This Blueberry Crostata has a cooked homemade balsamic blueberry pie filling and a flaky pie crust. It is assembled in a tart pan and has a simple lattice pie top. This Blueberry Balsamic Crostata can be made with fresh or frozen fruit and is perfect for berry lovers!
Thank you to Filippo Berio for sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own. Thank you so much for supporting the businesses who support Cloudy Kitchen!
Table of contents
- Blueberry Balsamic Crostata
- How to make Blueberry Crostata
- Balsamic Blueberry Pie Filling
- Blueberry Pie with Frozen Blueberries
- Pre cooked Blueberry Pie Filling
- How to make Pie in a Tart Pan
- Super Flaky Pie Crust Recipe
- How to break up the workload
- How to make a lattice top on a pie
- FAQ for Blueberry Crostata
- For more recipes with Filippo Berio, Check out:
- Recipe For Blueberry Crostata
Blueberry Balsamic Crostata
Hi hi! Just popping in to share the recipe for this Balsamic Blueberry Crostata. I made this months ago, while we were packing to leave NYC, and I have been super excited to share it with you. This Blueberry Crostata has a flaky homemade pie crust, an easy blueberry pie filling, and a super cute and easy lattice top. I made it in a tart pan, as I love how easy it makes things. Making a pie recipe in a tart pan also gives you the most amazing crust to filling ratio.
The filling is a precooked berry pie filling, spiked with some lemon zest and balsamic vinegar. It can be made with fresh fruit if that is in season for you right now, but I also tested it with frozen blueberries and it worked amazingly. This one took a whole bunch of testing so I think we ate different versions for about two weeks straight, but we loved it and I hope you do too!
Crostata is a name that is used for a galette style pie and also an Italian Jam tart made with a short pastry. This is kind of a mixture of both - a blueberry pie / blueberry tart / crostata hybrid. Whatever you want to call it, there's flaky pie dough, blueberry pie filling and a really good time.
How to make Blueberry Crostata
This recipe is a bit of a pie / tart hybrid. I did it in the style of an Italian crostata, which usually has a jam filling but has the lattice top with filling poking through. This Blueberry pie has a cooked blueberry balsamic pie filling which is super delicious and easy to make. A few of the steps can be done ahead of time, meaning you can break up your workload and have this ready for dessert or any time pie eating!
- Make the Pie Crust. This recipe has a super simple homemade pie crust. It is the same recipe that I use for all of my pies.
- Prepare the blueberry filling. This Blueberry Crostata has a pre cooked blueberry pie filling, which can be made ahead and stored in the fridge until ready to use.
- Assemble the crostata. I did a lattice top on this as the filling is already thickened. However, you can finish it any way that you like.
- Chill. The Crostata needs to chill for at least 30 minutes before baking, in order to give the dough time to cool right down before it goes into the oven.
- Bake. Bake the crostata until the top is golden brown and the filling is super bubbly. Let it cool before serving.
Balsamic Blueberry Pie Filling
This Blueberry Crostata has a pre cooked balsamic blueberry pie filling. I love adding balsamic to berry based desserts. It cuts through the sweetness of the filling, while also adding an amazing depth of flavour.
I used my favourite Filippo Berio Balsamic Vinegar in this blueberry pie filling. Their Balsamic vinegar is amazing quality and I use it just as often in baking as I do in a salad dressing when I am making dinner. The flavour isn't super strong and it also compliments the berries in the pie filling perfectly. The balsamic vinegar goes in at the start with the berries.
Blueberry Pie with Frozen Blueberries
This is a super easy recipe if you are looking to make blueberry pie with frozen blueberries. This makes it great to make any season. I tested it with both fresh and frozen blueberries and couldn't notice much difference between them. This means you can have a perfect blueberry crostata right in the middle of winter!
Pre cooked Blueberry Pie Filling
Pre cooking pie filling, particularly for something like this blueberry crostata, is super helpful. Having a pre cooked filling cooks out some of the moisture of the berries, meaning they won't leak liquid all over the pie crust when the crostata is assembled. Pre cooking gives you a chance to cook down the filling with the thickener. This means that you know how thick the pie filling is going to be before it goes in the oven. You know how it will bake up, which eliminates that awful guessing game of 'is my pie going to be ok, or soupy in the middle'. We don't want any soggy bottoms around here, and a pre-cooked filling really helps to ensure that.
The steps for pre-cooking a pie filling are super simple. I like to do it ahead if I can - that way it is all already done, and ready and chilled.
- Combine berries, lemon zest, and balsamic in a pan.
