Mini Blueberry Pies
Mini Blueberry Pies make the perfect bite-sized dessert for your next dinner party or holiday get-together. If you use store-bought mini pie crusts, the blueberry pie filling is super quick and easy.
Or you could be someone who wants to be adventurous and make your own mini pie crust shells for these blueberry mini pies, but you’re nervous about how they’ll turn out. Trust me. Grab your apron, grab my hand, and let’s make mini blueberry pies!
Ingredients
Blueberries
You can use fresh or frozen blueberries in this blueberry mini pie recipe. Fresh blueberries are great when in season, but frozen blueberries will be sweeter choice in the off-season.
When you’re baking with frozen berries, just be aware that they’ll release more water. That’s why you generally don’t thaw frozen berries. Otherwise all that juice might turn your batter a pretty pink color, like it did with this blackberry lemon bread!
Do you just love the flavor of blueberries? Make these blueberry chocolate chip muffins or blueberry gin and tonics.
Other ingredients
To make the blueberry pie filling, you’ll cook down the blueberries like you’re making jam.
- Sugar adds sweetness to the blueberry filling.
- Lemon juice’s acidity balances the sweetness.
- Cornstarch is used as a thickener. The last thing you want from a two-bite miniature pie is filling dripping down your shirt after the first bite, right? Feel free to substitute tapioca or another thickener if you prefer.
Miniature pie crusts
Miniature blueberry pies require mini pie shells. You can buy them or make your own using my recipe for mini pie crust shells. One advantage of making your own is that extra pie dough can go towards pie crust cookies!
Please see the recipe card below for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations and substitutions
- Use other berries or berry combinations. For blackberries and raspberries, you might want to puree the berries and remove the seeds before making the jam.
- Add a bit of orange zest or ground culinary lavender to the filling as it’s cooking.
- Finish it off with a teaspoon of vanilla or orange liqueur.
Recipe tips and tricks
Making the blueberry filling
Step 1: If you are using fresh blueberries, wash them well in cold running water. There’s no need to dry them.
Step 2: Mix the blueberries with the rest of the ingredients for the pie filling and let them macerate in a large pot for 30 minutes to an hour or so (Panel #1, below). This draws water out of the blueberries to dissolve the sugar and cornstarch (Panel #2). Your filling will cook quicker, with less chance of caramelizing the sugar.
Step 3: Cook the berry mixture on low until the berries have burst and the mixture starts to thicken. This time will vary depending on whether you are using fresh versus frozen blueberries. You’ll know it’s thick enough when the mixture can be scraped away from the bottom of the pan.
Step 4: Transfer the filling to a glass container to cool. The pie filling will continue to thicken.
Assembly
Step 5: Before serving, spoon the blueberry filling into the mini pie crust shells. If you are not serving the mini pies right away, wait to fill the shells to keep them from getting soggy. You can store the filling in a covered container in the refrigerator for a few days.
Step 6: Use a hand mixer, stand mixer, or a lot of arm power to whip up some whipped cream by combining cold heavy whipping cream and sugar in a chilled mixing bowl. Spoon or pipe onto your mini pies, and serve immediately.
Tip from the wise quacker: whipped cream made with cold whipping cream in a chilled bowl will whip up lighter and fluffier than cream at room temperature. That’s because the cold cream will hold more air bubbles.
The photo below was piped with an open star tip.
Storage
Whipped cream-topped desserts are safe to keep out at cool room temperature for up to two hours. After that, you’ll want to keep leftovers in the refrigerator.
Recipe FAQs
The FDA says to wash your blueberries with running water right before eating. That’s because blueberries have a natural protective coating called a “bloom.” There’s no need to do anything else, although rinsing them in a dilute vinegar solution will remove slightly more bacteria from the fruit surface. Be sure to wash with water again afterwards!
Fresh blueberries can be kept on the countertop for a day. They’ll be good in the fridge for a week or more, but throw away any with signs of mold. Frozen blueberries are good for three to six months.
These miniature pies are best made when you want them. But it is possible to freeze the filled pie shells before you add whipped cream. Put the mini blueberry pies on a baking sheet in the freezer overnight. Then double wrap each one individually in plastic wrap, put them into a freezer bag, and squeeze out all the air.
Related pie and pastry recipes
Check out other pies and pastry and summer berry recipes from the Ugly Duckling Bakery archives like:
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-heart 💜💜💜💜💜 rating in the recipe card below. Let me know how much you loved it, or any problems you had, in the comments section further down.
Recipe
Mini Blueberry Pies
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer for the whipped cream
Ingredients
Blueberry pie filling
- 1 pound blueberries fresh or frozen, washed well if fresh
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- lemon zest and juice from ½ a lemon
- 1 pinch salt
Whipped cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar plus more to taste
Assembly
- 24 baked mini pie shells see note about pre-baking
Instructions
Blueberry pie filling
- Combine the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt in a large pot. Stir a bit and let macerate at room temperature for 30 minutes.1 pound blueberries, ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, lemon zest and juice from ½ a lemon, 1 pinch salt
- Heat the the mixture on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. The mixture should come to a slow boil and the berries will burst. Cook until the mixture has thickened enough that you can scrape it away from the bottom of the pot.
- Transfer the blueberry filling to a glass jar or measuring cup and let cool.
Whipped cream and assembly
- While the blueberry filling is cooling, put a bowl in the fridge to chill it.
- When ready to serve, spoon the filling into the prepared pie shells.24 baked mini pie shells
- Add the whipping cream and sugar to the chilled mixing bowl and beat until you get soft peaks. Taste a bit and add additional sugar as desired. Continue beating until you get stiff peaks.1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 tablespoon sugar
- Spoon or pipe the whipped cream onto the mini blueberry pies and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
You’re an adventurous home cook looking for inspiration in your weeknight meals and weekend baking. Get that inspiration here: