Limoncello Blueberry Crumb Pie is an unforgettable twist on the classic with just the right balance of sweet, tangy and salty to get you hooked. Bonus: the filling and crust techniques will totally step up your pie game!
Recipe Testing
Inspo
This all started with the fabulous Erin Jeanne McDowell. She is a well-known baker and the author of the New York Times bestselling cookbook The Book on Pie. Her technical skill and ability to teach others is very inspiring. She also happened to work on a few photoshoots with my old boss, which still blows my mind to this day.
I made her Blueberry Pie, which is a great recipe but didn’t quite work out for me as well as I hoped. Part of the problem came down to my execution and the rest to personal preference. In any case, this inspired me to come up with my own version, based partially on her filling recipe but with an Italian-inspired twist.
Issues With My First Blueberry Pie:
- The filling slightly boiled over. Perhaps, the blueberries could have cooked longer on the stove despite me following the time ranges in the recipe. My solution is to pre-cook the filling longer, until the juices are very thick.
- A crack formed in the bottom crust. This was potentially related to the high initial oven temperature and/or uneven thickness in my crust. The pie bakes at 400°F for the first 35 minutes before the oven temperature is lowered. With the high heat and amount of steam generated by the filling, I think thinner or uneven areas of my crust may have been more vulnerable to cracking. For my version, I roll the dough as evenly as possible, chill it thoroughly and par-bake it before adding the filling.
- The filling was lacking in flavor. I don’t think adding lemon juice in the beginning of the cooking process was the best move. Limoncello and lemon zest really bump up the flavor, in addition to reducing the blueberry juices to concentrate their flavor. I actually opted out of adding butter to the filling so the sweetness and acidity could really shine.
- The crust turned out a little pale and bland. Erin does not like sugar in her pie dough and I totally respect that, but it’s not for me. I tried Claire’s Saffitz Flakey Pie Crust and will never go back. The sugar encourages browning, and the additional sugar and salt make for a perfectly seasoned pie crust. I also par-baked the crust, which made it even more browned and flaky.
- I still wanted a little extra something. I used a crumb topping for more flavor and texture. The crumbs definitely make for a sweeter dessert—use a ½ portion if you don’t like a lot of crumbs. I served this with Mascarpone Ice Cream for the most perfect bite.
Ingredient Notes
- Blueberries: I always say fresh is best, but I want you to try this recipe even if frozen blueberries are your only option. I have not tested this recipe with frozen blueberries, but I believe they’re a perfectly acceptable substitute. Keep in mind that they may cook more quickly in the beginning stages, but the excess liquid may take longer to reduce.
- Limoncello: Despite limoncello being a big flavor bomb in this recipe, the filling and crust techniques are so foolproof that we can still make an awesome Blueberry Crumb Pie without it. First, cook the blueberries without any additional liquid. Reduce the strained blueberry juices to about 1⅓ cups instead of 1½ cups. Proceed with thickening the filling as directed, then add 1–2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, to taste.
How to Make Limoncello Blueberry Crumb Pie
There are a few extra steps involved in this pie, but I promise they’re worth it! Par-baking the crust and precooking the blueberry filling gives you more control over the final texture and helps prevent a soggy crust or runny filling. Follow along with the photos below for all the visual cues you need along the way.
Step 1: Roll out prepared pie dough. Chill until firm.
Step 2: Crimp edges of dough. Dock bottom of dough.
Step 3: Cover bottom of dough and fill with preferred pie weights, such as dried beans.
Step 4: Par-bake crust. Remove parchment and pie weights. Continue to bake until golden.
Step 5: Allow pie crust to cool.
Step 6: Combine ingredients for filling in a pot.
Step 7: Cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves and blueberries soften.
Step 8: Strain out the cooked blueberries and set aside. Return juices to the pot.
Step 9: Continue to simmer juices until reduced to 1 ½ cups.
Step 10: Whisk cornstarch slurry into blueberries juices, bring to a gentle boil for about 2 minutes, until fully thickened.
Step 11: Transfer cooked blueberries and juices to a large bowl. Allow to cool completely before baking the pie.
Step 12: Mix together all ingredients for crumb topping. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Step 13: Preheat the oven. Spoon cooled filling into prepared crust.
Step 14: Sprinkle crumbs over filling. Bake until crumbs are browned and pie dough is fully cooked through.
