Name: Blueberry Pie Filling
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 6 cups (780 grams) frozen wild blueberries (see note about fresh); ⅔ cup (140 grams) granulated sugar; ¼ cup (35 grams) cornstarch; Pinch coarse kosher salt; 2 strips lemon zest; 1 large cinnamon stick (or 2 small); 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional); 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional)

Blueberry pie filling is simple to make at home and perfect to keep on hand or in the freezer for whenever you need it. Use it in pies, pastries, or any dessert that calls for a sweet, fruity filling.

A jar of prepared blueberry pie filling.

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Blueberry season is upon us and if we're lucky, we may find ourselves with plenty of blueberries to turn into blueberry pie filling. Or, maybe you just love blueberry pie and always want to have a jar of filling on hand in the freezer (like me)! I usually make this recipe with wild blueberries that I buy frozen (or that I freeze when I get a large batch of them each summer) but it's easily made with standard grocery store blueberries as well.

Premade blueberry pie filling has all kinds of uses, such as blueberry turnovers, as a topping for cheesecake, as a filling for hand pies, as a filling in a cake or blueberry crisp! Readers have told me that they eat it with yogurt in the morning!

This filling freezes well, making it one of the best ways to use up a large batch of blueberries when they’re in season. Like my other pie filling recipes, this recipe wasn’t created strictly as a filling meant to be used to make a blueberry pie, however there is a good case for using pre-cooked filling in pies. It cuts down on bake time and helps prevent the crust from separating from the filling, since the blueberries have already been cooked and shrunk before going into the pie shell. If you’re looking for a full pie recipe, I have one dedicated just to that: Blue-Ribbon Blueberry Pie.

What Type of Blueberries to Use

My favorite blueberries to use are wild blueberries. I almost always have a big bag of frozen wild blueberries in my freezer. They’re available year-round in most stores, or if you time it right, you can get a large crop of them in the summer and freeze them. I love using frozen wild blueberries because they release extra juice that makes the filling nice and lush, which I think gives it a better flavor than standard blueberries.

That said, using standard fresh blueberries from the grocery store also works well, and I’ll often use them in the summer when they’re in season and tasting good. The recipe notes that you’ll need to add a bit of extra liquid if you’re using fresh berries. If you can find blueberry juice at the store, that’s a great option. If not, any all-fruit juice like cherry, grape, or cranberry can work. Fresh orange juice is also a good choice and will add a nice citrus note alongside the lemon juice already in the recipe. And in a pinch, water is fine, but the flavor won’t be quite as complex as when you use juice.

How to Make It

This is a very simple recipe. Essentially, blueberries are mixed together with sugar, a bit of cinnamon and lemon, and cornstarch and then cooked.

The recipe calls for you to macerate the blueberries for about 15 minutes. This helps dissolve the sugars before cooking. If you are using frozen blueberries, let it sit for an additional 5-10 minutes until the liquid has come out.

If you are using fresh blueberries, you'll need to add juice to the mixture. This serves a few purposes. The first is that it gives some extra juice to the filling. The juice also gives the filling another layer of flavor which fresh grocery store blueberries are often missing out on.

Here is a quick visual overview of how to make this Blueberry Pie Filling recipe. If you are looking for the full recipe with quantities, keep scrolling!

The ingredients for blueberry pie filling in a pot.

Step 1: In a large pot, combine together blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon zest and cinnamon sticks. Stir in the lemon juice (and additional juice if using fresh berries).

Blueberries in a bowl with ingredients to make pie filling.

Step 2: Let the mixture sit until the sugar has mostly dissolved.

Cooked blueberry pie filling in a white pot.

Step 3: Turn the heat to medium and cook until the mixture has thickened and is bubbling throughout, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and discard the cinnamon and lemon zest.

Cooked blueberry pie filling with two tablespoons of butter being swirled in.

Step 4: Stir in the butter and vanilla extract. The butter adds richness, and the vanilla brings a depth of flavor that complements the blueberries.

How to Store It

Because of its high sugar content, blueberry pie filling keeps well in the fridge. It’s never lasted more than five days in my house (because we always eat it before then) but it should be fine for about a week. If it’s been in the fridge for more than a day, give it a good stir before using as cornstarch thickened mixtures tend to seize up when sitting. It will keep well in the freezer for 6 to 12 months.

