Blueberry Meringue Pie

A drool-worthy vegan blueberry meringue pie featuring a sky-high meringue atop a luxurious blueberry sauce bursting with flavor!  Made with fresh or frozen blueberries, this special treat is sure to impress!

This Blueberry Meringue Pie is a hybrid of two delicious desserts. The first is my Vegan Lemon Meringue Pie – A scrumptious vegan lemon meringue pie featuring a lofty golden meringue atop a creamy lemon curd layer. This pie is one of the first recipes I shared on this blog and well over a year ago. It’s amazing how time flies!

The second recipe is my Blueberry Sauce – a vibrant blueberry sauce bursting with flavor! Made with fresh or frozen blueberries with the slightest hint of lemon. This sauce is absolutely delicious served over pancakes, crepes, waffles, cornmeal mush, ice cream, yogurt, and more! You’re only limited by your imagination.

For this Blueberry Meringue Pie, I use just a little more cornstarch to thicken up the sauce to make a Blueberry Pie Filling and use the meringue from the Lemon Meringue Pie. The results are striking and fantastic! They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Wouldn’t you agree?

So there are a few important notes about this Blueberry Meringue Pie. First, this is not a very sweet pie, but it does contain some sweetener in the form of maple syrup (in the crust and blueberry filling) and sugar (in the meringue).

If you prefer less sugar, by all means, reduce the amount of sugar. If, however, you really like sugar and are not opposed to using more of it, please feel free to add a little more to either the blueberry filling and/or the meringue. I recommend tasting each and adding a little, if desired.

Another very important note about this Blueberry Meringue Pie is this is not a make-ahead dessert. You can make the pie crust and filling in advance, but the meringue is more temperamental than even a traditional meringue. It deflates as time passes. It can leave your pie a little wet. And a wet pie is never a good thing.

For this reason, I highly recommend you prepare the crust and filling for this Blueberry Meringue Pie in advance. And then all you need to do is whip the meringue and add it on top just before serving. If you haven’t made meringue before, do not be intimated. It’s super simple. The primary ingredient is aquafaba – which is essentially the water from cooked beans – or bean water. No joke.

I don’t know who thought this might work, but it’s genius and I can’t take credit for it. What I can tell you is it makes a show-stopping meringue and works rather well. In taste and appearance. To make aquafaba, you have two options. You can either cook or open a can of light-colored bean like garbanzo beans or chickpeas, navy beans, or cannelini beans. I almost always use garbanzo beans.

Also, the aquafaba should resemble the viscosity of egg whites. It should be a slightly thicker consistency than water. This is especially important when you’re cooking beans yourself as I usually do. I have found that if I save about a cup of the liquid with the beans, it’s nice and thick when it’s had time to chill overnight in the refrigerator. The key is that it is chilled.

Simply pour chilled aquafaba into a very clean mixing bowl. And be sure your bowl doesn’t have any oil or greasy residue as this can interfere with its ability to whip up. Simply wipe half of a lemon around the bowl and use a paper towel to wipe any excess juice off.

As for the crust, feel free to use your favorite pie crust or try the simple almond crust below. To prepare this simple crust, you’re going to create some almond flour by grinding up whole almonds in your food processor or blender. The almonds provide some flavor, but mostly, they’re providing a nice healthy fat. This is how we make the tender crust without the use of butter or oil.

And this brings me to the final note. This Blueberry Meringue Pie can be rather impressive. You have three incredible options – leave the meringue unadorned in all of its white splendor (like the picture above), toasted to a nice golden color under the broiler or with a torch, or painted with some of the blueberry filling. The purple contrast on a pure white meringue canvas with hints of gold is striking. You can also have the meringue cover up the blueberry filling completely or leave the edges bare to tease your guests.

In the end, it’s your call. Be an artist. And do this pie proud.

So tell me, how will you decorate your pie? Will you leave your pie white or will you add a streak of purple color? Will you toast it or leave it white? It all really depends on your preference. But please do share your results with me. I’d love to see your beautiful Vegan Blueberry Meringue Pie creations!!

I hope you enjoy this Blueberry Meringue Pie as much as I do.  

I would love to see your results! Please leave a comment and rate it down below, tag a picture @pebblesandtoast and #pebblesandtoast on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!   Enjoy!!   

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Crust Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
  • 3 tablespoons hot water
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 cup whole almonds*
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (optional)
  • 1 cup white whole wheat flour or gluten-free baking blend**
  • 3 Tbsp cold water

Blueberry Filling Ingredients

  • ½ cup maple syrup 
  • ½ cup water
  • 3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (14 ounces)
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen wild blueberries (10 ounces)
  • 3 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 3 Tbsp water
  • 3 Tbsp lemon juice
  • ½ tsp vanilla

