This easy blueberry pie with frozen blueberries can be made year-round, without thawing the berries or precooking the filling. Lemon zest adds brightness to the juicy, thick blueberry filling, while a flaky all-butter crust and rustic lattice top make it a classic homemade pie.
Fresh blueberries are a wonderful summer treat, but the season is so short, it's hard to take advantage of enough recipes before they're gone for another year. Using frozen blueberries means you can enjoy this classic pie all year round, not just during blueberry season. Plus, it's a great way to use up any extra berries you may have in your freezer!
Blueberry pie is a marvel of simplicity. At first glance, it seems rustic and humble, yet on closer look you notice the subtle details. The all butter crust has a flaky texture with a satisfying crunch that gives way to a juicy, jammy interior. The deep purple hue of the blueberries contrasts beautifully with the golden brown crust.
The filling is a combination of sweet and tart flavors, with blueberries bursting with flavor and juice. The lemon zest adds a bright note that cuts through the sweetness. The pie filling isn't overly sweet, which allows the natural flavor of the blueberries to shine through. It's a classic, old-fashioned pie that's both comforting and sophisticated.
For more fruit-filled recipes, check out this blackberry apple crumble, strawberry apple crisp, this sour cherry rhubarb pie, and grilled peaches with mascarpone cream.
Find all of my pie and galette recipes here, including this cherry rhubarb pie.
Ingredients
* See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.
Unsalted butter - Butter should be cubed in ½ inch (1.25 centimeter) pieces and chilled. Using unsalted butter allows you to control the total quantity of salt in the recipe. Salt content in salted butter varies from brand to brand.
Turbinado sugar - The unbaked pie is brushed with egg wash and then sprinkled with golden Turbinado sugar. It's also known as raw sugar. It add a delightful crispy texture and a bit of sweetness to the crust.
Blueberries - You can make this recipe with blueberries, wild blueberries, or a mix of the two! This recipe works well with either fresh or frozen blueberries. If using fresh blueberries, begin checking the pie about 10-15 minutes earlier.
Tapioca flour - Tapioca flour (also called tapioca starch) combines beautifully with fruit and sugar to create a clear, cloudless, tasteless gel.
Check labels to ensure that your tapioca flour is sourced from cassava. Some packages substitute with sago, the inner portion of the sago palm tree, which will give you unsatisfying results.
If needed, you can substitute half as much corn starch (22.5 grams, just under 3 tablespoons). Cornstarch may cause the fruit filling to cloud when it gels.
Instructions
These photos provide visual cues. Find the detailed instructions in the recipe card.
Add flour and salt to a large mixing bowl. Add chilled butter cubes and toss to coat with flour.
Using your fingers, squeeze each cube of butter to flatten it. Continue to toss flour mixture with butter to make sure it's coated.
Continue cutting butter into flour mixture (with your hands or a pastry blender) until the butter is in flattish, pecan-sized pieces.
Pour in chilled water and vinegar. Mix liquid into dough with a spoon. Once liquid is absorbed, press down firmly on the dough. Slide your hands under the dough and flip the whole thing over. Press again. Repeat this process several times, incorporating as much loose flour as possible.
Gather the dough into a ball. Divide into two equal pieces and flatten each into a disc. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Remove both discs of dough from the fridge and let rest for about 15 minutes. Roll one disc into a 10 inch diameter circle on a piece of lightly floured parchment paper. Use a bit of flour as needed to keep the rolling pin from sticking.
Transfer dough to pie pan and press into base. Trim edges so there is a ½ inch overhang. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator to chill. In a large bowl, mix filling ingredients together. Let sit for 15 minutes to thicken a bit.
Meanwhile, roll out second disc of dough to a 10 inch diameter circle. With a sharp knife and a ruler, cut lattice strips in a variety of random widths between ¼ and 1½ inch.
Pour frozen blueberry filling into pie.
Place lattice strips onto top of pie in a standard lattice weave. Trim lattice strips at inner edge of bottom crust. Fold bottom edge of pie dough down under itself to create double layer at edge of pie pan. Crimp the pie crust.
Brush the lattice and crust with egg wash and sprinkle with Turbinado sugar. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
Before baking the pie, chill it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes so that the butter in the crust is cold. This will help ensure your pie crust bakes up flaky and crispy and maintains its structure.
Bake pie for 55-65 minutes, until crust is golden brown and the juices of the blueberry filling are bubbling in the middle (not just at the sides). Tent crust partway through baking time if needed. Cool fully prior to slicing so that filling has a chance to set.
Variations
Spiced blueberry pie: Add ½ teaspoon cinnamon and ⅛-¼ teaspoon of ginger, nutmeg, or cardamom to the filling. Use spices sparingly so they complement rather than overpower the blueberries.
Blueberry thyme pie: Add 1-2 teaspoons of finely chopped fresh thyme leaves to the blueberry filling for a subtle herbal flavor.
Streusel topping: Replace the lattice crust with a streusel topping. Use a half recipe of pie dough for the bottom crust and top the filling with a half recipe of the streusel from my plum coffee cake.
Frequently asked questions
Keep the butter and liquid cold, and avoid overworking the dough. Small pieces of cold butter distributed throughout the flour create pockets of steam during baking, resulting in flaky layers.
Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes after mixing to keep the butter cold and relax the gluten. Once the pie is assembled, chill it for another 15 minutes in the freezer or 30 minutes in the refrigerator. This helps prevent the crust from shrinking and ensures the butter is cold when the pie goes into the oven.
