Blueberry Pie Lush Dessert

This Blueberry Pie Lush Dessert is everything you love in a blueberry pie and more! It has a pie crust crumb base, homemade blueberry pie filling, layers of sweetened mascarpone whipped cream, and a buttery streusel topping. It’s the perfect light-tasting summer dessert!

Blueberry season in Massachusetts is almost here. I can’t wait to enjoy the sweet, in-season local blueberries! This summer dessert recipe takes advantage of the abundance of fruit, transforming it into a luscious summer treat that everyone will love!

This blueberry dessert recipe makes a refrigerator cake that tastes light, fresh, and cooling—precisely what you’d want on sweltering days! It features a buttery pie crust crumb base topped with fluffy, velvety mascarpone whipped cream and homemade blueberry pie filling. Finishing this delightful dish is a crunchy, buttery streusel topping.

Ingredients needed:

• Pie crusts—this recipe calls for two Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts. They are baked and then turned into crumbs. If you want to make your own from scratch, be sure to use a recipe that yields two 9 to 10-inch crusts.
• Blueberries—use fresh, but if you don’t have any on hand, feel free to use frozen. You’ll need to reduce the amount of water added to the blueberries by about half when cooking the filling, as frozen blueberries release more liquid during cooking.
• Lemon juice—is added to the blueberry filling to provide bright, citrusy notes. It also helps to preserve the blueberry color during cooking.
• Heavy cream—for making the fluffy mascarpone whipped cream layers.
• Mascarpone—gives the whipped cream more body and adds richness. It also helps to stabilize the whipped cream. Use a good-quality mascarpone that is thick and creamy with the texture of soft cream cheese. Avoid ones that are watery because they don’t whip up well.
• Confectioners’ sugar—adds a sweetness to the mascarpone whipped cream. It also has stabilizing qualities for whipped cream.
• Granulated sugar—to provide sweetness to the blueberry filling.
• Cornstarch and water—are both used to make the slurry that thickens the blueberry filling. Water is also used to cook the blueberries.
• Cream of tartar—serves as a stabilizer for whipped cream, helping it maintain its shape and preventing it from deflating.
• Vanilla extract—its warm, sweet, and floral notes act as a flavor enhancer.
• Oatmeal and flour—used for making the streusel topping.
• Brown sugar—is added to the streusel topping to provide sweetness. Its caramel-like undertone and aroma add a depth of flavor.
• Salt—used to balance the flavors of the streusel topping.
• Butter—for flavoring and acts as a binder for the pie crust crumb base and the streusel topping.

Recipe highlights:

• Preheat the oven and bake the pie crust following the package instructions. Break it into small pieces and pulse until you get coarse crumbs. Drizzle in the melted butter and pulse again until the crumbs are evenly moistened.
• Cook the blueberries, some water, lemon juice, and sugar over medium to medium-high heat for about 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the slurry and stir until thickened. Add the vanilla extract. Transfer to a shallow container and refrigerate to cool.

• Combine the streusel ingredients in a bowl. Use a fork or clean hands to work the mixture until it’s lumpy. Transfer the mixture to a plate. Microwave in three 40-second intervals. Use a rubber spatula to mix after each interval. Allow to cool, then break into crumbs.
• In a mixing bowl, beat the mascarpone and 1 cup of heavy cream for 20 seconds, scraping down the sides. Then add the remaining heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, cream of tartar, and vanilla extract, and beat until stiff peaks form.
• Press the pie crust crumbs into the bottom of a 9” x 13″ baking dish. Top with half of the mascarpone whipped cream. Add a layer of blueberry filling. Spread the remaining mascarpone whipped cream over the filling, then finish with streusel on top. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
• Detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.

Why you’ll love this cake:

• It’s easier than it looks. Although there are multiple components to make, they are simple and easily prepared.
• The streusel topping is cooked in the microwave, taking just 2 minutes. It’s quick and easy compared to the traditional oven method!
• You can prepare this lush dessert the day in advance, and it remains just as delicious the next day.
• It tastes light, fluffy, creamy, fresh, and fruity. If you don’t like overly sweet desserts, you’ll love this!
• The homemade blueberry filling adds a healthy-ish element to the cake.
• Uses freshly whipped cream instead of store-bought whipped topping, resulting in a better quality cake.
• The whipped cream is very stable due to the mascarpone, confectioners’ sugar, and cream of tartar, all of which have stabilizing properties. I stored this whipped cream for five days, and it remains fluffy without weeping or deflating.

Variations:

Use different fruits—you can swap out the blueberries with other fruits. Try it with different berries. Although I haven’t personally tried it, it should also work with peaches and cherries. Just remember to change the name of the dessert if you swap out the blueberries 🙂

Add nuts—try replacing some of the oatmeal or flour with ground walnuts or pecans to add a touch of nuttiness to the pie crust crumb mixture.

Use a blueberry filling shortcut—you don’t want to make your own blueberry pie filling, feel free to substitute with the canned pie filling. I won’t tell anyone!