Related Recipes
- Lavender Blueberry Galette
- Sour Cherry Pie
- The Best Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
- Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins
- Lemon Blueberry Scones
Limoncello Blueberry Crumb Pie
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
Description
Limoncello Blueberry Crumb Pie is an unforgettable twist on the classic with just the right balance of sweet and tangy to get you hooked.
Ingredients
Pie dough for one 9-inch single-crust pie, such as Flakey Pie Crust by Claire Saffitz
Filling:
- 2 lbs fresh blueberries
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup Limoncello liqueur
- ½ tsp Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt or ¼ tsp fine salt
- 1 lemon (for zest)
- 5 tablespoons cornstarch
Crumb topping:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar (light or dark)
- Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
- ½ tsp Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt or ¼ tsp fine salt
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Make dough. Make pie dough as directed. Chill at least at least 2 hours, until cold and firm, or up to 3 days ahead.
- Roll dough. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to about ⅛ inch thick, creating a 12-13 inch round. Transfer dough to the pie plate. Trim off any excess dough to create an even ½ inch overhang. Fold the overhang under itself, and crimp as desired, pressing firmly into the lip of the pie.
- Prep crust. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes, until chilled and firm. Remove dough from the fridge. Dock the bottom of the dough with a fork. Cut a piece of parchment paper large enough to cover the dough, crumple it, and place it over the crust. Fill with pie weights (I use dried beans).
- Par-bake crust. While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the sheet tray on the center rack in the oven while it preheats. Bake dough in the center of the oven on top of the pre-heated sheet tray for 15-20 minutes, until lightly golden around edges and sides. Carefully remove pie weights and parchment, and return to oven for 5-10 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes or until room temperature.
- Cook filling. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 4-6 minutes, until blueberries release most of their juices and appear wrinkled and smaller. Pour mixture through a strainer over a bowl to separate the juices from the berries. Set cooked blueberries aside. Return liquids to the pan. Continue to simmer until reduced to about 1½ cups, 12–18 minutes.
- Prep filling. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest of the whole lemon in large strips. Combine blueberries, sugar, Limoncello, salt and strips of lemon zest in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the berries begin to release their juices.
- Thicken filling. Whisk together cornstarch with ¼ cup of cool water to create a slurry. Stir slurry into blueberry liquids. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes back to a boil and gets very thick, about 2-3 minutes. Pour mixture into a large bowl. Remove and discard lemon peels from reserved blueberries. Stir blueberries into reduced liquids and allow to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until completely chilled.
- Make topping. Whisk together flour, sugar, zest, salt and cinnamon. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture forms moist crumbs. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes to allow butter to firm up.
- Assemble and bake. Move rack to upper third of oven. Place the sheet tray on the rack. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spoon chilled filling into the cooled crust. Sprinkle crumbs over top of the filling. I like to form some smaller and some larger crumbs. Place on top of the preheated sheet tray, and bake for approximately 25-35 minutes until topping is browned and crisp, rotating halfway through. Don’t worry if the filling isn’t bubbling! Keep in mind, it’s already pre-cooked.
- Serve. Transfer pie plate to a wire rack on the counter to cool. Cool completely before serving! The filling gels and holds its texture better as it cools. We don’t want a runny mess here. Top with powdered sugar and serve with your choice of ice cream, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- I love Claire Saffitz’s recipe for pie crust, but it requires a subscription to NYT Cooking. Use your favorite recipe or even store bought pie crust, keeping in mind that you only need enough for 1 bottom crust.
- This recipe makes a lot of crumb topping! You can easily cut this part of the recipe in half depending on your preference.
- All ovens are different. My current oven tends to bake more slowly, even when an oven thermometer shows that it’s at the correct temperature. Remember to focus more on the cues than the clock!
- Frozen blueberries: I have not tested this recipe with frozen blueberries, but I believe they’re a perfectly acceptable substitute. Keep in mind, they may cook more quickly in the beginning stages, but the excess liquid may take longer to reduce.
- If you don’t have Limoncello on hand, cook the blueberries without any additional liquid. Reduce the strained blueberry juices to about 1⅓ cups instead of 1½ cups. Proceed with thickening the filling as directed, then add 1–2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, to taste.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Italian American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/12 of pie
- Calories: 412
- Sugar: 35g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 62g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 46mg
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