Blueberries rewards a little know-how: how to choose them, cook them, store them, and substitute in a pinch. Browse 462 recipes to cook with them.
Blueberries are small, round, deep blue berries with a dusty silver coating and a sweet, mildly tart flavor. That dusty film is the bloom, a natural wax the berry makes itself, and it is a sign of freshness, not dirt, so leave it on.
Unlike strawberries, blueberries are a true berry, with the seeds tiny enough to eat without noticing. Cultivated highbush berries are big and mild. Wild lowbush berries are smaller and far more intense, which is why frozen wild blueberries taste of so much more in a muffin.
The season peaks in summer, roughly June through August, but the frozen ones are so good that most cooks bake with them year round.
Blueberries earn their keep in batter. They go into Bisquick Blueberry Muffins and Banana Blueberry Bread, and into the no-crust Impossible Blueberry Pie, where they soften and burst into little pockets of jam.
The classic problem is sinking. Heavy berries drop to the bottom of a muffin or cake before the batter sets.
Toss them in a tablespoon of the recipe's flour first, so the coating grips the batter and holds them suspended.
They cook down fast into sauce and jam. A handful simmered with sugar and a squeeze of lemon thickens in minutes, since blueberries carry decent natural pectin. Amy's Blueberry Rhubarb Jam plays the tart rhubarb against the sweet berry.
For cobbler and pie they need a little starch, usually cornstarch or tapioca, to set the juice so it does not run all over the plate.
Blueberry juice is a strong blue purple dye, and it bleeds. Stir frozen berries hard into a pale batter and you get a gray green swirl, because the anthocyanin pigment shifts color against baking soda. A gentle fold at the end keeps the streaking down.
Their flavor is mellow, so they take well to a lift. Lemon and orange zest are the natural partners, and a pinch of cinnamon or a little vanilla rounds them out. They sit happily next to other fruit, from banana in a quick bread to rhubarb in a jam.
One mistake is overcooking. Pushed too long, blueberries lose their fresh snap and turn to flat, jammy mush, so pull sauces off the heat as soon as the berries pop.
Blackberries are the closest swap, with the same deep color and jammy behavior when baked. Use them one for one by volume.
Raspberries work too, though they are softer and more tart, so a baked good will read brighter. Huckleberries, where you can get them, are nearly a drop in match.
For pies and cobblers out of season, frozen blueberries beat tired fresh ones every time. Add them straight from the freezer and bump the bake time a few minutes.
Look for plump, firm berries with that silvery bloom intact and a deep blue color. Soft or leaking berries are past it. Shake the carton: good blueberries rattle a little, while a damp, silent box has started to break down.
Like all berries, do not wash them until you are about to eat or cook them. Stored unwashed and dry in the fridge, blueberries keep a week or even two, far longer than strawberries.
To freeze, spread the dry, unwashed berries in one layer on a tray and freeze until hard, then pour them into a bag. Freezing them loose first stops them clumping, and you can rinse them after thawing when you actually need them.
Specific kinds of blueberries and the recipes that use them.
Unsweetened frozen blueberries are plain whole berries, frozen loose with no added sugar or syrup. Most are individually quick frozen, or IQF, which means each berry freezes on its own so they pour out of the bag separate instead of in one clump.
They are the same fruit as fresh, just held in suspension. Because nothing is added, they slot into any recipe that calls for blueberries with no change to the sugar.
Where to find blueberries: Blueberries are usually found in the produce section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.
Food group: Blueberries are a member of the Fruits and Fruit Juices US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.
| Amount | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 cup | 148 grams |
| 1 pint as purchased, yields | 402 grams |
| 50 berries | 68 grams |
There are 462 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Golden French toast stuffed with warm blueberry-maple compote and dusted with powdered sugar. Make weekend brunch feel special with this sweet sandwich.
