flour because it takes less corn starch to thicken things, and the filling comes out cleaner and looks more visually stunning than desserts that use flour as a thickener, which tends to look cloudy.
Tips for Making a Scrumptious Blueberry Pie
Anyone can learn how to make a blueberry pie from scratch. Start by deciding whether you want to use a graham cracker or flour based pie crust and make sure you have an excellent pie pan.
We prefer heavy-bottomed glass pans that can hold their heat in the oven, look good on the table, and go right into the fridge without messing with the pie’s flavors.
Let the pie chill for 30 minutes before serving
We always start by making the crust first, so it has enough time to cool down while we’re making the filling. It helps to stir the mixture frequently as it comes together, so it doesn’t boil over or stick to the pan.
Make sure to add the corn starch to the blueberries off the heat; this helps avoid clumping. It also helps to keep the filling on the heat until it starts to thicken. More than a few times, we’ve pulled the filling off the stove too early and ended up with blueberry soup.
Once it’s ready, it helps to pour the filling into the middle of the crust, using a spoon to spread it out evenly.
The pie should be stored in the fridge, where theoretically it will last for 4 to 5 days, not that we’ve ever had one hang around that long.
We love to serve the pie with some fresh whipped cream
Make a graham cracker crust or use a store-bought crust. This recipe is designed for a nine-inch round pan.
In a saucepan, combine 2 cups of blueberries, sugar, honey, and 2 tbsp of water; bring to a boil over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring regularly.
While the blueberries are cooking, dissolve the corn starch in 1/4 cup cold water.
Remove the blueberries from the heat and add the corn starch mixture. Return the pan to the heat, bring it back to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for an additional 2 minutes stirring regularly to keep everything from sticking to the pan.
Add the remaining 4 cups of blueberries and lemon juice and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. The filling should start to thicken before coming off the heat.
Spoon the filling into the pie crust. Starting in the center and working towards the edge to evenly distribute the filling.
Let the pie hang out in the fridge for 30 minutes for the filling to firm up before serving.
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