When it comes to food, I’m as far from ‘fussy’ as you can get. I like simple, I like fresh, and I like seasonal whenever possible. This Blueberry Crumble Pie hits all the marks.
Despite it’s simplicity, the result is a luxurious dessert with such a bright, sweet summer flavor that it makes the approaching autumn the tiniest bit easier to bear.
I have a hard time saying goodbye to summer. I don’t like change. I don’t even like getting new clothes! A single sweatshirt has held the title of ‘favorite’ for about 20 years…
Yet, no matter how I prepare myself, summer goes by in a whoosh. We do our best to enjoy every second, though, cramming as much time outdoors as we can. We take early morning walks, get in some volleyball and golf, and travel to our favorite Maine destination. And whenever we can, we take advantage of New England’s summer produce – especially berries.
Not everybody finds it easy to eat seasonally. We happen to be berry good at it.
Sweet-n-Savory Breakfast 
Berry Pizza 
Easy Glam Dessert! 
Berries and PB 
Berry Pickin’ 
Berries, Honey & PB
Lowbush blueberry season in Maine happens in mid/late August, so blueberry stands are quite a common sight along Route 1. Sure, we could pick our own – and in fact, did pick a handful by the house one morning. However, in the quantities we required, it was simpler to pull over at one of these stands to pay (and thank) someone else for doing the fairly back-breaking work.
Then, I can quickly get to my work in the kitchen! Here I am with my favorite kitchen tool – my hand 🙂 I am crushing a few of the berries to release the juices, which – along with sugar, corn starch, lemon zest, and black pepper (yes you read that right) – turns a simple pile of berries into a gorgeous slice of yum…
Blueberry crumble pie is a simple 3-step process:
1) Pre-bake a frozen pie shell for 10 minutes
2) While it’s baking, make the blueberry mixture and crumb topping
3) Fill pie shell and bake for another 1 1/4 hours til golden!
And here’s the best-kept secret of all:
YOU DON’T EVEN NEED THE PIE CRUST! Turn this into an easy blueberry crumble if you’d rather. That how-to tip is in the Recipe Notes below.
Blueberry Crumble Pie
This blueberry crumble pie is loaded with juicy blueberries. Some lemon zest and a touch of black pepper brighten the flavor, while the the crumb topping adds a crunchy sweetness.
Ingredients
- 1 9" ready-to-bake pie shell
- 6 cups blueberries fresh or frozen
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- Zest of one lemon ~2 teaspoons
- Pinch of black pepper
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons chilled butter cut in small pieces
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prick the frozen pie shell in several spots with a fork.
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Pre-bake the empty pie shell for 10 minutes, then remove from oven and set aside. Leave oven at 350 F.
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While pie shell is baking, put the blueberries in a large bowl. Squeeze a few handfuls of the berries just a little bit to allow some juices to release.
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Add the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, and black pepper to the berries and stir to combine. Pour the berry mixture into the cooling pie shell.
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In a separate bowl combine the flour and brown sugar. Add the cold butter pieces. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour/sugar mixture until all the butter is distributed evenly. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the top of the berry mixture.
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Bake at 350 F for 1 1/4 hours, or until the crust and crumb topping are both a golden brown.
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Serve warm or cold, with or without toppings. We love it with real whipped cream!
Recipe Notes
Berries
Frozen berries work just as well as fresh in this recipe (meaning you can make it year-round!) You may want to thaw a small amount of the frozen berries so you can squeeze the juices out, but the rest may go right into the mixture still frozen.
Tips for Crumb Topping
*Keep the butter chilled until it’s time to make the crumb mixture. Too-soft butter will not combine as well with the flour/sugar.
*Use your food processor instead of your hands, if you prefer. Just add the flour, brown sugar, and cold butter pieces to the processor bowl fitted with a blade. A few pulses ought to do it.
Blueberry Crumble (Pie-less version)
Skip the pie shell part. Pour the berry mixture into a casserole dish coated with pan spray. Top with crumb mixture, and bake for about 1 hour at 350 F.
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