A Big Little Recipe has the smallest-possible ingredient list and big everything else—flavor, creativity, wow factor. Psst: We don’t count water, salt, black pepper, and certain fats (specifically, 1/2 cup or less of olive oil, vegetable oil, and butte…
A Big Little Recipe has the smallest-possible ingredient list and big everything else—flavor, creativity, wow factor. Psst: We don't count water, salt, black pepper, and certain fats (specifically, 1/2 cup or less of olive oil, vegetable oil, and butter), since we're guessing you have those covered. Today, we’re celebrating summer berries.
There’s no shortage of ways to revel in summer berries—jam, jam bars, shortcake, not-so-short cake, I could go on—and yet, on the sunniest, swampiest of August afternoons, I gravitate toward whatever requires the least amount of thought.
These lemon blueberry pancakes are light and fluffy, with just the right citrus zing and sweet bursts of berries! Serve with blueberry compote. Here’s a breakfast that’s the best way to make Saturday morning even more special: lemon blueberry pancakes! These are quite the treat: tender and fluffy, with just the right citrus zing! Each bite has a sweet pop of purple blueberry. Top it off with tangy sweet blueberry compote and it’s all you can do not to scream Wow! on your first bite (we did). This recipe was inspired by a haul of blueberries we picked in Michigan, and it’s every bit as good as it looks. You can also use frozen berries if you don’t have a fresh stash. Here’s what to do! Ingredients for the best lemon blueberry pancakes This lemon blueberry pancakes recipe is based on our fluffy Greek yogurt pancakes. Because who needs buttermilk! We always have Greek yogurt in the refrigerator, so prefer using that to buttermilk. Greek yogurt pancakes get just as tangy and creamy! There’s enough lemon to peak through with a tangy citrus zing. Here’s what you’ll need for these pancakes: All purpose flour: you can also use half and […]
These lemon blueberry pancakes are light and fluffy, with just the right citrus zing and sweet bursts of berries! Serve with blueberry compote.
Here’s a breakfast that’s the best way to make Saturday morning even more special: lemon blueberry pancakes! These are quite the treat: tender and fluffy, with just the right citrus zing! Each bite has a sweet pop of purple blueberry. Top it off with tangy sweet blueberry compote and it’s all you can do not to scream Wow! on your first bite (we did). This recipe was inspired by a haul of blueberries we picked in Michigan, and it’s every bit as good as it looks. You can also use frozen berries if you don’t have a fresh stash. Here’s what to do!
Ingredients for the best lemon blueberry pancakes
This lemon blueberry pancakes recipe is based on our fluffy Greek yogurt pancakes. Because who needs buttermilk! We always have Greek yogurt in the refrigerator, so prefer using that to buttermilk. Greek yogurt pancakes get just as tangy and creamy! There’s enough lemon to peak through with a tangy citrus zing. Here’s what you’ll need for these pancakes:
All purpose flour: you can also use half and half all purpose and whole wheat flour: you may need a splash of extra milk
Baking powder, sugar and salt
Egg
Milk
Greek yogurt
Lemon juice and zest
Neutral oil like grapeseed, organic canola oil, or organic vegetable oil
Blueberries: fresh or frozen
How to add berries to pancakes: the secret!
Here’s the biggest mistake people make with blueberry pancakes: they add the blueberries to the pancake batter. What’s wrong with that? Well, there’s a better way to add berries to pancakes. How should you add berries to pancakes?
Pour the batter onto the griddle, then place the blueberries on top of each pancake. Why?
This makes for even blueberry distribution! Place the berries in the batter itself and it makes lumpy pancakes and uneven distribution. You’ll thank us later.
Use fresh or frozen berries: you don’t even need to thaw
Got loads of fresh blueberries for these lemon blueberry pancakes? Perfect! Fresh berries are our favorite for adding to blueberry pancakes. But guess what? Frozen are just as good!
