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This mini blueberry pie is a single-crust, open-faced pie made with juicy blueberries and a buttery shortbread crust. It bakes in one small dish and serves two.
Featured Comment
“This recipe is easy to follow, simple to make and delicious to eat!”
– Helene
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 65 minutes (crust 18–20 + filling 45–50)
- Total Time: 3 hours (includes cooling)
- Equipment: 5×5-inch baking dish
- Cook Method: Baked
- Servings: 2
- Difficulty: Easy
- Flavor Profile: Sweet and fruity, with soft blueberries and a crust that tastes like a buttery cookie.
This small blueberry pie is a smaller take on a classic blueberry pie, full of fresh blueberries that bake until warm and bubbling.
Why You’ll Love This Small Blueberry Pie Recipe
Some nights I want blueberry pie, but a full 9-inch one is far more than I need. So I make this small version instead, enough for just me or to share with my husband.
At this size, a shortbread crust works better than rolled pastry. You stir the dough together and pat it across the bottom of the dish, no rolling needed. Bake the shortbread on its own first so it firms up before the berries go on. Left open, the blueberries cook down and concentrate as they bake.
I like it best warm, the berries soft and bubbling, their juices thickened on top. Spoon it into a bowl, and the base underneath eats like a cookie.
If you like small desserts you can make in one dish, try my mini cherry pie and mini Dutch apple pie, both put together the same easy way. And when blueberries are what you’re after, my blueberry cobbler for one and mini blueberry crisp are two of the simplest ways to use them.
Ingredient Notes
Here’s a closer look at the blueberry pie ingredients and what each one does. If you have any left over from this small blueberry pie recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
Butter: Soften it but don’t melt it. Cool, pliable butter, about 30 minutes out of the fridge, creams smoothly with the sugar and bakes into a tender, cookie-like crust.
Sugar: Sugar works in both layers. In the crust it adds sweetness and helps it turn golden, and in the filling it pulls juice from the berries as they bake and balances the lemon.
All-purpose flour: Flour does two different jobs. In the crust it gives the shortbread its structure, and in the filling it’s the thickener, soaking up the juice the berries release so the filling sets instead of running.
Cornstarch: The cornstarch goes in the crust, not the filling. A small amount softens the flour so the baked crust stays tender rather than firm and dense.
Salt: A pinch balances the sweetness so the crust doesn’t taste flat.
Blueberries: Fresh blueberries are best here. They hold their shape and give off just enough juice as they bake. Frozen berries work too; thaw and drain them first so the filling isn’t watery. Use extra berries in a mini blueberry cake or small batch blueberry scones.
Lemon zest and juice: Both brighten the filling and keep the sweetness from feeling heavy. Most of the lemon flavor lives in the zest, so grate it off before you juice the lemon.
Recipe Variations
There are a few easy ways to adapt this small blueberry pie to what you have on hand.
Use a different berry: Swap the blueberries for the same weight (12 ounces) of blackberries, raspberries, or a mix. The crust and method stay exactly the same.
Add cinnamon or almond: Stir ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon or ⅛ teaspoon almond extract into the filling for a different flavor.
Double it to serve four: Double every ingredient and bake in a 6×8-inch dish, watching for the filling to bubble before you pull it.
Add a streusel topping: Stir together ¼ cup flour, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon. Mix in 3 tablespoons softened butter with a fork until crumbly, then spoon it over the berries before baking until the topping is golden and the filling bubbles.
How To Make A Mini Blueberry Pie
Here’s how to make this single crust blueberry pie, step by step. For exact amounts, see the recipe card below.
- Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Cream the softened butter and sugar with a hand mixer until smooth, then mix in the flour, cornstarch, and salt until a dough forms.
- Press and bake the crust: Press the dough evenly across the bottom of a buttered 5×5-inch baking dish. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden, then set it aside to cool.
- Mix the filling: Stir the blueberries, sugar, flour, lemon zest, and lemon juice together in a small bowl, then spoon the berries evenly over the cooled crust.
- Bake the pie: Set the dish on a baking sheet and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the filling bubbles.
- Cool before serving: Let the pie cool for at least a few hours so the filling sets, or serve it warm.
Expert Tips
Use the right dish size: A 5×5-inch baking dish gives the right crust-to-filling depth. If you don’t have one, use a dish with a similar capacity, like a 4×6-inch, so the crust stays thick enough and the filling doesn’t bake too shallow.
Soften the butter, don’t melt it: It should be cool but give when pressed, holding an indentation. Melted butter won’t cream with the sugar, and the crust bakes greasy instead of tender.
Taste the berries and adjust the sugar: Blueberries swing in sweetness through the season. Taste a few first, then add a little more sugar if they’re tart or a little less if they’re already sweet.