How to store:

Stabilized whipped cream holds up better during storage than regular whipped cream. It does not weep or deflate as easily, helping the dessert stay fresh a little longer. Cover the cake tightly and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Pro tips:

• If possible, chill the mixing bowl and whisk attachment for 20-30 minutes before making the whipped cream. The cold temperature helps improve stability and creates better volume.
• If you don’t have cream of tartar to add to the heavy cream, it’s not the end of the world. The mascarpone and confectioners’ sugar will give it sufficient stability, so go ahead and make the recipe!
• Cooking the blueberries in a wide-bottom pan, such as a 4-quart pan with a wider surface area, helps them cook more evenly.
• Use cold mascarpone, but let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes to soften slightly so it can be whipped into a creamy mixture.

Recommended supplies:

(Affiliate links. The products I recommend are either what I use, are on my wish list, or come highly rated.)

• A stand mixer or electric mixer— to whip the mascarpone and whipped cream.
• Silicone spatula—this set of assorted spatulas and a brush is heat resistant up to 500°F.
• Mixing bowls—this set of nesting three varying-sized mixing bowls have good grip handles, non-slip bottoms, and a pour spout. I have this set and love it!
• A 4-quart pan—for cooking the blueberry filling. I suggest using a pan with a wide bottom like this one. It allows the blueberries to cook evenly.
• 9″ x 13″ Baking pan—this nonstick cake pan is oven-safe up to 450° F and comes with a plastic lid or easy storage.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

Banana Blueberry Coconut Bread	Pumpkin Pie Spice Twinkie Lush
Chocolate Lover’s Donut Lasagna	Coconut Key Lime Mug Cakes

Blueberry Pie Lush Dessert

Author: In Good Flavor Cooking Method:Mixing Layering Cuisine:American Courses:Dessert

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 30 minutesCook time: 15 minutesRest time:2 hours Total time:2 hours 45 minutesServings:12 Servings

Description

This Blueberry Pie Lush Dessert is everything you love in a blueberry pie and more! It has a pie crust crumb base, homemade blueberry pie filling, layers of sweetened mascarpone whipped cream, and a buttery streusel topping. It’s the perfect light-tasting summer dessert!

Ingredients

For the bottom crust:

• 1 box (2 crusts) refrigerated pie crust (I use Pillsbury)
• 7 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

For the blueberry filling:

• 3 pints blueberries, fresh or frozen*
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 6 tablespoons water, divided
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the mascarpone whipped cream:

• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/4 cups mascarpone, softened at room temp for 15 minutes**
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the streusel topping:

• 1/3 cup quick cooking oatmeal
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 pinch of salt

Instructions

To make the bottom crust:

1. Preheat the oven to the temperature specified on the pie crust package. Unroll the two crusts and place them on baking sheets. Bake according to the package instructions for a single pie crust.
2. Let the crusts cool completely. Break them into pieces and place them in a food processor. Pulse until you get coarse crumbs. With the processor running, slowly pour in the melted butter until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Set aside.

To make the blueberry filling:

3. Use the pocket of time while preparing the crumb crust to make the blueberry filling. Add blueberries, then sugar, 3 tablespoons of water, and lemon juice to a wide-bottom 4-quart pan and cook over medium to medium-high heat. Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently, until the blueberries are cooked down. Reduce the heat if there is excessive bubbling during cooking.
4. Combine the cornstarch and the remaining three tablespoons of water. Whisk until smooth. Gradually add it to the blueberry fillings, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens, about one minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
5. Transfer the filling to a shallow container to allow it to cool completely. To expedite cooling, place the container in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the recipe. Note that the filling will thicken further as it cools.

To make the streusel topping:

6. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Drizzle the butter over the mixture. Use a fork or clean hands to work the mixture until it’s thoroughly saturated and forms small clumps.
7. Spread the mixture on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave in three 40-second intervals. Use a rubber spatula to mix after each interval. Let it cool enough to handle, then break up any large clumps. Allow it to cool completely. The streusel will harden as it cools.

To make the mascarpone whipped cream:

8. Use a stand mixer or electric hand mixer with a whisk attachment to beat the mascarpone for 15 seconds on medium-low. Gradually add 1 cup of heavy cream while beating continuously. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
9. Add the remaining heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, cream of tartar, and vanilla extract. Starting on low and gradually increasing to medium-high as the cream thickens, beat until stiff peaks form. Scrape down the sides every 60 seconds. Keep chilled until ready to use.

To assemble:

10. Distribute the crumbs evenly on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and use your hands to press them flat to form the bottom crust.
11. Spoon half of the whipped cream mixture over the crust and spread evenly. Dollop the blueberry filling over the crust, then spread it evenly. Add the second layer of whipped cream mixture. Top with a layer of streusel. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
12. Makes 12 servings.

Notes:

• * Reduce the amount of water added to the blueberries when making the filling by about half if you use frozen blueberries, as they release more liquid than fresh ones. So, add just 1 1/2 tablespoons of water.
• **Use good-quality mascarpone that is thick and creamy with the consistency of soft cream cheese. Avoid cheap, runny, pourable mascarpone as they do not whip up well. Galbani and BelGioioso are good brands.

Keywords:Blueberry Pie Lush, Blueberry Pie Lush Dessert, Summer Dessert, Summer Treat, Blueberry Dessert, Refrigerator Cake, Summer Dessert Recipe

Disclosure: This site contains paid advertising and affiliate links. In Good Flavor is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.