Here’s a question: do you need to thaw frozen blueberries for pancakes? Good news: no! There’s no need to thaw frozen berries because they defrost as part of the cooking process. Defrosting blueberries can be a messy business, and once they’re thawed they can make purple streaks in baked goods and pancakes. So just pop them in frozen: it works like a charm!
Variations on lemon blueberry pancakes
Want a vegan variation on these lemon blueberry pancakes recipe? Here’s what to do to make it plant-based:
Substitute almond milk for the milk AND Greek yogurt. Use 1 cup almond milk total, then add a few more splashes to get to a pourable consistency.
Use a flax egg for the egg. A flax egg is simply flax seed plus water, combined to form a gel that’s used in vegan baking. It acts as a binder just like a real egg.
Or, go to Vegan Blueberry Pancakes and add 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 2 teaspoons lemon zest.
Topping ideas for lemon blueberry pancakes
These lemon blueberry pancakes are stunners! Of all of our pancake recipes, they’re one of our favorites because they’re so unique and fresh. Step them up by topping them with even more incredible flavors. Here are some of our favorite topping ideas:
Maple syrup: The easiest basic topping is maple syrup: and it’s oh so good.
Compote (highly recommended!): This Blueberry Compote we made to go especially with these pancakes! It’s lightly sweetened with maple syrup and full of berry flavor.
Sauce: Or try this Blueberry Sauce: it’s even sweeter and thicker!
Nut butter: Nut butter is great for pancakes because it makes a filling breakfast by adding a hit of plant-based protein. Try Almond Butter, Cashew Butter, Peanut Butter
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, then whisk in the milk, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, and neutral oil.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. If the batter is too thick, stir in another splash of milk (the consistency of each yogurt brand varies).
Lightly butter a skillet and wipe off extra grease with a paper towel. Heat the skillet to medium low heat. Pour the batter into small circles, then place blueberries into the top of each pancake. Cook the pancakes until the bubbles pop on the top and the bottoms are golden. Then flip them and cook until done. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Here’s how to make the perfect raspberry smoothie! It’s got the best sweet tart flavor, frosty texture, and vibrant color. Here’s one of the very best smoothie recipes out there…this perfect raspberry smoothie! This beautiful puree has it all: the best sweet tart flavor, creamy frosty texture, and stunning brilliant color. This one was an instant favorite in our house! It’s one of the most refreshing smoothies you’ll find. It doubles as a treat: like our creamy peach smoothie, it’s the perfect ending to a summer meal. Here’s how to make it: with a few variations! Ingredients in this raspberry smoothie Sure, you can throw raspberries in a blender with milk and ice. But want the perfect raspberry smoothie? Each one of these components are optimized to perfection. Here’s what you need: Frozen raspberries: For the best icy texture, we recommend using frozen raspberries. If you’ve got fresh berries from the farmers market, consider freezing them (this is also a great way to preserve them). Or, see our variation below with fresh berries. Banana: A banana amps up the sweetness and adds a beautiful creaminess. Greek yogurt: Yogurt adds creaminess and a bit of protein. (For plant-based, see below.) Water […]
Here’s how to make the perfect raspberry smoothie! It’s got the best sweet tart flavor, frosty texture, and vibrant color.
Here’s one of the very best smoothie recipes out there…this perfect raspberry smoothie! This beautiful puree has it all: the best sweet tart flavor, creamy frosty texture, and stunning brilliant color. This one was an instant favorite in our house! It’s one of the most refreshing smoothies you’ll find. It doubles as a treat: like our creamy peach smoothie, it’s the perfect ending to a summer meal. Here’s how to make it: with a few variations!
Ingredients in this raspberry smoothie
Sure, you can throw raspberries in a blender with milk and ice. But want the perfect raspberry smoothie? Each one of these components are optimized to perfection. Here’s what you need:
Frozen raspberries: For the best icy texture, we recommend using frozen raspberries. If you’ve got fresh berries from the farmers market, consider freezing them (this is also a great way to preserve them). Or, see our variation below with fresh berries.
