Summer is in full swing and that means ... it's berry season! Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, tiny red currants and that Canadian treasure, the Saskatoon berry! There's no better time of year than right now to enjoy these jewels of nature. So we decided to go out and create our best ever recipe roundup of summer berry recipes with recipe ideas for every meal and snack and even beverages! Here are some of our favourite ways to add berries to every meal.
This post is in partnership with Half Your Plate. Fill half your plate at every meal and snack with fruits and veggies!
Boost Your Breakfast With Berries
Berries are a smart way to add an extra boost to the start of your day. They may be small but they're mighty. They're low calorie, non-fat, packed with nutrients, fibre and antioxidants, and they have multiple health benefits. They're also an all-natural way to sweeten your day without added sugar!
Here's some great ways to add berries to your breakfast:
- add fresh berries to smoothies or smoothie bowls
- top your granola, oatmeal, or muesli with berries
- try making baked oatmeal
- make fresh berry muffins or scones
- throw a handful of berries in your pancake or waffle batter (or top your favourite variation with more berries!)
- get decadent with berry crepes or French toast
- layer berries with yogurt and granola for a healthy morning parfait
- add berries to a chia pudding
- use berries as a healthy side dish to scrambled eggs and bacon
- make a big batch of jam or berry curd for topping toast, pancakes or stuffing into pierogies or dumplings
- top avocado toast or peanut butter and toast with sliced strawberries as an alternative to jam with way less sugar, or try this strawberry mango feta toast for brunch
- have fun and encourage little ones by arranging berries as happy faces on their morning breakfast plate
Lunchtime Berry Salad Favourites
Berries are for lunch? No problem. Berries are a no-brainer salad topper or dressing enhancer. Here's a few of our favourite summer salad ideas to try!
- Summer Strawberry Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette
- Artichoke Pasta Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette
- Blackberry & Goat Cheese Salad With Fresh Basil
- Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Adding Berries to Dinner
If there's one place where using berries might be overlooked, it's dinner! Berries can add a great twist to a savoury dish or an appetizer — they pair exceptionally well with pork and chicken and cheeses. They can even be added to a curry dish! Here are some tempting dishes to try:
- Strawberry Balsamic and Goat Cheese Toasts
- Blackberry Bruschetta
- Strawberry Kiwi Salsa
- Strawberry Glazed Chicken Breasts
- Strawberry Jalapeno BBQ Pork
- Honey Raspberry Pan Fried Pork Chops
- Blueberry Pierogies
- Blueberry Shrubs
Berry Desserts
And where would we be without berry desserts? In the summer when it's hot, berries can be such an easy way to whip up dessert without an oven, from berry ice creams or berry frozen yogurt to berries simply macerated with honey and topped with fresh whipped cream.
But if you want to go that extra mile, here are some fancier berry-licious dessert alternatives:
- Saskatoon Berry Butter Tarts
- Vegan Raspberry Crumble Bars
- Blackberry Spelt Tart
- Raw Raspberry Cheesecake Recipe
- Blackberry "Nice" Cream
- Black Currant and Mint Zucchini Bread
- Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake
- Blueberry Crunch With Goat Cheese Mousse
- Red Currant Yogurt Cakes
- Raw Strawberry Cream Tart
- Yogurt Cake With Roasted Strawberries and Rhubarb
Other Delicious Ways to use Berries
There are lots of other delicious ways to use berries. Try a handful of your favourite berries in a muffin recipe. Cool down with a mixed berry lassi or make a batch of blackberry jam to enjoy all winter long!
And don't forget freezing! If you've got an overabundance of berries, freeze them! It's nice to know that when you're missing the warm weather you can open your freezer and pull out a little taste of summer and toss it into a crumble, pie, smoothie or some muffins. You'll find some berry freezing tips here along with more great ways to use up summer berries with Half Your Plate.
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Berry Berry nice indeed! Such a comprehensive piece with so many wonderful, delicious, spectacular ways to use summer sweet berries!
Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic!!!
Delicious! Thank you so much for including my Saskatoon berry butter tarts!
Wow, an amazingly berry-licious round up!
Berry delicious indeed! Thank you so mud for including my Strawberry Baked Oatmeal recipe. It is in great company!