Easy Blueberry Pie with Basil and Goat Cheese

This Easy Blueberry Pie with Basil and Goat Cheese is a simple, delicious summer dessert, and perfect for Fourth of July. Use store-bought crust, quickly toss the ingredients together, and bake. Serve with sweet vanilla ice cream or warm cream, and enjoy!

It’s pie season! Be sure to check out this Chocolate Banana Cream Pie, the Slab French Silk Pie, and this Strawberry Pudding Pie – all perfect for summertime.

Easy Blueberry Pie with Basil and Goat Cheese 

When you pick three pounds of blueberries on a sweltering hot summer day, you go home, eat as many as humanely possible, and then make blueberry pie, of course. 

But because I can’t leave a good thing alone, what was once supposed to be a simple blueberry pie is spruced up with a touch of goat cheese to add a little bit of a sweet and savory element, and fresh basil from the garden, because I adore an herbaceous pop in fresh summer produce – and let’s be serious, I’ll use fresh basil from my garden at just about any opportunity. 

I don’t want a few uncommon ingredients like goat cheese and basil to scare any blueberry pie purists off. Fingers crossed, the two additions are very subtle, and make the pie a bit more interesting, in the best way possible. Basil adds a herbaceous, slightly floral almost, essence, that ever-so-slightly permeates the pie.  The goat cheese is randomly scattered throughout the pie as you layer the blueberries in, so as you dig in, you’ll get pops of tanginess that pair with the sweet and tart blueberries so perfectly.

If you’re still completely offended by the two additions, leaving them out will not alter the consistency of the final product in any way, and will only slightly deviate from the flavor. I can assure you will still end up with a ridiculously easy, delicious summer pie you can’t get enough of. 

How to make Blueberry Pie stupid easy

Come in closer. 

A little closer. 

Closer still! 

Store-bought crust. I know! In my older age, I’ve gotten off my high culinary horse who looked down upon those who never made their own crust. I am now one of those people. I don’t always buy store-bought, but when I want a dessert that’s fast, I have absolutely no qualms about reaching for a prepared dough. For today’s recipe, I used Trader Joe’s, and loved it. It tastes more homemade to me, and I love that it’s a little on the sweeter side. 

How to make Easy Blueberry Pie with Basil and Goat Cheese

• Toss blueberries with lemon juice, cornstarch, salt, sugars, and basil. Let them sit while you prepare the dough.
• Grease a 9-inch pie pan. Place the bottom crust in the pan. Cut the top crust into seven equal strips.
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer half of the berries to the crust. Leave the juice.
• Dot half of the goat cheese on top. Layer the rest of the blueberries on top, followed by the remaining goat cheese. Dot with butter.
• Lattice the strips on the pie. If you need help, see below for more specific instructions.
• Brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. 
• Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until golden brown and bubbly. 
• Let the pie rest for 6-8 hours before serving. 
• Thyme would also be a lovely compliment to the blueberries instead of basil. 
• Again, if you’re completely against using basil or goat cheese in a fruit pie, leave it out. 

How to make a lattice crust

I can’t cut a straight line to save my life (guess I wasn’t paying attention in preschool), so lattice crusts that have beautiful, perfectly symmetrical skinny strips, are not for me. Instead, I cut mine about 1 1/2 inches thick, so any imperfections look rustic instead of sloppy. Also instead of crimping the edges like a pro, I just use the tines of a fork to mesh the lattice and the outside crust together, again we’re going for a rustic look, not perfection. 

Here’s how I lay my lattice: 

• Lay three strips vertically and evenly across the filling.
• Pull every other strip over it’s self halfway and lay a strip down horizontally. Pull the vertical strips back over. 
• Again, pull the other vertical strip over itself as far back as it will go. Lay another strip down. Pull the strip over. 
• Repeat process for the other half and remaining two strips. 
• Push the strips into the bottom layer of crust hanging over the edge. Fold the excess crust under. Use a tines of the fork to crimp the edges, or, if you know how, crispy the edges like a pro.
• Brush with egg wash and bake! 

Why do I need to let the pie rest for so long? 

Fruit pies are notoriously soupy, this is most likely due to the pie not resting long enough. You want the pie to come to room temperature so the juices can redistribute and the corn starch can do it’s job of thickening the filling up enough to slice without everything draining into a sad puddle. If you’re alright with soup pie, by all means, cut into it right away! 

Can I make this ahead of time? 

YES. This piggybacks on the prior question. Because the pie actually does HAVE to be made ahead of time. It really just needs time to set, but you can also just let it set out overnight and serve the next day. I can attest that it’s just as good three days later. 

Substitutions and Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success 

• Taste your berries! If they’re really tart, you may need to up the sugar a bit. If they’re really sweet, you may be able to cut back on the sugar.
• Again, let the pie rest! 
• Use scraps of dough, to make more strips if necessary. 
• Who cares if it doesn’t look perfect! It will still taste delicious no matter what. 
• Don’t trim the edge of the crust until the lattice is complete. Once you crimp the edges, then you can cut the excess off. 

Other ways to use summer blueberries

• Blueberry Peach Cheesecake Bars
• Blueberry Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast
• Peach, Blackberry, and Blueberry Crisp

Easy Blueberry Pie with Basil and Goat Cheese

Yield: 8 slices

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

This Easy Blueberry Pie with Basil and Goat Cheese is a simple, delicious summer dessert, and perfect for Fourth of July. Use store-bought crust, quickly toss the ingredients together, and bake. Serve with sweet vanilla ice cream or warm cream, and enjoy!

Print

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups blueberries
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup gently packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 3 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 tbsp. finely chopped basil
• 2 prepared pie crusts
• 4 oz. goat cheese
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 egg mixed with 2 tsp. water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-inch pie plate very well.
2. Add blueberries, sugars, cornstarch, lemon juice, salt, and basil to a large bowl. Toss to combine. Let the mixture rest while you prepare the crust.
3. Place one of the crusts in the bottom of the pan. Do not cut off excess.
4. Use a ruler to measure out 7 equal strips. (You can also eyeball it, it doesn't need to be perfect, this is a rustic pie!)
5. Use a slotted spoon to remove half of the berries from the bowl, and place in the prepared crust. Dot with half of the goat cheese. Spoon the rest of the blueberries on top. Leave any accumulated juice in the bottom of the bowl. Dot remaining goat cheese on top of the berries. Dot the butter around the goat cheese.
6. To make the lattice: Lay three strips vertically and evenly across the filling.
7. Pull the first and the third strip over it’s self halfway and lay a strip down horizontally, pull the vertical strips back over. 
8. Do the same with the other remaining vertical strip by pulling it over itself as far back as they will go (to the horizontal strip you already placed down). Lay another strip down. Pull the strips over. 
9. Repeat process for the other half and remaining two strips. 
10. Push the strips into the bottom layer of crust hanging over the edge. Fold the excess crust under. Use a tines of the fork to crimp the edges. 
11. Brush with egg wash. Place pie on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. If the outer crust starts to brown faster than the lattice, cover with foil for remaining baking time.
12. Let pie rest for 5-6 hours before serving or until the pie is set. If you don't do this, the filling will be soupy.