Blueberry Streusel Pie
intro
Buttery flaky crust, juicy sweet-tart blueberry filling, and crunchy cinnamon streusel come together in this classic, crowd-pleasing summer baked treat.
Ingredients
Steps
Prepare pie crust dough
In a large bowl, whisk 1 1/4 cups (150g) all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt to combine. Add 6 tablespoons (85g) cold cubed unsalted butter, and use your fingertips or a pastry cutter to cut butter into the flour until the mixture forms uneven, pea-sized crumbs. Drizzle in 3-4 tablespoons ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing gently with a fork until the dough just clumps together (do not overknead, as this makes crust tough). Form dough into a 4-inch flat disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Use this chill time to preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and prep your filling and streusel.
Roll and fit crust
Lightly dust a clean work surface and rolling pin with flour. Roll the chilled dough disk into a uniform 12-inch circle, roughly 1/8-inch thick. Gently lift the dough and drape it over a 9-inch glass pie dish, pressing it firmly against the bottom and up the sides of the dish. Trim overhanging dough to a 1-inch border, tuck excess under itself, and crimp the edges decoratively with your fingers or a fork. Prick the crust bottom 10-12 times with a fork to prevent air bubbles during baking, then set aside.
Mix blueberry filling
In a large mixing bowl, combine 4 cups (600g) rinsed, thoroughly patted-dry fresh blueberries, 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons (24g) cornstarch, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, and 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt. Toss very gently until all blueberries are evenly coated in the sugar-cornstarch mixture, taking care not to crush more than 10% of the berries. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes to let cornstarch dissolve, then pour evenly into the prepared crust, spreading into a level layer.
Make cinnamon streusel
In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 3/4 cup (90g) all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup (100g) packed light brown sugar, remaining 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 cup (20g) rolled oats, and remaining pinch of fine sea salt. Add the remaining 10 tablespoons (141g) cold cubed unsalted butter, and use your fingertips to rub butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture forms coarse, uneven crumbs the size of small pebbles. Do not overmix into a smooth paste; irregular clumps create extra crunch after baking.
Bake the assembled pie
Sprinkle the streusel topping in an even, thick layer over the blueberry filling, leaving no fruit exposed. Place the pie dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any bubbling, overflowing filling, then set on the middle rack of the preheated 375°F (190°C) oven. Bake for 50-55 minutes, until the streusel is deep golden brown, the filling bubbles vigorously through cracks in the topping, and the crust is crisp. If the crust edges or streusel darken too quickly after 35 minutes of baking, cover loosely with a strip of aluminum foil to prevent burning.
Cool and serve pie
Carefully remove the baked pie from the oven and transfer it to a wire cooling rack. Let it cool completely at room temperature for a full 2 hours before slicing; this rest time is critical for the cornstarch-thickened filling to set into a firm, sliceable consistency. Serve slices slightly warm or at room temperature, optionally topped with freshly whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream.
Tips
2.If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them before mixing into the filling; add 1 extra tablespoon of cornstarch to absorb extra released juice, and add 10 minutes to the total bake time to ensure the filling sets properly.
3.Do not skip the full 2-hour cooling time! The filling is very runny immediately after baking, and cutting into the pie early will result in slices that ooze and fall apart, even if the filling looks fully cooked.
OMG this blueberry streusel pie was the star of our Sunday family dinner! The crumb topping is perfectly buttery, not too sweet, and the blueberry filling has just the right amount of tang so it doesn’t feel cloying. I used fresh wild blueberries I picked up at the farmers market and it was chef’s kiss. 10/10 will make again for our next potluck!
Took this pie on our group camping trip last weekend and it got demolished in 10 minutes flat. The streusel stayed crunchy even after bouncing around in the cooler for a few hours, which I was worried about. Only note is I wish I’d made two, people were scraping the pie tin for crumbs!
Okay, medium difficulty my foot — I’m a total novice baker and I nailed this on the first try? The instructions were super straightforward, no weird fancy ingredients, and my kids went crazy for it. My 7 year old asked for a second slice before he even finished his first! Will absolutely be adding this to our regular rotation.
