Note: I may have some affiliate links in this post for items I recommend. If you click those links and purchase an item, I may get compensation; however, this in no way increases the cost of the item to you.
I have been craving blueberry pie with crumb topping for a couple of weeks now and finally made it today. It’s such a delicious summer treat — just add vanilla ice cream or some fresh whipped cream and you’ve got heaven on a plate.
I also realized that making homemade pie crust is super fast and easy. I don’t know why I always think it will take longer or be complicated. (Probably because I don’t make pie that much.)
I really must channel my mom and make pie more often! My mom is an excellent baker (and cook, for that matter) and she often makes pies. My dad’s favorite is her cherry pie, although it is also tough to beat her lemon meringue, apple crumb, and French silk pies.
I used her lard (yes, lard!) crust recipe today and I swear that it took about 10 minutes from start to finish for me to have a crust ready to go. It’s literally 4 simple ingredients and the dough rolls out beautifully.
I adapted Ina Garten’s blueberry pie recipe for the blueberry pie filling, which of course also turned out beautifully. Ina Garten’s recipes are no-fail.
And then I used Martha Stewart’s crumb topping recipe to finish the whole thing off.
Isn’t it so pretty? (And. So. Delicious.)
Two pieces of blueberry pie with crumb topping today for me … and not one single guilty feeling about it. In fact, dare I say I think we might all be happier if we ate more pie.
Enjoy!
xoxo – Lara
Do I have to make homemade crust?
Absolutely not! If buying pre-made crust at the grocery store is more your jam, by all means have at it. I’m partial to the Pillsbury brand.
Where do I buy lard?
You will find lard at any grocery store – usually somewhere in the meat department. It’s not refrigerated at the store and you can either to store it in your pantry or in your refrigerator after you open the package.
How long does lard last?
It will last up to six months if you store it at room temperature or up to a year or so in the refrigerator.
What’s a good substitute for Lard Pie Crust?
I would try Ina Garten’s perfect pie crust recipe instead.
What kind of pastry cutter do you recommend?
I’ve had mine forever but it’s pretty much identical to this one here – and for under $10, it’s well worth it if you do a lot of baking.
Can I substitute another fruit?
I definitely think so. Try raspberries, blackberries, or even mixed berries.
Can I use frozen fruit?
You absolutely can, but be aware that there are some differences to make note of during the process. I have found this article from Taste of Home to be helpful when using frozen fruit in pies.
What if I don’t want to make crumb topping?
You can easily put a 2nd crust on top – just make sure you crimp the edges together, brush the top with egg white, and cut three slits for steam to escape. Or you can be fancy and create a lattice top, which would be beautiful on this blueberry pie!
Love this recipe? Then Pin it to save it for future use!
Blueberry Pie with Crumb Topping
Ingredients
Blueberry Filling
- 4 cups blueberries, fresh washed and dried thoroughly
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- ¼ cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Lard Pie Crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup lard
- 2-4 tablespoons water
Crumb Topping
- 1-½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1-½ sticks unsalted butter cold and cut into small pieces
Instructions
Blueberry Pie
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Mix the blueberries, 1/2 cup of sugar, the flour, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a large bowl.
- Carefully ease pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate, making sure not to stretch the dough at all, or it will shrink as the pie bakes. With a sharp knife, cut the excess dough off at the edge of the pie plate.
- Spoon the blueberry mixture into the pie shell, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula to be sure you have all the juices.
- Crimp the edges of the pie crust with your fingers.
- Spoon half of the crumb topping mixture on top of the blueberries, covering the entire pan.
- Set the pie pan on the parchment-lined baking pan.
- Bake at 400 degrees F. for 45 minutes on the middle rack until the filling is very bubbly and the crust is nicely browned. (I like to check my pie 10 minutes or so prior to make sure the crust isn't too brown. If it is, cover the top loosely with foil for the rest of the baking time.)
Crumb Topping
- In a bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup light-brown sugar, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and cinnamon.
- Cut 1 1/2 sticks chilled unsalted butter into pieces. With a pastry cutter (or your hands), work in butter pieces, until small clumps form.
- Divide mixture in half; use half for the blueberry pie and freeze the other half in a plastic storage bag for your next pie.
Lard Pie Crust
- Mix flour and salt in a large bowl.
- Cut in lard with a pastry cutter until small (pea-size) particles are obtained.
- Spring with water a little bit at a time. Mix with a fork until the flour is moist. (My mom's recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of water but I have found I need to use up to 4 tablespoons to make sure the flour mixture is moist enough to hold together for rolling.)
- Press into a ball and turn out onto a floured board. Roll out with a rolling pin. (Try not to use too much extra flour because it makes the crust tough.)
- Roll out at least an inch or so bigger than around your 9-inch pie pan.
- Put pastry into pan and try not to stretch it out because this will cause shrinkage when baking