I am a big fan of the Broadway musical Waitress which follows a waitress and master pie-maker named Jenna. In the musical, Jenna invents a new pie every single day for Joe’s Pie Diner where she works. The very first pie Jenna invents in the show is deep dish blueberry bacon pie, which has always seemed like an intriguing flavor profile to me. 

I’ve wanted the opportunity to make it “real.” While there exists online a few recipes for deep dish blueberry bacon pie, this is my take on it. The use of bacon fat to replace some butter in the crust creates a tender and slightly savory crust that balances the tart filling and sweet crumble topping well. With sugar, butter, and flour, this is a pie of contrasts: Flaky crust, juicy filling, crumbly and soft topping, crispy bacon. With maple syrup sprinkled throughout, it’s like a warm diner breakfast in a slice of pie. May we all be so lucky to enjoy a slice.

Time required: 10 hours, including chilling crust, assembly, baking, and cooling.

Servings: 8-10

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 2 tablespoons bacon fat, cold and cubed
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the blueberry filling:

• 3½ lbs blueberries, fresh or frozen
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• The zest of one lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
• The juice of three lemons (about ⅓ cup)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the crumble topping:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 6 strips of cooked, chopped bacon
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• ½ cup unsalted, softened butter

Directions: 

1. Arrange six slices of bacon in a cold pan over the stove, and heat the pan to medium-high heat. Cook the bacon until browned on one side, flip, and cook until fully browned. Set the bacon on a paper towel-lined plate and pat dry. Let cool and chop into bacon bits.
2. Pour the bacon fat from the pan into a small bowl and freeze or refrigerate until fully solidified. 
3. Make the crust: In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1/2 a teaspoon of kosher salt. Using a fork or pastry blender, cut 1/2 cup of butter and 2 tablespoons of bacon fat until pieces of butter and bacon fat are no bigger than a pea. Drizzle in 6 tablespoons of ice water and mix with your hands until the dough is just combined. Some dry bits are okay. Compact the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. 
4. Make the blueberry filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients listed above for the filling and let sit for 30 minutes.
5. While the filling is sitting, make the crumble topping: In a bowl, combine the flour, oats, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Next drizzle in the maple syrup and add in the softened butter, working it into the dry ingredients until it forms a crumbly, sandy mixture. Add in the chopped bacon and mix until just combined.
6. Place a large, tin foil-lined baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
7. Remove the pie crust from the fridge. Roll out into a circle and drape over the pie plate. Lift and drop the crust to fill the plate, being careful not to stretch it too much. Press the crust into the plate, remove the excess crust around the edges, and crimp the edges however you please. 
8. Fill the pie crust with the filling, and cover with the crumble topping.
9. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit before lowering to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and baking for 50 more minutes, or until the crumble topping is golden brown and juices bubble around the edge.
10. Let cool completely, about 4-5 hours. Slice and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!