Blueberry Mascarpone Pie
intro
Creamy, tangy mascarpone filling swirled with sweet, juicy blueberries in a buttery graham cracker crust: a light, indulgent chilled summer dessert.
Ingredients
Steps
Bake graham cracker crust
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). In a medium bowl, mix 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar, and 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter until crumbs are evenly moistened and clump tightly when squeezed. Pour the mixture into a 9-inch pie dish, pressing firmly across the bottom and 1 inch up the sides to form a tight, even crust. Bake for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely for 30 minutes before adding filling.
Cook blueberry compote
Place a small saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 ½ cups of the fresh blueberries, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and 2 tablespoons cornstarch, stirring to fully combine. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly, and cook 3-4 minutes until berries burst and liquid thickens to a syrupy, jam-like consistency. Remove from heat, stir in 1 teaspoon lemon zest and ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt, then set aside to cool for 20 minutes.
Mix mascarpone filling
In a large mixing bowl, combine 16 oz room-temperature mascarpone cheese, ⅓ cup powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat with an electric hand mixer on low speed for 1 minute until completely smooth and free of lumps, taking care not to overmix which can cause the mascarpone to curdle. Scrape down the bowl sides halfway through mixing to ensure an even texture.
Fold in whipped cream
In a separate chilled mixing bowl, beat 1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until stiff, billowy peaks form when the mixer is lifted. Gently fold ⅓ of the whipped cream into the mascarpone base to lighten it, then fold in the remaining cream in 2 batches using a silicone spatula, cutting through the center and scraping the bowl bottom to avoid deflating the airy cream.
Layer and swirl filling
Scoop all of the mascarpone cream filling into the fully cooled graham cracker crust, spreading it into a smooth, even layer with an offset spatula. Pour ⅔ of the cooled blueberry compote over the filling, then use a toothpick to gently swirl the compote into the top ¼ inch of the mascarpone to create a soft marbled pattern. Reserve the remaining compote for serving.
Chill and finish pie
Cover the pie loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours (up to 24 hours) until the filling is fully set. Right before serving, top the pie with the remaining 1 ½ cups fresh uncooked blueberries and drizzle with the reserved compote. Slice into 8 even wedges to serve.
Tips
2.Do not overbake the graham cracker crust: 10 minutes at 375°F (190°C) is enough to set it, and longer baking will result in a rock-hard crust that is difficult to cut through cleanly.
3.For perfectly neat slices, dip a sharp knife in hot water and wipe it dry between each cut when serving the chilled pie, to prevent the creamy filling from sticking to the blade.
OMG this blueberry mascarpone pie was the star of our Sunday family dinner! I was worried the mascarpone would be too heavy but it’s so light and creamy, and the blueberry topping is perfectly tart not too sweet. My 3 kids begged for second slices before I even finished serving everyone. 10/10 will make again for our next potluck!
Game changer alert! I brought this to our neighborhood block party last weekend and people were asking for the recipe before I even set the platter down. I was nervous because it says 4+ hours chill time and I almost cut that short, but trust the process—wait the full chill time, it sets perfectly so slices hold up on a paper plate no mess. Worth every minute!
Quick question before I make this for my sister’s birthday—can I swap the regular graham cracker crust for a gluten free graham cracker crust? She has celiac so I need to make sure it works, and this pie looks too good to pass up for her celebration!
Wait, this was way easier than I thought it would be for how fancy it looks! I prepped it Sunday night while I was doing meal prep for the week, let it chill overnight, and we had slices for dessert three nights in a row. The mascarpone layer is so luxe, I added a tiny bit of lemon zest to mine to brighten it up and it was chef’s kiss.
I’ve never made a pie from scratch before in my LIFE and this came out perfect!!! I was so intimidated but the steps are so straightforward, no fancy equipment needed. My roommate said it’s better than the pie we got at that fancy bakery downtown last month. I feel so proud of myself lmao
SO good. I used wild blueberries I picked up on my trip to Maine last month (froze them when I got home) and the flavor was unreal. Only note: I wish I’d made a double batch, my partner ate half the pie in one sitting after work yesterday.
Made this for date night last night and my boyfriend literally proposed (jk, but he said he’d marry me for this pie so that’s basically the same thing). We ate it on the balcony with a little whipped cream on top, perfect summer dessert. 10/10, will be making this for all future date nights.
I don’t even like sweet desserts that much and I couldn’t stop eating this. My wife made it for our Fourth of July cookout and I had three slices, skipped the burgers even. The mascarpone isn’t cloyingly sweet like a lot of cream pies, that’s the secret I think. Only knocked a star because I wish the crust was a little saltier, I’ll add a pinch of flaky salt on top next time.
Made this in my tiny dorm kitchen with literally just a mixing bowl and a fork, no fancy mixer or anything! It set perfectly in my mini fridge even, my whole floor came knocking when they smelled it. Total win for a college dorm dessert since I don’t have access to a full oven, I used a pre-made graham cracker crust to make it even easier. Will be making this every month for sure!
I was worried this would be too blueberry forward for me since I’m a chocolate dessert girl through and through, but wow. I made it for my book club and everyone raved, even the other chocolate stans in the group. The creamy mascarpone balances the fruit so well, I might even make this instead of my usual chocolate cake for my birthday this year.
I’ve been making blueberry pie for 60 years and this mascarpone version is a new favorite! I added a little cinnamon to the crumb crust like I do with my regular pie, and it paired so nicely with the creamy filling. My grandkids kept asking when I’m going to make it again, so I guess that’s the highest compliment you can get!
Pro tip: Leftover slices are SO good for breakfast with a cup of black coffee. Don’t judge me, I had a slice for breakfast two days in a row and zero regrets. The fruit makes it basically a breakfast food, right? 😂
This tasted really good when it was done, but I misread the time and thought it was 25 minutes total, not 4+ hours with chilling! I had to rush it to my kid’s soccer potluck and it was totally runny, total mess. My fault for not reading the full recipe first, but just a heads up to other people—don’t make this last minute! The flavor was great when we ate the leftovers at home after it set properly, though.