Blueberry Pear Pie
intro
Buttery flaky crust encloses warm, cinnamon-kissed blueberry and pear filling, a cozy fruit-forward baked treat ideal for cool autumn gatherings.
Ingredients
Steps
Prepare flaky pie crust
In a large bowl, mix 315 grams (2.5 cups) all-purpose flour and 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt. Cut in 226 grams (1 cup) cold cubed unsalted butter with a pastry cutter until butter pieces are the size of peas, about 3 minutes of mixing. Drizzle in 60-80 ml (1/4 to 1/3 cup) ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing gently until the dough just clumps together (do not overmix, as this creates tough crust). Split the dough into two equal-sized discs, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour.
Mix spiced fruit filling
In a large mixing bowl, combine 450 grams (3 medium) peeled, cored, 1/4-inch thick sliced Bosc pears, 280 grams (2 cups) fresh blueberries, 100 grams (1/2 cup) granulated sugar, 50 grams (1/4 cup) packed light brown sugar, 24 grams (3 tablespoons) cornstarch, 2 grams (1 teaspoon) ground cinnamon, 0.5 grams (1/4 teaspoon) ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, and 15 ml (1 tablespoon) fresh lemon juice. Toss gently until all fruit is evenly coated in the sugar-spice mixture, then let rest 10 minutes at room temperature to let fruit juices release.
Roll out bottom crust
Remove one chilled dough disc from the refrigerator and let it sit 5 minutes at room temperature to soften slightly for easier rolling. Roll the dough on a lightly floured work surface to a 12-inch circle that is 1/8-inch thick. Gently lift and lay the dough into a 9-inch standard glass pie dish, pressing it firmly against the bottom and up the sides, leaving a 1-inch dough overhang around the dish edge. Trim any excess dough longer than 1 inch with kitchen shears.
Assemble filled pie
Pour the rested fruit filling and all accumulated juices from the bowl into the crust-lined pie dish. Dot the top of the fruit evenly with 28 grams (2 tablespoons) of small cold butter cubes. Roll the second chilled dough disc into an 11-inch circle, 1/8-inch thick, and drape it gently over the fruit filling. Trim the top crust to match the 1-inch overhang of the bottom crust, then crimp the two crust edges together tightly to seal in juices. Cut 4 small 1-inch slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape during baking.
Chill and preheat oven
Place the assembled unbaked pie in the refrigerator to chill for 20 minutes while the oven preheats. Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position, then preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Once the pie is chilled, brush the entire top crust and crimped edges evenly with the beaten 50g large egg, then sprinkle the surface evenly with 12 grams (1 tablespoon) coarse sanding sugar.
Bake until golden bubbly
Place the pie (on the rimmed baking sheet to catch bubbling drips) in the preheated oven and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 25 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 190°C (375°F) and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes. The pie is done when the crust is a deep golden brown and thick fruit filling is visibly bubbling through the top steam slits. If crust edges brown too quickly, cover them with a narrow strip of aluminum foil halfway through baking to prevent burning.
Cool pie fully before serving
Transfer the baked pie from the baking sheet to a metal wire rack, and let it cool at room temperature for a minimum of 3 hours (or up to overnight, covered loosely) to allow the fruit filling to set completely before slicing and serving.
Tips
2.Never skip required chilling steps for the dough and assembled pie, and allow the full 3-hour cool after baking: chilling prevents excessive crust shrinkage, while cooling lets the filling set fully to avoid runny slices.
3.If fresh blueberries or pears are out of season, substitute frozen unsweetened blueberries (do not thaw before use) and well-drained firm canned pears for consistent, delicious results.
OMG this blueberry pear pie was the star of our Labor Day potluck! I was worried the pear would be too bland paired with blueberry but the balance of sweet and tart was *chef’s kiss*. My neighbor asked for the recipe before she even finished her second slice. Only note is I added a tiny extra dash of cinnamon because my family loves warm spices.
Made this for my daughter’s high school soccer team banquet last weekend. The combination of juicy pear and bursty blueberries is such a nice change from the usual apple pie everyone brings. The crust came out perfectly flaky even though I was rushing to get it in the oven between work shifts. 10/10 will make again for Thanksgiving.
