Sweet and easy blueberry recipes

We’re smack-bang in the middle of peak Australian blueberry season. This means fresh blueberries are now at their juiciest, plumpest and most nutritious. To help you make the most of in-season bloobs while they’re in their prime (and support our growers while you’re at it), food blogger Leah Itsines has shared her favourite sweet and easy blueberry recipes. Think freshly baked muffins, golden pancakes and protein balls with a jammy surprise.

Healthy eating trends and developments in breeding and cultivation have seen blueberry production soar in recent years, and blueberries may soon overtake strawberries as our most valuable berry crop. But berry growers have had a tough time of it of late. Foodservice closures have led to a glut of cheap strawberries in retail, with prices falling below the cost of production. Growers are also still struggling with horticultural labour shortages. Berries need to be hand picked, and currently, farm workers are in short supply and labour costs are high. Some strawberry farmers have resorted to spraying their crops to stop them from growing, simply because they can’t afford to pick them.

Our blueberry growers could soon face the same fate, with high volumes now hitting retail. So there’s never been a better time to pick up some punnets and start making true blue magic in the kitchen. Blueberries aren’t just delicious and versatile, working in both sweet and savoury dishes; they’re also incredibly good for you. They have some of the highest levels of antioxidants you can find in a common fruit or veg, and are particularly rich in phytonutrients and anthocyanins. They’re also an excellent source of fibre.

Try the below simple but heavenly recipes from Itsines for starters, and for even more blueberry recipe inspiration, you can head to australianblueberries.com.au

Blueberry, lemon & poppyseed muffins with blueberry jam

Serves 6
Prep time 15 minutes
Cooking time 30 minutes

You’ll need:

For the muffins:

½ cup apple sauce
½ cup maple syrup
⅓ cup almond milk
1 cup fresh blueberries
1½ cups self-raising flour
½ tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp poppy seeds
⅓ cup desiccated coconut

For the blueberry jam:

200g fresh blueberries
½ cup sugar
½ lemon, juiced

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Mix all the wet ingredients together in a small bowl.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and combine well.
4. Place into a lined muffin tin and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
6. To make the jam, heat the fresh blueberries, lemon and sugar together in a small pot with a small splash of water and leave to cook over a medium heat for 30 minutes or until thickened. If the jam needs some extra help to thicken, mix cornflour with water (1 tbsp flour to 2 tbsp water) and pour this into the mixture.
7. Serve muffins with a generous dollop of blueberry jam.

Blueberry & ricotta pancakes

Serves 2
Prep time 5 minutes
Cooking time 5 minutes

You’ll need:

1 cup ricotta cheese, full fat
1 cup plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp caster sugar
¾ cup milk
2 eggs
½ tsp coconut extract (or vanilla if you wish)
Salted butter, for cooking
½ cup fresh blueberries

To serve:

Maple syrup and fresh blueberries

Method:

1. Mix all the wet ingredients together in a small bowl.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and combine well.
3. In a large non-stick pan, heat butter and let it melt. Add in a ladleful of the pancake mixture and allow to spread in the pan. As this is a thicker mixture, you won’t see bubbles on the uncooked side to let you know it’s time to flip, so keep an eye on it. Lift the edges of the pancake and if it looks golden on one side, it’s time to flip!
4. Serve with maple syrup and fresh blueberries on top.

Lamington protein balls filled with blueberry jam

Serves 12
Prep time 15 minutes
Cooking time 30 minutes

You’ll need:

For the protein balls:

1¼ cups instant oats
½ cup desiccated coconut
2 tbsp cacao
⅓ cup chocolate flavoured protein powder
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp honey
¼ cup water

For the blueberry jam:

200g fresh blueberries
½ cup sugar
½ lemon, juiced

Method:

1. To make the jam, heat fresh blueberries, lemon and sugar together in a small pot with a small splash of water and leave to cook over a medium heat for 30 minutes or until thickened. If the jam needs some extra help to thicken, mix cornflour with water (1 tbsp flour to 2 tbsp water) and pour this into the mixture.
2. In a food processor, add all the protein ball ingredients and blend until combined.
3. Roll a heaped teaspoon of the mixture into a ball. Create a deep hole in the centre with your thumb and drop a little jam inside. Press the edges together to seal, roll to reshape into a ball then coat in coconut. Repeat with remaining mixture. Store in the fridge.