For A Bakery-Worthy Blueberry Pie, Reach For These Pantry Essentials

Nothing quite beats a homemade pie that tastes like it is fresh out of a bakery. Blueberry pies are an especially great treat to bake during the summer season when the fruit is in season. If you're a fan of zhuzhing up a classic, though, you'll be able to do so with some spices you likely already have in your pantry. Our go-to recipe for a bakery-worthy blueberry pie, for instance, includes cinnamon and nutmeg to ramp up the taste.

Cinnamon and blueberries are an ideal match because the spice adds a warm, earthy depth to balance the blueberry's tart and subtly sweet flavor. You only need about half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon for four cups of blueberries, though you can add more depending on your taste. You can use any ground cinnamon you have in your pantry, but Ceylon's mild, sweet, floral flavor is especially great for desserts like blueberry pies. Ceylon cinnamon is also quite crumbly, so it can be ground easily into a powder at home (using a coffee grinder or blender) if you have some whole sticks on hand. 

Nutmeg is another staple spice that works well in many pie fillings and brings a sweet nuttiness to blueberry ones. You can use ground nutmeg to make things easier or grate a few dashes from a whole one for the freshest flavor, adding it alongside the rest of the pie filling's ingredients (here's how to perfect your technique for grating nutmeg). Usually, a pinch of nutmeg goes a long way in blueberry pie recipes.

There are several other spices that can bring your blueberry pie to life. Coriander, with its warm, bright, woody, and citrusy notes, can add 10x more flavor to a blueberry baked good. It works so well with blueberries because they both include linalool, a compound which is responsible for the woody and subtly citrusy flavor, making them a natural pairing. However, the spice usually shows up in savory dishes, and when added to blueberry pie it runs the risk of overpowering the taste if you're not careful. A small pinch (quarter teaspoon or so) will be good enough to bring out the balance and keep the blueberry taste intact.

Cloves also work well in a blueberry pie where there is need for more of a spicy flavor. The slightly sweet, peppery, and bitter notes of cloves work to bring more complexity to a blueberry pie. Its potent flavor may not be to everyone's taste (probably keep the kids away from this one), but it's excellent for those who like pies with more of a spicy punch. They are also often added in combination with black pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg for a layered flavor that is hard to forget.

Ginger is another fantastic option. While it's known to be slightly spicier, much like cloves, it adds a zingy richness that may be appreciated if super sweet pies aren't to your liking. Both freshly grated or ground ginger can be added to blueberry pie, and you can also mix in other fruits — like peaches — to mellow out any potency in the ginger flavor. Additionally, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon are often combined for a warmth that exudes fall-like desserts, so you can use a combination of these in your next blueberry pie.