- Place over heat and cook until the mixture is boiling, then continue to cook until the berries have released some of their juices and are starting to break down.
- Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a bowl. Mixing the sugar and starch together removes any lumps you may have in the starch, reducing the chances of a lumpy pie filling.
- Add the sugar and starch to the pan, and cook until thickened. This should only take a few minutes.
- Transfer to a container and leave until completely chilled. Having a chilled filling means that when you assemble you aren't adding warm filling to a cold pie crust, which could make it hard to assemble.
If you need to chill the filling down quickly, you can pop it onto a sheet pan and cover with plastic wrap. Spreading it out on a pan rather than putting it in a container increases the surface area, so it chills quicker.
How to make Pie in a Tart Pan
I used a removable bottom tart pan to make this berry crostata - rather than a more standard pie pan. I love using a tart pan for a few reasons:
- It is super easy to get nice clean edges on a tart pan. Instead of trimming like a pie crust, you can just press the pie crust against the sharp edge of the tart pan and it cuts away cleanly.
- A tart pan gives a great crust to filling ratio. A tart pan is shallower than a pie pan, so you get a thinner layer of filling to go with the flaky lattice pie topping.
- Removing this blueberry crostata from the pan is super easy. My favourite way to remove a tart from a pan like this is to use a bowl. Turn the bowl upside down, and then press the tart down onto it. The outside ring will drop off, leaving the tart on the base. You can either slide the crostata off, or serve on the base.
If you would like to make this in a pie dish it should work just fine. Just work out the capacity of your pie pan compared to the tart pan and scale accordingly for the filling. The crust recipe will stay the same.
Super Flaky Pie Crust Recipe
I used my regular flaky pie crust recipe for the crust for this crostata. It is super versatile and easy to work with, thanks to the laminations in the dough.
When dividing the dough to use for this blueberry crostata, I like to shape the two pieces into different shapes. The piece of dough that is to be used for the base crust is shaped into a disc. The one to be rolled into a lattice is shaped into a rectangle then wrapped up and rested. Starting the dough in the shape you intend it to be in when rolled out is a great way to give yourself a head start on the shape of the dough - it is much easier to roll dough into a rectangle if it starts as one!
How to break up the workload
There are a few ways to break up the workload for this blueberry crostata. The components can be made ahead of time, then the whole crostata assembled later.
- Make the filling ahead of time. The Blueberry Pie Filling can be precooked up to a few days in advance and stored in an airtight container until ready to use.
- Mix pie dough ahead of time. I like to make a whole bunch of pie dough all at once. I wrap it tightly and then store in the freezer until I am ready. Pie dough defrosts overnight in the fridge and is then ready to use. It will also store up to a few days in the fridge if you want to make it ahead and chill until you are ready.
How to make a lattice top on a pie
I finished this Blueberry Crostata with a simple lattice top, but just placed the strips on an angle to give it an angled lattice. Lattice on pies are super simple to do, you just follow the pattern:
- Lay out all the vertical strips on the pie filling. Make sure that the spacing is even between them. This will form your foundation.
- Lift every second strip up and fold it back - so strips 1,3,5,7 etc.
- Place a strip of pie dough down and carefully unfold the strips and place them back down.
- Fold back every strip again but starting with the alternate set of strips - so lift up strips 2,4,6,8 etc and fold them back.
- Place another strip of pie dough and reset your strips.
- Repeat the process, alternating which strips you fold back. I like to start in the middle and work my way down, and then start in the middle and work my way toward the top of the pie.
Use the longest strips in the middle of the pie. You can use shorter strips as you get closer to the edges of the pie. If you have any strips which have messy parts on them, arrange them so that the mess part is covered by another strip of pie dough (if you like, messy parts on pies are also fine!)
See the video below for a visual guide on how to lattice a pie.
FAQ for Blueberry Crostata
You can see a full list of all the tools I use here
Yes! You can either bake it ahead of time and serve room temp, or assemble it and leave it assembled overnight in the fridge to bake the next day.
You can just leave it off if you don't have any. Regular sugar will burn.
I haven't tried it but it should work! You may need to increase the starch a little if the berries are more juicy than blueberries.
Yes! You can either freeze it before baking (without egg wash), or freeze the baked crostata.
I used this tart pan.
If you bake it properly, you will not get a soggy bottom. Don't be afraid to bake your crostata until the crust is nice and golden. Leave it on the lower oven rack the whole bake time if you need. If the top is browning too fast, tent it with foil. Go by how it looks rather than an exact bake time. I tested this 6 times and didn't have any issues but you need to go by how the crostata is baking rather than the bake time - all ovens are different!
