11 Best Blueberry Recipes
Blueberries are the type of fruit that always hit the spot, no matter the season and no matter the time of day. You may enjoy blueberries in your morning bowl of oatmeal or sprinkle some into your lunchtime salad. Or, perhaps you like to go a sweeter route with blueberries and bake them into your favorite muffins, cakes, or breads. The tiny berries also make a great accompaniment to a charcuterie board, are the ultimate garnish on a yogurt parfait, and, perhaps most importantly of all, make for a tasty snack all on their own.
Needless to say, you can incorporate blueberries into just about every meal, and you most definitely should, as well — blueberries are superfoods, meaning they're absolutely loaded with vitamins and fiber, and are even heart-healthy. And, despite having a natural sweetness about them, blueberries aren't overloaded with sugar, making them the ideal inclusion for baked goods — the little berries will add a certain freshness without taking the sugar content to inedible levels.
If you haven't been taking full advantage of blueberries, there's no time like the present to get started. Our best blueberry recipes will liven up your repertoire and ensure that you can incorporate the superfood into your favorite breakfasts, desserts, and snacks with ease.
1. Southern Blueberry Cobbler
When we picture a good old-fashioned Southern dessert, we want something that is warm, comforting, and ideally topped off with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. This Southern blueberry cobbler certainly checks all of those boxes, all the way down to the finishing garnish.
A huge perk to this recipe is that it isn't reliant on fresh blueberries; you can certainly use fresh if you have a farmer's market haul that you're looking to use up, but frozen will work just fine. And, as with any cobbler, there are essentially two components that you'll whip up here, which are the blueberries themselves, and then the cake-like layer on top. Luckily, both components come together easily and will go into the oven at the same time, so you don't need to worry about getting the timing right.
This is the type of dish to serve after a big family meal on Sunday night; it's just sweet enough to curb any post-dinner sugar cravings, but it's also quite refreshing thanks to the abundance of berries. While you could most definitely enjoy a slice of this cobbler as-is, vanilla ice cream really is the ideal topper, adding a cooling, creamy that contrasts well with the otherwise warm nature of the dish.
Recipe: Southern Blueberry Cobbler
2. Cardamom Blueberry Muffins
If you've ever cooked with cardamom, be it in a curry or stew, then you know that it adds a warm, slightly citrusy flavor profile that other spices just can't compete with. Because cardamom doesn't lean heavily on the savory or salty side, it's also an ideal inclusion for baked goods — case in point, these cardamom blueberry muffins.
Now, don't go into this recipe expecting the end result to be wildly different from classic blueberry muffins. Ultimately, the cardamom doesn't change the flavor profile too much here, but it instead adds some warmth and floral undertones that muffins typically don't have. There really is no easier way to enhance a baked good than by adding in an additional spice, especially if said spice is already sitting in your pantry just begging for its time to shine.
Aside from the cardamom, the ingredients list is full of typical suspects, including the blueberries themselves, flour, sugar, and even some Greek yogurt to add plenty of moisture. Enjoy these spice-infused muffins for breakfast or as a snack, with a simple cup of coffee on the side, or even better yet if you enjoy them with a spiced beverage like chai to really hone in on those flavors.
Recipe: Cardamom Blueberry Muffins
3. Lemon Blueberry Pie
Whether it be peanut butter and jelly, coconut and pineapple, or chocolate and caramel, some foods just pair really, really well together, and we'd make the argument that blueberry and lemon deserve a spot on the list. Sure, it may not be the first combo to come to mind, but sweet, juicy blueberries contrast nicely with the sharp, sour, and acidic lemon juice (and zest), making this duo an unexpected one for the books.
We see our new favorite flavor pair come together in this lemon blueberry pie recipe, which is really just a blueberry pie at its base, but a single lemon works hard to amp up the flavors and add a certain brightness that the pie otherwise wouldn't have. You'll incorporate both fresh lemon juice and zest into the blueberry pie filling, and then once the pie is baked, sliced, and served, you may want to top your slice off with some extra zest. At the very least, dollop on some ice cream or some fresh whipped cream to add a rich, creamy, cool factor to an otherwise bright, fresh, and fruity dessert.
