If you love classic blueberry pie but also can’t resist a crumble topping, this blueberry crumble pie is the best of both worlds. A flaky, buttery pie crust is filled with juicy, jammy blueberries and finished with a generous layer of brown sugar oat crumble. It’s simple enough for a weekend bake, but special enough for holidays and summer gatherings—and every slice delivers that perfect mix of jammy berries, flaky pastry, and buttery oat crumbles!
I originally published this recipe in 2017 and have since added new photos and more success tips.
This blueberry crumble pie has become one of my favorite ways to bake with fresh summer blueberries. Instead of weaving a lattice top, you’ll pile a generous amount of oat crumble over the juicy berry filling. As it bakes, the crumble turns deliciously crisp and golden while the blueberries bubble underneath into a thick, perfectly sliceable filling. Every forkful has flaky crust, sweet-tart berries, and crunchy crumble—a trio that’s hard to beat!
If you’ve made my apple crumble pie or peach crumble pie before, you’ll recognize the same winning formula here. 🙂 It’s an approachable pie that looks impressive, doesn’t require any fancy lattice work, and always disappears quickly at summer gatherings.
Great for beginner pie bakers.
The filling is packed with blueberries and brightened with a touch of fresh lemon. A combination of cornstarch, flour, and a longer bake time ensures the juices thicken properly, so you get a neatly sliceable pie instead of a runny filling. The crumble topping bakes up crisp and buttery, adding just enough sweetness and texture without overpowering the fruit.
Why You’ll Love This Blueberry Crumble Pie
- Butter pie crust creates the perfect foundation
- Thick, jammy blueberry filling that holds its shape when sliced
- Crumble topping is much easier than a traditional lattice top
- Perfect make-ahead dessert for holidays, picnics, and entertaining
- Wonderful served with vanilla ice cream!
One reader, Angel, commented: “The best blueberry pie I have ever had! The flavor was balanced, just enough sugar and lemon to complement the berries and not overpower them. The crumble topping was the perfect addition and I’m happy I decided to make the recipe as written, truly I cannot find anything that I would want to change in this recipe! ★★★★★”
Another reader, Jane, commented: “I have to say this was the best blueberry pie I ever made. Think I may never make a two-crust blueberry pie again. Absolutely perfect dessert. ★★★★★”
If you’re making it for the first time, be sure to read through the tips below before getting started. A few small techniques—like generously mixing the filling, baking at 2 different temperatures, and keeping certain ingredients very cold—make all the difference.
Ingredients You’ll Need for Filling & Topping
Each ingredient plays an important role, so here’s what to know before you begin:
- Blueberries: You’ll need about 6 cups (about 840g) of fresh blueberries. Look for berries that are plump and firm.
- Flour: You need all-purpose flour for both the filling (to thicken) and the crumb topping (for structure).
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch is what transforms all those delicious blueberry juices into a thick filling instead of a runny one. Blueberries contain a surprising amount of liquid, and the cornstarch (paired with the flour) is essential for helping the filling set into clean slices after cooling.
- Sugar: Blueberries are naturally sweet, so this recipe uses just enough sugar to enhance their flavor without overpowering it. You need granulated sugar for the filling and brown sugar for the crumble topping.
- Fresh Lemon Zest & Juice: Fresh lemon brightens the berries and keeps the filling tasting vibrant rather than overly sweet (or one-note).
- Cinnamon: Only a small amount is needed for the topping. It adds warmth without making the pie taste heavily spiced.
- Old-Fashioned Whole Oats: These add texture and help create those crisp, buttery crumbles on top.
- Salt: A little in the crumb topping to balance all the flavors.
- Cold Butter: Cutting very cold butter into the crumb topping ingredients is what gives us those delicious buttery crumbles. (You’ll also need cold butter if you choose to make a homemade butter pie crust!)
You also need an egg wash (egg + milk) for brushing on the crust edges.
Overview: How to Make Each Component of Blueberry Crumble Pie
Prepare the pie dough: Make the pie dough ahead of time and chill it for at least 2 hours. Start with my favorite all-butter pie crust. It bakes up exceptionally flaky and is easy to work with. You could also use this butter/shortening pie crust, which holds shape nicely. Both recipes yield 2 crusts, so you can pop one into your freezer for the next time you crave blueberry crumble pie.
Make the crumble topping: Make the oat crumble topping first and refrigerate it while you prepare the filling. Keeping the topping cold helps it bake into crisp, distinct crumbles rather than melting into the filling. Use cold and cubed butter; cut it into the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt using a pastry cutter or 2 forks; then stir in the oats.
Make the filling: Blueberry pie filling is actually one of the quickest fruit pie fillings to prepare! There’s no peeling, pitting, hulling, or chopping the fruit. Unlike triple berry pie, you do NOT need to pre-cook the filling, either (a step we tested but found useless). Just rinse and pat the berries dry and then toss them with sugar, flour, cornstarch, lemon juice & zest.
One especially important success tip: If your filling looks dry and powdery, your baked pie filling will be cloudy and runny. If your filling looks shiny and juicy, your baked pie filling will set beautifully.
Mash a few blueberries to help absorb some of the flour and cornstarch, so your filling looks juicy. Place the filling in the refrigerator while you finish your pie crust.
