This is a recipe similar to one from a restaurant known for its pies. One thing we noticed right off was that the pie had apples in it. It wasn’t just blueberries. I have been told this tastes like Marie Calender’s Sour Cream Blueberry Pie.
A big slice of pie is a great way to finish off a meal any time of the year, but in the heat of the summer, no pie filling is more satisfying than blueberry. This homemade blueberry pie recipe takes the traditional blueberry pie to the next level by adding a sour cream-based topping. The sour cream cuts through some of the blueberries’ cloying sweetness with a sophisticated tartness that although some kids may turn their noses up at, adults will find refreshing.
Table of Contents
Why Canned Blueberries? Aren’t Fresh Blueberries Better?
Fresh blueberries are great for snacking or using in a traditional blueberry pie, but in this recipe, they just won’t work. If you are not the type of person who has a stash of canned blueberries in your cellar, you will have to pick some up from the store. Look for a brand like Oregon Specialty Fruit that comes in a heavy syrup. A thicker syrup will help to ensure a firmer pie filling.
Don’t worry too much about the sweetness of the canned blueberries in heavy syrup. The apples you use will help to cut down on the overall sweetness of the filling.
How to Prepare Gelatin
Preparing, or blooming gelatin, is easy, but many home cooks may be unfamiliar with how to do it the right way. This recipe calls for a half teaspoon of powdered Knox brand of gelatin, but you can use an alternative brand if you prefer. However, since powdered gelatins’ strengthening power differ, you will need to bloom it according to the instruction on the package.
For the Knox brand of powdered gelatin, pour two tablespoons of cold water into a small bowl and add a half teaspoon of gelatin powder. Wait a few minutes until the gelatin swells up and has the consistency of jelly. Use your finger to check for any unbloomed grains of gelatin at the bottom of the bowl. Pop the gelatin the completely bloomed gelatin into the microwave, cover, and heat for around ten seconds until it completely melts. If you do not have a microwave, pour a tablespoon of near-boiling water on top of bloomed gelatin and stir until it melts.
Let the gelatin cool down slightly before adding it into the sour cream mixture. For the best results, your mixture should be at room temperature. On a side note, gelatin contains animal collagen, to make this blueberry sour cream pie vegetarian, you need to use an alternative thickener like agar or pectin.
Tips For Making and Storing Blueberry Sour Cream Pie
- Choose the right apples. The apples you choose can make a huge difference, not just in the flavor of the pie, but also the consistency. In addition to the corn starch, the pectin from the apples helps to thicken the pie filling. Green apples like Granny Smith have the most pectin, are tart. Less tart apples that still will hold up well when cooked include Jonagold and Honeycrisp.
- Store covered in the fridge. This homemade blueberry pie will keep for two to three days in the refrigerator when covered, although you may notice some liquid at the bottom of the pan after a day or two.
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Ingredients
Here is what you need to make the pie:
- Baked pie shell
- Blueberries in heavy syrup
- Apple
- Salt
- Cornstarch
- Sugar
- Lemon juice
- Cinnamon
- Sour cream
- Vanilla
- Cream cheese
- Knox Gelatin
How to Make Sour Cream Blueberry Pie
In a 2-quart saucepan combine diced apples with water, sugar, and salt at medium temperature until the apples are done but not mushy, about 10 minutes.
While apples are cooking mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup water and dissolve cornstarch.
When apples are done, add lemon juice and berry juice. Cook and stir until blended.
While stirring on medium heat, add dissolved cornstarch slowly and stir constantly until thickened.
Add berries and cinnamon mix through. Remove from heat and cool before placing the filling into the cooled prepared pie shell.
Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Dissolve gelatin in 2 tablespoons of water and set aside.
Mix sour cream, sugar, cream cheese, and a dash of salt in a pan warm on low heat until sugar is dissolved and everything is mixed thoroughly.
Stir and watch that mixture does not burn or dry out. When all is smooth and blended, add vanilla and stir.
Then gradually add gelatin until mixture has a firm consistency of soft pudding, remove from heat.
Sour Cream topping may be smoothed over blueberry filling while it is lukewarm.
Refrigerate pie until serving.
Slice and enjoy!
Love homemade desserts? Try these recipes
- Pineapple Angel Food Cake
- Olive Garden Desserts – Tiramisu
- Peach Cobbler with Bisquick
- Chinese Almond Cookies
- Pistachio Pudding Cake
- Rhubarb Coffee Cake
- White Chocolate Covered Oreos
- Jello and Cool Whip Layered Dessert
- Lemon Lush Recipe
- Cherry Turnover Recipe
More Blueberry Dessert Recipes
Be sure to take a look at more of my homemade dessert recipes and copycat favorites.
