Blueberry Beer Pie
intro
A bright, fruity twist on classic American pie, with sweet blueberries and malty wheat beer baked in a buttery flaky crust, ideal for casual summer gatherings.
Ingredients
Steps
Prepare flaky pie crust
In a large food processor, combine 2 1/2 cups (315g) all-purpose flour and 1/2 tsp (2.5g) fine sea salt. Add 1 cup (226g) cold cubed unsalted butter, pulse 8-10 times until the mixture forms coarse, pea-sized butter crumbs. Drizzle in 6 tbsp (90ml) ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing 2-3 times between additions, until the dough just clumps together when squeezed. Split the dough into two equal 315g discs, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before rolling.
Cook beer filling base
In a medium stainless steel saucepan over medium stovetop heat (350°F / 175°C), pour 3/4 cup (180ml) room-temperature wheat beer and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 3 minutes to cook off sharp, bitter alcohol notes, then whisk in 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar, 3 tbsp (24g) cornstarch, remaining 1/2 tsp (2.5g) fine sea salt, and 1 tbsp (15ml) fresh lemon juice until completely smooth. Simmer for 2 additional minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to a pourable syrupy consistency, then remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
Line pie dish with crust
Remove one chilled dough disc from the refrigerator, roll it on a lightly floured work surface to a 12-inch (30cm) circle that is 1/8-inch (3mm) thick. Gently lay the rolled dough into a 9-inch (23cm) glass pie dish, pressing it firmly against the bottom and up the sides, trimming excess overhang to 1-inch (2.5cm) beyond the dish edge. Toss 4 cups (600g) rinsed, fully dried blueberries with the cooled beer syrup in a large bowl until every berry is evenly coated, then pour the entire filling into the crust-lined dish.
Add and seal top crust
Roll the second chilled dough disc to an 11-inch (28cm) circle, 1/8-inch (3mm) thick. Drape the rolled dough evenly over the top of the blueberry filling, trim excess overhang to 1-inch, then fold the top and bottom crust edges together and crimp tightly with your fingers or a fork to create a sealed edge. Cut 4 evenly spaced 2-inch (5cm) slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape during baking, then brush the entire top surface with beaten egg and sprinkle evenly with 1 tbsp (12g) granulated sugar.
Bake pie until golden bubbly
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Set the assembled pie on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any bubbling drips, then place it on the middle oven rack. Bake for 25 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes, until the crust is a deep golden brown and thick purple filling is visibly bubbling through the top slits. Cover the crust edges with a strip of aluminum foil if they brown faster than the rest of the pie to prevent burning.
Cool fully before serving
Remove the baked pie from the oven, transfer it to a wire cooling rack, and let it rest completely at room temperature for 2 full hours to allow the filling to set firmly. Do not slice the pie early, as the warm filling will be runny and not hold its shape. Serve slices at room temperature, paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired.
Tips
2.Keep all butter and water for the pie crust ice-cold at all times: warm butter melts too quickly during baking, which prevents the crust from forming light, flaky, separated layers.
3.If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them before tossing with the beer syrup (thawed berries release excess juice that makes filling runny), and add 1 extra tablespoon (8g) of cornstarch to compensate for extra moisture.
My kids were so skeptical when I said I was making pie with beer, y’all. They took one bite and asked for seconds before they even finished their first slice! I used a light blueberry ale so the beer flavor wasn’t too strong for them, and it came out perfectly sweet with that little malty depth regular blueberry pie just doesn’t have. 10/10, adding this to our regular Sunday dinner rotation.
This was my first time making a homemade pie crust from scratch, so I was super nervous! The instructions were really easy to follow, though my filling came out a little runnier than the photos show. Did I not cook the cornstarch mixture long enough? Tasted amazing anyway, even with the oozing filling!
Swapped the regular all purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten free baking flour for the crust, and used a gluten free blueberry lager for the filling, and it turned out SO good! My gluten-eating partner didn’t even notice a difference, he ate half the pie in one sitting. Only note is I added a tiny extra tablespoon of sugar because my beer was a little on the bitter side, but that was an easy fix.
Brought this to a friend’s Fourth of July cookout and it stole the show next to all the regular burgers and hot dogs. I used an IPA because I love that hoppy bite, and it cut through the sweetness of the blueberries so well. People were asking me for the recipe before I even left the party!