For more recipes with Filippo Berio, Check out:
Made this recipe and love it?
If you made this recipe then I would LOVE for you to leave me a review below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram if you make it!
A note on salt and oven temperature
It is important to note the type of salt that is called for in a recipe. I use Diamond Crystal salt throughout my recipes - if you use a different sort of kosher salt or regular table salt you will need to adjust accordingly as some salt is 'saltier' than others. Morton's salt is twice as salty, so you will need half the quantity. Same goes for a regular table salt. I am working to get gram measurements throughout my recipes for salt but still getting there.
All oven temperatures are conventional unless otherwise stated. If you are baking on fan / convection, you will need to adjust the temperature. An oven thermometer is a great investment to ensure that your oven is the correct temperature.
Using the double / triple function in the recipe card
You will notice that there is a '1X' '2X' '3X' button in my recipe card. This can be used for doubling or tripling a recipe. However, please note that this only doubles the ingredient quantities in the ingredients list and NOT in the method. If there are quantities or pan sizes in the method of the recipe (for example weigh out 150g brown butter), you will need to scale this number manually. It will also not change the baking time in the recipe so you will need to adjust this yourself too. It is always a good idea to read through a recipe fully before doubling it just to check this. If you would like to scale this recipe or convert for another pan size, use my calculator!
Tools and equipment
For a list of my go-to tools and equipment, I have a post you can refer to here.
Why is this recipe in grams?
I post my recipes in grams as it is the most accurate way to bake. Cups are not only inaccurate but they vary in volume worldwide. There is no way for me to provide one cup measure that works for everyone. However, posting in weight fixes this issue. If you would like the recipe in cups you are welcome to convert it yourself via google, but please do not ask me to do it for you as I am not comfortable providing a recipe using a method that I have not tested. Baking with a scale is easy, accurate, and also makes cleanup super simple. Here is the scale that I use if you would like a recommendation! Here's to accurate baking!
Recipe For Blueberry Crostata
Print
Blueberry Crostata
Description
This Blueberry Crostata has a cooked homemade balsamic blueberry pie filling and a flaky pie crust. It is assembled in a tart pan and has a simple lattice pie top. This Blueberry Balsamic Crostata can be made with fresh or frozen fruit and is perfect for berry lovers!
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- One full batch Homemade Pie Crust, one piece shaped into a disc, and one into a rectangle
Balsamic Blueberry Pie Filling
- 720g blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 40g Filippo Berio Balsamic Vinegar
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- Zest 1 lemon
- 120 sugar
- 30g cornstarch
Egg wash - 1 egg whisked with 1 Tbsp water
Turbinado sugar to finish
Instructions
PIE CRUST
- Make Pie Crust as directed. I like to make my pie crust the night before or at least 2 hours before to give it time to rest.
BALSAMIC BLUEBERRY PIE FILLING
- Place the berries, balsamic, vanilla and lemon zest in a medium pot. Cook down for 10 minutes over medium heat until the berries have released their juices and are starting to break down slightly and the mixture looks juicy. Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the berries and stir to incorporate, then cook for a further 1-2 minutes over low heat until the mixture has thickened.
- Transfer the mixture to an airtight container or a small sheet pan and place a piece of plastic wrap directly against the surface. Transfer to the fridge to cool completely.
ASSEMBLY AND BAKING
- Unwrap the disc of pie dough and place onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out, turning the dough 45˚ often as you are rolling to keep it even. You want the circle to be slightly larger than your pan. Transfer to a 9” loose bottomed tart pan,, and arrange to ensure that the dough is well settled. Leave the overhang settled over the edge of the pan. Place into the fridge while you roll out the second piece of crust for the lattice.
- Take the rectangle of dough and roll out into a large rectangle approximately the same thickness as the base. The dimensions aren’t super important here but in order to maximise dough, keep one edge of it to just over 9” (so that you don’t have too many long strips hanging over the edge of your pie and wasting dough).
- Using a pastry wheel and a ruler, cut strips of pie dough to your desired thickness. I made quite thick strips for this one. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the fridge until you are ready to use.
- Transfer the chilled filling to the lined tart pan, smoothing to make sure it is nice and even.
- Remove the pan with the lattice strips from the fridge and lattice the pie as desired. For this crostata I made a diagonal lattice. To set this up you lay a set of horizontal strips across the pie, then for the second set of strips, you place them at a 45 degree angle. (See video for explanation)
- Once you have finished your lattice, carefully trim the outside edge so that is is flush with the side of the tart tin. To do this I usually just use the sharp edge of the tin and press against it to cut the pie dough cleanly (only do this if you have a tart tin with the sharper edges, otherwise you can fold excess under and crimp, or if you are using a pie pan, just trim the edges and press down to seal.
