Blueberry Dulce de Leche Pie
intro
A luscious chilled pie pairing rich caramel dulce de leche with bright, juicy blueberries in a buttery flaky crust, ideal for warm-weather outdoor gatherings.
Ingredients
Steps
Prepare the pie crust
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1 ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour and ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt. Add ½ cup (113g) of cold ½-inch cubed unsalted butter, and use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to work the butter into the flour until the mixture forms coarse, pea-sized crumbs. Drizzle in 3–4 tablespoons (45–60ml) of ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing gently until the dough just clumps together (do not overmix, as this creates tough crust). Form the dough into a 4-inch flat disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Blind bake the crust
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle that is ⅛-inch thick. Gently lift the dough and lay it into a 9-inch standard pie dish, pressing it firmly against the bottom and sides, trimming excess overhang to 1 inch and crimping the edge decoratively. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork 8–10 times to prevent air bubbles from puffing the crust during baking. Line the crust with parchment paper, fill completely with ceramic pie weights or dried beans, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights, then bake for an additional 8–10 minutes until the crust is pale golden and dry to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely for 20 minutes.
Spread dulce de leche base
Once the crust is fully cooled to room temperature, scoop 1 ½ cups (450g) of room-temperature dulce de leche into the bottom of the crust. Use a small offset spatula to spread it into a smooth, even layer across the entire bottom of the crust, taking care not to press too hard and tear the delicate baked pastry. Place the crust with the dulce de leche layer in the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes while you prepare the blueberry filling.
Cook blueberry compote
In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium heat, combine 2 cups (300g) of the rinsed, patted-dry blueberries, 1 tablespoon (15ml) fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons (16g) cornstarch. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon as the mixture comes to a gentle simmer, cooking for 4–5 minutes until the blueberries burst and the liquid thickens to a spreadable, jam-like consistency. Remove the pan from heat, stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and let the compote cool to room temperature for 20 minutes.
Assemble the pie layers
Remove the chilled dulce de leche-lined crust from the refrigerator. Pour the fully cooled blueberry compote over the dulce de leche layer, spreading it gently into an even layer with a spatula. Top the compote with the remaining 1 cup (150g) of fresh, uncooked blueberries, pressing them very lightly into the compote so they stay anchored in place.
Chill to set the pie
Loosely cover the assembled pie with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 4 hours (or up to 24 hours for make-ahead prep) until the filling is fully firm and set. Do not freeze the pie, as freezing will cause the dulce de leche to separate and the fresh blueberries to turn mushy.
Tips
2.For a time-saving shortcut, use a high-quality store-bought refrigerated pie crust, and follow the same blind baking instructions to prevent a soggy bottom layer.
3.Wait until both the baked crust and blueberry compote are fully cooled before assembling; warm components will melt the dulce de leche and cause layers to slip and mix.
OMG, I made this for our neighborhood potluck last weekend and people were begging me for the recipe! The mix of tart blueberries and that rich dulce de leche is *chef's kiss*. I was a little nervous about the medium difficulty rating but it came together way easier than I thought. 10/10 will make again!
Wait a second — can I use store-bought dulce de leche instead of making it from scratch? I’m short on time this week but want to make this for my kid’s birthday dinner.
Made this last night for family dinner and my three kids devoured it before I even got a second slice! The chill time felt forever but it was SO worth the wait. Game changer dessert for our weekly Sunday supper rotation now.
Loved the flavor combo, but my crust got a little soggier than I wanted when I baked it — any tips? I followed the recipe exactly but might have let the blueberry filling sit too long before pouring it in?
Just pulled this out of the oven an hour ago, waiting for it to chill so I can bring it on our weekend camping trip. The whole house smells insane already — has anyone tried adding a little lemon zest to the blueberry layer? I’m thinking it might brighten it up even more!
Are you KIDDING me??? This pie is the best thing I’ve baked all year. I brought half of it to my office and my coworkers were fighting over the last bite. The dulce de leche oozing into the blueberry cracks? Absolute perfection.
I swapped regular blueberries for wild blueberries I had frozen from last summer’s picking trip and it was chef’s kiss. So much more concentrated blueberry flavor paired with that caramel-y dulce de leche. Will definitely be making this for our Fourth of July cookout!
Wait, the 5 hour chill time — is that mandatory? I’m crunched for time before my in-laws come over tonight, can I stick it in the freezer for a bit to speed that up without ruining it?
I made this vegan by swapping the dulce de leche for coconut-based caramel and used a vegan butter crust, and it still turned out SO good! My non-vegan friends didn’t even notice it wasn’t the original recipe. Obsessed.
First time ever baking a pie from scratch and I picked this recipe! It looked so fancy I was scared I’d mess it up, but the instructions were super clear. Only thing is my dulce de leche bubbled over the edge of the pie plate while baking — made a mess of my oven but it still tasted amazing lol
Made this for my book club meetup and everyone was raving. I served it with a dollop of freshly whipped cream and a little extra blueberry compote on the side, and it paired perfectly with our dark roast. 10/10, will be making this for every gathering from now on.
Quick question — do I need to use fresh blueberries for this, or will frozen work just as well? I have a giant bag of frozen blueberries in my freezer I’ve been trying to use up for meal prep.
I’m a diehard chocolate dessert guy, but my wife begged me to make this for our anniversary and I’m officially converted. The sweet caramel and tart berries are way better than any chocolate cake I’ve ever made. Who knew??
Made this over the weekend for a backyard BBQ and it was gone in 15 minutes flat. Even my super picky sister who says she ‘doesn’t like fruit desserts’ had two slices. The crumb topping I added (wait, I know the recipe doesn’t call for it, sorry!) was a perfect crunchy addition, if anyone wants to hack it.
I was intimidated by the medium difficulty tag since I mostly do no-bake desserts, but the cook time was exactly as listed (1 hour 10 minutes, I timed it!) and every step made sense. The chill time felt like torture but that first bite? Worth every minute of waiting.
I’ve been baking pies for 40+ years and this one is going in my permanent recipe box. I used homemade dulce de leche like my abuela used to make and it brought back so many memories. The blueberry twist is such a fun, modern take on a classic flavor combo.
Can I make this pie a full day ahead of time for a parent-teacher potluck? I don’t want to be rushing around baking the night before if I can prep it earlier in the week!