Took me a little longer than the listed cook time because my oven runs a touch cold, but wow was it worth the extra wait. I used wild blueberries I picked on a hike last month that I had stashed in the freezer and it worked perfectly. The pear stays just firm enough so the filling isn’t total mush, which is my biggest pet peeve with fruit pies.
Okay, full transparency: I’ve never successfully made a fruit pie from scratch before, I always end up with a soggy bottom crust. I followed all the tips for blind baking here and it ACTUALLY worked? My whole family was shocked. Only thing is I think I cut my pears a little too thick, so some bits were crunchier than I expected. Still SO good though.
My kids loved it! I was nervous they’d turn their noses up at the pear since they only ever eat blueberry pie, but they fought over the last slice. I prepped the filling the night before to cut down on day-of work for our Sunday family dinner and it held up great. Game changer for busy weeknight prep too, honestly.
I swapped the regular all purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten free baking flour for the crust and it turned out amazing! I was worried the texture would be gritty but it was just as flaky as the regular version. The fruit filling is naturally gluten free so that was an easy win for our house where half of us are GF.
Made this for our weekly neighborhood bridge club and everyone raved. I used Bosc pears like the recipe suggested and they held their shape beautifully. The blueberry doesn’t overpower the delicate pear flavor, which I was worried about after a bad blueberry pie experience last summer. Will be adding this to my regular rotation.
Wait this is way fancier than my usual microwave meals but I decided to try it for my roommate’s birthday and it was a hit? I did mess up the lattice top a little (my strips were all uneven, oops) but no one even cared because it tasted so good. 10/10 even for people who barely know how to turn their oven on.
The flavor combo here is insane. I’ve made so many fruit pies over the years and I never thought to pair pear and blueberry together, it just works. I added a little lemon zest to the filling like I do with all my berry pies and it brightened it up even more. Cook time was spot on for my oven, no adjustments needed.
This was solid, but I found the filling a little too sweet for my taste. Next time I’ll cut the sugar by a couple tablespoons because the ripe pears and sweet blueberries already add plenty of natural sugar. The crust recipe was perfect though, I’ll be using that for all my pies going forward.
Test ran this pie before our big Thanksgiving dinner and it’s officially on the menu. I made a crumb top instead of a full top crust because my family prefers that, and the crunch of the streusel paired so well with the soft fruit. If you’re a crumb top fan, 10/10 recommend that swap.
Used pears from the tree in my backyard and fresh blueberries from the farmers market and this pie tasted like summer in a bite. It was medium difficulty like the recipe said, not too tricky for someone who’s made a handful of pies before but might be a little intimidating for total newbies. Worth every minute of the 2+ hour cook time, trust me.
Brought this to my office potluck yesterday and the entire pan was gone in 10 minutes. People kept coming back to ask who brought the ‘fancy blueberry pie’ and I got to flex that it had pear in it too. The only heads up is you’ll want to let it cool completely before slicing otherwise the filling runs everywhere, I learned that the hard way when I cut into mine too early.
I made this vegan by swapping the butter for cold vegan butter and using an oat milk wash on the crust, and it turned out so good! I was worried the crust wouldn’t flake right but it was perfect. My non-vegan friends didn’t even notice it was vegan, which is always the biggest win.
Served this at my weekend brunch with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top and my guests were obsessed. The warm pie with cold ice cream is such a classic combo, but the pear adds this cozy depth that regular blueberry pie doesn’t have. I will say, the 2 hour 50 minute cook time is no joke, so make sure you block off enough time to make it, don’t try to rush it!
I added a handful of chopped walnuts to the top of my pie for a little extra crunch and it was chef’s kiss. The nutty flavor paired so nicely with the sweet blueberries and soft pears. My husband said it’s the best pie I’ve ever made, which is high praise coming from someone who eats pie every single Sunday.
I was skeptical about pairing pears and blueberries at first, I’m a total traditionalist when it comes to pie (apple, cherry, blueberry only for me, usually). But my wife begged me to try this recipe and I’m so glad I did. The flavors work way better together than I thought they would. The crust is flaky, the filling is flavorful, no complaints here.
Wait can I freeze this pie after baking? I do a big monthly meal prep bake day and I’m always looking for sweet treats I can pull out of the freezer for last minute guests. The flavor sounds amazing, I just need to know if it freezes well before I add it to my list!