Blueberry Crumble Pie

Blueberry Crumble Pie

This blueberry crumble pie recipe is filled with tons of blueberries, topped with a crunchy cinnamon streusel crumble, and baked in a flaky pie crust! It’s perfect for the folks who can’t decide between the rustic, crunch of crumble desserts and their love of buttery pie crust. It turns out you can have both! The best part? The recipe is fast and easy, thanks to the use of store-bought pie crust!

Why You Should Make Blueberry Crumble Pie

Here are all the reasons to make this blueberry crumble pie recipe:

This blueberry crumble pie recipe combines two classic fruit desserts.

My state of Oregon gets the best seasonal summer berries—all of them are super sweet, juicy, and flavorful. And in my humble opinion, these berries are best when served in a rustic fruit dessert like pie or crumble. But why choose between one recipe or the other? This blueberry crumble pie recipe combines the best of both worlds! Fresh, seasonal blueberries encased in a crispy and flaky pie shell, all topped with a crunchy butter crumble. Mmm.

This blueberry crumble pie recipe comes together quickly… like, really quickly!

Real Talk: in the summer, when the weather’s nice and the days are hot and long, the last thing I want to do is spend hours slaving away on a baked good in my hot kitchen. So during these times, I gravitate towards desserts that come together quickly and easily. Like this blueberry crumble pie!

Although I love making pie dough from scratch, I don’t have the patience for it during the summer. So I used store-bought crust instead! And with that shortcut, the rest of the recipe comes together really quickly and easily. Legit—both the crumble and blueberry filling only take 5 minutes to make. That’s the kind of summer baking I know and love.

This blueberry crumble pie recipe can be easily customized with other ingredients.

Although I made this blueberry crumble pie with blueberries, you can easily replace it with any other fruit of your choice. Specifically, I envision other berries like blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries working well in its place. And although I flavored the crumble with lots of cinnamon, you can also customize it with your favorite spices! Think: cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, and more. The sky’s the limit when it comes to customizations.

Blueberry Crumble Pie Ingredients and Substitutions

Now that I’ve convinced you to make blueberry crumble pie, here’s everything you need for the recipe:

Shopping List for Blueberry Crumble Pie Recipe

Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the exact ingredient amounts and quantities:

• granulated sugar
• all-purpose flour
• ground cinnamon
• kosher salt
• unsalted butter
• fresh OR frozen blueberries
• cornstarch
• lemons
• frozen store-bought pie crust (preferably 9-inches wide and in a pie pan)

And let’s talk about some key ingredients and potential substitutions:

All-Purpose Flour

You need 1 cup all-purpose flour to make the crumble for this blueberry crumble pie.

Does a 1-1 gluten-free all-purpose flour work in this blueberry crumble pie recipe?

I’m sorry, but I don’t know. I rarely bake with those types of flour replacements because they’re expensive and my household is fortunate not to have any gluten restrictions. However, if you replace the flour in this recipe with any gluten-free alternatives, please leave a comment so I can update this post accordingly!

Kosher Salt

You need ¼ teaspoon kosher salt to make the crumble for this blueberry crumble pie, plus another ¼ teaspoon for the filling.

Why You Should Use Kosher Salt When Baking

I like to use kosher salt (as opposed to table salt) when baking. Its larger crystals make it difficult to confuse with granulated sugar. However, not all kosher salts are created equal. Some kosher salts have smaller granules than others, which will result in saltier tasting baked goods.

For consistency, I recommend sticking to one brand, and one brand only: Diamond Crystal kosher salt. It’s the only brand of salt I use when I develop recipes for Hummingbird High. Why? Diamond Crystal kosher salt is one of the few 100% pure salts in the grocery store. Other brands have additives that can add unexpected flavors to your desserts.

I can’t find Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Is Morton’s Coarse kosher salt okay?

Yes, with reservations. Morton’s Coarse kosher salt granules are much smaller, denser, and crunchier than Diamond Crystal. According to this Food52 article, the two are different shapes and sizes because of how they’re made. Morton’s is made by flattening salt granules into large thin flakes by pressing them through high-pressure rollers, whereas Diamond Crystal is formed by a patented method in which “upside-down pyramids [are] stacked one over the next to form a crystal.” You can even see a visualization of the different sizes in this Cook’s Illustrated article.