Banana: A banana amps up the sweetness and adds a beautiful creaminess.
Greek yogurt: Yogurt adds creaminess and a bit of protein. (For plant-based, see below.)
Water and milk: Using part water helps to intensify the pink flavor.
Maple syrup or honey: Add a little sweetener for just the right pop.
Ice: Ice adds the final frothy texture.
Variations: vegan or fresh berries
Want a vegan smoothie? We’ve got a few variations on this recipe. This one uses fresh berries and a frozen banana, so you can use all the beauty of fresh berries. Here’s what to do to make a vegan version of this smoothie:
Option 1: Substitute 1/2 banana for the Greek yogurt, or use vegan yogurt.
Option 2: Use fresh berries! Blend together 2 cups fresh raspberries, 1 frozen banana, 1/2 cup oat milk, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and 1 cup ice.
Add protein to this raspberry smoothie
Want to add even more protein to this raspberry smoothie? Here are a few ideas:
Use more Greek yogurt: Yogurt adds quite a bit of protein. Use 1/2 cup instead of 1/4 cup Greek yogurt. Note that the color will be lighter and less vibrant.
Add cashew butter or almond butter. A cashew flavor or almond flavor goes well with raspberries. Use about 1 tablespoon, 2 for a stronger flavor. This addition also dulls the flavor a bit.
The vegan variation with fresh berries
Flavor variations!
This raspberry smoothie tastes amazing as is. But if you’d like it mix it up even more, we’ve got answers! Here are some ideas for ways to make it even tastier:
Mint or basil. Add a few fresh mint or basil leaves for an herbaceous spin.
Coconut. Throw in a handful of coconut to the mix (or toasted coconut).
Ginger. Add 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger to the mix for a spicy brightness.
Mango or pineapple. Substitute 1 cup of the frozen raspberries for 1 cup frozen mango or pineapple. This will vary the color a bit as well.
Smoothie storage
Smoothies are best eaten immediately. But this raspberry smoothie can last for 1 day refrigerated, stored in a sealed container or a mason jar with the lid on. If it starts to separate, simply shake it up before drinking!
This raspberry smoothie recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
Here’s how to make the perfect raspberry smoothie! It’s got the best sweet tart flavor, frosty texture, and vibrant color.
Ingredients
2 cups frozen raspberries
1 banana (room temperature)
1/4 cup Greek yogurt*
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk (or almond milk or oat milk)
1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
1/2 cup ice
For the garnish: Frozen raspberry, mint leaf
Instructions
Place all ingredients in a blender, breaking the banana into pieces. Blend until creamy, stopping and scraping down the sides as necessary. If desired, garnish with a frozen raspberry and mint leaf. Serve immediately or store in a covered jar in the refrigerator for 1 day.
Notes
*Vegan Variation with fresh berries: Blend 2 cups fresh raspberries, 1 frozen banana, 1/2 cup oat milk, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and 1 cup ice.
Summer hasn’t really started until you make a triple berry salad. This beauty is loaded with lots of my favorite ingredients, tastes incredible and is perfect for your 4th of July weekend. Even if you’re just hanging out at home! Remember when I shared the blueberry summer salad and told you that I already had […]
Summer hasn’t really started until you make a triple berry salad.
This beauty is loaded with lots of my favorite ingredients, tastes incredible and is perfect for your 4th of July weekend.
Even if you’re just hanging out at home!
Remember when I shared the blueberry summer salad and told you that I already had made a berry salad for summer that I loved? Well here we are!
This is it.
The blueberry summer salad is definitely more of a side salad and one that can be a summer house salad to essentially go with anything.
This triple berry salad is more of an entree salad. One that is filling and satisfying with more hearty ingredients. Works for dinner tonight if you wish.
With that being said, it’s still definitely a salad that you could take to a picnic! Or a gathering with friends. Like one big potluck salad, if you will.
There’s something about the strawberry + blueberry combo that is just so good. So wonderfully summery. I find that with those two berries, blackberries, raspberries or even cherries work.
