There's nothing like a classic blueberry pie, and we've got some insider secrets for making the perfect slice. Our homemade crust doesn't use a secret ingredient to make the crust melt in your mouth every time. The juicy blueberry filling is the star of the show, but don't worry, our tricks will make sure the juicy pie doesn't get soggy. There's no rush to the process, but trust us—the results are worth it. You'll end up with a buttery, sweet slice of pie that's pure heaven in every bite.
Try your hand at a cream pie with us Lemon Meringue Pie Or our delicious Banana Cream Pie!
Why our recipe?
- Starting with a homemade crust using a secret ingredient that guarantees a flaky crust every time.
- Juicy blueberries are infused with lemon juice to brighten the flavor and a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Built-in steps to get rid of excess fluid. Here is no sagi pie!
I believe almost every occasion calls for pie. Bad day? Celebrating a holiday with pie? Pi is a random Tuesday? Pies (and why not tacos?) We've taken steps to prevent the frustration of making a typical pie — soggy crust! Letting the blueberries sit with the sugar for an hour draws out excess liquid, so your pie is perfectly crumbly and mess-free. Get ready to make a bakery-quality blueberry pie! Next thing you know, you'll win a blue ribbon for it!
Material notes
- Blueberries: Be sure to use fresh blueberries for this recipe and not frozen because frozen will hold too much liquid.
- Butter: Make sure you use salted butter and make sure the butter is really cold.
- Abbreviation: Make sure your shortening has cooled before mixing.
- Water: Use ice-cold or chilled water.
- Vodka: Use chilled vodka as it keeps your dough flaky and easy to re-roll as needed.
- All-purpose flour: Use either all-purpose or pastry flour. Bread flour can also work.
- Unsalted butter: Keep this butter cold for a flaky crust! Cut it into small cubes for easy assembly.
- Vegetable shortening: must also be cold.
- ice water: Cold water is important here to prevent fat melting too quickly.
- Vodka: The “secret ingredient” that helps keep the crust tender! Alcohol inhibits gluten development, so the crust stays tender and flaky. Don't worry; Alcohol evaporates during baking.
- Fresh blueberries: Best for fresh juicy fillings. If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them before adding the sugar, but increase the cornstarch by 1 tablespoon to offset the excess moisture.
- Cornstarch: It thickens the filling so don't leave it!
- lemon juice: Adding it to berries helps bring out the bright flavor in the berries. You won't notice it's there, but it makes a big difference.
- egg white: Separate the yolks and beat the whites lightly with a fork or whisk.
Lattice crust
Using a lattice crust does more than make a pretty pie—it allows steam to escape, allowing just the right amount of liquid to evaporate. You want a juicy filling, but not too juicy that you end up with a soggy pie.
Make the strips: After you roll your crust into a rectangle you use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter (just watch your countertop!) to cut 8 equal strips, about 1-inch wide. It can help to measure a ruler and use it as a straight edge.
Keep the pie dough chilled: Cold dough is easier to work with which is important when making a lattice. Refrigerate those strips of dough for a few minutes for easy knitting.
bin: Take off your skills from kindergarten and knit away! Place 4 strips across the filling, spacing them slightly apart. Fold every other strip in half, then place a new strip perpendicularly across the pie. Continue lifting and alternating strips until your lattice is complete. You got this!
Seal and crimp: Trim excess dough around edges and gently pinch to seal. Then use your fingers or the back of a fork. It's not just about being pretty, it also helps secure the mesh in place.
Vodka: The secret ingredient
Vodka is used in pie crusts because it does not contribute to gluten formation. This creates a pie dough that is easy to roll and re-roll as needed and still turn out perfectly soft and flaky. The alcohol burns off quickly during the baking process so there is no alcohol smell and it is completely safe for children. Equal parts vodka to cold water produces the best results. If you still don't want to use vodka, replace it with an equal amount of additional ice water.
Cold ingredients work best
Cold ingredients have several advantages in creating the perfect flaky pie crust. For starters, chilling allows the moisture to spread more evenly throughout the dough, making it smoother. This keeps the butter bits from being absorbed by the dough to create a more flaky layer and allows the gluten strands to settle so that it's easier to roll your dough after it chills.
Storage and reheating instructions
Keep in fridge Leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Reheat Microwave portions on high in 30-second increments until warm.
More delicious fruit pies…
Watch the video below Where Caytlin walks you through each step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we've always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes youtube, our Facebook pageOr here on our website with their respective recipes.