Recipe: Lemon Blueberry Pie
4. Blueberry Scones
Scones are a unique baked good in that, instead of manipulating them to be light and fluffy after they bake, you actually want them to be quite dense and crumbly. They may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if they happen to be yours, then perhaps you'll want to enjoy these blueberry scones with a nice cup of tea in the early afternoon.
The beauty of homemade scones is that they're much easier to make than one might initially think. Perhaps we think scones are tricky baked goods because we associate them with high-end British tea parties, but in reality, just about anyone can whip up a fresh batch, and thanks to this recipe, in less than 30 minutes at that.
Unlike bready baked goods, you don't need to give these scones any time to rest or rise. You'll just mix up the batter, give it a quick knead, then roll it out, cut out triangles, and bake. Naturally, you might want to pair these scones with a nice cup of tea, but a cup of coffee would pair just as well. Enjoy these fresh blueberry scones for breakfast, as a snack, or even as dessert, and don't be too surprised when all nine of them are gone before you even know it.
Recipe: Blueberry Scones
5. Blueberry Clafoutis
Fans of French cuisine may be familiar with clafoutis, which is a type of dessert that involves pouring batter over fruit, and specifically in this case, blueberries. Somewhat similar to a cake, clafoutis is very fruit-forward, and the batter itself is almost custard-like, making for a truly rich, decadent dessert option that only seems difficult to make.
The key to making clafoutis is to pour the batter over the berries, which will help it incorporate below, above, and even within the fruit. Many of the blueberries will float to the top once baked, so the end result is a visually beautiful, berry-infused dessert that somehow manages to taste even better than it looks. The creamy, custardy cake contrasts really nicely with the fresh blueberries, and it's so good that you might not even want a final garnish. If you do opt for one, however, a simple dollop of whipped cream will add a nice coolness to your slice.
This clafoutis is ideal for dinner parties or gatherings where you're looking to impress without actually having to try too hard. From start to finish, this dessert comes together in less than an hour, and most of that time your oven will be doing all of the work — but your guests don't need to know that part.
Recipe: Best Blueberry Clafoutis
6. Blueberry-Lemon Tapioca Pudding
Tapioca pudding can come in various flavors, though the most well-known is classic vanilla. This recipe puts a blueberry-lemon twist, incorporating the fruity components along with other players like chia seeds, date syrup, and maple syrup for a pudding that is sweet but not too sweet.
While you most definitely can (and should) garnish your bowl of pudding with fresh blueberries, they're mostly infused into this recipe by way of a blueberry jam — that's where you'll find the lemon element, too. Before you add the tapioca pudding to your bowl or jar, you'll first put a layer of fresh jam at the bottom. It's sort of like that type of yogurt cup that has fruit at the bottom and yogurt at the top, but in this case, it's jam and pudding, and it's also much tastier than your average cup of yogurt.
While pudding is mainly a dessert food by nature, this tapioca pudding would also make for a ready-to-go breakfast treat. Simply load up your jar and pop it in the fridge overnight; by morning, your pudding will be ready to go, and you can optionally top it off with extra fresh berries and a bit of lemon zest.
Recipe: Blueberry-Lemon Tapioca Pudding
7. From-Scratch Blueberry Pie Filling
When you want to make a fresh pie but are in a pinch when it comes to the filling, you may be tempted to go the canned fruit route. Canned pie fillings are readily available at most grocery stores, boasting flavors like cherry or blueberry, and while they are undoubtedly convenient, they're certainly not the freshest or tastiest option by far. Luckily, it's incredibly easy to make your own pie filling, and this from-scratch blueberry pie filling recipe will ensure that you never reach for the canned stuff ever again.
A big perk to this recipe is that you don't need any fresh fruit on hand. While you could use fresh blueberries, frozen also works well, so if you're the type who always has frozen berries on hand, then this recipe is that much easier. Best of all, it only takes about 10 minutes of stovetop cooking to turn blueberries into blueberry pie filling, and we have cornstarch to thank for thickening things up and ensuring that your pie won't be a soupy mess.
While this recipe is specifically for pie filling, there's no stopping you from enjoying it in other ways. Similar to a compote, this blueberry pie filling works well for cobblers, crisps, cakes, and even as a topping for waffles or pancakes.
8. Simple Blueberry Bread
You've heard of banana bread, and perhaps you've heard of zucchini bread, but what about blueberry bread? This alliterative delight provides a welcome change from the more typical fruit bread, and it also provides a useful way to use up a hefty amount of fresh blueberries — not to mention it makes for a beautiful bread, as well, with the blueberries creating a marble-like effect that makes this treat even more irresistible.