And let’s talk about those chickpeas!
Cinnamon crunch chickpeas to be exact. One of my favorite things ever ever ever.
I prep roasted chickpeas nearly every week. They are a staple on a lot of my salads. These ones are cinnamon-y with a slight hint of heat. They are super crisp and delish and add incredible texture to the salad. They also add satiety, making this a great salad for dinner too!
The chickpeas, combined with the avocado and sunflower seeds (hello, more crunch) add so much to this bowl.
Now… what to drizzle on top?
One of my favorite dressings to make is a shallot vinaigrette. I have lots of them here on the blog. And I usually prefer using a shallot dressing over adding raw onion to my salads. You may think they are the same thing, but they totally aren’t!
In the vinaigrette, the shallots marinate a bit and get softer, losing some of the tangy, spicy bite. They almost turn into pickled onions, which you know I adore.
This triple berry salad is topped with cinnamon crunch chickpeas and the most delicious shallot vinaigrette. Perfect for summer!
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15minutes
Cook Time 30minutes
Total Time 45minutes
Servings 4to 6 people
Author How Sweet Eats
Ingredients
cinnamon crunch chickpeas
114 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1teaspoonolive oil
½teaspooncinnamon
½teaspoonsalt
pinchcayenne pepper
salad
8 to 10cupsspring greens
1cupsliced strawberries
1cupblueberries
1cupblackberries
1avocado,thinly sliced
¼cuproasted sunflower seeds
shallot vinaigrette
2tablespoonsred wine vinegar
1 1/2tablespoonshoney
1teaspoondijon mustard
1shallot diced
1garlic clove minced
pinchsalt and pepper
1/3cupolive oil
Instructions
cinnamon crunch chickpeas
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Pat the chickpeas completely dry with a paper towel. Place them on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, cinnamon, salt and cayenne. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once or twice during cook time.
salad
To assemble the salad, season the greens with a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss in the berries and the avocado. Drizzle on the dressing and toss the salad a few times. Top with the crunchy chickpeas and sunflower seeds. Serve!
shallot vinaigrette
Whisk together the vinegar, honey, mustard, shallot, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. This keeps great in the fridge for a few days!
Berries: can’t live with ’em, can’t live without ’em. Like many coveted objects, berries are both precious and frustrating, expensive and fragile. What is more maddening than splurging on vivid, juicy berries at the market only to find that your fruity…
Berries: can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em. Like many coveted objects, berries are both precious and frustrating, expensive and fragile. What is more maddening than splurging on vivid, juicy berries at the market only to find that your fruity jewels have turned to mush—or worse, have been overtaken by dreaded mold—when you return to them for a mid-week treat?
Don't despair just yet: This berry horror story does not have to be your destiny. The culprits behind berry mold are the evil, microscopic mold spores waiting to make a home of the friendly, moist skin of your gorgeous berries. Fortunately, there is a simple way to kill off the mold spores and bacteria that find your berries as delicious as you do.
This giant pop tart is like a virtual hug to you, from me. Pretty sure we could all use a pop tart hug right about now! Hi, how are you? Please stay and chat with me here on the internets. I need all the human interaction I can get. In full disclosure, I made this […]
This giant pop tart is like a virtual hug to you, from me.
Pretty sure we could all use a pop tart hug right about now!
Hi, how are you? Please stay and chat with me here on the internets. I need all the human interaction I can get.
In full disclosure, I made this giant pop tart waaaay back in early February before any sort of stay-in-place orders happened. I’ve wanted to make a big one ever since seeing food 52 do a strawberry version back in 2017.
And that’s hilarious, because I’ve always been on the fence about pop tarts!
My mom occasionally bought them when we were kids and my brothers loved them. I was sort of “meh” on them, aside from brown sugar which was completely delicious. But that sort of thing just wasn’t what I wanted for breakfast – maybe I’d have one for dessert if anything.