- Place the finished crostata in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes. While it is chilling, preheat the oven to 425°f / 220°c, and arrange a baking rack in the bottom third and middle third of the oven.
- When you are ready to bake the crostata, brush the top well with egg wash, and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Place on a baking sheet and place on the lower rack, and bake for 20 minutes, until the pastry is turning golden brown and looks set. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 375°f / 190°c, move the baking sheet with the crostata on it to the middle rack, and bake for a further 40 to 50 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Tent the top with foil at any time if you are worried it is browning too quickly. It is important you get a good bake on a fruit pie. If you don't you run the risk of a soggy bottom, so make sure it is very well baked.
- Remove the baked crostata from the oven and allow to cool before removing from the pan and slicing with a sharp knife. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Store leftovers lightly wrapped at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Comments
what a perfect lattice! thanks so much for the instruction 🙂
★★★★★
can't wait to make this!
★★★★★
I baked this just this morning and followed the recipe to a tee. Weary of no blind-baking of the pastry, I cooked the crostata for a bit longer on the lower shelf of my oven to seal the base of the pastry and I still wound up with a soggy bottom 🙁
The balsamic blueberries are absolutely delicious though. Will make again but with some re-tweaking.
★★
Hi! Hmmm so sorry to hear that! Do you have an oven thermometer in your oven - is there a chance that it runs cold? I don't ever blind bake a berry pie and tested this 5-6 times and didn't have an issue with it. Sounds like the bake on it may not have been long enough. Sorry it didn't work out for you!
Rolling this dough out was a dream! And using a tart pan is genius, took way less time than crimping for a beautiful finish.
★★★★★
Yayyyy isn't it so good!
Can you use something besides blueberries? Specifically, I'm wondering about cherries.
I haven't tried sorry! It should be ok but you may need a different quantity of starch
In theory, if I cook it the same amount/use extra starch, it should be ok?
I made this as a pie and it is incredible! I followed the directions exactly, and used fresh blueberries. Precooked filling is a game changer! The crust is easy to work with, and deliciously flaky. Don’t skimp on chilling times for the dough, well-hydrated, cold dough is a must. Thanks for this great recipe, will definitely make again.
★★★★★
Hi Erin, we all enjoyed that lovely balsamic crostata very much! Thank you for sharing your work with us 😊
★★★★
Hi Erin! Could you advise approximately how thick to roll the pie dough please? As I am not used to making pies! It says to roll slightly bigger than the tin but I think my tin is a different size to yours, so a thickness would be super helpful 🙂 Thankyou I can’t wait to try it!
Hi! A few mm is a good guide. It's hard to measure the thickness of pie dough. I think I roll mine out into about an 11 or 12" circle so you could roll that and then it will be the right thickness! Sorry that's not more helpful!
Thanks Erin for your reply! Definitely helpful 🙂 And while I'm at it this pie turned out DELICIOUS!! The blueberry filling was so incredibly tasty, and the pie dough too! I was so proud of myself that the lattice worked, thanks to your great instructions and videos 🙂 Can't wait to try more pies on your site and get some pi-ractice!
★★★★★
Went blueberry picking and just had to make these. They were sooo good!
★★★★★
Amazing! I halved the amount of filling because I am a weirdo who doesn't like a lot of pie filling and it was perfect for me. The flavor was really good and the crust is incredible! Soo flaky and buttery.
★★★★★
Maybe get to the fucking point instead of burying the recipe in a goddamn blog post full of irrelevants ads and pictures. People like you are the reason I can’t find recipes online anymore. I hope you get stomach cancer and suffer a long agonizing death.
Hi there, this sounds like a you problem. if you are so mad about a free recipe on a free website that you miss the multiple jump to recipe options throughout and so resort to leaving horrible comments on a stranger's post... it's time to go outside and touch some grass. People like me aren't the reason you can't find recipes online - that's your own incompetence. You're your own issue here.
What a jerk! Your recipes are amazing 🥰
★★★★★
Aren't people a delight! hahaha.
Making this now with frozen blueberries. I didn’t thaw them first. Word to the wise, make sure your blueberry mixture is at least 200 degrees F before adding in cornstarch or else it won’t thicken!
Worked perfectly for me! I didn't even know what a crostata was before this recipe!
★★★★★
Erin,
I love this recipe and everyone that tries the tart does too! Simply fabulous!
Cheers!
Cathy
★★★★