

This weekend, stop at the super or farmer’s market and buy four pint boxes of fresh blueberries. They are abundant and relatively cheap now. Once you get them home, whip up the freshest, most delicious blueberry pie possible, using a method shared by Camille Lesko, my former sister-in-law, who got it from Donna Lesko Weiss, her sister, who got it from her mother-in-law. These girls know how to bake pies, and I have been so lucky to be able to share their delicious creations over the years!
I really do think the best recipes are those handed from one good home cook to another, with each adding her own special tweak to the process. Isn’t that the way great recipes are developed? I have tweaked this one just a bit, and by now have made it so many times, it is now one of my signature summer pies.
Most of the berries are used fresh and uncooked in this pie, so it retains a just-picked flavor. It also doesn’t fall apart like many baked blueberry pies. What’s more, it boasts a subtle perfumed flavor note that no one will likely guess.
Everyone who eats a piece wants the recipe, and proclaims it the best blueberry pie they ever ate.
Methinks they’re right.
Update: This pie was featured on chef Evan Kleiman’s KCRW “Good Food” blog on Aug. 10, 2010! And even more, Evan baked this pie and brought it to an interview at KNBC Channel 4 in Los Angeles, and declared it “a genius pie! So delicious…easy to make and so pretty.” See the video.
Dorothy’s Fresh Blueberry Pie
This is best made with fresh, not frozen, blueberries.
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 cup water
5 cups fresh blueberries, divided use (see bold/underline in recipe)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter (not margarine)
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (yellow only, not white part)
10-inch pie crust, blind baked and cooled
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and cinnamon. Blend in water and 1 1/2 cups blueberries. Bring to a boil, stirring and smashing half the berries deliberately (use a potato masher a few swipes if you like). Boil, stirring constantly, until mixture is very thick, a minute or so. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract, butter, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cool. (See note below.)
Fold in 2 1/2 cups blueberries, coating them well. Scoop into cooled baked pie shell. Arrange remaining 1 cup of fresh berries over top. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours, or overnight if needed.
Serve plain, or with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt. To serve, remove pie from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. Sift powdered sugar over top for pretty.
Serves 8.
Note on cooling the filling:
A quick way to cool the filling before adding the rest of the blueberries is to fill a large salad-type bowl with ice and water. Partially submerge the pan with the cooked blueberries in this cold bath, stirring every once in awhile, and in 5 or so minutes it will be sufficiently cooled to continue with your recipe. You can also just set the pan on an unused burner while it cools off, but the cold water bath is much faster and lets you get your pie in the refrigerator more quickly if time is important.
Source:
Thanks to Camille Lesko and Donna Lesko Weiss for sharing their recipe so many years ago. They are seriously great cooks. If you get invited to their homes for a meal, the answer is always, “Yes!” And if they bring something to a potluck, head over to that dish first. Just sayin.’
10″ pie plate? After storing mine in the bottom of a drawer for twenty years, I finally donated them.
Larry,
Oh no! In general, I use a 10-inch pie dish for nearly every pie I make! I never want it to bubble over and get wasted by burning in the oven.
Great with these beautiful dishes, I don’t know how to cook but you inspired me
Wings,
I’ll bet you can make this pie. It’s pretty easy!
This Blueberry Pie looks so delicious….can’t wait to get fresh blueberries to make this pie….thanks for posting this great pie and it looks beautiful…..
Kentuckylady,
Thank you! It is SUCH a good pie. I do hope you make it!
I have been making this pie for years, and I love it. I generally dislike fruit pies because don’t like cooked fruit. However, the amount of fresh blueberries in this pie makes it a winner for me. I’m always telling people that they have to make it.
Laura,
I totally agree with you…the fresh berries just really amp this up. It really does have to be experienced!
Dorothy, thanks for this “genius” blueberry pie recipe. I’m glad you found my mini blueberry pie post based off your recipe. http://freshfoodinaflash.com/2015/07/31/fresh-mini-blueberry-pies/#more-6738 I’ve been a little busy for the past two weeks, so just getting around to letting you know how we all loved this pie. PS. Just noticed the picture of the girl holding the pie is your baby who’s off to college next week! Time flies when you’re eating pie!
Yep, Patricia, she is flying the coop at the end of this week. I am going to have to console myself with pie.
[…] mins I’ve had Dorothy’s Fresh Blueberry Pie in my mind since I read about it on Shockingly Delicious a year ago. What took me so long? Evan Kleiman, who’s long been on the food scene in […]
enjoy
let me know how it goes
[…] adapted from Shockingly Delicious […]
[…] Fresh Blueberry Pie from Shockingly Delicious“Most of the berries are used fresh and uncooked in this pie, so it retains a just-picked flavor. It boasts a subtle perfumed flavor note that no one will likely guess. Everyone who eats a piece wants the recipe, and proclaims it the best blueberry pie they ever ate. That’s why I love it!” - Dorothy […]
Once again, I made this and it was fabulous, easy and beautiful. This one and the raspberry are my absolute favorite summer pies. Thank you so much for these easy to make, stunning dessert recipes!
