Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Loaded with cooked and fresh blueberries, no-bake fresh blueberry pie is a real summertime treat! Deliciously different from a baked blueberry pie, this recipe is easy to make and everyone loves it.
How long it takes: only 30 minutes but allow a couple of hours for chilling
Equipment you’ll need: pie plate, saucepan
Servings: 8
Fresh blueberry pie is one of my all-time favorite summer desserts.
My family picked blueberries every summer. We would pack a picnic lunch and lots of snacks, and pretty much spend the day in the blueberry patch. I’ll admit, my sister and I weren’t always enthusiastic pickers but mom rules, right? We would whine, “Don’t we have enough yet?” and the answer was always, “Keep picking!”
The fun started once we returned home. We all love blueberries so mom would get cooking and baking. Blueberry jam, blueberry muffins, blueberry pancakes, blueberry sauce, blueberries on our cereal, blueberries for snacks, we chowed on blueberries. Mom always froze several bags to enjoy in the winter, too.
Our favorite is fresh blueberry pie! Fresh blueberry pie covers all the bases: crisp buttery crust, sweet cooked berries, fresh tart berries, and mounds of whipped cream. The fresh blueberries almost pop in your mouth with every bite. Oh, it doesn’t get much better than this!
Try this recipe for fresh blueberry pie whenever you can get your hands on fresh blueberries. My mother-in-law deemed this “one of the best pies she has ever had.” You’ll love this pie. I promise.
Fresh Blueberry Pie
Easier than a baked pie. This blueberry pie is one of the easiest pies you can make. It always turns out. It’s not a typical baked pie. Half of the blueberries are cooked on the stove and thickened; the other half is stirred in fresh. It is phenomenally good and a real summertime treat.
It can be a no-bake pie. It depends on what type of crust you choose. The filling is not baked.
Ingredient Notes
- Pie Crust: There are lots of different pie crusts to choose from. You can make your own pastry pie crust or buy a frozen, refrigerated, or box crust. Graham cracker crusts or cookie crusts are great, too. It’s your choice.
- Blueberries: You’ll need six cups total: 3 cups are cooked, 3 cups are fresh. In-season summertime berries are the best tasting.
- Granulated White Sugar: You’ll need a cup and a half of sugar.
- Cornstarch: Used as a thickener, cornstarch is a white powder made from the endosperm of corn kernels, commonly found in the baking aisle. It is naturally gluten-free.
- Salt: Why add salt to a pie filling? Salt keeps things from tasting flat, including pie filling. You only need a pinch but it makes a difference.
- Water: A half cup of water is needed for the filling. I suppose you could use a fruit juice instead but water works just fine.
- Butter: Unsalted butter is stirred into the filling after it’s cooked. It provides flavor and a richer mouth feel.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: A squeeze of lemon juice perks up blueberry filling.
- Whipped Cream: Optional, but I would say required. Vanilla ice cream is a good choice, too.
How To Make Fresh Blueberry Pie
Start by preparing the pie shell you chose. You’ll need a nine inch pie plate. Because this pie isn’t baked, the pie crust has to be pre-baked and cooled. Follow the directions on the package or make the pie crust as you normally would for an unbaked pie shell. If you choose a graham cracker crust or cookie crust, you may not have to bake it.
Pie Weights
Empty pie shells often form air bubbles or shrink away from the sides of the pie plate when they are in the oven. To prevent this from happening, use pie weights inside the crust when you blind bake it. You can buy ceramic or metal pie weights or use dried beans. Our friends at Kitchn have detailed instructions.Prep the blueberries. Rinse fresh blueberries under cold running water and sort out stems, leaves, green berries, or mushy berries. Measure out 3 cups of the blueberries that you will use for the cooked portion. Spread the remaining 3 cups of berries on a clean towel or paper towel to dry.
Cook half the berries. To cook the berries, you’ll need a good sized saucepan. Mix 3 cups of berries with sugar, a pinch of salt, and cornstarch in the pan. Pour in a half cup of water, and heat the mixture over medium heat. Bring it all to a boil, and continue to boil for 2 minutes. This is important. The berry mixture will be very thick, some of the berries will begin to burst, and the filling should look clear, not cloudy. Remove the pan from the heat.
Stir a dab of butter, and fresh lemon juice. Let the hot mixture cool down for fifteen to twenty minutes. It doesn’t have to be chilled but it shouldn’t be boiling hot.
Add fresh blueberries. When it’s cooled, fold in the remaining 3 cups of blueberries and pour the mixture into the pie shell. Smooth out the top and chill the pie for a couple of hours until it’s firm. I know the waiting is hard but …. it’s worth it!
Serve. Cut the pie into wedges and enjoy! Top this fresh blueberry pie with homemade whipped cream. In a pinch, you could use canned whipped cream, but homemade is a hundred times better. Homemade vanilla bean no churn ice cream is really good, too.
