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.
- 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
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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!
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.