Has anyone tried making this with a gluten free all purpose flour blend for the crust and streusel? I have a family member with celiac coming to our Fourth of July cookout and I don’t want to make a separate dessert if I don’t have to!
Made this in my tiny apartment oven last night and it came out perfectly! I was worried about the filling bubbling over so I put a baking sheet under the pie tin like the recipe said, and zero mess to clean up. The cooling time is brutal though, I kept sneaking bites of the streusel while I waited lmao
Brought this to my office potluck yesterday and I had three people ask me for the recipe before I even made it back to my desk! The streusel is such a nice change from a regular top crust, way less fussy to make too if you’re intimidated by lattice tops like I am.
I’ve been making blueberry pie for 40 years and this streusel version is now my go-to! I used frozen blueberries since fresh are out of season right now and it worked just fine, I just drained off a little of the extra juice before adding the filling to the crust. My grandkids said it’s better than the old recipe, which I’m choosing not to be offended by 😂
Wait how well does this keep in the fridge? I want to make it on Sunday for meal prep so I have a little sweet treat to look forward to after work all week, but I don’t want the streusel to get soggy.
Tried this recipe last night and thought the filling was a little runnier than I expected? Tasted amazing, don’t get me wrong, but when I cut into it the filling oozed out a little. Flavor was 10/10, texture of the filling was just a little looser than I prefer. Might add an extra teaspoon of cornstarch next time.
Game changer!!! I added a little cinnamon to the streusel like one of the commenters suggested and wow, that warm spice paired with the sweet blueberries is unreal. I served this with a dollop of freshly whipped cream and my roommates are already begging me to make it again next weekend.
Made this for my wife for our first anniversary at home and she cried happy tears! The only mistake I made was not letting it cool long enough — I cut into it after 45 minutes and it was super runny, but once we let it sit for the full 2 hours it set perfectly. Lesson learned, don’t skip the cooling time guys!
I swapped half the blueberries for fresh peaches from my tree out back and it was incredible! The sweet peaches pair so well with the tart blueberries and the crunchy streusel. Definitely a new summer staple for our house.
Made this for my dorm floor potluck and everyone lost their minds! I used frozen blueberries from the grocery store, pre-made pie crust (don’t judge, I don’t have a food processor in my dorm) and it still came out so good. 10/10 easy enough to make even with a tiny dorm kitchen and minimal supplies.
My 10 year old helped me make this for his 4th grade class end of year party and it was a huge hit! He loved mixing up the streusel topping and sprinkling it over the berries, and all the kids were asking for seconds. Such a fun recipe to make with little ones, since the steps are easy enough for them to help with.
Took this pie to the county fair pie contest last weekend and won first place in the fruit pie category! I added a tiny bit of almond extract to the filling and topped it with a little turbinado sugar on the streusel for extra crunch, and the judges raved about the balance of flavors. Can’t thank you enough for the solid base recipe!
Pro tip for anyone making this in a super hot climate like Arizona: chill your butter for the streusel for an extra 20 minutes before mixing it, otherwise it gets too soft and melts too fast in the oven. Learned that the hard way my first go around, but the second batch came out perfect with that quick adjustment.
I cut the sugar in the filling by 1/3 cup since my family doesn’t love super sweet desserts, and it was still absolutely perfect! The blueberries are naturally sweet enough that the extra sugar wasn’t missed at all. The streusel has just enough sweetness to balance it out, I’ll be making this lower sugar version from now on.
We had this for our Father’s Day dinner last weekend and my dad said it’s the best blueberry pie he’s ever had, even better than his mom’s (don’t tell grandma lol). The streusel is so buttery and crumbly, and the filling is packed with blueberry flavor, no weird gelatinous texture like some store-bought pies. 10/10
I’ve burned every pie I’ve ever tried to make so I went into this fully expecting to mess it up, but it came out perfect? The cook time was spot on, the crust didn’t burn, the streusel was golden and crispy, the filling set once it cooled. I’m actually proud of myself, this is the first baked good I’ve made that didn’t come out charred or lopsided. Already sent the recipe to all my friends.