Guys, we are MOVING. AHH! To a house only 20 minutes away. But still. All the feels. And all the chores, holy smokes. I’ve never sold a house before, and let me just say, this is like a whole new level of adulting over here. Packing up an entire house is no joke. I had NO IDEA we had so much crap. Like, I think our stuff mated and multiplied in our closets when we weren’t looking over the past 7 years. Now there is an ARMY of random items, lying in wait inside the closets. We are getting everything ready for the open house, where people will come take a look. We don’t even have to pack up everything yet, we just need to pack enough so that it looks like we don’t live here. You know, magazine style. An artfully arranged vase of flowers on the counter, rather than what it’s usually covered with: loose pieces of homework, bouncy balls, old mail, Nerf guns, etc. We have already packed up so much. Our garage is completely stacked with boxes, but somehow there is still stuff EVERYWHERE. I’m stepping on Lego men every time I turn around, and somehow my kitchen counter is still covered with paper. Where did we put it all before? I already know the answer: on the floor, under the bed, in between the kid’s mattress and the wall (yes, really, I couldn’t believe the stuff I found in there, kind of like the time Eric found 21 of Charlotte’s socks stuffed into our armchair.) Why are we moving, you ask? This is exactly why 😂 4 kids. 1300 square feet. You do the math. Our next house will have more space, and sometimes I delude myself into thinking that the new house will always be clean, because I will actually have space for all the items we own. (Instead of relying on my kids’ drawer-stuffing capabilities, which are nil.) But I’m no fool. Clutter lives in my very soul. I don’t care if you give me a mansion with 3 kitchens, eventually all of their counters will be covered in old mail. (The same way I’ll always have multiple colors of towels.) Every day I’m eating my feelings over here. I know everyone moves at some point, so why does it feel like such a huge deal? New schools, new yard, new neighbors. It took me 7 years to acclimate my neighbors to me randomly photographing food on my porch. Now they think it’s normal and just ask for a slice. What are my new neighbors going to think?? Probably they would be on board immediately if I could get them a slice of this pie. I went toe-to-toe with this pie for weeks and finally prevailed, you guys. But first let me ask you:
Why is blueberry pie a classic? (It’s just not that great.)
Blueberry pie has got to be one of the most iconic American recipes, right? Even just saying the name “Blueberry Pie” makes me feel all warm and cozy inside. I see visions of Snow White happily baking a pie in the dwarves’ kitchen, songbirds atwitter. Or your grandma making you something special, even if you never had a grandma who made you pie. Blueberry pie. Can you feel it?
Blueberries are too sweet for pie. I said what I said.
The problem, my friends, is that Blueberry pie, for all its iconic nostalgia, tastes like absolute garbage. No, I’m serious. It tastes like a mushy pile of boring. It’s saccharine to a fault, which is why Blueberry pie is number 254 on my list of favorite pies. (Before this pie was born, anyway.)
Listen, blueberries are just too sweet to be baked into a pie that tastes right.
My brother Nathan encapsulated this sentiment perfectly when I told him I was setting out to find the perfect Blueberry Pie recipe: “Why would you ever make a Blueberry Pie? Adding sugar to blueberries would ruin the perfect balance of their flavor.” I have to say, I agreed with him.
But even so, I was determined. Some classic pies just have to be conquered, you know? ‘Merica.
Why this recipe for Blueberry Pie WORKS
The reason this is the only version of Blueberry Pie I will eat is because it has an appropriate level of acidity and tartness to counterbalance the sweetness of the blueberries. I realized my quest for increased acidity after reading the chapter on Acid in Samin Nosrat’s book Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat (I love this book! Highly recommend!) Most of the blueberry pie recipes I found in my research were basically identical to each other: blueberries, cornstarch, white sugar, lemon, maybe some cinnamon. Very little variation in ingredients and amounts. I knew I wanted a pie with more acidic balance. Here’s how we’re getting it done:
Use cream cheese in the pie dough for added tartness Use brown sugar instead of white sugar in the filling (did you know brown sugar is acidic?) Add a heck ton of lemon zest, like at least 2 lemons worth And the kicker: spread the bottom of your pie crust with straight up cream cheese before adding the filling. THIS IS A GAME CHANGER!
(can you see it?) Once you try a Blueberry Pie with the appropriate balance of tartness, there is no going back. But aside from this, there are a few other things that make this pie next level.
We are using cornmeal in the pie crust!! I love this addition. Cornmeal crust adds amazing corny flavor and fun texture, more on that below. All the cream cheese means no one will be calling this pie too sweet (plus it adds extra moisture, say no to dry pie) It is not over baked. The pie filling is full of juicy, mostly-whole blueberries that you get to pop in your mouth. It does not taste like a manufactured store bought, overly cornstarched, jell-ified pie. It doesn’t hold the shape of the slice perfectly when you cut in, and that’s not an apology. Gimme all the juicy slurp.
Homemade Blueberry Pie ingredients
Blueberry Pie Crust ingredients
Here’s a quick shopping list to help you gather your ingredients. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions! For the crust: For the filling:
Cultivated blueberries vs. wild blueberries
How to make Blueberry Pie
Make the cornmeal crust
Let’s start out by making our crust! You are totally welcome to use a regular pie crust, I have all the info you need on my Flaky Pie Crust recipe. It’s tender, buttery, and perfect. If we all had access to tart mountain-grown wild blueberries that we foraged ourselves, then sure, your pie would be awesome. The problem is that most of us don’t. (Sometimes you can find frozen wild blueberries! Worth a check) But good news: I have found a trick for turning your ultra-sweet supermarket blueberries into a perfectly balanced pie. The only rule is that the frozen berries must stay frozen until they hit the oven. That means you have to skip the macerating step as described in the recipe.