April,
Thank you so much! I appreciate the feedback, and I quite agree with you. When you have fresh bloobs and raspberries handy, you really can’t beat these!
I’ve had a life long “allergy” to making rolled-out pie crust. I’m wondering if a Vanilla Wafer cooky crust or maybe even a ginger snap cooky crust would work here. Would I need to bake it a bit first?
Beth,
I say go for it. And yes, bake it a bit first, cool and then fill.
[…] And just because you read this far… a BONUS pie! Fresh Blueberry Pie […]
Nice recipe! Easy to cook too. Blueberries have a lot of health benefits so a blueberry pie is good once in a while.
Blueberries keep you active, fresh, fit and enhances your mood as they are excellent as an anti-depressant too.
I want to make this pie.
Judy,
Oh yes, you do.
DELICIOUS!! I just came across this recipe last week. I made it for the first time this morning for the restaurant my friend opened Monday (I am the official pie maker from home). I delivered the pie at 11:30 and by 12:10 she called to tell me she already had an order for a whole pie. Thanks you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Avril,
AWESOME! I am thrilled!
Dorothy, I have now made 4 blueberry pies from your recipe. The first one, I made like the recipe calls for, and it was delicious! The second, thru the fourth, I hope you dont mind, but started changing things slightly. I kept everything the same as yours except, I use 1/4 cup tapioca flakes, 1 tbs cornstarch, 1/8 tsp cinnamin, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp almond extract, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp lemon zest. All my friends and family cannot get enough of it. Thanks so much!!!!!!
Steven,
That sounds fab! Love hearing about tweaks. I’m a big fan of almond extract!
[...] came across Dorothy’s Fresh Blueberry Pie at Shockingly Delicious and figured it would be a winner. only 1 1/2 cups of the 5 cups of [...]
Do the uncooked, added last, blueberries fall off when you eventually cut it into slices and lift out of the dish? ALSO, what is the ABSOLUTE MINIMUM of sugar I can get away with, without screwing up the science of the recipe. YEP, I’m 50 and I cannot eat all the sugar I once could :((((((((((((
Kate,
1. The uncooked, added-last blueberries do not fall off. They are “glued on” by the filling. It cuts well and lifts out of the dish well.
2. I made this pie a lot of times, and I think this is the minimum for sugar. I have gone lower than that and not been happy with it, so I returned to this amount.
Hope you like it!
You could substitute Splenda 1 for 1.
April,
Give it a try. I’m not a Splenda fan, but for those who are, you might be right!
Dorothy, I had you for SRC and let me tell you how hard it was to choose. You have such an incredible blog going on over here and I loved so many of your recipes. Being Memorial Day, I just had to make this “genius” pie… the colors and flavors are perfect and the taste is amazing on this warm holiday.
Have a great weekend and thanks for letting me play around your page the last month.
Laura,
Thank you so much for your kind words! You did a wonderful job on the pie!
My family has a huge blueberry patch and I go up and pick tons of free blueberry’s.. I am going to try this whit fresh blueberry’s later, but I’ve got a few bags out of my freezer unthawing now so I can make one today… I haven’t had blueberry pie in month’s and i’m not waiting anylonger!!
Hi! I have that recipe from a 1972 Farm Journal Pie Cookbook, and I have to agree with you. Every time I make it, people want seconds and the recipe! I haven’t ever put cinnamon in mine, but now I will when blueberries are in season in Oregon.
[...] {recipe} [...]
Best blueberry pie in the world. Thank you for sharing with the world.
Chavi,
How nice of you to say that! You are welcome!
[...] BEST BLOOBery pie recipe is from Dorothy Reinhold on her blog Shockingly [...]
I’d like to try this recipe, but I’m a bit confused. The list of ingredients calls for 5 cups blueberries, but then you use 1.5 cups on the stove and leave 2.5 cups untouched. What do you do with the other cup? Thanks.
Hi Marisa,
The remaining cup of blueberries goes on top at the end. See the sentence right after “Scoop into cooled baked pie shell.”
Perhaps what I’ll do is bold the blueberry amounts so it is more apparent and visually pops out more when cooks are scanning it to see where to use all the 5 cups of berries.
Thanks, and I hope you make it!
[...] you with this pie closeup, tell me you don’t want to just slice into that right now…go here for the quick and easy recipe and give it a shot! Thank goodness it’s wrapped up in about 4 [...]
Bookmarking!
Oh my goodness…this is my family’s favorite pie too. We have been using Marjorie Johnson’s recipe (Minnesota State Fair Blue Ribbon Baker/Jay Leno celebrity) recipe for years…but yours looks even better. So excited for blueberry season!!
It’s a WINNER.
Don’t tell anyone…I’m going to make it for my “Pie Contest in a Box” party
Amazing. Made exactly as written with fresh large blueberries.
Wow
Pookette,
Thank you! So glad you like it!