Meringue Ingredients

  • ¾ cup aquafaba, chilled***
  • ½ tsp cream of tartar
  • ½ cup sugar or powdered sugar****
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the ground flax, hot water, and maple syrup together. Set aside.
  1. In a food processor, pulse the almonds to create a fine almond flour.
  1. Add the flax mixture,  4 Tbsp cold water, and salt. Pulse until the mixture is well combined. Then add in the flour and continue to process until a smooth dough forms, adding 1-2 Tbsp more water, if needed. Do not over-process the dough – it should be soft and moist, but not wet.
  1. Transfer the dough to a non-stick mat or lightly floured surface.
  2. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough as thin as you can.
  3. Transfer the dough to your 9 inch tart pan or pie pan.
  1. Shape or flute the edges, as desired.
  2. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
  3. Remove from the oven and set aside.
  1. Meanwhile, make the Blueberry Filling.   Stir the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl. Set aside.
  1. Combine the maple syrup, water, and blueberries in a large saucepan over medium to medium-high heat.  Bring to a low boil and continue to simmer until the blueberries burst, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
  2. Add the wild blueberries to the saucepan and stir in the cornstarch-water slurry. Bring the blueberries to a simmer and stir occasionally until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.
  3. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and vanilla.  Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature.
  1. While the crust and filling are cooling, make the Meringue.  In a stand mixer bowl, combine the chilled aquafaba, sugar, and cream of tartar.  Mix on medium-high speed until peaks form, about 2-3 minutes.
  2. Continue mixing on medium speed until fully incorporated.  Add the vanilla slowly and slowly increase to high speed. Mix 3-5 minutes more, until very stiff peaks form.
  1. Spoon the Blueberry Filling into the cooled crust. Then spread the Meringue atop the Blueberry Filling, leaving wisps and peaks. This pie is ready to serve immediately or you can use a torch or broiler to toast the Meringue. It takes 3-4 minutes under the broiler.
  2. This pie is best enjoyed immediately. Otherwise, the meringue begins to deflate after 2-3 hours.

Notes

** I like using whole raw almonds to quickly make the almond flour fresh in the food processor, but you can use 1 cup of almond flour as well.

** Regarding flour, you can use most whole grain, all-purpose, or gluten-free flour to make this crust. If making this gluten-free, simply substitute with a gluten-free blend like Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-free Baking Flour.

*** Place a can of beans or home-cooked chickpeas or northern beans in the refrigerator for at least two hours, then drain 3/4 cup from the beans and pour into the mixing bowl.

**** I have successfully used both powdered sugar and regular raw sugar. Both perform well.

Blueberry Meringue Pie

Rachele (Pebbles and Toast)
A drool-worthy vegan blueberry meringue pie featuring a sky-high meringue atop a luxurious blueberry sauce bursting with flavor!  Made with fresh or frozen blueberries, this special treat is sure to impress!
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Vegan
Servings 8

Equipment

  • oven
  • mixer

Ingredients
  

Crust Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp ground flaxseeds
  • 3 Tbsp hot water
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 cup whole almonds*
  • ¼ tsp salt optional
  • ¾ cup white whole wheat flour**
  • 3 Tbsp cold water

Blueberry Filling Ingredients

  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • ½ cup water
  • 3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries 14 ounces
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen wild blueberries 10 ounces
  • 3 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 3 Tbsp water
  • 3 Tbsp lemon juice
  • ½ tsp vanilla

Meringue Ingredients

  • ¾ cup aquafaba*** chilled*
  • ½ tsp cream of tartar
  • ½ cup sugar or powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, combine the ground flax, hot water, and maple syrup together. Set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 350° F.
  • In a food processor, pulse the almonds to create a fine almond flour. Add the flax mixture, 4 Tbsp cold water, and salt. Pulse until the mixture is well combined, then add in the flour. Continue to process until a smooth dough forms, adding 1-2 Tbsp more water, if needed. Try not to over-process the dough – it should soft and moist not wet.
  • Remove the dough and place it on a non-stick mat or lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough fairly thin. Transfer the dough to your 9 inch tart or pie pan. Press into the sides and remove exceess. Shape and flute the edges, as desired.
  • Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.
  • Meanwhile, make the Blueberry Filling. Stir the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • Combine the maple syrup, water, and blueberries in a large saucepan over medium to medium-high heat. Bring to a low boil and continue to simmer until the blueberries burst, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
  • Add the wild blueberries to the saucepan and stir in the cornstarch-water slurry. Bring the blueberries to a simmer and stir occasionally until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.
  • Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and vanilla. Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature.
  • While the crust and filling are cooling, make the Meringue. In a stand mixer bowl, combine the chilled aquafaba, sugar, and cream of tartar. Mix on medium-high speed until peaks form, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Continue mixing on medium speed until fully incorporated. Add the vanilla slowly and slowly increase to high speed. Mix 3-5 minutes more, until very stiff peaks form.
  • Spoon the Blueberry Filling into the cooled crust. Then spread the Meringue atop the Blueberry Filling, leaving wisps and peaks. This pie is ready to serve immediately or use a torch or broiler to toast the Meringue. It takes 3-4 minutes under the broiler. As an option, you can paint blueberry swirls into your merinuge for a striking presentation.
  • This pie is best enjoyed immediately. Otherwise, the meringue may begin to deflate.

Notes

* I prefer making the almond flour fresh but you can use premade almond flour as well.
** If making this gluten-free, simply substitute with a gluten-free blend like Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-free Baking Flour.
*** Drain aquafaba from canned or home-cooked chickpeas or northern beans and chill in the refrigerator.
• The pie crust and blueberry filling can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator until you are ready to make this pie.
Keyword aquafaba, bean water, blueberry, crust, dessert, egg-free, eggless, meringue, oil-free, pie, plant-based, tart, vegan

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