Add all the filling ingredients except the berries to a large bowl: lemon zest and juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt. Add the frozen berries and mix together JUST before you are ready to add filling to the cream cheese bottomed pie shell. Add the filling to the pie shell and immediately put the whole pie in the freezer or at least the fridge while you roll out your top crust. Bake as usual, no time or temperature changes from what the recipe states.
BUTTTT….if you want to add even more pizazz to your pie, I highly recommend adding a bit of cornmeal to your crust. Corn and blueberries were just made for each other, okay? They should probably get married. Next secret ingredient: cold cream cheese. Cream cheese has lots of fat (necessary for pie crust!) but also a ton of tangy flavor, the perfect balance for our sweet blueberries. I’m in love with this crust you guys.
Make the Best Blueberry Pie filling
As always, the full recipe is at the bottom of the post, but I want to show you some pictures first. We need a heck ton of blueberries to start with! Fresh or frozen is fine, more on that below. 2 pounds of blueberries is about 6 cups. No need to weigh it, cup measurement is fine. Once you have all your filling ingredients in the bowl (not the cream cheese!), mix it together and let sit for about 30 minute to macerate. This softens the skin of the blueberries and starts the process of breaking down the berries so our pie is nice and juicy (this process finishes in the oven.)
Assemble the Blueberry Pie
Best Blueberry Pie Recipe tips
How to store this recipe for Blueberry Pie
And that’s everything you need to know about blueberry pie, my friends! If you already loved blueberry pie, you are going to love this version even more. If you are a blueberry pie hater like I was, then this is the recipe to change your mind! You have to let me know if you try it out! Most of the time for berry pies (with a lattice crust), you can rely on the “bubbly filling test” to tell if a pie is done. However. This pie is a little different. We are not asking all our blueberries to pop. We are not trying to turn our blueberry pie filling into a jellied mass. We just need gently cooked berries, most of which have held their shape even after over an hour in the oven. If you don’t see bubbles happening, that’s okay. Rely on the color of the crust to know if your pie is done. They sell pie shields made of metal or silicone, but I prefer using foil. It is so lightweight, there is no chance of crushing the design of your raw crust. (See recipe for details on how to make a foil shield, and my Pie Crust Recipe for photos.) Once you add the shield and lower the temperature to 350, bake for another 50 minutes. Personally, I like my blueberry pie to be juicy rather than jelly. I’m not interested in a pie that hold it’s shape perfectly when you slice it, because it tastes too manufactured and fake to me. (It’s one of the reasons I never pick blueberry pie when there are pie choices.) This recipe was developed to be rich and juicy, while still being slice-able. If you want a sturdier pie, cornstarch is the answer. And baking longer. Add an extra tablespoon or two of cornstarch to your berries (up to 5 tablespoons total), and bake until the center reaches 203 degrees F. This is the temperature at which cornstarch is fully activated. (I baked ones of my test pies for over 95 minutes before it reached this temperature. And the resultant pie was NOT great, it tasted gummy and bland to me. Just my two cents.) If in the end your pie ends up a bit too runny, well, I say just embrace the goodness. Add some vanilla ice cream and spoon the juices over the top. Heaven! Bake it straight from frozen. Brush with egg/milk, sprinkle with sugar, and pop it in the oven according to the recipe. Same temps, same times. While you can freeze already baked whole pies (cool completely, then follow the same wrapping instructions as above), the crust tends to shrink and the crust will definitely get soggy, so I recommend freezing before baking.
More blueberry recipes you will love!
The Easiest Mixed Berry Cobbler You’ll Ever Make » 5 minutes to throw together, and amazing EVERY time Overnight Blueberry French Toast Casserole » buttery, blueberry, breakfast-y goodness Blueberry Buttermilk Pancake Muffins » irresistible with a drizzle of maple syrup on top! Vibrant Purple Chewy Blueberry Cookies » from Fresh Flavorful, check out the color on these!
More pie recipes to make!
How to Make the Best Homemade Apple Pie « It’s a classic for a reason. It really is the best! Strawberry Rhubarb Pie « one of the best pies ever, with a phenomenal crumb topping Easy Homemade Cherry Pie Bars « this is one of my absolute favorites Peach Apricot Slab Pie « THIS is what to do with summer stone fruit Strawberry Glacé Pie « this pie also has a cream cheese layer; it’s where I got the idea for today’s pie. Also try out my Blackberry Glacé Pie! Dreamy Coconut Cream Pie with Caramel Layer « the best coconut cream pie of your life, promise Raspberry Banana Pie from Taste and Tell, this combo looks soooo amazing!
And just so they are handy, here are two other pie posts that you might find useful:
How to Make Flaky Pie Crust « allll the details you need to make the perfect flaky crust, every time. You can use this method with the cornmeal ingredients from today’s post, you make it the same way. How to Make a Lattice Pie Crust « What’s a pie without a lattice? It’s so pretty, and really not as hard as it looks!
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