If you've never enjoyed a slice of blueberry bread before, then picture something more akin to a pastry than, say, a slice of sourdough. You won't need to worry about activating yeast or waiting hours for the dough to rise with this recipe; instead, you'll simply combine the ingredients to form a batter, fold in the blueberries, then bake this bread. You will need a bit of patience as the bread bakes for up to one hour, but luckily your house will smell pretty good by that point, which is something of a consolation prize.
Once the bread is ready to go, there's really no limit to the ways in which you can enjoy it. A slice will be tasty all on its own, but you may also opt for a drizzle of honey, a slather of butter, or perhaps even some lemon curd for a burst of acidity and some welcome sourness amongst the sweet.
Recipe: Simple Blueberry Bread
9. Oven-Baked Blueberry Pancakes
There aren't many breakfast options out there that are more classic than blueberry pancakes, and it's pretty hard to reinvent the wheel when it comes to pancakes in general. This oven-baked blueberry pancake recipe somehow does manage to put quite the twist on classic flapjacks, and instead of ending up with several tiny pancakes, you'll end up with one big pancake that you can slice and serve — or keep all to yourself.
The key to this recipe is using an oven-proof skillet, ideally cast iron, as it will give your pancake that desirable outer crust while ensuring that the whole thing bakes evenly. There are no tricky parts to this recipe, and actually, we'd argue that it's even more straightforward than a traditional pancake recipe. Be sure to pop your skillet into the preheating oven to heat up before you pour in the pancake batter, as it will help ensure that the pancakes start cooking before they even hit the oven (this will also help develop that crust).
Once baked, this skillet pancake won't look like a pancake at all, but we can guarantee that it will taste just as good. A simple sprinkling of powdered sugar is the perfect finishing garnish for this dish, though you may want to take a classic route and drizzle on some maple syrup, too. Enjoy this oven-baked pancake on a slow Saturday morning for a special treat that gives traditional flapjacks a run for their money.
Recipe: Oven-Baked Blueberry Pancakes
10. Avocado Blueberry Smoothie
You can add just about anything to a smoothie — fruits, vegetables, nut butter, milk — and, moreover, you can make a smoothie as sweet, sour, or creamy as you want. You can enjoy a slightly chilled smoothie or you can go full-on frozen and load it up with ice. The point is, there is no right or wrong way to enjoy a smoothie, and while the possibilities are quite exhilarating, it can become stressful trying to come up with the perfect concoction that isn't too sweet, isn't too thick, and maybe even has some added health benefits.
If you've been struggling to find the perfect smoothie recipe, then look no further than this avocado blueberry smoothie. The avocado works alongside a banana to create the base for this creamy, rich smoothie. The blueberries help give the smoothie that beautiful blue hue, and they also provide a nice refreshing flavor that works well with the banana (you really won't taste the avocado much, it's more for texture than anything else).
And, while just about any type of milk would work here, this recipe makes good use of coconut milk, which adds an irresistible creaminess to the smoothie while subtly playing up the fruity flavors. This smoothie is incredibly simple yet cleverly delicious, and we can almost guarantee that it will become your breakfast or post-workout go-to.
Recipe: Avocado Blueberry Smoothie
11. Lemon-Blueberry Scones
On their own, scones aren't the sweetest baked good, even when they incorporate fruit, as these lemon-blueberry scones do. While not every baked good has to be laden with sugar, it's nice to enjoy a sweet scone every once in a while, and thanks to the lemony icing that these scones are garnished with, you can count on that extra touch of sweetness.
These scones are the ideal recipe to make in the afternoon when you want a little treat but don't want to make something that will take hours to complete. Scones are quick and easy, largely because they don't require kneading, resting, or rising. You'll go straight from making the batter to cutting out the triangles and baking them. All told, you'll only need to reserve about 30 minutes of your day to make these scones, making them the ideal baked good for those who are always pressed for time.
Once baked, you'll drizzle on a tangy lemon icing to give your treats a final touch of sweetness. Enjoy these scones any time of day, ideally with a cup of black coffee to contrast the bright, fruity, sweet flavors that these scones have to offer.
Recipe: Lemon Blueberry Scones