Blueberry Pie à la Mode
intro
Buttery flaky crust brimming with sweet-tart juicy blueberries, served warm with melting vanilla ice cream for a nostalgic, crowd-pleasing summer dessert.
Ingredients
Steps
Prepare flaky pie crust
In a large mixing bowl, combine 315g all-purpose flour and 5g (1 tsp) fine sea salt. Add 226g cold cubed unsalted butter, and use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture forms coarse, pea-sized crumbs. Drizzle in 60-80ml ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing gently until the shaggy dough just comes together (do not overwork, as this creates tough crust). Split the dough into two equal 2.5cm-thick discs, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before rolling.
Mix blueberry filling
In a large ceramic mixing bowl, toss 680g fresh blueberries with 100g granulated sugar, 24g (3 tbsp) cornstarch, 30ml (2 tbsp) fresh lemon juice, 2g (1 tsp) lemon zest, and 0.5g (1/4 tsp) ground cinnamon until every berry is evenly coated. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes at room temperature to allow berries to release their natural juices, stirring once at the 5-minute mark.
Assemble the uncooked pie
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Roll one chilled dough disc out on a lightly floured surface to a 30cm (12-inch) circle, 0.3cm (1/8-inch) thick. Gently lay the rolled dough into a 23cm (9-inch) metal pie dish, pressing it firmly against the bottom and sides, leaving a 2.5cm (1-inch) overhang around the rim. Pour the rested blueberry filling and all its accumulated juices into the crust-lined dish. Roll the second dough disc into a matching 30cm circle, drape it over the filling, trim excess dough to a uniform 2.5cm overhang, crimp the top and bottom crust edges tightly to seal, and cut four 5cm (2-inch) slits in the top crust to vent steam.
Bake to golden perfection
Beat 1 large egg with 15ml (1 tbsp) water to make a smooth egg wash, then brush it evenly over the entire top crust and crimped edge of the pie. Sprinkle 12g (1 tbsp) coarse sanding sugar over the washed crust for a crunchy, sparkling top. Place the pie on the middle oven rack, with a rimmed baking sheet on the rack below to catch any bubbling berry drips, and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 190°C (375°F), and bake for an additional 30 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and thick purple filling is visibly bubbling through the top slits.
Let pie set properly
Transfer the hot baked pie to a metal wire cooling rack, and let it rest for a full 45 minutes at room temperature before slicing. This resting period allows the cornstarch-thickened berry filling to set firmly, preventing runny, oozing slices when cut. Resist the urge to slice early, as hot filling will not hold its shape.
Serve with vanilla ice cream
Cut the slightly warm, set pie into 8 equal wedges. Place one wedge on each dessert plate, and top each slice with one 60ml (1/4 cup) standard scoop of premium vanilla ice cream, set slightly off-center on the pie wedge so it melts slowly over the crust and filling. Serve immediately, before the ice cream melts completely into the pie.
Tips
2.If using frozen blueberries instead of fresh, do not thaw them before mixing into the filling; add an extra 8g (1 tbsp) of cornstarch to absorb excess juice released as the berries bake, to avoid a runny filling.
3.If the crimped pie edges start to darken too quickly during baking, wrap a narrow strip of aluminum foil around the pie rim for the final 15 minutes of cook time to prevent the thin edges from burning.
OMG this blueberry pie à la mode was the star of our Sunday family dinner! I was worried the crust would be tricky since it’s marked medium difficulty, but the instructions were so clear. The blueberry filling wasn’t too sweet, paired with vanilla bean ice cream? *Chef’s kiss* My 7 year old asked for seconds before she even finished her first slice. 10/10 will make again for our next potluck!
Wait, 2 and a half hours cook time? Is that all inactive or is there a lot of hands-on work? I’m a pretty new baker, don’t want to get in over my head here. Looks incredible though, dying to try it for my girlfriend’s birthday next week.
Game changer alert! I added a tiny bit of lemon zest to the filling like my grandma used to do, and it cut the sweetness perfectly. Served this warm with salted caramel ice cream instead of plain vanilla for our neighborhood block party and people were begging for the recipe. Already sent the link to three of my neighbors!
SO good. I was skeptical about the cornstarch amount in the filling at first, thought it would be gummy, but it set perfectly after letting it cool like the recipe said. Had a slice with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream after my softball game last night and it hit every single spot. Only note: I’d add a little extra cinnamon next time, personal preference!
Tried this last night for dessert after taco night, and my kids loved it – even my pickiest eater who swears he hates all fruit ate two slices! I did use a store-bought crust because I ran out of time to make homemade (don’t judge me 😂) and it still turned out amazing. Can’t wait to try the homemade crust next time when I have more time to prep.
Made this in my tiny dorm kitchen last weekend for my roommates, and it was a hit! Only thing is I burned the edge of the crust a little because I forgot to put the foil shield on like the recipe said. Oops. Still tasted fire though, especially with the cheap vanilla ice cream we had in the mini fridge. Worth the 2.5 hours even with my tiny counter space.
I’ve been making blueberry pie for 60 years, and this recipe is up there with my own! The lattice crust instructions were so easy to follow, I taught my 12 year old granddaughter how to do it while we baked yesterday. We served it with homemade vanilla ice cream, and the whole family said it was the best pie they’d had all summer.
Meal prepped this for a weekend camping trip, and it held up so much better than I thought it would! I stored it in a cooler, sliced it up at the campsite, and served it with those little individual vanilla ice cream cups we packed. Everyone in my hiking group was raving about it, even the guy who swears he ‘doesn’t like fruit desserts’. Total win, will be making this for every group trip from now on!
Has anyone tried making this with a gluten-free flour blend for the crust? I have celiac and would love to make this for my sister’s baby shower next month, but I don’t want to waste a bunch of blueberries if the crust turns out crumbly and gross. Looks so good I’m already craving it!