I also thought the strawberry and cherry versions were good on occasion. Nothing I ever flipped over though.
Until now! With a homemade version.
This pop tart comes together successfully with freezer ingredients, and quarantined or not, I’d use freezer ingredients any day over a pie crust because I just love puff pastry oh-so much. Truth!
But a big one – well, it’s super simple with these ingredients, even if my flavor is a little fancy. I know that right now, puff pastry is a luxury to add to your grocery order. But if you have some already or don’t mind getting a sheet, go for it. You can also, of course, make your own puff pastry from scratch!
I mean, we do have a ton of time now to do that, don’t we…
The filling is made from frozen fruit that gets thick and syrupy and saucy. It is so delicious that you’ll want to eat it with many other things. I used a triple berry frozen fruit blend and some dried culinary lavender. Again, this was made before we were in a pandemic.
It’s actually a fancy pantry staple for me, mostly because it comes in such a large bag that I gotta use it up.
I decided to still share this recipe with you from my quarantine kitchen because Easter’s coming up, and for most of us, celebrations won’t be the same. We usually go to at least two family gatherings on Easter Sunday, and Easter week has always been a lot of fun family time for us.
While I have lots of cakes and treats that you can make at home to still make the day special, I wanted to give you one more option in case you do an Easter brunch or dessert.
This is such a good treat and everyone went CRAZY over it.
And the best part – use what you have. Whatever frozen fruit is your favorite? Use it!
Berries, peaches, etc – along with a plain glaze or a vanilla glaze. You can add citrus zest or cocoa to a glaze too!
Bringing the actual pop tart together could not be easier. You have to make the fruit filling, but once you fill the pastry, all it takes is baking it in the oven until golden and flakey. I’m going to make it today on my instagram stories so you can see how quickly it can come together.
Then whisk up a quick glaze and you’re good to go!
Make it extra special with sprinkles because OF COURSE.
Now spring at home can look (and taste!) a little more festive and fun.
This giant pop tart recipe can be made exclusively with ingredients in your freezer! I love to make a berry lavender flavor - so perfect for spring!
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 1hour
Cook Time 25minutes
Total Time 1hour25minutes
Servings 6people
Author How Sweet Eats
Ingredients
4cupsmixed frozen berries
2tablespoonlemon juice
1cupgranulated sugar
1teaspooncornstarch
1teaspoonvanilla extract
2sheets thawed puff pastry
1large egg + 1 teaspoon water,lightly beaten for egg wash
lavender glaze
1 1/4cupsof powdered sugar
½teaspoonvanilla extract
¼teaspoonlavender extract
2tablespoonsheavy cream
2 1/2tablespoonsmilk
a drop of light pink or purple food coloring
sprinkles for topping
optional: culinary lavender flowers
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the berries, lemon juice, sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan over medium heat. If desired, you can add in ½ teaspoon dried culinary lavender flowers here if you have them! Heat the mixture over medium heat. Bring it to a boil then reduce it to a simmer and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool completely. It will be thicker and more syrupy as it cools. This will take about 30 minutes of hands-off time. Once it cools, stir in the vanilla extract. You can make it the day before too. Or you can even submerge the pot in an ice bath so it cools quicker.
Place a sheet of the puff pastry on the parchment and pierce it all over with a fork. Spread the cooled fruit mixture over the sheet, leaving a 1-inch border. Brush the border with water. Place the other sheet of puff pastry carefully over top, lining it up with the bottom sheet. Use a fork to press the edges together and make them stick.
Carefully poke a few holes in the top of the pastry with a fork. This is just so it doesn’t bubble up. If it does bubble up, it’s no big deal - you can just pierce the pastry once it comes out of the oven. Brush the entire top with the egg wash.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the pan and let it cool slightly before glazing it. Slice and serve!
lavender glaze
To make the lavender glaze, whisk all ingredients together until smooth. If it seems to thick, add in more milk 1 teaspoon at a time. If desired, you can add a drop of food coloring to make it purple/pink!
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