Watch for bubbling across the whole top: The filling is done when it bubbles across the surface, not only at the edges. That’s the sign the flour has thickened the juices. If the top browns a little before then, that’s fine.
Thaw and drain frozen berries: Fresh blueberries are best, but frozen work if you thaw and drain them first. Otherwise the liquid they release makes the filling runny.
Troubleshooting
If your open-faced blueberry pie isn’t turning out quite right, here’s how to fix common issues like a runny filling, a soggy bottom crust, or a pie that’s too loose after baking.
Why won’t my blueberry pie filling set?
A filling that won’t set usually needs more time to bake and cool. Bake until the juices bubble across the whole surface, which is what thickens the filling, then let the pie cool for at least a few hours so it firms up. Slicing into it warm is the most common reason it looks runny.
Why is the bottom crust soggy?
A soggy bottom happens when the berries go on before the crust has baked and cooled. Bake the shortbread until lightly golden and cool it first, so it sets before the wet filling is added. For extra insurance, sprinkle a teaspoon of flour and sugar over the cooled crust before the berries, it absorbs juice and keeps the base from going soggy.
Can I fix a blueberry pie that is runny?
Yes. Let it cool fully first, since the filling firms up as it sets. Chilling it in the refrigerator firms it further. And if it’s still loose, a pie this small is best spooned into a bowl, where a softer filling eats much like a cobbler.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this mini blueberry pie warm, on its own or with a simple topping:
- A spoonful of homemade whipped cream.
- A scoop of no-churn vanilla ice cream for à la mode.
Frequently Asked Questions
You’ll need one pint of blueberries, which is about 2 cups or 12 ounces. That’s one standard clamshell container, just enough for this pie.
Yes, you can make it up to a day ahead. Bake it, let it cool, then cover and keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.
Leftover blueberry pie keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, covered. Bring it to room temperature or warm it briefly before serving.
Yes, but thaw and drain them first. Frozen berries release extra liquid, and draining keeps the filling from turning watery.
Yes. Use a 5×5-inch dish or a similar 4×6-inch one, and double everything in a 6×8-inch dish to serve four.
Yes, though the shortbread crust is easier and bakes up cookie-like. If you’d rather have a flaky pastry base, my mini pie crust works well, fit it into the dish and pre-bake it before adding the berries.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this mini blueberry pie or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Mini Blueberry Pie
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
Ingredients
For the pie crust
- 2½ tablespoons salted butter – softened at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
For the blueberry filling
- 12 ounces blueberries (about 1 pint of blueberries)
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
Make the crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Cream the butter and sugar together with a hand mixer until smooth.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, and salt, and mix until a dough forms.
- Press the dough evenly across the bottom of a buttered 5×5-inch baking dish.
- Bake the crust for 18 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden, then let it cool.
Make the blueberry filling
- Stir the blueberries, sugar, flour, lemon zest, and lemon juice together in a small bowl.
- Spoon the berry mixture evenly over the cooled crust.
- Set the dish on a baking sheet and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the filling bubbles across the surface.
- Let the pie cool for at least a few hours so the filling sets before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I have made many of your recipes and this was my first failure! The crust came out fine and I used fresh blueberries, but there was WAY too much flour in the filling! I am wondering if the recipe should have called for 4 teaspoons flour instead of 4 tablespoons!
Thank you for the feedback! The 4 tablespoons of flour in the filling is correct and it’s what thickens the juices the blueberries release as they bake. You can also see it measured out in the video that goes along with the recipe, and the finished pie sets up beautifully. Without that amount, the filling would be runny. If it tasted floury, it may not have had enough time to fully cool and set, since the flour needs time to meld with the syrup as the pie rests.
Would this work with hydrated dried blueberries? Thanks!
This recipe is written for fresh blueberries, which provide both the flavor and moisture needed for the filling to set properly. I haven’t tested it with hydrated dried blueberries, but they tend to be chewier and don’t release as much juice, so the texture and consistency of the pie may be quite different.
So yummy and easy to make! I’m glad to have discovered this site!
Hello again… sorry, I retract my previous comment. In your Tips section you explain the cornstarch for cookie crust provides structure, that makes sense now. As for the berries – the ingredients call for flour which would indeed provide thickening.
Thank you. (PS: I love your book too. Please keep up the good work providing these delicious, non-food wasting recipes – I do love them.)
I love all of your recipes. I can’t wait to try this one. Yum.
I’m a bit confused. The recipe crust calls for a tablespoon of cornstarch, something I have never added to pie crusts before and the blueberry filling does not have any ingredient that would cause the heated berry juice to thicken – like cornstarch. So I’m wondering, is there is an error in this recipe and the cornstarch should be added to the berries rather than the crust?