What’s your favorite way to enjoy blueberries? Tossed into yogurt? Crushed into a sorbet or smoothie? Topping a fresh fruit tart? I think that once you try this Blueberry Streusel Pie, you’ll have a new favorite way to enjoy these delicious berries. The pie is absolutely packed with blueberries and is topped with a buttery crumble topping that adds just the right amount of texture to contrast with the tender berries below.
The filling is nothing more than fresh blueberries with a bit of sugar, salt and cornstarch. It is jammy and delicious, with just the right amount of texture from the berries. I didn’t add much sugar considering the quantity of berries in the pie, as blueberries are generally very sweet when they are ripe. If your berries taste a bit tart, it could mean they are slightly below the optimal ripeness, in which case you should add an additional tablespoon or two of sugar. The cornstarch is necessary because it thickens the berries as they pop and release their juices in the oven. If you don’t use enough, you’ll end up with a soggy bottom crust and a filling that is too runny to slice neatly. The filling will continue to thicken as it cools, so be patient and wait to slice it until it has come completely to room temperature after baking. You can use frozen blueberries in this pie from frozen if you cannot get fresh berries, but you will need to add an additional 2 tbsp of cornstarch due to their extra moisture content.
The streusel topping is made with both white and brown sugars, as well as a bit of vanilla. Instead of using cold butter that is cut in, this crumbly topping uses melted butter that is simply stirred in to the dry ingredients. As a result, the streusel takes only a minute to put together. I always recommend making a homemade pie crust (especially since the topping and filling are so easy in this recipe!), but a storebought pastry crust can be used if you want to save even more time.
The pie will keep well for several days after baking, though that bottom crust may start to become less crisp after a day or two simply because of the moist fruit filling. If it is hot where you are, consider refrigerating the pie to extend its shelf life. The pie can also be reheated in the microwave, if desired, and can be paired with vanilla ice cream.
Blueberry Streusel Pie
Filling
Dough for 1 9-inch pie crust
5 cups blueberries (approx 24 oz)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
Topping
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 375F.
Roll out pie crust to fit a 9-inch pie plate and transfer crust to the plate. Chill for at least 30 minutes before using.
In a large bowl, make the filling. Combine all filling ingredients and stir to coat.
In a medium bowl, make the topping. Whisk together flour, sugars and salt. Pour in butter and vanilla extract and stir with a fork until mixture resembles wet sand. Squeeze handfuls of the mixture in your fist to form larger crumbles.
Pour filling into chilled pie crust. Sprinkle streusel mixture evenly over the top of the berries.
Bake for 65-70 minutes, or until the pie filling is bubbling all around the edges of the pie. If the top browns too much, place a sheet of aluminum foil loosely over the streusel. Allow pie to cool completely before slicing
Makes 1 pie; serves 8-10
Tricia
July 8, 2017Made this yesterday, and it’s fabulous! I didn’t have enough berries for the pie, so halved the recipe and made four tarts instead. SO, so good. Thanks for the recipe!
Sara
July 24, 2017This pie was Great! I made it gluten free by using a GF all-purpose baking flour and a frozen GF pie crust. It worked perfectly! With that shortcut, your pie will be ready for the oven in about 10 minutes. The crumb topping was so good I love the addition of vanilla! I want to try that crumble recipe on a coffee cake. After about 15 mins, the top was really starting to brown so I went ahead and lightly covered it with foil at that point. I was afraid it would be too dark at an hour but it was perfect! Oftentimes fruit pies can be runny but this sliced perfectly! I just can not say enough about how great this pie was.