With a juicy pop of sweet blueberries in every bite, this Balsamic Blueberry Bacon Pie is one that you’ll want to make year round. Whether you’re using fresh blueberries or frozen, this pie is a standout. Balsamic vinegar brings a bit of tartness and bite to the fruit filling while the rye crust is buttery, earthy, and nutty. Top it all with a crumble topping that features candied bacon and toasted pecans, and you have a pie that people will be asking for again and again.
I wrote about a blueberry and balsamic pie I made once before as my obsession with the combination of flavors prompted me to make these Blueberry Balsamic Muffins, and I figured that it was about time I actually posted a pie that used to flavors. This isn’t the same exact pie that I made years ago, but it’s definitely inspired by it. I played with the filling a bit and added a little extra pepper, toned down the honey and added in maple syrup. With the bacon in the crumble, I wanted to maple to play off of it and give it that sort of pancake breakfast vibe.
I’ve also been listening to a lot of the Waitress cast recording this past week or so and was very determined to find a way to add bacon into this pie thanks to the mention of Jenna’s “Deep Dish Blueberry Bacon Pie” at the beginning. I didn’t want to throw it into the filling–while the bacon complements the blueberries, I didn’t want it to take away from them nor did I want the juices of the fruit to make the bacon soft. With it mixed into the crumb topping, the bacon holds its bite and provides a nice little surprise whenever you get a bit. Also, is it just me, or are crumb topped pies infinitely better than double crust pies?! I’m a sucker from a crumb topping (and for Waitress–watch the movie, listen to the musical, embrace it all).
This pie also uses a crust that’s part all purpose flour and part dark rye. The dark rye flour brings a nutty, earthy flavor to the crust that helps it hold its own amongst the filling and the crumb topping. It’s buttery and crumbly and the perfect crust to hold this entire pie together.
| Cook Time | 40-50 minutes |
| Passive Time | 6 hours |
| Servings |
servings
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- 155 grams all purpose flour
- 100 grams dark rye flour
- 170 grams salted butter cold and cubed
- 2 Tbsp vodka
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1-2 Tbsp ice cold water (as needed)
- 1 egg white whisked with 1 tsp water (for egg wash)
- 8 cups blueberries fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1/4 cup corn starch
- 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 slices bacon
- 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup pecans toasted and chopped
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter cubed
Ingredients
Part-Rye Single Pie Crust
Balsamic Blueberry Filling
Bacon and Pecan Crumb Topping
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- In a large bowl, whisk together the all purpose and rye flours. Using your fingertips, rub in the cubes of butter until you're left with pea-sized chunks covered in dough. Add in the 2 Tbsp of vodka. Using the tip of a butter knife or your fingers, gently stir the mixture to hydrate the flour. Add in the lemon juice and stir again. Add the ice cold water 1/2 Tbsp at a time, stirring in between each addition until large clumps of butter and dough form. You should be able to easily pull the dough together into a large ball, pinching as needed to get any dry bits to stick.
- Lightly flour your countertop or work surface. Roll out each half of the dough into a rectangle, about 12"x4". Fold the top 1/3 of the dough to the center. Fold up the bottom 1/3 of dough to overlap with the top half. Flip the dough 90 degrees and repeat the rolling and folding process. Flip 90 degrees and repeat one more time. Wrap in plastic. Using a rolling pin, gently press down to flatten the dough and bring any remaining dry bits at the edges together. Allow the dough to chill and rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- BLIND BAKING THE CRUST: Preheat the oven to 425°F and place a large baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven to heat up. Lightly butter a 9.5" pie dish. Roll out the chilled dough until it's about 1/8"-1/4" thick and the circle of dough is larger than the pie dish so that you'll have at least 1 inch of overhang; trim as needed if there is more excess dough. Fold the 1 inch of overhang over itself and gently press to make the dough flush with the edge of the pie plate. Crimp as desired. Chill the lined pie plate and dough until solid, at least 30 minutes (I like to chill mine in the freezer to get it even colder). Once chilled, dock the bottom of the pie with a fork. Lie the pastry with a piece of parchment paper and fill with pie weights, dry beans, or dry rice to keep the pastry from falling down the sides of the dish and from puffing at the center. Place the pie dish on the preheated baking sheet and return to the middle rack of the oven. Bake 20 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and take out the parchment paper with the weights. Brush the bottom and the sides of the crust with a whisked egg white to help seal any moisture from seeping into the crust. Return to the middle rack of the oven and bake an additional 5 minutes. Remove the pie crust and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet.
- In a large saucepan, stir together 1 cup of blueberries, granulated sugar, maple syrup, and honey. Warm over medium heat until the sugar melts. If using fresh blueberries, give them a slight mash with a fork.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the corn starch and balsamic vinegar until the starch is fully dissolved. Add this mixture to the saucepan and stir to combine.
- Add in the flour, salt, cinnamon, black pepper, and vanilla. Stir until completely combined. Then add in the remainder of the blueberries. Heat over medium-low heat until the blueberries begin to break down and the filling begins to thicken, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the filling to a glass dish and allow to cool completely.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place 4 strips of bacon on the baking sheet and sprinkle with 2 Tbsp of light brown sugar. Bake 12-15 minutes until the bacon is crisp. Allow to cool slightly and chop into small pieces.
- In a large bowl, mix together the candied bacon, rolled oats, flour, light brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and pecans. Add in the cubed butter and rub it into the dry ingredients using the tips of your fingers until you're left with large chunks of crumb topping.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and place a baking sheet on the bottom rack to warm.
- Using a slotted spoon, scoop the blueberry filling into the pre-baked pie crust, allowing any excess juice to drain. Spread the blueberries evenly and top with the prepared crumb topping.
- Place the pie dish on the preheated baking sheet and place on the middle rack of the oven. Allow to bake 40-50 minutes until the blueberries begin to bubble beneath the crumb. If the crumb topping begins to brown, cover with a piece of foil around the 30 minute mark and allow the pie to continue baking for 10-20 minutes.
- Remove the pie from the oven and allow to cool slightly on the baking sheet. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely for 3-4 hours before slicing.