Lemon Blueberry Pie

Dessert doesn’t get any better than this Lemon Blueberry Pie recipe. Swirled with scratch-made blueberry sauce, this bright and creamy lemon pie sits atop a buttery shortbread crust. Citrusy and sweet, this pie is a summertime classic.

They say you can tell the size of an individual by the size of the things that bother them. Today I was bothered by a blueberry. Blueberries aren’t very big so, as a generalization, that would mean I’m smallminded. Perhaps that’s true; I did buy my last hat in the petite section of a store. But having an dinky head doesn’t minimize the fact that a blue fruit went from superfood to super annoying in five minutes flat.

Ironically, it was totally out of the blue when a blueberry popped in my saucepan and squirted on my shirt. It looks like a pen exploded in my pocket–only I don’t have a pocket. Or a pen because I’m forever losing them. Now that we’ve established my shirt is stained and I have no ink-based writing utensils, we can continue with my blueberry tribulations.

That’s right, the fruity torment is not over. The stove got so hot while I was scrubbing my shirt that a second berry launched out of the pan and landed on my hand registering the same temperature of molten lava. That blueberry retained enough heat to melt rock. And melt my skin.

It’s a good thing this recipe for Lemon Blueberry Pie is worth all the pain and suffering. It starts with a no-roll shortbread crust that’s topped with a bright and creamy filling made with fresh lemons and sweetened condensed milk. Then, to finish it off, the citrusy pie is swirled with a scratch-made blueberry sauce. Make this lemon pie for your next picnic, just be sure to make it wearing an apron in case your blueberries are as juicy as mine.

Before sharing the recipe for Lemon Blueberry Pie, here are a few tips and tricks to help you out:

Ingredient Tips

Freshly squeezed lemon juice is a must for this recipe. Given that, go buy some lemons, cut the lemons, juice the lemons and you’re done. It’s minimal effort and so much better than the pre-squeezed crap at the store.

Fresh blueberries are recommended but frozen will work in a pinch. If using frozen, do not thaw berries before making the sauce.

Butter must be softened to room temperature before preparing the shortbread crust. Do not soften butter in the microwave because that makes it melty in spots, which affects the crust’s consistency.

Pie Preparation Tips

If you prefer to have a blueberry swirl with a chunkier consistency then simply skip the step of straining sauce through a mesh sieve.

Less is more when dolloping and swirling the blueberry sauce into the lemon filling. If you prefer to see equal amounts of lemon and blueberry then only use a small amount of sauce and keep swirling to a minimum.

How to Store Lemon Blueberry Pie

Cover and store pie in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

This pie freezes well when double wrapped. First, cover in plastic wrap. Next, cover in aluminum foil and place in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving. 

I hope you enjoy this Lemon Blueberry Pie recipe. Please leave a comment and a rating at the bottom of this blog when you try it for yourself. And, while you’re at it, sign up for my weekly Recipe Newsletter so you never miss a new recipe.

Finally, if you like blueberry desserts you’ll love this recipe for Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins. Packed with crunchy poppy seeds, lemon zest and fresh lemon juice these muffins will make breakfast bright and sunny.

Lemon Blueberry Pie

Heather Wolf

Dessert doesn't get any better than this recipe for Lemon Blueberry Pie. Swirled with scratch-made blueberry sauce, this bright and creamy lemon pie sits atop a buttery shortbread crust. Citrusy and sweet, this pie is a summertime classic.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Chill 3 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs

Course Pies and Tarts

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Equipment

• 9 inch pie plate
• Food Processor

Ingredients

  

Blueberry Swirl

• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar

Shortbread Pie Crust

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour unbleached
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar packed
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 8 Tbsp unsalted butter softened to room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract pure
• 1 pinch sea salt fine

Lemon Filling

• 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 2 large egg yolks

Instructions

 

Blueberry Swirl

• Add cornstarch and lemon juice to a small bowl. Stir until combined and cornstarch has dissolved.
• Pour cornstarch mixture into a small saucepan over medium heat. Add blueberries and sugar then stir gently while mashing blueberries with the backside of a spoon until sauce thickens–approximately 5 minutes.
• Strain blueberry sauce through a fine mesh sieve then cool sauce to room temperature. (Note: only the strained sauce will be used for the swirl, but feel free to garnish pie slices with the blueberries remaining in the strainer.)

Shortbread Crust

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Pulse crust ingredients in a food processor until a soft dough forms.
• Using your fingers, press shortbread dough into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate until evenly packed.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown then remove from oven to add lemon filling.

Lemon Filling

• Combine sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon zest and egg yolks in a large mixing bowl then whisk until combined.
• Pour lemon filling onto warm shortbread crust.
• Drop small dollops of blueberry sauce onto lemon filling and swirl gently with a chopstick or butter knife.
• Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until center is just set and no longer jiggly. Do not overbake.
• Place pie plate on a wire rack and cool to room temperature.
• Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours before serving. (Mine chilled overnight.)
• For best results, allow pie to come to room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing. This allows the shortbread crust time to soften.
• Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

Keyword blueberry, lemon, pie