If your local farm hasn’t ended its blueberry picking, it will likely do so this week. The cooler temperatures mark the beginning of the end for blueberries, so get out if you can and pick some to freeze for the winter.

You should still be able to purchase pre-picked blueberries from your farm for another week or two, and then they’ll be available at your grocer’s from further south.

As a last hurrah to blueberry season, and because the cooler air brings out the baker in me, I made a blueberry pie this weekend. My husband said it was the best blueberry pie I’ve made. Since I’ve only made two, that compliment doesn’t hold much water, but it was very tasty.

The recipe I followed is below, a variation taken from The Joy of Vegan Baking. You can find the crust recipe, and other amazing dessert recipes, in Sinfully Vegan.

Vegan Blueberry Pie
Ingredients:

pie crusts
3/4 cup granulated sugar (I used just 1/2 cup)
3 tbsp. arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. lemon zest
4-5 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions:

If you are using frozen blueberries, let them sit out for about 15 minutes and then strain the juice.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Punch holes in your pie crust with a fork and prebake for 10 minutes.

Remove crust from oven and let it cool.

For top crust, use another whole crust, make a latice design, cut shapes with a cookie cutter, or leave off. Roll crust and leave in fridge till ready to use.

In big bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and zest.

When mixture is creamy and combined, fold in blueberries.
Pour mixture into pre-baked crust and cover, if using another crust.

Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and put a cookie sheet under the pie pan to catch drippings. Bake for another 25-35 minutes till crust is just brown.
Allow to cool for 1-3 hours before eating.

Vegan Double Pie Crust
Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup canola oil or coconut oil, if desired
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/4 cups water or apple juice (refrigerated)

Directions:

1.Put flour and salt for crust into small bowl. Add oil and stir into flour until oil is distributed in pea-sized pieces. (Is using coconut oil, which is solid at room temperature like shortening, cut into flour with 2 knives until oil is pea-sized or smaller.) Add COLD water (or juice). Mix just until mixture forms a ball (add more water if necessary). Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

2. Place ball of dough on a piece of floured wax paper. Sprinkle ball of dough with a little more flour. Place another piece of wax paper on top of ball of dough and push down to flatten. Using a rolling pin, roll dough as thin as possible between the two sheets of paper.

3. Remove top sheet of paper carefully. Flip the pie crust onto the pie plate. Carefully remove the last piece of wax paper. Fit crust into pie plate allowing edges to hang over the edge. Set pie plate with rolled dough in it refrigerator until ready to fill.

4. Roll out other half of crust between floured wax paper and set aside. Refrigerate till using.