I don’t recommend canning this filling. Safe canning requires very specific levels of sugar and acidity, and I haven’t tested this recipe to ensure it meets those guidelines. For long-term storage, I recommend freezing it instead.

Ways to Use Blueberry Pie Filling

Okay, now you've got your blueberry pie filling. What should you use it for?

blueberry crisp (use this crisp recipe or this pie crumble recipe for topping it)
filling for a cake (or make an icebox cake!)
in a pastry (use this shortcut puff pastry or real-deal puff pastry)
in a galette (use this butter dough)
in pop tarts (use this pop tart dough)
blueberry hand pies or blueberry turnovers
over waffles or pancakes
with oatmeal
with ice cream or as blueberry ice cream
with yogurt
and see below for if you want to make a pie with it!

Blueberry Icebox Cake decorated with blueberries and revealed layers.

A slice of the best blueberry pie in a pie pan.

How to Turn This Into a Pie

This recipe makes 2 quarts of blueberry pie filling, which is the exact amount you need to make a standard 9" blueberry pie.

To turn this into a pie, you'll need either one batch of a flaky American style butter pie crust is great (made by hand, in the food processor or in the stand mixer), or use whatever pie crust recipe you love. Or make it a crumble pie by using the crumble topping from this apple pie.

The pie filling needs to be completely chilled before you can add it to the pie crust. So make your pie filling one day ahead of time. Then roll out the pie dough, assemble the pie, and bake! You can bake the pie at 425ºF for 25 minutes on the lower shelf, and then reduce the oven temp to 400ºF and move the pie up to the middle shelf for an additional 20-30 minutes. Bake just until the top crust is nice and golden brown. No need for the pie filling to bubble since it has been precooked. See this tutorial on baking a double crust fruit pie for additional information if you need it.

Watch Me Make It!

More Pie Filling Recipes

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Full Recipe

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4.9 from 8 reviews

Blueberry Pie Filling

Recipe by Kelli Avila

Blueberry Pie Filling is super easy to make at home and perfect to have on hand or stored away in the freezer for whenever you need it. This recipe is perfect for pies, pastries desserts, or any other sweet treat that calls for blueberry pie filling.

Print Recipe

Total Time00:30
Yieldabout 2 pints

Ingredients

6 cups (780 grams) frozen wild blueberries (see note about fresh)
⅔ cup (140 grams) granulated sugar
¼ cup (35 grams) cornstarch
Pinch coarse kosher salt
2 strips lemon zest
1 large cinnamon stick (or 2 small)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional)

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Instructions

In a large pot, combine together blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon zest and cinnamon sticks. Add in the lemon juice, stir together and let the mixture macerate at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved.
Turn the heat to medium and begin to cook the blueberries, stirring frequently to make sure it cooks evenly. Continue cooking until the mixture has thickened and is bubbling throughout, about 7-10 minutes.
Remove from heat, then discard the lemon zest and cinnamon stick. Stir in the vanilla and butter.
Let the blueberry filling cool completely, and then transfer to storage containers or use as desired.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days. Or in the freezer, for up to six months.

Equipment

Wyman's Wild Blueberries

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Notes

If you're using fresh blueberries instead of frozen, you'll need to add a bit of extra liquid to the mixture. Blueberry juice is the best option if you can find it. Otherwise, any all-fruit juice like cherry or cranberry will work well. Fresh orange juice is also a good choice and adds a nice citrus note alongside the lemon juice in the recipe. If you don't have juice on hand, water can be used in a pinch, but the flavor won’t be as complex.

To get a strip of lemon zest, use a vegetable peeler to remove it from the lemon. Just be sure to get only the yellow part and not the bitter white pith. Alternatively, 1 teaspoon of finely grated zest can be used instead.

Looking to turn this into a pie? Check out this guide How to Bake a Double Crust Pie for some baking tips.

The butter is optional, but it adds a subtle richness to the filling.

Prep Time: 00:05
Macerating Time: 00:15
Cook Time: 00:10
Category: Pie Filling

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