Okay, but what does that mean, exactly? 1 teaspoon of Morton’s will taste saltier than 1 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal. Wild, right? So if you follow my recipes exactly as they are written but use Morton’s instead of Diamond Crystal, the results will come out saltier. In fact, sometimes they will come out TOO salty. So if you’re using Morton’s instead of Diamond Crystal, reduce the salt in the recipe by half.

Want to learn more about Diamond Crystal versus Morton’s Coarse kosher salt? Definitely check out the Food52 and Cook’s Illustrated articles I linked to above, as well as this Taste article.

I can’t find Diamond Crystal OR Morton’s Coarse kosher salt. Can I just use table salt?

Yes, with reservations. If you use table salt, you’ll need to reduce the recipe’s salt quantity by half.

If you read my little essay about Diamond Crystal and Morton’s, you learned that Diamond Crystal kosher salt granules are larger than Morton’s kosher salt granules. The same principle applies to table salt versus kosher salt. Table salt granules are much smaller than kosher salt granules. As a result, 1 teaspoon of table salt tastes much saltier than 1 teaspoon of kosher salt… simply because it can hold more granules! Wild, right?

So if you follow my recipes exactly as they are written but use table salt instead of kosher salt, the results will come out saltier. If you’re using table salt instead of kosher salt, I recommend reducing the salt in the recipe by half. 

Intrigued? You can see a sneak peek of the recipe in this recipe for chocolate chess pie. However, I definitely encourage you to check out the full thing in my book. The cookbook has a lot more tips and tricks to make the pie crust work for you!

Cornstarch

You need ¼ cup cornstarch to make the blueberry crumble pie filling.

I don’t have cornstarch. What can I use instead?

You can substitute the cornstarch with the same amount of any other starch like arrowroot, potato, tapioca, and more.

Can I replace the cornstarch in this recipe with flour?

No, please don’t. Cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour. You’ll likely need to increase the amount of flour to compensate for this thickening power. However, I’ve already adjusted the ratio of other ingredients like blueberries and granulated sugar to match the amount of cornstarch in the recipe!

If you don’t want to use cornstarch, I suggest replacing it with another starch like arrowroot, potato, tapioca, and more.

Lemons

You need 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed and strained lemon juice.

Can I use bottled lemon juice to make this blueberry crumble pie?

Yes, absolutely! If you want to make your life easier, use shelf-stable lemon juice from a bottle instead. Your blueberry crumble pie will be just as tasty!

I don’t have lemons, but I have other citrus like grapefruit and limes. Will that work in this blueberry crumble pie?

Yes, absolutely! The lemon is in the recipe to add acidity to the filling—without it, the pie runs a tad sweet. But another kind of acidic, citrus juice in place of lemon works just as well.

Frozen Store-Bought Pie Crust

You need a store-bought, 9-inch pie crust (preferably already in a pie pan) to make this blueberry crumble pie.

Types of store-bought pie crust

Typically, grocery stores sell two different types of store-bought pie crust. The first kind is where the dough is rolled up in a sheet, and you need to do the work of fitting it onto the pie plate yourself. The second kind is where the dough is already molded onto a pie pan (usually one made of disposable aluminum), and all you need to do is fill it. Depending on the brand, you end up with either an 8-inch or 9-inch pie. For this blueberry crumble pie recipe, I used the latter kind where the pie dough has already been fitted into a plate.

Why use store-bought pie crust?

As much as I hate love making pies from scratch (I mean… remember that time I spent the year making a different kind of pie per month?), I watched Nadiya’s Time to Eat on Netflix and was inspired to make my recipes more accessible.

In the show, the lovely host Nadiya Hussein (and winner of The Great British Bake-Off in 2015) teaches time-poor families and individuals on how to cook tasty and delicious meals quickly and on a budget. Despite being one of the UK’s most talented bakers, Nadiya actively encourages folks to use store-bought shortcuts like premade pastry dough, canned fruits and vegetables, and more. That way, folks could still end up with delicious, beautiful meals without spending hours in the kitchen.

I was inspired by how accessible Nadiya’s recipes were and decided to stop being so snotty about making pie dough from scratch. Indeed, with a store-bought pie crust, this recipe came together SO quickly. Like… seriously. I think it took less than 5 minutes to prep the pie dough for the filling, and another 5 minutes to make the filling and crumble? The rest of the time was spent waiting for the pie to finish baking in the oven!

