Berry season is short and glorious. Within a few weeks, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and cherries are so good that the hardest part is what to bake first.
I love a berry dessert because fruit does it all for us A little sugar, a little heat, maybe a creamy dessert on top and we have something that tastes like the best part of summer.
These are my favorite ways to use every type of berry (except strawberries, they deserve their own roundup). Grab your basket and let’s get into it.
Berry desserts at a glance
Blueberry dessert
Blueberries are baked to jammy, purple perfection. These are the ones I reach for first.
My favorite blueberry cobbler
Okay, this is the one I’m making to show off the second good berries, and it’s actually blueberries AND blackberries bubbling under a soft, golden cookie top, because why choose just one? Toss the berries with a little cornstarch to thicken the juices instead of running everywhere, and serve warm with ice cream. Always ice cream.
Blueberry Extra Crumb Coffee Cake
Emphasis on the EXTRA crumb. It’s a delicate blueberry pie buried under a veritable mountain of buttercream, the kind that crumbles a little when you cut into it. Toss your blueberries in a spoonful of flour first so they don’t all fall to the bottom. Breakfast, dessert, honestly, when.
Peach Blueberry Pie
Two summer favorites, one flaky crust. Sweet peaches and jam-packed blueberries make a filling that tastes like it’s all season long. Let it cool completely before cutting out the inside (hard, I know) because the filling sits that way instead of sliding out.
Raspberry dessert
A little tart, a little floral and always a beautiful pink.
Olive Oil, Raspberry and Sea Salt Brownies
Hear me out about olive oil in brownies. It makes them incredibly addictive, and with bittersweet chocolate, fresh raspberries and a little flaky salt on top, they taste kind of ripe and gorgeous. Pull them out when the center still looks tacky, they’ll be done while they cool.
Angel Food Cake with Raspberry Cream
Light as a cloud and topped with raspberry cream, this is fork-in-the-mouth summer. The secret to a tall angel food cake is to not grease the pan, the batter should rise up the sides, so leave it bare and frost the cake upside down. Then just fold the berries into the whipped cream and go to town.
Almond Flour Lemon Raspberry Bars
A bright lemon, fresh raspberry, almond flour base, and yes, they’re gluten-free, but that’s almost a no-brainer once you taste them. Press the crust down firmly to hold it together and save some of the crumbled mixture for spreading.
Cherry dessert
Cherry season is fleeting, so take it into consideration.
Double Crust Cherry Pie
The classic. Juicy cherries sandwiched between two layers of flaky, buttery crust. Cut a few vents in the top to allow steam to escape and the filling bubbles instead of bursting, then serve warm with a scoop of vanilla. That’s the whole dream, right there.
Cherry Pie Bars:
All the joy of cherry pie in a shareable, handheld bar. These go to a party and come home to an empty pan. A little almond extract in the batter is a classic trick that makes the cherry taste more cherry-like.
Blackberry and mixed berry dessert
When you can’t pick just one berry, don’t pick.
Blackberry Pie Bars
Jammy blackberries on a buttery shortbread base, deep purple and a little tart. Same hand magic as the cherry bars and they cut the cleanest if you cool them completely first.
Triple Berry Dutch Baby
A puffy, nurturing pancake loaded with three types of berries, and it comes out of the oven all loud and dramatic. Get the buttered pan hot before the batter goes in, that’s the trick. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve immediately, it puffs up quickly and that’s totally normal.
The Easiest Strawberry Blueberry Brown Butter Cobbler
This is the lazy-genius shoemaker. You melt brown butter right in the pan, pour a simple batter on top, scatter berries on top, and it turns into a creamy, golden cobbler in the oven. Really minimal effort to get the most out of this entire list.
Big Berry birthday cake
A holiday cake filled with all sorts of berries. Perfect for a summer birthday or any Tuesday that needs a little candy. Rotate the berries before drying so they don’t bleed into the ice.
General questions
Can I use frozen berries in these recipes?
For cobblers, crisps, pies and bars, absolutely. Just thaw them and pour off the excess liquid first so your stuffing doesn’t turn into a soup. For anything served fresh, like an angel food cake, stick with fresh berries.
What is the easiest berry dessert to make?
The Easiest Strawberry Blueberry Brownie Butter Cobbler, hands down, the batter does all the work. The triple berry Dutch baby is also fast and looks more impressive than the effort required.
What are the best berry desserts for a crowd?
Bars and cobblers are your friends here. Blackberry pie bars and cherry pie bars slice and go well, and any cobbler expands and pops out of the pan.
Looking for strawberry recipes?
Strawberries got their own roundup, so head over to My Best Strawberry Dessert Recipes for pies, cakes, cookies, and no-bake ideas.
More summer sweetness. My Best Strawberry Dessert Recipes!
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