Blueberry Crumble Pie
Blueberry crumble pie is made with fresh or frozen blueberries and topped with a simple yet flavorful oat crumb topping.
Blueberry pie screams summer. All those fresh, juicy berries oozing out from under an oat crumble topping is irresistible. It’s surprisingly simple to make from scratch and is best served warm with vanilla ice cream. You can make this pie ahead of time and freeze it before an event such as family vacation or even Thanksgiving.
Why this recipe works: It has a simple filling that consists of fresh blueberries, but frozen may also be used. The crumble topping is taken from my apple crumble pie recipe, which is one of my favorites. The topping is flavorful, sweet and complements fruit pies well.
How to make blueberry crumble pie
- Partially bake the pie crust: Roll out your pie dough and place it in a 9-inch pie plate. Freeze the dough to help prevent it from shrinking, then fill it with pie weights and bake at 375° F for 15 minutes. Remove the pie weights and bake the crust for another 5 minutes until golden.
- Prepare the filling: Toss together the blueberries and other filling ingredients and set aside.
- Prepare the crumble topping: Whisk together the dry ingredients, then cut in the cold butter until a crumble mixture forms.
- Assembly: Pour the filling ingredients into the partially baked crust. Top with the crumble topping and press down gently.
- Bake the pie for 20 minutes at 400° F, then lower the temperature to 375° F and bake for another 30 to 40 minutes.
Helpful tips
My number one tip for this blueberry crumble pie recipe is using a partially baked crust (also known as blind baking). Since the filling is pretty juicy, a partially baked crust will keep its structure to hold all that delicious filling. I find that it helps to freeze the pie dough in the plate before baking to help prevent the crust from shrinking in the oven. I prefer my homemade pie crust recipe, but store-bought works too.
For the filling, fresh blueberries have so much flavor compared to frozen berries. If using frozen blueberries, defrost them first and discard the juices. (I usually just let them sit in a mesh strainer in the sink.)
The crumb topping works best when the butter is still cool so it forms crumbles. Press it down gently on top of the filling so it stays in place while baking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, although fresh blueberries have more flavor. If using frozen, thaw the blueberries first in a strainer and discard extra juices.
Yes, store blueberry pie covered in the refrigerator. This will keep the filling a little more in tact and help the pie keep an extra day or two longer.
Yes, let the pie cool completely, then wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap and a double layer of aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Write the date on the outside and freeze on a flat surface for up to 3 months.
Defrost the pie in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to reheat, preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake pie for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through. If baking from frozen, it will take 45 minutes. Keep a pie crust shield or layer of aluminum foil over the top to prevent browning.
Related recipes
Pies are a popular dessert and loved by many. In the summer, I also enjoy baking this triple berry pie with blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. The flaky lattice top crust is beautiful and delicious. For barbecues and Fourth of July parties, I bake these mini blueberry pies with star crust tops.
As I mentioned before, I use this crumble topping recipe in a few recipes including my apple rhubarb pie. and this cherry crumble pie. If you want more blueberries, then these blueberry cobbler and blueberry crisp are must-try recipes! You can also make strawberry blueberry pie.
Blueberry crumble pie is bursting with blueberry flavor that pairs so well with the oat crumble on top. Each bite has juicy sweet berries and a sweet crunch from the crisp topping. The only thing that makes this pie better is a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
I think this is the perfect summer pie, but you could also make it for Thanksgiving. When and for whom are you baking this pie? Let me know when you write a review or tap the stars to leave a rating!
Did you love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below and if you REALLY loved it, consider leaving a comment further down the page.
Get the Recipe: Blueberry Crumble PIe
Ingredients
- 1 pie dough, homemade or store-bought
Filling
- 5 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and patted dry (see notes for using frozen blueberries)
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of all spice
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Crumble topping
- ¾ cup (94 g) all purpose flour
- ½ cup (40 g) rolled oats
- ⅓ cup (66 g) light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (66 g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup (113 g or 1 stick) unsalted butter cut into 1-inch pieces, softened but still cool
Instructions
Pie crust
- Roll out pie crust and place it in a 9-inch pie dish. Fold the edges in and crimp them. Place the dough-line pie plate in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Ten minutes before taking the pie plate out of the refrigerator, preheat your oven to 375° F.
- Remove pie plate from the freezer and line it with parchment paper. Place pie weights on top of it. Bake pie crust for 15 minutes or until edges of crust are starting to turn golden. Remove pie crust from the oven and carefully take out the pie weights. Then return the crust to the oven to bake for 5 minutes longer or until light golden. Set aside and prepare the filling. Keep the oven on, but increase temperature to 400° F.
Filling
- In a large bowl, toss the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon, all spice, flour and cornstarch. Set aside.
Crumble topping
- In a separate bowl make the crumble topping. Whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, sugar and cinnamon. Add butter and use a pastry cutter or your hands to mix butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly.
Assembly
- Transfer berry mixture into the crust and leave any excess juices in the bowl. Sprinkle crumble topping over the berries and pat down gently.
- Place the pie on the middle rack in the oven with a large baking sheet on a lower rack below. Bake at 400° F for 20 minutes, then keeping the pie in the oven decrease the temperature to 375° F for 30 to 40 more minutes. After the first 20 minutes of bake time, check on the pie. If the crust and crumble are golden in color, place aluminum foil over it to prevent burning.
- Allow pie to cool for at least 3 hours before cutting and serving. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Baking Illustrated
13 Comments on “Blueberry Crumble Pie”
I love your detailed instructions and this blueberry pie is delicious!
this was so good. i made it with fresh blueberries and a store bought crust. can’t wait to make it again. loved how easy it was too. ( i didn’t have any lemons so i used bottled lemon juice). thanks
Excellent job with the directions and a delicious pie!
What’s the best way to let this cool according to the directions? Should it be cooled on the counter or in the refrigerator?
Hi Jeanne – Let the pie cool completely on the counter before serving.
What is the reasoning of cooling the pie for 3 hours before serving? Will it still be warm?
Hi Sarah – The filling needs time to solidify and set. If you cut into the pie while it’s still warm, the filling will be quite messy. That being said, you can always reheat the pie if you’d like to serve it warm!
Absolutely wonderful pie. We patiently waited two hours for it to cool. (Could not wait any longer) Served it with vanilla ice cream. OMG!!!
I used last years frozen blueberries from my garden. I let them thaw slightly but obviously nit enough. My filling was watery and it was like the berries did not cook down. It was still delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It served like a crumble or crisp rather than pie. Next time I will definitely let the blueberries thaw completely. Crumble on top was great!
I’ve made this blueberry pie twice now. Love this pie! Your instructions were easy to follow. I’ve baked for 50 years and your crumb topping is great also! Thank you!
I thought this was really good. Next time I’ll omit the cinnamon and allspice in the blueberry’s. It also holds together much much better if it goes into the fridge.
I have not made this yet. Why 5 cups of blueberries and not 4? Usually a 9″ pie is 4 cups. Won’t it overflow?
Hi Connie – I like to mound the berries in the center so there’s plenty of filling. The berries cook down during the process. I haven’t had issues with overflowing, but I always put my pies on a baking sheet just in case!