Fill the pie crust: Roll the chilled pie dough into a 12-inch circle, and fit it into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. I recommend using a glass pie dish, so you can see when the crust on the sides is browning. Flute or crimp the pie crust edges, then brush the edges with an egg wash.
Add the blueberry filling and top with the cold crumble topping. Don’t be shy with the crumble! It may seem like a lot before baking, but it settles as the pie bakes and creates that irresistible crunchy topping we all love.
Baking & Cooling Steps
These steps are particularly important to this recipe, so don’t be tempted to shorten the times or take any shortcuts here.
Start baking the pie at a high temperature. Why? Baking this pie at 400°F (204°C) for 25 minutes helps set the pie crust shape, and helps the cornstarch and flour begin thickening the filling. After that, reduce the oven temperature down to 375°F (190°C) to continue baking the pie. We use this same trick when we make strawberry rhubarb pie and peach pie as well.
If you notice the edges of the crust are getting too dark, add a pie crust shield. And if the crumb topping is browning too quickly, tent a piece of foil over the entire pie to prevent it from over-browning, while giving the filling the time it needs to finish baking.
How to Tell When Your Pie Is Done
Don’t judge doneness by crust color alone. The blueberry juices should be actively bubbling around the edges before it comes out of the oven. Those bubbles indicate the cornstarch has reached the temperature needed to properly thicken the filling.
For a more accurate test of doneness, check the pie with an instant-read thermometer; the internal temperature should reach 200°F (93°C).
This might be the hardest part: you have to let it cool for several hours (overnight is even better). During this time, the filling thickens and fully sets. If you cut into it too soon, it will be runny—no matter how well you baked it.
On the plus side, that means blueberry crumble pie is an excellent make-ahead dessert! Perfect for hosting summertime celebrations like Father’s Day, 4th of July, graduation parties, Labor Day, and more.
Once you slice into that perfectly baked and cooled pie, you’ll realize it was worth the wait. Warm your slice back up, then add a scoop of ice cream and a dollop of homemade whipped cream for good measure. Pie perfection.
If you’re torn between baking a classic blueberry pie or blueberry crisp, this blueberry crumble pie gives you the best of both desserts in every bite.
Blueberry Crumble Pie Tools
Description
This blueberry crumble pie combines a flaky pie crust, juicy blueberry filling, and buttery brown sugar oat crumble topping. With plenty of fresh blueberries, bright lemon flavor, and a thick, jammy filling, it’s a beginner-friendly pie that’s perfect for cookouts and summer occasions! No need to pre-bake the crust.
Crust
Crumble Topping
Filling
- The crust: Prepare my butter pie crust recipe through step 5.
- Make the crumble topping: Whisk the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or forks until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the oats. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- After the pie dough chills, preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Roll out the chilled pie dough onto a lightly floured surface. Remember, when rolling out the pie dough, always use gentle force with your rolling pin. Start from the center and work your way out in all directions, rotating the dough with your hands as you go. Roll it out into a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough in a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it’s smooth. For a beautiful edge, fold the overhanging dough back over the edge and use your hands to mold the edge into a nice thick rim around the pie. Crimp the edges with a fork or use your fingers to flute the edges. For visuals and a video of this, see how to crimp and flute pie crust. Brush the edges with egg wash. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes as you prepare the pie filling. This helps keep the crust cold and prevents shrinking.
- Make the filling: In a large bowl, combine the blueberries, sugar, flour, cornstarch, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix together until it’s no longer dry and powdery; burst a few blueberries if necessary to moisten. See photo above for a visual, if needed.
- Assemble the pie: Spoon the filling into the crust. Top evenly with the cold crumble topping.
- Bake the pie: Place the pie on the center oven rack. Place a baking sheet on a rack below it, to catch any juices that may bubble over. Bake the pie for 25 minutes. Then, keeping the pie in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C). Place a pie crust shield (see Notes for homemade shield) on the edges to prevent them from over-browning. Continue baking the pie until the filling is bubbling around the edges, 35–40 more minutes. If you want to be precise, the internal temperature of the filling taken with an instant-read thermometer should be around 200°F (93°C) when done. Tip: If needed towards the end of bake time, remove the pie crust shield and tent an entire piece of foil on top of the pie if the top looks like it’s getting too brown.
- Remove pie from the oven, place on a cooling rack, and cool for at least 4–5 hours before slicing and serving. Filling will be too juicy if the pie is warm when you slice it. Slice and serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.
- Cover and store leftover pie at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: There are a couple ways to make ahead of time! Make 1 day in advance: After the baked pie cools, cover tightly and keep at room temperature. The pie crust dough can also be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Baked pie also freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving. Note that the topping will taste a bit mushy after freezing/thawing. Prepared filling can also be frozen for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowl | Silicone Spatula | Rolling Pin | 9-inch Pie Dish | Pastry Brush | Pastry Cutter | Zester | Citrus Juicer | Large Baking Sheet | Pie Crust Shield | Cooling Rack | Instant-Read Thermometer
- Remaining Pie Dough: You can freeze the second half of the pie dough for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
- Blueberries: I strongly suggest using fresh blueberries, not frozen. The pie will be quite soupy if using frozen. If you decide to use frozen, do not thaw first. The pie will take several more minutes in the oven due to the increased liquid. Again, I highly encourage fresh.