When I lived in New York there was a blueberry tart that I loved at Les Delices which sold out of Zabar’s that I loved. I suspect it was this filling, topped with blueberries, if course, in a sweet tart dough. Must give this a try.
Dorothy , great receipt ! I use one almost the same as yours but for some reason the pie taste great only it falls apart ? I like to use a graham cracker crust ,could this be why ? Or could it be I need to boil a little longer so mixture gets stiffer when cooled ? Thanks for your input .
Sharon,
)
Yes, I will guess that your graham cracker crust is the culprit. Try a regular crust, which should hold together better. Also, it is good to remember that you heat the filling only enough to thicken it. With cornstarch, if you continue boiling it for a long time (hoping it will thicken more), it will break down and UNthicken! So bring it to a boil and you can observe it thicken and you are good to go. If you think yours isn’t thick enough, add more cornstarch slurry (or use my recipe
Good luck! Love this pie.
Hi Dorothy ~ I’m Twila form Recipes on TOH….I just wanted to let you know how MUCH my family and I enjoyed this wonderful recipe!!
It was a hit and I will definitely be making this again. I did a review of this on TOH…
http://community.tasteofhome.com/community_forums/f/30/t/835908.aspx
I was wondering? Would this work with strawberries as well?
Thanks for sharing your “Wonderful” recipe…..and making me look like a genius as well……I enjoyed the video form the LA station…I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!!….
Thanks Again ~
Twila*
Twila,
I am so happy you enjoyed it! Your version looks goorgeous with the puffs of whipped cream on top — very fancy! I am waiting for blueberries to come down a bit in price to make this. They’re still pretty pricy here…can’t wait!
As to your strawberry question…I don’t see why not! If you try that, let us know how it works for you. Strawberries, of course, will be much juicier….hmmm.
I like your blind baking strategy.
Lovely review…you are sweet!
I made this pie a couple of months ago and you know what I like about it? You can taste the vanilla, lemon and cinnamon in all that blueberry flavor and they are all present, accounted for, and in perfect balance. I was astonished. I thought, oh, maybe leave one of them out but no… they all have to be there, they all have a role in this pie. It’s my new blueberry pie recipe. Well, my only one… it’s really good.
Diana,
Thank you! I agree with your point (all flavors are present and all are needed). You might be interested to know that I have made this so many times that yes, I have played around and attempted to eliminate one or the other ingredient in an attempt to pare down and simplify, and each time I am disappointed and I want that subtle flavor back. So I have stopped trying to improve it, and I have declared it perfect. I cannot wait for blueberry season this year!
This pie looks so delicious! I plan to make it today. I’ll let you know my results. What kind of pie crust do you recommend? Can I buy the crust or do I make it? I forwarded this recipe to my mom and some friends, I know they will love it! My mom goes blueberry picking in Michigan and they taste so wonderful. Thank you!
[...] now, because Southern California chef and charming radio foodie personality Evan Kleiman called my Fresh Blueberry Pie “a genius pie” on [...]
Congrats on having your pie called genius by Evan Kleiman!
This blueberry pie looks amazing!! Gorgeous photos. I am assuming that is your daughter? She is adorable
xo
[...] I got the recipe from my sister-in-law who grew up in blueberry country (I blogged about it here) and have tweaked it over the years to create my best [...]
Your aunt Doris turned me on your website and this blueberry pie recipe had my mouth watering…I couldn’t wait to make it. Well, I didn’t get the chance, but my mother did and it became an instant favorite. It was fabulous, the best blueberry pie I had ever eaten. I love the fact that the blueberries aren’t cooked. I like to add one or two melon ball size scoops of vanilla ice cream scoops to the top if I have the extra calories to expend!
We also tried it with a shortbread cookie crust, which is also terrific. We love both pies.
Oh this is exactly what I want right now. Scrumptious!
Thank you Dorothy for this recipe. I have made it many times with fresh and frozen blueberries. I just mix the rest of the frozen blueberries into the hot mixture and it is just like using fresh berries and cools it down instantly. Yum! Excellent either way.
This might be my new favorite pie. Thank you!
Thank you, Michelle! Also check out the newest pie at http://www.shockinglydelicious.com/berrylicious-sour-cream-pie-recipe/
That photo is award-winning!!
Patti,
Thank you!
K’s picture is precious.
The sister
Yet another winner. Pie crust is my downfall in life so I had to overcome the fear of making it. Did the Martha Pate Brisee and then filled it with your wonderful pie recipe. You would have thought I gave Sofia and Vincent a plate of milk chocolate – they licked their plates to get every last drop of this blueberry wonderment. Once again, Grazie! from the East Coast fan club.
My kids made a rectangular (cookie sheet) version of this pie with both strawberries and blueberries one summer for 4th of July. They arranged the berries to create a flag design. Pretty cute. It’s a great recipe!
The sister-in-law.
Can’t wait to try this! Well, I have to wait until we get back from vacation, but then looking forward to giving this a whirl! Yum…