Best store-bought pie crust

Confession: I am not the best person to answer this question. I always use the generic store-bought pie crust from Safeway because I like the way they crimp its edges (they look like these ones from Marie Callender’s). But is it the best tasting? I really don’t know. Instead, I encourage you to check out these articles from Epicurious and The Kitchn that compare different store-bought pie crusts under the same filling.

How to make store-bought pie crust better

Okay, so you read the last few paragraphs above and are looking at me with disbelief. But store-bought pie crust is so bad, I hear you thinking. Why are you making me do this?! I admit: it’s hard to compare store-bought pie crust to homemade flaky, all-butter pie dough made from scratch. But here’s the thing—good recipes transcend bad ingredients. That is, an amazing pie filling like this blueberry crumble will cover up a mediocre pie crust.

And besides, there are a lot of tips and tricks to make store-bought pie crust better. The crazy talented Shauna Sever likes to pulse up cookie crumbs and add them to the dough for an extra layer of crunchiness. I’ve yet to try it for myself, but I bet it would work well in this blueberry crumble pie recipe!

Can I make this blueberry crumble pie recipe with store-bought gluten-free pie crust?

Yes, absolutely! But note that the filling itself is not actually gluten-free. The crumble uses all-purpose flour.

Can I make this blueberry crumble pie recipe with homemade pie crust from scratch?

Yes, absolutely! If you’re looking for an easy, all-butter homemade pie crust recipe to use for this rhubarb custard pie, I recommend checking out the one in my cookbook, Weeknight Baking. It’s seriously my best and favorite recipe for pie dough. I instruct you to make the pie dough in a stand mixer like you would a sugar cookie dough to bring it together. It’s much easier than fussing around with a pastry cutter or hauling out your food processor for the job!

How To Make Blueberry Crumble Pie

Here are the basic steps to make blueberry crumble pie from scratch:

First, make the crumble.

1. Prep the ingredients for the crumble. (Prep Time: 5 minutes)
   Prepping the crumble is incredibly easy. Simply measure out all the ingredients, then melt the butter. That’s it! I like to melt the butter first—either in the microwave, or in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat on the stovetop. Doing so gives it time to cool slightly as I measure out the rest of the ingredients.
   
   
2. Make the crumble. (Work Time: 5 minutes)
   You’ll be SHOCKED at how easy it is to make the crumble. Simply whisk together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Then, pour in the butter and mix everything until it looks like wet sand and large crumbs form. That’s it!
   
   
3. Freeze the crumble while you make the blueberry filling.
   For best results, freeze the crumble while you make the blueberry filling. Doing so will help prevent the crumbs from melting too much in the oven, ensuring an extra crunchy crumble!

Next, make the blueberry filling.

1. Prep the ingredients for the blueberry filling. (Prep Time: 5 minutes)
   Similarly, prepping the ingredients for the blueberry filling is a breeze. If using fresh blueberries, give them a quick rinse in the sink. Then, measure out the rest of the ingredients and prep your lemon juice. Easy peasy.
   
   
2. Make the blueberry filling. (Work Time: 5 minutes)
   Real Talk—prepping the ingredients for the blueberry filling is probably the most time consuming part of the recipe. Because once all the ingredients are prepped, all you need to do is throw everything in a bowl. Toss the ingredients together to combine them all. I told you it was easy!

Finally, assemble and bake the blueberry crumble pie.

1. Assemble the blueberry crumble pie. (Work Time: <5 minutes)
   Once you’ve made the filling and crumble, it’s time to assemble it all. Unwrap your frozen pie crust, pour the blueberry filling into it, and then sprinkle everything with crumble. The crumble might have hardened into a solid mass in the freezer—if this happens, don’t panic! Just break it up with your fingers and sprinkle the crumbs over the filling.
   
   
2. Freeze the assembled crumble pie while you preheat the oven.
   Again, for best results, freeze the pie for 10 to 15 minutes while you preheat your oven. Doing so ensures that both the pie crust and crumble keep their shapes while baking in the oven!
   
