There’s nothing better than blueberries in the summer. Blueberries are thought to have more antioxidants than any other commonly consumed fruit or vegetable. You can read more about the health benefits of blueberries and, while they’re a delicious healthy snack, I love to incorporate them into my cooking and baking.
Start your day with a punch of antioxidants with Carol Parkhurst (Wilton, NY) Carol’s Blueberry Yogurt Smoothie. “I wanted something that would have more fruit, yogurt and be a healthy drink,” shares Carol.
Both adults and kids will love this treat. The smoothie is rich, silky, and full of blueberry flavor. Blueberry pomegranate juice pumps up the blueberry flavor. The yogurt adds richness to the smoothie. This is a fantastic summertime breakfast since it’s packed with healthy ingredients, easy to make, and refreshing.
“A few years ago, my loving husband had three heart stents done on him and I started cooking healthy,” Araxy Aykanian (Laguna Hills, CA) reveals. “My family and friends love them because they’re light and healthy.”
Cooking healthy doesn’t mean you need to lose any flavor and these Healthy Blueberry Muffins are the perfect example. Light, fresh and super tasty, these would be great for breakfast along with a cup of coffee or tea. You can keep them handy in the kitchen, too, for an afternoon pick-me-up. So yummy!
Billy Haze’s (Philadelphia, PA) Blueberry Strawberry Buckle screams summertime. Billy thinks it’s “a refreshing dessert for a summer barbecue” and it is.
Lots of people have heard of crisps and cobblers, but buckles aren’t as well known. All are typically a baked fruit dessert. Cobblers have a biscuit topping and crisps have a textured streusel topping (some say with oatmeal, some say no to oatmeal). Like a crisp, a buckle has a butter/sugar streusel topping but also has a cake that rises around the fruit. When baked, the fruit buckles into the cake.
In Billy’s buckle, the strawberries are sweet and the blueberries are tart – a perfect pairing. The cake itself is extremely moist and not overly sweet. Make sure to serve warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
“Everyone will want to be your BFF when you serve this blueberry sour cream coffee cake,” jokes Laurie Lenartowicz (Livingston, TN). “The sour cream makes this coffee cake super moist and the blueberries are just bursting with flavor.”
Laurie’s Blueberry BFF Coffee Cake is a really moist cake. Not overly sweet, it has just the right amount of sugar. I really liked the blueberries in this recipe but you can substitute your other fruits too. Laurie mentions she has used an apple in place of the berries before which would be delicious in the fall.
When you name your recipe Thank God For Berries Cake like Barbara Heckenlively (Spokane, WA) did, the cake must be bursting with berries. And, boy did Barbara deliver. The whole crew adored this heavenly lemon-berry cake.
“This started out as a blueberry upside down cake, but then I added a filling and made it a layer cake,” says Barbara. “It has a heavy, moist texture, like an old-fashioned, homemade shortcake. You’ll dream about this cake … I’m not kidding.”
This cake is tangy, creamy and has a pop of flavor from raspberries and blueberries. The cake itself is heavier than a normal cake and very moist. One slice is just not enough.
I can’t talk about blueberries without sharing a pie recipe. Tara Guthrie Lucas’ (Sanford, NC) Fresh Blueberry Pie is flavorful and simple to prepare. “Fresh blueberry pie is one of my seasonal favorites,” explains Tara. “Be sure to use fresh blueberries, not frozen.”
Fresh blueberries are delish in most anything, and this blueberry pie recipe is right up there! It’s baked perfectly with just the right balance of sweetness from the sugar and tartness from the blueberries and lemon. Using a prepared crust makes this super easy to whip up. Top with some freshly whipped cream and you have one delightful dessert.
Add a pop of flavor to your meals this summer with blueberries. Pick up a pint this week and see what you can create. Happy Pinching!