This blueberry crumble pie starts with a golden brown flaky all-butter pie crust, filled with six cups of fresh blueberries and topped with a buttery cinnamon streusel. Lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla brighten the berries, and the pie slices into clean pieces that hold their shape.
A fruit pie with a crumble topping is my favorite kind of pie. This blueberry crumble pie recipe went through many iterations to get a filling thick enough to hold its shape and a crumble topping that has a nice crunch.
It took me a while to come up with this perfect crumble topping recipe. It's easy to make and it's the recipe I use for my fruit pies including my mixed berry crumble pie and my apple crumble pie.
This Crumble Pie Takes Time
This pie takes time and shouldn't be rushed. The dough gets chilled twice: once after you mix it, and again after you shape it in the pie plate.
Both chills firm up the butter. That's what creates the flaky layers, and it helps the crimped edges keep their definition in the oven.
When the pie comes out, it needs a few hours to cool so the filling has time to set. That's what gives you clean slices.
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Cheryl's Baker's Notes
- Don't skip the temperature cue. Starch doesn't fully thicken until the filling gets hot enough. The visual cues of the bubbly fruit and the pie rising in the center are important, but when the center hits 209–212°F, the tapioca has done its work.
- I use tapioca instead of cornstarch, because blueberries throw off a lot juice, and cornstarch can produce a cloudy filling, while tapioca sets a clear, glossy filling and the berries have bright fruity flavor.
- Keep the streusel cold: If the crumble goes into the oven cold, the crumble pieces will hold their shape and it won't brown as quickly.
Blueberry Crumble Pie Ingredients
- Fresh Blueberries: When blueberries are in season I like making this pie with fresh blueberries, but when they're out of season frozen blueberries are the best choice. Make sure to taste your fruit before starting this recipe
- Tapioca Flour: Finely ground tapioca flour works best for this pie because it creates a thick, sliceable filling and stays clear when cooked, giving the pie a prettier finish. Make sure to bake the pie long enough to fully cook the tapioca.
- Homemade Pie Crust: Yes, you can make this pie with store-bought pie crust, but my all-butter pie dough recipe (with my proven technique for creating layers of flakiness) is way better. You get a flaky crust that is buttery and tender. Plus, you'll impress yourself with how good it turns out.
- Crumble Topping: This buttery streusel is made with a combination of flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cold butter. Making it with cold butter helps the crumble hold its shape while baking.
How to Make Homemade Blueberry Crumble Pie
Step 1: Use this all-butter pie crust recipe to make the dough. There are instructions for making it by hand or using a food processor but I think using your hands will yield the best results. Wrap the pie dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 45 minutes and up to two days.
Step 2: Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl and add the cubed butter.
Step 3: Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or use your hands to smush the butter into the flour mixture.
Step 4: Add the sugar. Adding the sugar last makes the topping more crumbly
Step 5: When all the sugar is mixed in, store the crumble topping the refrigerator.
Step 6: Zest the lemon into the blueberries and add the lemon juice and vanilla extract.
Step 7: Add the sugar and tapioca to the blueberries.
Step 8: Spoon the blueberry filling into the prepared pie shell.
Step 9: Spread the crumble topping on top of the fruit.
Step 10: Bake the pie at 400°F for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F and bake until the juices in the pie are bubbly all the way around the pie, about 50-60 minutes.
Step 11: Remove the pie from the oven and let it completely cool on a wire rack until it's at room temperature.
Helpful Tips
- Bake on a preheated sheet pan. Put the baking sheet in the oven while it heats. The hot surface jump-starts the bottom crust so it browns instead of steaming, and it catches any overflow before it hits your oven floor.
- Keep everything cold. Cold butter in the dough and streusel, a cold shaped shell, and cold streusel going onto the pie. Warm dough spreads; warm streusel melts flat.
- Whisk tapioca into the sugar before it touches the berries. Dispersing the starch in the sugar prevents clumps and gives you an even set.
- Give it the full 3 hours. The filling sets as it cools. Cutting early is the most common reason a good blueberry pie ends up soupy on the plate.
- For picture-clean slices, chill before cutting. Cool completely, then refrigerate about 45-60 minutes. The set firms up and slices hold their shape.
If you make this summer blueberry pie please leave a rating and a comment below.
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Fresh Blueberry Crumble Pie with Cinnamon Streusel
Equipment
- 9-inch pie plate
Ingredients
Pie Dough
- 1 1/3 cups+ 1 tablespoon (177 grams ) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (8 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 tablespoons (142 grams) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) ice-cold water or more if required.
