Emulsifier Free Classic Blueberry Pie
Many store-bought pies and pre-made crusts rely on emulsifiers to hold their fillings and pastry together, which makes finding a clean, additive-free version surprisingly tricky. This one sidesteps all of that by building everything from scratch with straightforward pantry staples — flour, butter, sugar, cornstarch, and fresh lemon — so you know exactly what's going into every bite. The double-crust pastry comes together with chilled butter worked into flour by hand, creating those irresistible flaky layers without any additives doing the heavy lifting. A quick stovetop cook-down of the blueberries with cornstarch and lemon juice thickens the filling naturally, so it slices cleanly and holds its shape beautifully. The deep purple filling bubbling up through golden, crimped pastry is genuinely one of the most satisfying things you can pull out of an oven. Letting it cool fully before cutting is the hardest part, but it's the step that takes the filling from loose and jammy to perfectly set. Whether you're serving it at a summer gathering or just treating yourself, this is the kind of pie that makes people ask for the recipe.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
For the crust
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes and chilled
- 6–8 tbsp ice water
For the filling
- 6 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (about 2 lb)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
For the egg wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tbsp coarse sugar (optional)
Instructions
- 1
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 tbsp granulated sugar, and 1 tsp salt. Add the chilled butter cubes and work them into the flour using your fingertips or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining.
- 2
Drizzle in ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork after each addition, until the dough just holds together when pressed — it should not be sticky or wet. Divide the dough into two equal discs, wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
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