Creamy Finnish Blueberry Pie (Mustikkapiirakka)
Finnish blueberry pie, Mustikkapiirakka, is a popular Finnish dessert. A layer of blueberries are buried in a creamy custard topping on a cookie-like crust. This easy recipe is made with ingredients that are easy to find in North America.
I’ve never been to Finland. But I adore the Finnish dessert, Mustikkapiirakka – a classic Finnish blueberry pie.
Rich, creamy, and velvety smooth, with a burst of blueberries in your mouth, this Finnish blueberry pie will surely melt your heart once you try it.
Check out my braided cardamom bread recipe (Finnish Pulla) if you love Finnish baked goods.
What is Mustikkapiirakka?
“Mustikka” means blueberry, and “piirakka” means pie. Honestly speaking, it is not like the typical blueberry pie that many of us are accustomed to. This traditional Finnish dessert is a cross between a pie, a tart, and a cheesecake.
Finnish blueberry pie has a layer of sweetened blueberries buried in a creamy, yet slightly tangy, custard filling, all on top of a sugar cookie-like crust.
Recipe Note
- Many Finnish desserts show the Finns’ love for cardamom, and this recipe is no exception. A hint of cardamom in the crumbly crust brings a Nordic essence to this decadent dessert. And the creamy texture of this pie filling is heavenly! I love the slightly tart bite of blueberries bursting in my mouth. This dessert is perfect for warmer seasons.
- Traditional Mustikkapiirakka recipe will call for rye flour as a base for the crust. My family is not a huge fan of rye flour, so I substitute plain four mixed with whole wheat flour. It works like a charm.
- Another traditional ingredient for a Finnish blueberry pie recipe is the Finnish-style sour cream called Kermaviili. It’s a mildly sour-tasting thick curd cream. Unfortunately it is not easy to find in North America.
So, I adapted the traditional Finnish dessert recipe with ingredients that are available in North America and which are similar to the original taste – crème fraîche & sour cream.
- Crème fraîche is European soured cream dairy product. Luckily, most grocery stores carry it these days. But if you can’t find crème fraîche in your area, just substitute with plain sour cream. It should work fine in this case.
As a bonus, I will share my tips on how to spread the crust dough easily in your pie dish without getting your hand greasy. Watch my video tutorial to see how I did it.
Now you’re in for a treat because we’re making this lovely Finnish blueberry pie. I hope many of you can enjoy the goodness of classic Finnish blueberry dessert anytime. It will become your new favorite summer dessert.
What is in this Finnish Blueberry Pie
For crust:
- Butter
- Sugar
- Egg
- Four + whole wheat flour — improves the texture and makes it heartier
- Baking powder — adds a slight leavening effect
- Cardamom — aromatic
For blueberry filling:
- Blueberries — either fresh or frozen. If you prefer the bleeding look of blueberries, I recommend using frozen blueberries.
- Cornstarch — provides the right consistency without being too runny
- Crème fraîche + sour cream — I like to combine both types of cream to get the right creaminess and tanginess
- Sugar — sweetener
- Egg — holds the filling together
- Vanilla extract — flavor
How to make Finnish Blueberry pie
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter a 9-inch pie pan or quiche pan; set aside.
Step 1. Prepare pie crust.
- To make crust, cream butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, and mix.
- Sift flours, baking powder, salt, and cardamom over the butter mixture and mix until combined.
- Place the dough on the prepared pan. Lay a piece of plastic wrap over the dough and press down to spread it into an even layer across the bottom and up the sides of the pan. (That way you don’t touch the dough directly. It makes spreading the dough easier.)
Step 2. Make cream filling.
- For the filling, whisk crème fraîche, sour cream, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until it becomes a pourable consistency.
- Pour half of the cream filling onto your pie crust in the pan. Swirl to spread it on the bottom of crust.
Step 3. Assemble blueberries in a pie crust.
- Combine blueberries with cornstarch in a bowl and toss. (If you are using fresh blueberries, give them a rinse beforehand so that the cornstarch will adhere to the berries.)
- Scatter blueberries across the filling and pour the remaining cream filling over the blueberries.
- Put the pie on a large baking sheet and put it in the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the pie crust is golden brown. The center of pie filling will jiggle a little bit, but it will set slowly as the pie cools.
Tip: If you like a blurry look around the blueberries in your pie, I recommend using frozen blueberries rather than fresh blueberries.
Let the pie cool on a wired rack. Serve the pie warm or at room temperature. You can also chill it in the refrigerator and serve it cold.
To serve, enjoy a slice of pie alone or top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
More blueberry desserts
If you desserts made with blueberries, try these tried and true recipes.
Creamy Finnish Blueberry Pie (Mustikkapiirakka)
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup (285 g) blueberries, fresh or frozen (see note below)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
For crust
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup (125 g) all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (65 g) whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp cardamom
For filling
- 3/4 cup (200g) crème fraîche
- 4 tbsp sour cream
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375˚F degrees. Lightly butter a 9-inch pie pan or quiche pan; set aside.
To make pie crust
- Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, and mix.
- Sift flours, baking powder, salt, and cardamom over the butter mixture and mix until combined.
- Place the dough on the prepared pan. Lay a piece of plastic wrap over the dough and press down to spread it into an even layer across the bottom and up the sides of the pan. (That way you don't touch the dough directly. It makes spreading the dough easier.)
To assemble pie
- To make pie filling, whisk crème fraîche, sour cream, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until it becomes a pourable consistency. Pour half of the cream filling onto your pie crust in the pan. Swirl to spread it on the bottom of crust.
- Combine blueberries with cornstarch in a bowl and toss. (If you are using fresh blueberries, give them a rinse beforehand so that the cornstarch will adhere to the berries.)
- Scatter blueberries across the filling and pour the remaining cream filling over the blueberries. Put the pie on a large baking sheet and put it in the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the pie crust is golden brown. The center of pie filling will jiggle a little bit, but it will set slowly as the pie cools.
- Let the pie cool on a wired rack. Serve the pie warm or at room temperature. You can also chill it in the refrigerator and serve it cold.
Could using almond flour for the crust product the correct hardiness as well?
I think it will work if you mix with the whole wheat flour. Hope you get to try this Finnish blueberry pie. It’s delicious!
Hi does this freeze?
It freezes well. Make sure you wrap it well to freeze and thaw completely before you serve. Hope you like it. Thank you!
Can I substitute Greek yogurt for the creme fraiche?
Yes, you can. It won’t give the exact same taste but it still makes a delicious treat.
We Finns use bilberries and not what you guys call blueberries. We just happend to call them blueberries but it is in fact a completely another berry that tastes different (and is more healthy) 🙂
Thanks for the info about the use of bilberries. 🌞