Streusel Topping
- 1 cup (125 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons (114 grams ) unsalted butter cold and cut into cubes
- 1/3 cup (67 grams) granulated sugar
Blueberry Pie Filling
- 6 cups (900 grams) fresh blueberries
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (200 grams granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons (54 grams) finely ground tapioca flour Bob’s Red Mill recommended
Instructions
Make the Pie Dough
- Before starting the other elements, prepare the pie dough. Make the pie dough according to this recipe. Use the single crust recipe for this pie. Follow the directions up to placing the dough in the refrigerator and chill the dough.
Shape the Pie Dough
- Have your 9-inch pie plate ready.
- Generously flour your work surface. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin to a 13-inch circle. Fold the dough in half, and then half again, so it’s in a quarter. Lay it in the pie dish, and gently unfold it. Gently press the dough against the bottom and sides of the pan to remove any air gaps. Trim the edges so they are all about 1-inch past the edge.
- Fold the dough under so the edge of the dough lines up with the rim of the pie plate. Crimp the edges of the dough.
- Refrigerate the prepared dough for 1 hour.
Make the Streusel Topping
- While the dough is chilling make the streusel. Combine the flour, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes, add to the dry ingredients and use your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until it the butter is broken down into small pieces. Add the sugar and you’re your fingers and work the sugar into the mixture. It should resemble coarse sand. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to bake the pie.
Assemble the Pie
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place a half baking sheet in the oven.
- Place the blueberries in a bowl, zest the lemon onto the blueberries. Juice the lemon, add the lemon juice and vanilla extract to the berries and Use a spatula to toss the blueberries with the zest, juice, and extract.
- Whisk together the sugar and the tapioca flour. Add it to the blueberries and gently fold the mixture into the berries until the it is completely moistened.
- Remove the pie dough from the refrigerator, add the blueberry filling, and then distribute the streusel across the top of the blueberries.
Bake the Pie
- Bake the pie for 15 minutes at 400°F, then reduce the heat to 350°F without opening the oven doir and bake the pie for another 45-55 minutes until the filling is bubbly and the center reaches 210-212°F.
- If the edges of the pie become too brown during baking place a pie shield around the edges and continue baking the pie.
- Remove the pie from the oven. Place it on a cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 3 hours before serving.
Serving the Pie
- If you want clean slices, let the pie cool completely, and then refrigerate for about 1 hour before slicing.
Storing the Pie
- Store the pie at room temperature for up to 2 days in an airtight container or lightly covered with plastic wrap.
- After 2 days, store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days covered with aluminum foil.
Kimberly Wood says
Hi Ms. Norris, I was just wondering. Up in the receipe, you stated that the total time was 2 hours and 30 mins, however you also say that the chilling time is 3 hours. Is that intentional?
Also, I plan to make this pie for my family this weekend. I plan to start this morning, and serve it at dinner. Do you think that is a good plan? Thanks! I apprecite this lovely receipe.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Kimberly
Thank you for writing and pointing out the error in the total time. I revised the recipe to reflect the total time and added a note on refrigerating the pie. I appreciate you taking the time to visit the blog and write a note.
If you start in the morning, yes you can serve it for dinner. Once the pie has cooled to room temperature place it in the refrigerator. Refrigerating will help ensure that you have cleaner pie slices. But true story - I always liked eating my mom's pies straight from the oven.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Kimberly
Thank you for your question. I reviewed the recipe and adjusted the total cooking time in the recipe.
If you start the pie in the morning it should be ready to serve at dinner time. As soon as it has cooled to room temperature place it in the refrigerator. Chilling the pie will result in cleaner slices. Having said that, I love eating pie while it's still warm from the oven.
Kimberly Wood says
Ms. Norris,
I also do not have enough unsalted butter for both the dough and the streusel. Is it alright if I use salted butter?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Kimberly
Yes you can use salted butter. I recommend using unsalted butter for the pie dough and salted butter for the crumble since the pie dough is an essential component and it's better to control the salt for the dough. When using the salted butter do not use the salt called for in the recipe.
The amount of salt in salted butter varies based on the brand, but about 1/4 teaspoon per 8 tablespoons of butter seems to be the average.
Kimberly Wood says
Hi Ms. Norris,
Since blackberries grow wild in my backyard, can I just replace the blueberries with blackberries?
Dan says
This was a great recipe: I followed it to the letter, only substituting cornstarch for tapioca. I was a little worried that the dough was a bit too wet, but it turned out beautifully. Everyone loved it. Thank you very much. I'll be making it soon again.