18 of the Best Ways to Use Fresh Berries This Summer
Berries are in peak season right now, and if you can’t get enough of them, then I have 18 recipes that you are going to LOVE. We’ve got strawberry recipes, blueberry recipes, blackberry recipes, mixed berry recipes… a little something for everyone. Whether you prefer pies, bars, ice cream, or trifles, I promise you’ll find something to love. Summer baking is here!
A couple of weeks ago, a woman loading up her groceries behind me in the checkout line at the grocery store exclaimed that the strawberries I had on the belt looked fabulous. She then surveyed my haul that included a huge strawberry container and large quantities of blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, and exclaimed, “you must be making a fabulous fruit salad for a party!”
Not quite.
I explained that this fruit will get us through most of the week, and the majority of it will be eaten by just my kids.
They love fruit. Love, love, LOVE it. The more berries, the better, as far as they’re concerned. My husband and I adore berries as well, so there’s an entire shelf of our refrigerator that is at all times stocked with a fresh variety!
If you share our love of berries, you are going to love today’s roundup. So many fabulous recipe ideas for using up all of those wonderfully fresh blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and raspberries. Enjoy!
Blackberry Pie Bars
These blackberry pie bars feature a shortbread crust, a creamy, custard-like blackberry pie filling, and a crumb topping. A delicious alternative to blackberry pie!
Blueberry Cobbler
This easy blueberry cobbler recipe is made from scratch, comes together quickly, and is a perfect dessert for showcasing fresh blueberries! The filling bakes up thick and bubbly with a golden biscuit topping just begging for a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Blueberry Crumb Bars
These blueberry crumb bars are crazy easy to make and could, dare I say, rival your favorite blueberry pie recipe. You can pick them up and eat them on the go, which makes them a perfect dessert for picnics and summer parties!
The Best Blueberry Pie
Literally the BEST blueberry pie I have ever eaten, made with my favorite pie crust recipe and a filling that is super thick and sets up perfectly. A summer must!
Blueberry-Peach Coffee Cake
There’s something totally magical about the combination of blueberries and peaches; nestled into the moist coffee cake with a crumb topping is summer perfection.
Blueberry Buckle
If you’ve never made this recipe, please run, don’t walk, to your nearest kitchen and make it ASAP. Quite possibly my favorite thing to bake with blueberries in the summertime!
Red, White & Blue Berry Trifle
An easy dessert option for the 4th of July that you can make in advance and that feeds a crowd. Always a hit!
Flag Cake (From Scratch!)
Such a classic 4th of July dessert! This cake is completely homemade and topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting. Decorate with fresh berries and you’re ready for the picnic.
Blueberry-Lemon Buttermilk Bundt Cake
The flavor of this cake is so bright and fresh, it’s bursting with tons of blueberries, and hey… who doesn’t love a bundt?!
Blueberry Muffins
My all-time favorite blueberry muffins; your summer mornings just got a little bit better.
Pavlova Layer Cake with Whipped Cream & Berries
This pavlova cake features three layers of pavlova filled and topped with fresh whipped cream and berries. A lovely and light summer dessert!
Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
Strawberry cheesecake bars start with a graham cracker crust, a layer of cheesecake, and then a baked strawberry-sour cream layer. A light, delicious, and portable summer dessert!
Easy Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
This easy strawberry shortcake recipe starts with homemade buttermilk biscuits that are topped with fresh, macerated strawberries, and homemade whipped cream. A summer staple!
Strawberry Pie
This fresh strawberry pie sits on my favorite pie crust, is held together with a delicious homemade glaze, and adorned with the best whipped cream. A perfect summer dessert!
Strawberry Biscuit-and-Jam Cobbler
Cobbler-style biscuits are nestled on top of fresh strawberry jam and baked until bubbling and golden. A wonderful summer dessert!
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Strawberry pretzel salad is a taste of nostalgia! This old family recipe has a pretzel crust, cream cheese filling, and fresh strawberries set in Jello on top. It definitely wouldn’t be summer without it.
Roasted Strawberry & Buttermilk Ice Cream
Roasting strawberries results in super-concentrated, intense flavor and, paired with tangy buttermilk, makes the most amazing ice cream.
Pretzel Strawberry Ice Cream Pie
A refreshing salty-sweet strawberry-vanilla ice cream pie with a sugar cone and pretzel crust, topped with fresh strawberry jam, hot fudge sauce, and more crushed pretzels.
TELL ME! What is your favorite summertime berry recipe? Share below!
Oh, that pavlova cake!
Years ago my step-mother was making a blueberry pie when she realized she didn’t have enough blueberries so she added blackberries  to make up the difference.  It was the best pie ever.  One of my favorite desserts is a quick cobbler and I often use that same combination of berries, about 2/3 blueberries and 1/3 blackberries. Â
I’ve made the blueberry crumb bars on several occasions – it’s so easy and delicious! And it works with different sorts of fruit. Apricots are especially fabulous! In fact, I think I have the recipe printed out sitting on my desk because I was going to make it with blackberries. :)
I made the strawberry jam & biscuit cobbler 2 weeks ago when the very first of the locally grown strawberries hit the farm market down the road. Â It was good, but I could not get the jam filling to thicken even with putting it in the frig. Â Â Any ideas? Â
Also, this is a very generous biscuit topping. Â I used my 9″ pie plate and it filled the whole thing. Â There were no borders of the strawberry jam filling to be seen as I had to overlap my biscuit sections. Â Maybe I should make a smaller, but thicker round of dough? Â Ideas on that too?