Marie Callender’s Sour Cream Blueberry Pie
Ingredients
- 1 baked pie shell
Blueberry Pie Filling
- 15 ounces Blueberries in heavy syrup
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup Apple peeled, cored, and cut into small cubes
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 3 tablespoons Cornstarch
- 1/4 cup Water
- 3/4 cup Sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
Sour Cream Topping
- 1 cup Sour Cream
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Cream Cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon Knox Gelatin
- 2 tablespoon Cold Water
Instructions
Blueberry Pie Filling
- In a 2-quart saucepan combine diced apples with water, sugar, and salt at medium temperature until the apples are done but not mushy, about 10 minutes.
- While apples are cooking mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup water and dissolve cornstarch in a small bowl.
- When apples are done add lemon juice and berry juice. Cook and stir until blended. While stirring on medium heat, add dissolved cornstarch slowly and stir constantly until thickened.
- Add berries and cinnamon mix through. Remove from heat and cool before placing it into cooled prepared pie shell. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Sour Cream Topping
- Dissolve gelatin in 2 tablespoon water and set aside. Mix the sour cream, sugar, cream cheese, dash of salt in a pan warm on low heat until sugar is dissolved and everything is mixed thoroughly, stir and watch that mixture does not burn or dry out. When all is smooth and blended add vanilla and stir.Â
- Then gradually add gelatin until mixture has a firm consistency of soft pudding, remove from heat. Sour Cream topping may be smoothed over Blueberries while lukewarm and chill. Pie may be garnished with whipped cream.
Jessica Tye
This question is for anyone. I have a question about the apples. I don’t remember apple chunks being in the original, though I could be wrong. Are the apples added for flavor, or some other reason? Mine just showed white little chucks in the glaze.
Stephanie Manley
So, this recipe was developed more than 30 years ago. If the restaurant has changed the recipe, I have not updated it. Marie Callendar’s pulled out of my area. I believe they added apple to the recipe to reduce the cost of the pie.
DeAnna Balance
Cook time and total time are way off. Cooking the apples takes 10 minutes alone, then cook time for the gelatin and sour cream. Add cooling time for assembling properly and it took more like an hour and a half. Then it has to chill in the fridge so add time for that as well. The blueberry filling to cream topping is off. The blueberry filling filled most of the pie crust by itself; it should be closer to half and half of each. I’m giving it 2 stars instead of 1 because I am hoping that it at least tastes good after it chills.
Stephanie Manley
Thank you for your feedback, I will review my timing. Did you use a deep dish pie, or a standard pie pan?
Jack
Is it possible to use fresh blueberries rather than canned? If so, what would be the recommendations on recipe change.
Stephanie Manley
Jack, I think you would need to cook the blueberries down with some sliced apple or something to help thicken them. I would try something like 2 cups of fresh blueberries, a few tablespoons of sugar, and about half sliced apple to help make a thickened liquid. I have not tried this recipe, and the amounts may be a bit off, but that is what I would do.
Steve S.
As a previous Mare Callender’s Lead Line Cook and Asst Manager, We made these “cream pies” using a generic cream pie base. when we did this blueberry recipe, we couldn’t get the blue color as depp as we wanted, so Marie Callender corporate said to add “Mrs. Stuarts Liquid Bluing” (laundry stuff that is edible). We made 100 gallons of cream base at a time, then when we needed chocolate, p’nut butter, blueberry, banana etc, we used that same base and added the extra’s to make that certain pie. Like, the banana was cream base, no flavoring, whole banana on the bottom, then whipped cream on top. That’s it, except for a little almond slivers on top and also the pre-baked pie shell. The chocolate was pie shell, then the base mixed with melted chocolate chips, then whipped cream. That’s it! I think I still have the original Marie Callender base recipe’s and a few more. when Maroe Callenders was bought out from 3 Japanese men in the 90’s, they only wanted Marie Callenders for the frozen foods and all locations were told to destory the original recipes. Then new recipes were created by the new owners and sent to all locations. Plus, the image of Marie Callenders is NOT to be duplicated in any way except for the frozen food line.
Odette
Wondering if you would share the pie base? Trying to make the sour creme blueberry pie for Thanksgiving for my husband it was his favorite.
Thank you
Kim
I can not find blueberries in HEAVY syrup. Just light syrup which made it runny… what brand is heavy syrup and where to get!
Stephanie
I believe Oregon has it, I have seen these on Amazon. You could use blueberry pie filling, I would choose a better brand so there are more blueberries in there.
Rewari
This recipe is brilliant!
David Carroll
You list water 2 times , you say put water with apples, which water?
Thomas Bafia
When mixing the apples with the salt, sugar, and water, it states, “1 1/2 cups water.” Is that 1 and 1/2 cups water or just 1/2 cup water? I used 1 and 1/2 cups water, and it seemed like a lot, and when I filled the 9 inch pie crust, it filled it to the brim and dripped over the sides just a bit.
Amanda Vermillion
Really yummy!
Liz Nelson
We loved this and so did the people at the party I took it to. I was emailing the recipe out to everyone the next day!