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    Home ‣ Recipes ‣ All Recipes

    Homemade Blueberry Pie Filling

    Jul 23, 2019 · Modified: Mar 26, 2023 by Sara · This post may contain affiliate links · 19 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    A Homemade Blueberry Pie Filling recipe for fresh/frozen blueberries. Lovely on ice cream, for cheesecake topping, pancakes & waffles, and of course, pie! Naturally gluten free and delicious. 

    A spoonful of cooked blueberry pie filling. We went blueberry picking last week and got sooooo many berries I had to freeze, eat, and make pie filling with them bc what else would you do with them? I swear the baby had blue poop she ate so many. 😆 I kept this recipe simple on purpose. I've had many delicious blueberry pies, but my favorites let the blueberry flavor shine through. I added a little lemon and vanilla to boost those natural yummy blueberry flavors. Raw blueberries in a white bowl This recipe is similar to my Homemade Cherry Pie Filling, but I added more blueberries because they cook down quite a bit. Some fruits (mainly citrus) also have more natural pectin than others, which is why I added a little more corn starch as well.

    Can you use frozen blueberries in pie filling?

    Yes! I would at least partially thaw them before using them though, that's my preference.

    Can homemade blueberry pie filling be frozen?

    Yes!  I would thaw it in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter and give it a stir to get any lumps out, especially if you’re using it to bake a pie. I would not recommend using a microwave to thaw.

    Can you bottle blueberry pie filling?

    Yes, but it's not recommended to use corn starch. Heat distribution can be uneven inside the jars if cornstarch is used, which can prevent the bacteria being killed. There's more science to it but I won't bore you with that.  Instead, a modified corn starch called ClearJel can be used, which distributes heat better and doesn't insulate bacteria against the heat. The finished product has a much better texture as well. However, I have no experience canning this recipe, so I haven't posted instructions.

    Raw blueberries with lemon zest, sugar, and corn starch in a pot.

    How to make homemade blueberry pie filling:

    • Wash blueberries carefully.
    • In medium sized saucepan, combine water, sugar, lemon juice, corn starch, and salt. Stir until dissolved. Add blueberries.
    • Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes, until mixture comes to gentle boil. Stir gently only occasionally or you'll crush the blueberries as they cook.
    • Remove from heat and add lemon zest and vanilla. Cool to room temperature before using as pie filling or dessert topping.

    Raw ingredients of blueberry pie filling in a pot.

    More recipes that use blueberry pie filling:

    • Blueberry Jello Salad
    • Raspberries and Cream Bars (substitute blueberry pie filling for raspberries)
    • Cream Cheese Pie Crust
    • No Churn Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream (substitute blueberry pie filling for cherry pie filling)

    Cooked blueberry pie filling in a spoon.I've made the filling a couple of different ways (different assembly method). I've made it by just combining all the ingredients and cooking, and by doing the method in the recipe below. It works both ways, but I like to have more whole blueberries in my filling, and you can avoid crushing them by combining most of the ingredients first and then adding the blueberries.

    A spoonful of cooked blueberry pie filling.
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    5 from 2 votes

    Homemade Blueberry Pie Filling

    A Homemade Blueberry Pie Filling recipe for fresh or frozen blueberries. Great for ice cream or cheesecake toppings, pancakes and waffles, or of course, pie! 
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time5 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: blueberry pie filling, blueberry pie filling recipe, homemade blueberry pie filling
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 126kcal
    Author: Sara

    Ingredients

    • 5 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (approx 800 g)
    • ½ cup water
    • ½ cup granulated white sugar
    • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
    • 5 Tablespoons corn starch
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

    Instructions

    • Wash blueberries carefully. If using frozen, at least partially thaw before using.
    • In medium size saucepan, combine water, sugar, lemon juice, corn starch, and salt. Stir together until ingredients are mostly dissolved.
    • Add blueberries. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a gentle boil, about 5 minutes, only stirring occasionally. Mixing too much will crush the blueberries as they cook.
    • After pie filling has come to a gentle boil and has thickened, remove from heat and stir in vanilla and lemon zest gently. Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes before using as a topping.

