Blueberry Cream Pie

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Made from scratch with a crisp, flaky pie crust, silky vanilla pastry cream, and a vibrant layer of homemade blueberry filling, this blueberry cream pie is the ultimate summer dessert!

Cook Time1 15

Waiting Time6

Total Time7 15

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 606kcal

Author: Katalin Nagy

Equipment

Ingredients

Pie crust

190 g All purpose flour
¼ teaspoon Salt
½ tablespoon Granulated sugar
113 g Unsalted butter 82% fat, use it very cold
60 g Water very cold
15 g Apple Cider vinegar

Pastry cream filling

480 g Whole milk 3% fat
100 g Granulated sugar
80 g Egg yolks approx. yolk of 4-5 eggs
20 g Corn starch
20 g All purpose flour
2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
55 g Unsalted butter 82% fat, use it at room temperature to add to the pastry cream as the last step

Blueberry filling

510 g Blueberries fresh (if frozen, skip the water)
75 g Water
100 g Granulated sugar more or less depends on sweetness of the blueberries
2 tablespoons Lemon juice freshly squeezed
2 tablespoons Corn starch +2 tablespoons water to mix the corn starch in

Whipped mascarpone cream decoration

120 g Heavy cream 36% fat, use it very cold
150 g Mascarpone high fat, use it very cold
30 g Powdered sugar sifted

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Pie crust

This dough yields one 9-inch (23 cm) single-crust pie, which is the exact amount needed for this recipe.
Combine sifted flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and chill in the freezer for 5–10 minutes. Cut butter into small cubes and refrigerate with the measured water and vinegar.
Rub the cold butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse sand with a few small butter pieces remaining. Add cold water and vinegar gradually, mixing until the dough just comes together. It should be hydrated but not sticky.
Press the dough into a disk on a lightly floured surface without kneading. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
For extra flakiness, consider applying this very easy lamination technique: Remove the pie dough from the fridge and let it rest on the counter for a few minutes until slightly softened but still cold. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle shape. Fold the left half over the right, then fold the bottom half over the top. Fold once more in half to create — this gives you eight layers.
Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using.
Roll out to a 10-inch (26 cm) circle, line the 9-inch (23 cm) pie dish, and refrigerate the unbaked shell for 30 minutes.
Once rolled out, continue with the next step as described in my tutorial on how to blind bake pie crust. Then, let the pie crust come to room temperature before filling.

Pastry cream filling

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar using a hand whisk for 1–2 minutes until slightly fluffy. Whisk in the cornstarch and flour until smooth, then add the vanilla.
Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until it’s simmering but not boiling.
Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg mixture while whisking continuously to temper the yolks. The mixture will start to thicken slightly.
Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking continuously, until thickened, about 1 minute after it starts to boil. If lumps appear, keep whisking until the cream is smooth and glossy again.
For an extra smooth texture, consider straining this vanilla pudding.
Lastly, add the softened butter, mixing with a rubber spatula until fully incorporated and creamy.
Pour the pastry cream into the pie crust and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until it sets. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface.

Blueberry filling

Add the fresh blueberries, water, sugar, and lemon juice to a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 8–9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the berries have softened and the mixture is bubbling. If using frozen blueberries, skip the water.
In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with water until smooth and lump-free. Stir in one tablespoon of the warm blueberry mixture to temper it, then pour the cornstarch slurry back into the pan. Stir continuously over medium heat for about 1 minute until the filling thickens and turns glossy.
To check the set, drag a spatula through the center. It should hold the gap for 2 seconds before the filling closes back in. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely to room temperature.
Once the pastry cream is fully set and the blueberry filling is cold, spoon or pipe the filling over the blueberry layer over the pastry cream. Refrigerate again for 1–2 hours.

Decoration

Place very cold heavy cream, mascarpone, and sifted powdered sugar into a bowl and whip for a few minutes until it forms early stiff peaks and a pipable consistency. Pipe or spoon the decoration onto the pie just before serving.
For extra decoration, arrange blueberries on top.

Storage and freezing

Refrigerate for up to 2 days. For the best texture, let it sit at room temperature for about 20–30 minutes before serving. Avoid freezing, as the creamy filling may separate and lose its smooth consistency once thawed.
However, you can freeze the baked pie crust: Let the crust cool completely after baking, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to use, thaw the crust in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for about an hour before filling. To refresh its crispness, bake it at 350°F (175°C) for 5–8 minutes before adding the filling.

Notes

INGREDIENT NOTES:

Measure your ingredients with a digital scale for accuracy.
For the pie crust, all ingredients, including butter, flour, and water, should be very cold.
For the pastry cream, use full-fat milk and cream, high-fat butter, and high-quality vanilla extract.
Do not skip the lemon juice. It will bring out the blueberries' flavor.
For the blueberry pie filling, adjust the sweetness by adding more or less sugar.

TECHNIQUE NOTES:

Assembling this pie dough will take less than 5 minutes. If you are making the dough for more than 5 minutes, you are overworking it and risking warming the ingredients up too much with your hands.
Resting the dough in the fridge is a must—you won't be able to roll it out without an appropriate resting time (minimum 2 hours).
When it comes to rolling, again, it can be done when the dough is at the right temperature. If it's too cold, it can crumble. If it's too warm, it can tear and stick.
Use a small/medium-sized saucepan with good heat distribution to avoid burning the milk when making the pastry cream.
Make sure you wait for the pastry cream pudding to set for a neat slice.
For the blueberry pie filling, adjust the consistency by cooking the sauce for a longer or shorter period of time. For this pie, the thicker the sauce, the easier it will be to slice.

Nutrition