Have a bunch of blueberries that you want to preserve? Here’s how to freeze blueberries so that you can use them in smoothies, muffins, pancakes, and more!

Ever come into so many blueberries you can’t eat them all? Alex and I were just in Michigan and picked 5 pounds of blueberries. 5 pounds! We set to work on eating all the blueberry pancakes, blueberry scones and blueberry waffles. But we still had a massive mound of blueberries. So we thought: why not freeze them? Turns out that freezing fresh blueberries is the best way to preserve them. And in many blueberry recipes, you can simply use them right from frozen!

If you went to a U Pick or simply have more blueberries than you can eat in your fridge, here’s a simple method for how to freeze blueberries.

Here’s how to freeze blueberries:

Yield: 2 cups

How to Freeze Blueberries

Prep Time: 1 hour

Active Time: 1 minute

Total Time: 1 hour 1 minute

Difficulty: Easy

Have a bunch of blueberries that you want to preserve? Here's how to freeze blueberries so that you can use them in smoothies, muffins, pancakes, and more!

Print

Materials

• 2 cups blueberries

Tools

• Rimmed baking sheet

Instructions

1. Place the blueberries in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Place in the freezer for 1 hour.
2. Transfer to a freezer safe storage container or food storage bag and store for up to 6 months.
3. Use in smoothies, pancakes, and muffins right from frozen!

How to use frozen blueberries when baking

Now that you know how to freeze blueberries, keep in mind that frozen berries have a wetter texture than fresh berries. Make sure to keep in mind the following when using them:

• Muffins or scones: If you thaw frozen berries before throwing them into baked goods, their texture can tint baked goods like muffins a blue-ish purple. For that reason, we suggest keeping the berries frozen until the last minute, and then quickly folding them into the batter.
• Crisps, cobblers, and pies: In something like a blueberry crisp or cobbler, the tinting issue does not apply: frozen works the same as fresh.
• Pancakes: For pancakes, simply drop the berries right into the pancakes cooking on the griddle: this works the same with frozen and fresh berries.

Best recipes using frozen blueberries

Frozen berries work in all kinds of recipes, some better than others! Here’s where we’d suggest to use them:

1. Best Blueberry Smoothie: Frozen berries are made for smoothies! They make an icy purple base in this smoothie. Or try: Chocolate Blueberry Smoothie
2. Banana Berry Ice Cream: Another place where frozen shines: this banana berry nice cream! It’s a tasty sweet treat that’s a healthy version of ice cream.
3. Easy Blueberry Crisp: Blueberry crisp is just right for frozen berries because they can break down into the thick, gooey filling. Or, try Blueberry Cobbler or Blueberry Cake.
4. Quick Blueberry Sauce: Another fabulous use of frozen berries is in this quick blueberry sauce: it’s thick and tangy, and used for topping pancakes or waffles. Or vanilla ice cream!
5. Easy Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes: Drop frozen berries right into pancakes (or this vegan version).

Now, if you want to try Healthy Blueberry Muffins or Favorite Blueberry Waffles, keep the berries frozen until the last minute. Then quickly drop them into the batter, fold them in and bake.

One recipe we’d recommend not trying with frozen berries: scones! Our Blueberry Scone Recipe works best with fresh berries because you have to work with the dough before baking. Unless you’re okay with purple scones (which is fun too!).

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• How to Make Healthy Salad Dressing
• How to Cook Whole Grains
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• How to Cut an Onion

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