Y’all, I was on the fence about adding beer to a fruit pie, but this recipe converted me! The beer adds this subtle, malty depth that makes the blueberry flavor pop so much more than regular pie. I topped each slice with a dollop of vanilla whipped cream and it was absolute heaven.
Made this for Father’s Day and my whole crew raved about it. I’m usually a cherry pie guy, but this blueberry beer version is a total game changer, might be my new go-to. I used a local craft blueberry pilsner from the brewery down the street and it was chef’s kiss. Crust came out flaky as can be, no soggy bottom at all if you blind bake it like the recipe says!
I’ve been baking pies for 40+ years and I’m always looking for fun new twists on classic recipes. This one did not disappoint! The beer adds such a fun, unexpected layer of flavor that had all my bridge club friends asking for the recipe. I used a dark blueberry stout for a deeper, richer flavor and it was phenomenal with the sweet berries.
I brought this to a neighborhood potluck because I was so excited to make it, and while the flavor was great, I messed up the ratio of beer to cornstarch I think? The filling was super soupy even after letting it cool for four hours, and a lot of it spilled out when I cut the first slice. I used a heavier stout, maybe that was the issue? Also took me way longer than 1 hour 25 minutes, probably closer to two hours total with prep.
Made this for our weekly Sunday dinner with my in-laws and even my super picky father-in-law who hates “fancy food” went back for a second slice! The flavor is so approachable, not overpoweringly beery at all, just a nice little depth that makes it feel special. I added a crumb top instead of a full top crust because I’m lazy, and it worked perfectly.
Made this in my tiny dorm kitchen with my roommate! We used cheap blueberry seltzer beer we got at the corner store and it still came out insane. Didn’t have a pie dish so we used a cast iron skillet, worked like a charm. Only con is our smoke alarm went off when we were baking the crust, but that’s just dorm life tbh.
OMG, paired this with some smoked ribs and coleslaw at our backyard BBQ last weekend and it was the perfect sweet finish to the meal. The little hint of beer in the pie matched the beer we were drinking all afternoon so well, it felt like such a cohesive spread. Will be making this for every BBQ we host from now on, no exceptions.
I’ve made so many fruit pie recipes over the years and this one is easily top 3. The balance of sweet blueberries, malty beer, and buttery crust is just perfect. I added a little lemon zest to the filling like I do with all my fruit pies, and it brightened up the flavors so much, highly recommend that little add-in!
Took the advice from the comment section and used a hazy IPA for this, added a tiny extra splash of vanilla, and it came out so good! My roommate thought I bought it from a fancy bakery downtown, he couldn’t believe I made it from scratch. 10/10, will be making this again when blueberries are in peak season.
This was delicious, but as someone who lives in a tiny NYC apartment with a tiny oven, I had to bake the crust for a little longer than the recipe said because my oven runs super cold. Flavor was unmatched, though! I picked up wild blueberries from the farmers market and they made the filling so much more flavorful than regular grocery store berries.
I made this for my book club meeting and everyone was raving about how unique and delicious it was! I paired it with a scoop of salted caramel ice cream on top and the combination of sweet, salty, malty, and fruity was out of this world. I even prepped the crust ahead of time on Sunday for meal prep, which made throwing it together after work so easy. I’ve already sent the recipe to three of my friends who asked for it.
Took a chance on this after seeing Jen’s comment about her kids loving it, and wow—my three boys devoured half the pie after soccer practice last night! I used a light blueberry ale like she suggested, and they didn’t even ask why it had a “funny name” like beer pie, they just ate it. Win for this tired mom!
Finally got around to making this after seeing Steve’s comment about the blind bake tip, and he was so right! No soggy bottom at all, crust was perfectly crisp and flaky. I used a sour blueberry ale and it added this perfect little tang that balanced the sweetness of the filling so well. 10/10, no notes.
I was worried this would be too heavy for a summer dessert, but it’s actually so light and bright! I made it for a beach day picnic and it held up really well in the cooler, even after a few hours in the sun. The beer flavor is super subtle, so even my friend who hates beer loved it. Will be adding this to my summer picnic rotation for sure.
Just pulled this out of the oven and my whole apartment smells incredible! I snuck a tiny bite of the filling while it was cooling and it’s even better than I imagined. I used a blueberry honey ale from the local brewery and the honey notes pair so perfectly with the berries. Can’t wait to serve this at my game night tonight!