Blueberry Cream Pie with Vanilla Mascarpone Custard and Warm Wild Blueberries
A buttery, golden almond flour crust filled with a silky baked vanilla mascarpone custard, then topped with warm, jammy wild blueberries just before serving. The warm berries against the cool, creamy custard make this pie unforgettable.
Yield: One 9-inch pie, 8–10 slices · Active: 30 min · Total: 3 hours (including cooling and chilling) · Best in North America in late summer, when wild blueberries are harvested in Maine and eastern Canada (frozen wild blueberries are excellent year-round) · Best eaten: midday or early afternoon
Ingredients
Almond flour crust
2 cups almond flour
¼ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 pasture-raised egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Vanilla mascarpone custard
16 oz mascarpone, at room temperature
2 pasture-raised eggs, at room temperature
⅓ cup maple syrup
Seeds of 1 vanilla bean (or 2 tsp pure vanilla extract)
Zest of ½ lemon
Pinch of Baja Gold sea salt
Warm wild blueberries
3 cups wild blueberries (fresh or frozen)
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Optional: 1 tsp arrowroot mixed with 1 tbsp water, for a jammier sauce
Method
Make the crust. Heat the oven to 350°F. Stir the crust ingredients into a soft dough, then press it evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie dish. Prick the bottom with a fork and par-bake 10–12 minutes, until lightly golden. Lower the oven to 325°F.
Make the custard. Whisk the mascarpone until smooth, then whisk in the eggs one at a time, followed by the maple syrup, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt, just until silky. Don't overbeat, or the custard can puff up and crack.
Bake. Pour the custard into the warm crust and bake 25–30 minutes, until the edges are set and the center still has a gentle wobble. Turn off the oven, crack the door, and let the pie cool inside for 20 minutes, which helps prevent cracks.
Chill. Cool the pie to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 2 hours, until set.
Warm the blueberries. Just before serving, simmer the blueberries, maple syrup, and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat 4–6 minutes, until the berries begin to burst and turn glossy. For a thicker topping, stir in the arrowroot slurry and simmer 30 seconds more.
Serve. Slice the chilled pie and spoon the warm blueberries over each slice.
Make ahead: Bake the pie up to 2 days ahead and keep it refrigerated. Warm the blueberries just before serving.
Storage: Refrigerated up to 4 days. Store the blueberry topping separately.
Nourishment Notes
Wild blueberries — anthocyanins (wild blueberries have more per serving than cultivated ones), vitamin C, manganese, and fiber.
Mascarpone — vitamins A and K2 from grass-fed cream.
Pasture-raised eggs — choline, lutein, and vitamins A, D, E, and K2.
Almond flour — vitamin E, magnesium, and monounsaturated fats.
Lemon — vitamin C and d-limonene.
As a circadian treat, this pie lands best at midday or in the early afternoon, when your body handles sweets most gracefully in daylight.
Sourcing
Wild blueberries — organic, from Maine or eastern Canada, fresh in late summer or frozen year-round
Mascarpone — organic, made from grass-fed cream, with no gums or stabilizers
Eggs — organic and pasture-raised
Almond flour — organic and fresh (keep it in the fridge)
Coconut oil — organic, virgin, and unrefined
Maple syrup — organic Grade A dark
Arrowroot (optional) — organic
Vanilla — organic vanilla beans or pure vanilla extract
Lemons — organic (you're using the zest)
Baja Gold sea salt
— Anna aka Food Marshall