Blueberry Crumble Pie with Lemon Filling is a delicious summer dessert made with juicy wild blueberries, a creamy lemon filling, and a buttery oat crumble topping. The bright lemon balances the sweetness of the berries, while the crumble adds a lovely crisp texture. It’s easy to make and perfect served on its own or with homemade vanilla custard.
Wild Blueberries Make this Pie Special
In Finland, we almost always bake with wild blueberries, known as bilberries. They are smaller than cultivated blueberries and have a deeper color and a more intense flavor. They also turn the filling a beautiful purple shade.
Many Finns head to the forest to pick wild blueberries during the summer. If you don’t have the opportunity to forage, you can also buy them from local markets or grocery stores while they are in season. Frozen wild blueberries are another excellent option and are available throughout the year.
If you can’t find wild blueberries where you live, regular blueberries work well too. The pie will still be delicious, although the flavor will be a little milder.
Why You’ll Enjoy this Pie
This pie has a little bit of everything. The crust is buttery, the filling is smooth and creamy, and the crumble turns golden as it bakes. Fresh lemon juice and zest brighten the filling without overpowering the berries.
The recipe is also easy to prepare. While the crust bakes, you can mix the filling and get the berries ready. After a final bake with the crumble on top, all that’s left is to let the pie cool slightly before serving.
A Great Dessert for Blueberry Season
I bake this pie when wild blueberries are in season. It’s a lovely dessert for family dinners, summer celebrations, or simply enjoying with a cup of coffee. The pie also keeps well in a refrigerator, so any leftovers taste just as good the next day.
I usually serve it with homemade vanilla custard, but vanilla ice cream or whipped cream are also delicious choices.
More Blueberry Recipes to Try
If you enjoy baking with blueberries, you might also like my Wild Blueberry Pie, Blueberry Almond Pie, Blueberry Mini Cakes, and Gluten-Free Blueberry Pie. They each showcase wild blueberries differently and are perfect for blueberry season. And if you’re serving this pie with a sauce, don’t miss my Homemade Vanilla Custard recipe. It pairs beautifully with warm fruit desserts and is one of my favorite accompaniments for this pie.
The full recipe is just below.
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Blueberry Crumble Pie with Lemon Filling
Equipment
- 28 cm (11-inch) pie dish
- Parchment paper
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Citrus zester
- Citrus juicer
- Whisk
- Pie weights or dried beans
- cooling rack
Ingredients
Crust and Crumble
- 180 g (1½ cups) all-purpose flour
- 120 g (1½ cups) rolled oats
- 210 g (1 cup granulated) sugar
- 180 g (¾ cup) butter, softened
- 1 tsp salt if using unsalted butter
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 large egg separated
Lemon Filling
- 1 can 397 g / 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 120 ml (½ cup) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 2 tsp vanilla sugar
- 1 egg yolk
Fruit
- 500 g (2 cups) fresh blueberries preferably wild blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F).
- Line a 28 cm (11-inch) pie dish with parchment paper, covering both the base and the sides.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, rolled oats, sugar, salt (if using), and baking powder.
- Rub the softened butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Remove 480 ml (2 cups) of the crumble mixture and set it aside for the topping.
- Add the egg white to the remaining crumble mixture and mix until a soft dough forms. Press the dough evenly over the base and up the sides of the prepared pie dish.
- Line the crust with parchment paper, fill with pie weights or dried beans, and bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn lightly golden.
- While the crust bakes, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, egg yolk, and vanilla sugar until smooth. Let the filling stand for 5–10 minutes.
- Remove the crust from the oven and carefully lift out the parchment paper and pie weights.
- Scatter the blueberries evenly over the crust.
- Pour the lemon filling over the blueberries.
- Bake for 8 minutes, or until the filling just begins to set.
- Remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle the reserved crumble evenly over the top.
- Return the pie to the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until the crumble is lightly golden.
- Let the pie cool for about 20 minutes before serving.
- Serve as it is or with vanilla custard or vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- Fresh wild blueberries work best, but frozen blueberries can also be used without thawing.
- If you are using frozen ones, mix them with one tbsp potato starch before scattering the blueberries over the crust.
- Let the lemon filling rest for 5–10 minutes before baking to help it thicken slightly.
- The pie is delicious warm, at room temperature, or chilled the next day.
Serve it on its own or with vanilla custard or vanilla ice cream.