    Notes

    If using as a pie filling, allow to cool completely (to room temperature)  before pouring into raw pie shell. Otherwise it could melt your dough and cause problems baking. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 126kcal

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    Comments

    1. Lisa

      October 07, 2022 at 8:28 pm

      Can I make the filling the night before and then bake pie the next morning ?

      Reply
      • Sara

        October 07, 2022 at 9:13 pm

        Yes you can. Just make sure to refrigerate it.

        Reply
    2. April

      July 07, 2022 at 9:24 am

      Can you can this recipe in a water bath?

      Reply
      • Sara

        July 07, 2022 at 1:51 pm

        Hi April, before I made this recipe I researched bottling methods for canning pie filling. It’s inconsistent and considered unsafe to bottle with regular cornstarch, the heat distribution is uneven inside the jars and sometimes doesn’t kill all of the bacteria. I had done it in the past and served it to my family and we were okay, but I wouldn't risk it now, especially with smaller children and I gift it to others and wouldn't want to make them ill.
        I usually just freeze blueberries then make them into pie filling when I’m ready to use them, or use ClearJel (recommended for canning pie filling) instead of cornstarch. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    3. Christine

      July 06, 2020 at 3:52 pm

      Can the blueberry mixture be frozen for pies in the future

      Reply
      • Sara

        July 06, 2020 at 6:03 pm

        It can. I prefer to freeze it in a raw pie crust; I have however frozen the filling separately and then used it.

        Reply
    4. Carlene R Staller

      June 22, 2020 at 8:27 pm

      I want to use this as a topping for a lemon pie, does it have a nice glossy look or is it dull?
      thanks

      Reply
      • Sara

        June 22, 2020 at 8:56 pm

        Hi Carlene, I would describe it as shiny, like the pictures show.

        Reply
        • Carlene R Staller

          June 22, 2020 at 8:58 pm

          Thanks Sara for your quick response. It is just the topping I was looking for.

          Reply
    5. LeeAnn Ronin

      June 07, 2020 at 3:54 pm

      I ONLY HAVE ONE PIINT OF BLUEBERRIES DO I NEED TO ADJUST THE INGREDIENTS TO THAT AMOUNT?

      Reply
      • Sara

        June 07, 2020 at 4:00 pm

        Hi LeeAnn, yes you would need to adjust the ingredients.

        Reply
    6. Misti

      May 25, 2020 at 11:09 am

      So I’ve made my pie crust and now the blueberry filling, how long do I bake the pie and at what temp!

      Reply
      • Sara

        May 25, 2020 at 12:22 pm

        Hi Misti, it depends on if you are using bottom crust only, or lattice style crust, or a complete top and bottom crust.
        For a complete top and bottom crust, I usually bake my pies (with a pre- cooked filling) at 425 F for 40-45 minutes. I also make sure my pastry and pie filling is cold (at least cooled to room temperature) so the filling doesn’t melt the butter in the pastry dough before it begins to bake.

        Reply
        • Jennifer

          June 30, 2020 at 10:34 am

          Is the lemon zest necessary?

          Reply
          • Sara

            June 30, 2020 at 6:41 pm

            It doesn’t impact the texture but it would change the flavor to leave the zest out.

            Reply
    7. Theresa

      May 19, 2020 at 4:41 pm

      How much pie filling will this yield?

      Reply
      • Sara

        May 22, 2020 at 7:22 am

        Hi Theresa, it depends on the size and weight of the blueberries, I use about 800g and that yields 3.5 to 4 cups of pie filling.

        Reply
    8. Molly

      May 13, 2020 at 12:48 pm

      How long can this be stored in the refrigerator?

      Reply
      • Sara

        May 13, 2020 at 12:59 pm

        Hi Molly, you can keep it refrigerated for 3-4 days.

        Reply

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    Hi! I'm Sara. Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.

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