   
3. Bake the blueberry crumble pie. (Bake Time: 60 minutes)
   The blueberry crumble pie needs around 60 minutes in the oven. It can be hard to tell when the pie is done—look for a golden brown pie crust and crumble, with blueberry fruit juices that are bubbling slowly in the edges AND center of the pie. But note that if you’re using especially juicy and ripe blueberries, don’t be surprised if the pie needs another 10 to 15 minutes extra in the oven! This is totally normal, I promise—learn more in the Best Tips section below!

Blueberry Crumble Pie Recipe Troubleshooting and FAQ

FAQ: Blueberry Crumble Pie Recipe Troubleshooting

Help! My crumble doesn’t look as crumbly as yours. Instead, it looks more like sand. What did I do wrong?

Don’t worry! Even if your crumble comes out sandy, it will still work as a topping for the pie. There’s no need to start over—feel free to sprinkle it on top of the blueberry filling!

Usually, the crumble comes out a little sandy if you didn’t mix the butter in fast enough with the rest of the crumble ingredients. Once you pour the butter into the ingredients, quickly toss everything together to moisten all the ingredients and toss until large clumps form. Large clumps are better than small ones—you can break them up later as you assemble the pie. And of course, don’t over mix it! You want it to look like streusel, and NOT cookie dough.

Help! My crumble seemed to melt after I baked it in the oven. The crumbles are mostly gone, and I have one solid mass of crumbs. What did I do wrong?

Hmm. It sounds like your crumble wasn’t cold enough when you baked the pie! Note that in the recipe, I instruct you to chill the crumble twice. The first time, I instruct you to freeze it while you prep the blueberry filling, and the second time, I instruct you to refrigerate the assembled pie while you preheated your oven. If you skip even one of these steps, the crumble has a tendency to melt in the oven!

But if you chilled the crumble both times, it’s likely that you overmixed the crumble. When mixing the crumble, mix only until large clumps form. You don’t want it to look like cookie dough—instead, you want it to look like pebbly sand. Let me know if that makes sense in the comments!

Help! My blueberry crumble pie leaked when I sliced it. What did I do wrong?

Ah, yes. To me, a sign of a good pie recipe is this: 1) you should be able to pop the crust out of its pan without it falling apart in your hands, and 2) if it’s a fruit pie, you should be able to slice the pie without any of its fruit filling leaking and running. Like how my pie looks in these pictures!

But alas—you sliced into your blueberry crumble pie and were dismayed to find that it leaked a ton of blueberry juice everywhere after doing so. Usually this is a sign that the pie is underbaked. You needed to bake the pie for longer. Definitely check out the recipe tips below on how to prevent underbaking your pies in the future!

And another thing? Leaky pies usually occur when the pie is sliced when still warm. I know that warm pie is delicious, but real talk: cooling the pie is important for clean slices. Cooling the pie allows the fruit juices and filling to set properly!

So if you want a “clean” slice of warm pie, I suggest cooling the pie completely, slicing it, then reheating the individual slices in the microwave. But if you don’t care about aesthetics, have at it! Enjoy your pie warm and juicy. It’ll still be delicious.

FAQ: How To Store Blueberry Crumble Pie

How To Store Blueberry Crumble Pie

The blueberry crumble pie can be stored at room temperature, under a cake dome or a large bowl turned upside down, for up to 1 day. After that, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Can you freeze blueberry crumble pie?

Yes! You can freeze the blueberry crumble pie in the following ways:

Freeze the unbaked blueberry crumble pie.

Follow the recipe instructions to make the crumble, blueberry filling, and assemble the pie. Tightly wrap the assembled pie in two layers of plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, follow the recipe instructions to bake and serve. There’s no need to change Bake Time!

Freeze the baked blueberry crumble pie.

Follow the recipe instructions to assemble and bake the pie. Cool completely at room temperature. Then, wrap the baked assembled pie in two layers of plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.

When ready to serve, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake on a parchment-lined sheet pan for 15 to 20 minutes, or until re-warmed.

Note that you can also freeze and rewarm individual slices in this way.

More Pie Recipes

• Atlantic Beach Pie Recipe
• Chocolate Chess Pie
• Easy Canned Cherry Pie Recipe
• Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Recipe, Elevated
• Rhubarb Custard Pie

More Blueberry Recipes

• Blueberry Breakfast Cake
• Blueberry Cornflake Muffins
• Levain Bakery Blueberry Muffins
• Small Batch Blueberry Muffin Recipe
• Small Batch Blueberry Scone Recipe