Granola with fresh fruit is the no-cook breakfast bowl done right: crunchy granola topped with blueberries, raspberries, banana, and sliced almonds, then milk or yogurt. Ready in 5 minutes, high in fiber.
Buttermilk waffles with chopped cashews folded into the batter and a quick fresh blueberry compote spooned over top. Light, crisp, and ready for weekend brunch in under 25 minutes.
Blueberry banana muffins combine ripe mashed bananas, fresh or frozen blueberries, and tangy buttermilk for tender, double-fruit breakfast muffins dusted with powdered sugar.
Blueberry muffins where half the berries get mashed into the batter for purple swirls and double the fruit flavor. Sugar-crusted tops, bakery-style domes.
Bakery-style blueberry muffins with nutmeg sugar topping. Three flours, butter, and buttermilk give a tender crumb and tall domed tops crowned with crackly spiced sugar.
Tender breakfast muffins bursting with fresh blueberries and bright orange zest for a bakery-style morning treat in under an hour
Bakery-style blueberry muffins pack 2.5 cups of berries into a tender butter-creamed batter with crackly sugar tops. A bursting-with-fruit breakfast classic.
Light blueberry muffins use egg whites, egg substitute, and fat-free spread for tender, fruit-packed muffins with lemon-bright flavor. Two cups of fresh blueberries in every batch.
Blueberry buttermilk muffins with browned butter, tangy buttermilk, and a juicy berry burst in every bite. A bakery-style classic that earns its golden domed top with a hot oven and a light hand.
Super blueberry muffins, packed with two full cups of fresh berries for maximum fruit-in-every-bite. A simple one-bowl recipe ready in 20 minutes for breakfast or snacking.
Blueberry pancakes scatter fresh berries onto the cooking pancakes instead of mixing them into the batter. Bright blueberry pockets, no purple-streaked batter, ready in 30 minutes.
Fresh or frozen blueberries macerate in dark rum and vanilla bean seeds, then blitz with ice cream into a grown-up milkshake with berry-booze swirls and creamy vanilla richness.
Double berry muffins layer blueberry batter around a hidden teaspoon of raspberry jam, lightened with wheat germ and orange juice. Low-fat breakfast bake.
Whole wheat buttermilk pancakes with a quick blueberry-lemon sauce. Honey-sweetened, lighter on fat thanks to egg substitute, and finished with a glossy fresh blueberry pour. A 30-minute breakfast win.
Moist lemon blueberry cake with cornmeal, buttermilk, and fresh lemon zest. Bursting with 3 cups of blueberries, this from-scratch sheet cake has a golden crumb and bright citrus flavor in every slice.
These flapjacks are leaps and bounds better than any other I've tested. The key is the buttermilk which makes them thick and fluffy and adds just the right flavor.
Individual blueberry tarts with a flaky vinegar-butter crust and cinnamon-spiced fresh berry filling. Dusted with powdered sugar and topped with whipped cream for a rustic summer dessert.
From a new blueberry cookbook I just got, these sound good for my two blueberry lovin' guys! I like that they have very little butter in them...cant wait to try them out! It doesnt say how many it makes so Im guessing at 6.
Spicy blueberry citrus marmalade simmers orange, lemon, and lime rinds with fresh blueberries, sugar, and a kick of crushed red pepper into a sweet-tart-spicy preserve. Made for canning and gifting.
Blueberry spice sauce simmers fresh berries with cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon for a glossy dessert topping. 15 minutes from saucepan to spoon, ideal for ice cream and pancakes.
Quick blueberry muffins with orange zest and a crunchy sugar-topped crust that bakes in just 20 minutes for busy weekday mornings
Maine blueberry muffins with whole wheat flour, melted butter, cinnamon, and fresh blueberries. Topped with sugar for a crunchy crust. A New England classic in 30 minutes.
Fresh blueberries, roasted sweet corn, soy bean, red bell pepper and peppery arugula are tossed with a white wine vinegar-olive oil vinaigrette. It's a light and tasty summer salad that accompanies well with any barbecued dishes.