It depends on whether you are making a baked blueberry pie or a no-bake pie. Most baked blueberry pies use all-purpose flour to thicken the filling. Instant or quick-cooking tapioca works well, too. For a no-bake pie, cornstarch is preferred because it cooks quickly and doesn’t get pasty or cloudy.
This no-bake pie shouldn’t get watery; however, if the fresh blueberries that are added to the cooked berries are very wet, that may cause the pie to get watery.
Baked blueberry pies sometimes are juicy or watery. It could be that the pie was underbaked; a baked blueberry pie needs ample time in the oven. Make sure you use enough thickener. Cooling the pie completely before slicing it helps too.
Fresh blueberry pie is definitely best the same day you make it. If you have pie left over, cover it, and store it in the refrigerator for up to two days. It cannot be frozen successfully.
More Blueberry Delight!
I love baking and cooking with blueberries. Here are some recipes I’m sure you’ll enjoy:
- Blueberry Crisp with Coconut – this is my second favorite blueberry dessert recipe, after fresh blueberry pie!
- Apple Blueberry Crisp
- Blueberry Crumb Bars
- Berry Galette – an easy baked pie
- Blueberry Strawberry Muffins – make these with all blueberries if you prefer!
- Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins
- Blueberry Bran Muffins
More Pie Recipes
Fresh Blueberry Pie
Ingredients
- 1 refrigerated pie crust (or homemade, if you prefer)
- 6 cups fresh blueberries, divided (see note)
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- whipped cream (optional)
Instructions
- Bake the pie crust as directed on the package for a single crust pie. Cool completely.1 refrigerated pie crust
- Meanwhile, wash the blueberries; drain well. Measure out three cups of berries and spread the remaining berries on a clean dishtowel to dry.6 cups fresh blueberries, divided
- Combine 3 cups of blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium to large-sized saucepan (you’ll be adding the remaining blueberries to the same pan later). Pour in the water. Mix together and cook over medium-high heat. Cook until the mixture comes to a boil, about 10 minutes, stirring constantly, and then continue to cook for two minutes more, or until mixture is very thick and clear.1 ½ cups granulated sugar, 6 tablespoons cornstarch, Pinch of salt, ½ cup water
- Remove from heat; stir in butter and lemon juice. Cool slightly, about 15 to 20 minutes, before adding the fresh blueberries. When mixture has cooled, fold in the remaining 3 cups of berries. Pour into cooled, prepared crust.2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Chill pie 2 to 3 hours before serving. Top with whipped cream, if desired.whipped cream
Notes
- Nutrition information does not include whipped cream.
- If desired, use 3 cups frozen berries for the cooked portion of the recipe. Be sure you have 3 cups of fresh berries to add.
- A graham cracker crust can be substituted for the baked pie shell.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
I’m back on your blog for the umpteenth time making this pie! So delicious! My favorite pie.
So glad to hear it! It’s perfect for summer.
I make this every year with raspberries and blackberries that I grow. I use them for the cooked portion and mix in the blueberries after cooked. It’s amazing!
Oh yum, what a great idea! I can’t wait to try that!
:( Picked fresh blueberries and decided to make this. My berries weren’t breaking down at 2 min so I cooked another 2-3 min. Sauce still wasn’t super thick but figured it should be enough being berries were popping. Pie never set up. (This was my first shot at a no bake pie like this) :(
Did you cook for 2-3 minutes AFTER the mixture comes to a boil? Did you remember to add the cornstarch and reserve half the berries to stir in after cooking? This pie never fails for me and everyone that tries it so something tells me maybe something went wrong along the way. I’d love to help you troubleshoot…this is one of my favorite recipes!
Do you think I could use frozen berries for this pie?
Since the filling isn’t fully cooked, you do need to use fresh berries for this recipe.
I made this pie and was astonished at how I could slice right through it, without and oozing out of blueberries. I had no sloppy mess, just one delicious pie! I am going to try this with mini cherry pies.
So glad you liked it! It’s one of my favorites too. :)
This pie is amazing!! I’ve made it two summers in a row, and my husband and I can’t get enough of it. It tastes so fresh and flavorful. I use an almond meal crust for it which complements the blueberries nicely. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
So glad you like it! Love the idea of almond meal. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
This was pretty good but too salty and too much lemon juice for me. I think a 1/4tsp of salt would be good for me. ;) it was better the next day too. Set up more where when I sliced it it stayed together better. Maybe I needed a bit more cornstarch as I cooked for the amount of time stated. Good pie though.
I love it, followed your recipe step by step and it taste delicious, thanks for the recipe Rachel
I’ve never had cold blueberry pie. No self control I guess ;)
I love to make blueberries with cinnamon, vanilla and red wine, like a good merlot or cabernet sauvignon. They taste AMAZING cooked in spices, butter and red wine. Its hard to go wrong with blueberries though.
Sounds wonderful!
This is just what I was looking for – a topless blueberry pie for tonight. Your pictures are beautiful. Thank you!
Thank you! Enjoy! It is one of my favorite recipes.