31 Blueberry Recipes We’d Turn Violet Over
Blueberry recipes are so quintessential to this season, we honestly can’t remember a summer without them. No shade to tiny frozen wild blueberries—our test kitchen actually loves bagged bloobs—but when farmers markets are overflowing with the plump, stain-your-fingers kind, it’s time to pounce. (And pounce hard: Buy a bigger-than-you-need batch now and freeze some to have a stash of superior berries for year-round cooking.) Once you’re stocked, there are as many ways to use blueberries as there are reasons to love them: They can go sweet or savory. They work in cocktails just as well as they do in baked goods. They can be crushed into a sauce or kept whole and used as a topping. So, with no further ado, from jammified to baked and more, here are summer’s finest blueberry recipes (whether it’s summertime where you are or not).
Photo by Julian Cousins, food styling by Adriana Paschen, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime2/31Any-Berry Shrub
Raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries—they all work in this shrub recipe. For those who might not know, shrubs are a broad category of “drinking vinegar” typically served with soda or used as part of a cocktail.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Judy Kim, prop styling by Nicole Louie3/31Blueberry Compote With Coriander
Did you know that blueberries and coriander play particularly well together? They both contain the flavor terpene linalool, also found in thyme and lavender. Well, now you do.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk4/31Blueberry-Saffron Tea Cake
Put a pop of saffron in your blueberry cake and you’ll not only have something more aromatic, but also a lovely yellow crumb. And while we’re on the topic of ingredients, this recipe calls for both baking powder and baking soda—it’s good to know the difference.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua5/31Yogurt-Berry Paletas
Photograph by Peden + Munk, food styling by Adriana Paschen, prop styling by Ceci Garcia6/31Skillet Blueberry Cobbler
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Gerri K. Williams7/31Get Up & Go Blueberry Date Cocoa Smoothie
Get your morning doses of caffeine, vitamins, and antioxidants in one with this breakfast smoothie. There’s instant coffee powder; blueberries, which have complex carbohydrates and vitamin C; and bananas, which bring potassium to the mix. Want a version without coffee? This blueberry smoothie gets a glug of tahini for creamy, nutty protein.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Drew Aichele, Prop Styling by Christina Allen8/31Old-Fashioned Blueberry Coffee Cake
This buttermilk-blueberry coffee cake is ideal for summer, when you’ve got access to fresh blueberries, but if you’re reading this in the dead of winter, don’t worry: The recipe works with frozen blueberries too.
Photograph by Shawn Michael Jones, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams, Food Styling by Micah Morton10/31Green Tomato–Berry Salad With Sumac Dressing
Rethink green tomatoes—unripe tomatoes, not to be confused with certain green hybrid and heirloom tomato varieties—by pairing them with peak season blackberries and juicy blueberries in this savory-sweet, cookout-friendly summer salad.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Sean Dooley, Food Styling by Kendra Vaculin11/31Sheet-Pan Berry Shortcake
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk12/31Blueberry and Peach Graham Galette
Galette is French for “no-fuss.” Actually, that’s not true—but it should be, because galettes don’t require any special equipment and are meant to look rustic, which means you don’t have to be precise when shaping them.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Sean Dooley, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua13/31Blueberry Fool With Toasted Coconut
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Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Jillian Knox, prop styling Sophie Peoples14/31Mixed Berry Bars With Brown Sugar Crust
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Caroline Hwang, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime.15/31Lush Vanilla Berry Pudding
Vanilla pudding, fluffy whipped cream, crunchy wafers, and juicy summer berries. Consider this blueberry recipe to be banana pudding with a twist (i.e., no bananas, but all the other good parts).
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Susan Ottaviano, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca16/31Blueberry Muffin Cake
It’s not exactly blueberry bread; this dessert recipe is a muffin—no, a cake—no, a muffin cake. Yes, muffin cake. (It’s a thing. We’re calling it.) For another mash-up blueberry dessert, try these blueberry cheesecake bars, which have a cream cheese filling and glaze.
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova17/31Blueberry-Miso Crumb Cake
We highly recommend using miso in your desserts, because it brings a specific kind of saltiness that tempers sweetness so nicely. Try our Miso Chocolate Chip Cookies, Miso-and-Maple-Pecan Butter Mochi Cake, or Miso White Chocolate–Macadamia Cookies as proof.
Alex Lau19/31Blueberry–Chia Seed Jam
We love to read this in the comments: “Really good and so easy! The lemon taste does get a bit stronger over time. I love slathering a thick layer of this over my toast every morning.”
Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Claire Saffitz21/31Baked Cinnamon Toast With Fruit
Speaking of feeding a crowd, get out your big baking dish, because this toasty, buttery, fruity recipe—imagine a mash-up of cinnamon toast, bread pudding, and blueberry pie—serves 8.
Kamil Bialous23/31Lemon Curd with Berries
This very lemony curd is made with whole eggs instead of just the yolks, which gives it a light texture. The fresh berries are macerated in their own juices for extra punch.
Eva Kolenko25/31Blueberry-Lemon Icebox Cake
Lemon-blueberry anything is delicious—the citrus zest enhances the blueberries’ sweetness and overall flavor—but this icebox cake is The Dish to bring to the summer potluck. (Not that it’s a competition, but you’ll win.)
Alex Lau28/31BA’s Best Blueberry Muffins
If you don’t have fresh blueberries, use frozen—or, heck, sub in chocolate chips instead. And if you want to play with different grains, we have recipes for Blueberry Spelt Muffins and Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins With Oat Crumble.
Alex Lau30/31Fruit-on-the-Bottom Yogurt Cups
Make some blueberry jam, buy some yogurt, and assemble this easy recipe up to five days ahead of breakfast time. Once you try it, you’ll never want to buy another grocery store fruit yogurt.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Chris Morocco, Prop Styling by Emily Eisen31/31Fresh Fruit Tart With Almond Press-In Crust
If you want to turn this blueberry recipe gluten-free, just substitute gluten-free flour for the all-purpose flour in the crust and ensure the cornstarch you use for the filling is certified gluten-free.