Blueberry jam pairs deep berries with tart rhubarb for natural pectin set, no commercial pectin needed. Traditional Scottish-style preserve with three ingredients and a simple boil.
Berry teatime muffins with rolled oats, brown sugar, and fresh or frozen blueberries or raspberries. Hearty, lightly sweet, and quick. Bake as standard muffins or mini muffins for tea service.
Fluffy buttermilk pancakes topped with a quick stovetop strawberry sauce thickened with orange juice and brown sugar. Brunch-worthy in 25 minutes from start to plate.
Lightly sweetened blueberry oatmeal muffins made with whole grains and a little oil instead of butter. A wholesome breakfast muffin packed with fresh blueberries, mixed by the classic lumpy-batter method.
Spiced blueberry jam simmers fresh blueberries with apple-grape juice concentrate, orange juice, and warm spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and mace. A refined-sugar-free freezer jam that captures summer with autumn warmth.
Lemon blueberry biscuits with lemon yogurt and fresh blueberries, finished with a tart lemon glaze. Tender drop biscuits ready in 35 minutes for breakfast or brunch.
A generous blueberry lemon crisp loaded with over 6 cups of berries under a buttery brown sugar crumble. Baked low and gentle for a jammy filling with a crunchy, golden top.
Citrus blueberry muffins with bright orange zest folded through a tender buttermilk-style batter and studded with juicy blueberries. Easy 30-minute breakfast bake.
A buttery, moist and delicious blueberry banana bread is perfect for snack with a cup of afternoon tea.
These muffins are packed with the delicious flavor of blueberries!
Made with whole wheat flour, barley flour, and soy milk. These pancakes are packed with goodness and great flavor. Stack the crepes, and spoon the warm blueberry sauce over the pancakes to serve.
Using whole wheat flour, applesauce and grapeseeds oil makes this coffee cake super moist and delicious.
3-ingredient blueberry sauce thickens unsweetened pineapple juice with cornstarch, then folds in fresh berries. A no-sugar-added topping ready in 15 minutes.
These deliciously moist pancakes are so easy to make and also packed with goodness. You can find juicy blueberry bursts in every bite. A perfect breakfast with a cup of orange juice.
These deliciously moist pancakes are so easy to make and also packed with goodness. You can find juicy blueberry bursts in every bite. A perfect breakfast with a cup of orange juice.
This bellini, we use blueberry and ginger, adding some lemon juice, you can always change ingredients' amount according to your own taste.
Summer blueberry tart, a French-style dessert with a buttery pate brisee crust and a filling that's half cooked blueberry glaze, half fresh berries, for vivid flavor and a clean slice. Lovely with creme fraiche.
2007 Blueberry Bake-Off Child Winner, first place No. 1 Fernando Guerrero
Blueberry cornmeal muffins blend whole wheat and yellow cornmeal with juicy berries, brightened by orange zest and buttermilk. A wholesome breakfast bake with rustic golden crumb.
Wholesome whole wheat berry muffins with cranberries or blueberries, naturally sweetened and fiber-rich for a hearty breakfast that actually keeps you full.
Tender blueberry cream cheese muffins made in the food processor with cake flour, juicy berries, and a tang of lemon. Soft cake-like crumb, ready in 45 minutes.
Big blueberry flavor warrants big muffins, so fill the cups right up for oversized muffins that will please everyone. The cinnamon-sugar streusel is the crowning glory.
Buttermilk blueberry muffins: a classic from-scratch recipe with tangy buttermilk for tender crumb and a generous load of fresh blueberries. Bakery-style results in 20 minutes.
Tender cake studded with juicy blueberries meets tangy cream cheese batter under a buttery lemon-sugar crumble. This coffee cake balances sweet, tart, and rich in every generous slice.
Warm, juicy and fruity. These warm crepes are served with freshly made blueberry-raspberry sauce. Delicious and also good for you.