A few details make a big difference in getting a properly thickened blueberry filling:
Measure the tapioca flour carefully: I recommend using a digital kitchen scale to ensure accuracy.
Let the filling rest: After mixing the filling ingredients, let them sit for 15 minutes before assembling the pie. This gives the tapioca flour time to begin absorbing moisture.
Bake until bubbling in the center: The filling needs to bubble in the center of the pie, not just around the edges, to ensure the tapioca flour is fully cooked.
Cool completely before slicing: The filling continues to thicken as it cools. Cutting into the pie while it's still warm can result in a runny filling.
Use a lined baking sheet: Place the pie on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet to catch any juices that bubble over during baking.
Love this recipe? Please leave a comment and star rating. ★★★★★ Your feedback, suggestions, and adaptations are very helpful to other bakers!
📖 Recipe
Blueberry Pie with Frozen Blueberries
INGREDIENTS
All Butter Pie Dough
- 15 mL vinegar, chilled, white or apple cider
- 60 mL water, chilled
- 300 grams all purpose flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt, Diamond Crystal
- 226 grams unsalted butter, in ½ inch cubes, chilled
- 1 large egg, for egg wash
- 5 mL water, for egg wash
- 24 grams Turbinado sugar, to sprinkle on crust before baking
Frozen Blueberry Pie Filling
- 700 grams blueberries, frozen
- lemon zest, from 1 large lemon
- 30 mL lemon juice
- 45 grams tapioca flour, also called tapioca starch
- 150 grams granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, Diamond Crystal
INSTRUCTIONS
ALL BUTTER PIE DOUGH
- Place vinegar and water into a small cup in the freezer to chill.15 mL vinegar, 60 mL water
- In a large bowl, combine flour and salt with a whisk. Add cubed butter to the flour mixture and toss to coat butter pieces.300 grams all purpose flour, 1 tsp kosher salt, 226 grams unsalted butter
- Using your fingers, squeeze each cube of butter to flatten it into a wide, thin layer. Continue to toss flour mixture with butter to make sure it's coated.
- Continue cutting butter into flour mixture (with your hands or a pastry blender) until the butter is in flattish, pecan-sized pieces.
- Form a well in the center of the dry mixture. Pour in chilled water and vinegar. Using a bench scraper or a heavy spatula or wooden spoon, push the mixture back and forth until the liquid has been absorbed into the dry ingredients. Using your hands, lift the edges of the rough dough mass, turn them inwards and press them firmly down. Repeat this, turning the bowl, until you can gather the dough into a rough ball, and there are no loose pieces at the bottom of the bowl.
- On a work surface, divide dough into two equal pieces and flatten each into a disc. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Remove both discs of dough from the fridge and let rest for about 15 minutes. On a piece of lightly floured parchment paper, roll one disc into an 11 inch diameter circle. (Roll the dough out by placing the rolling pin in the center of the circle and firmly pressing down while moving the pin towards the outer edge of the dough. Turn the dough clockwise 90 degrees and continue this process of rolling and turning until the dough forms a circle approximately 10 inches in diameter. Use a bit of flour as needed to keep the rolling pin from sticking.)
- Lift dough onto your 9 inch pie pan. Center it carefully, pressing down into the base and corners to be sure there are no air pockets trapped underneath. Trim the outer edge so that it uniformly overlaps the edge of the tin by ½ inch. Wrap in plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator to chill.
- On a piece of parchment paper, roll the second disc of dough into a circle 10 inches in diameter. Using a knife and a ruler, cut lattice strips in random widths between ¼ and 1½ inches. Transfer the strips on the parchment to a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill.
FROZEN BLUEBERRY PIE FILLING
- To a large bowl, add frozen blueberries. Add lemon zest, juice, sugar, tapioca flour and salt. Fold ingredients together until well blended. The tapioca flour should no longer be visible, and the sugar will take on a pinkish purple color. Let sit for 15 minutes to thicken slightly.700 grams blueberries, lemon zest, 30 mL lemon juice, 45 grams tapioca flour, 150 grams granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
PIE ASSEMBLY AND BAKING
- Scoop pie filling into dough-lined pie pan.
- For random sized lattice, place half of each size of lattice strips along the top of the filled pie. Fold back every other strip. Place a strip in the center of the pie at a 90 degree angle to the first strips, forming a plus (+) shape. Unfold the folded strips, covering the most recently placed strip.
- Repeat this under/over weaving procedure on either side with the remaining strips of dough until you have a fully woven lattice crust. If this seems complex, refer to my detailed post on how to make lattice crusts for additional instruction.
- Trim the edges of the lattice so that they just meet the inner edge of the pie tin. Fold edge of bottom pie crust down under itself to create a double layer at edge of the pie pan.
- Use your fingers to crimp the pie crust. In a small bowl, beat egg with water and brush the lattice and crust with egg wash. Sprinkle with Turbinado sugar. Place assembled pie in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.1 large egg, 5 mL water, 24 grams Turbinado sugar
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 Celsius, Gas number 6) and position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil (to catch any spills) and place on the lower rack to preheat.
- Place the pie on the hot baking sheet and bake for 55-65 minutes, or until top crust is golden brown and juices at center of pie are bubbling (not just at the edges). At about the 30 minute mark, gently tent pie with aluminum foil to keep top crust from browning too much. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool completely. Pie should be fully cooled before slicing to ensure fruit filling has gelled.
- Serve individual slices of pie with sweetened whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
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