There’s nothing quite as refreshing as a handful of fresh-picked blueberries or blackberries on a hot summer day—especially if you picked them yourself at Chiles Peach Orchard! Once you bring the basket home, though, the fun really starts. There are so many delicious ways to enjoy your berries, and we’re especially fond of starting the next morning with a homemade berry treat.
You don’t need to be a master chef to enjoy these blackberry and blueberry breakfast recipes. Take a look at some of our favorite easy ways to squeeze the most out of the berries you bring home!
Blueberry Pancakes
Blueberries especially are a mouthwatering addition to any pancake recipe. While frozen blueberries can stain your batter or add unwanted water, fresh blueberries mix in perfectly. If you haven’t tried making your pancakes with fresh-picked blueberries, you’re in for a treat! Try this recipe from King Arthur Baking.
Remember to top your pancake stack with some fresh berries, too! They’re sweet enough to dig in even without syrup—if you’re interested, though, we do have some great syrup recommendations!
Roasted Blackberry Breakfast Bowl
Yogurt is a healthy, reliable breakfast choice, and there are so many ways to tweak and customize it! No need to buy the flavored stuff with a bunch of added sugar: just a few seconds in the microwave can get berries juicy, gooey, and ready to stir in and flavor plain Greek yogurt.
Why not go all-out, though? Know Your Produce’s recipe combines oatmeal, cinnamon, blackberries, blueberries, and maple syrup in the oven to create a decadent and warm yogurt topper. Feel free to keep adding more stir-in favorites, your imagination’s the limit!
Blueberry Oatmeal Bars
Let’s face it, it’s hard to find time for an elaborate breakfast during the work week. That’s why we love recipes that can last the whole week, like the blueberry oatmeal bars from Erin Clarke at Well Plated.
These bars are an easy, delicious blueberry breakfast recipe, and a healthy alternative to the storebought breakfast bars. Best of all, they last up to five days in the fridge! A quick bake on Sunday can set you up with a morning to look forward to all the way to Friday.
Blackberry Tart
If you’re looking for something special that can “wow” folks at a Sunday brunch, a blackberry tart absolutely does the trick. And if you get the chance to brag that you picked them yourselves, so much the better!
You can make the filling completely with blackberries, or your blackberries can pair nicely with other fruits. Consider this lemon and blackberry tart recipe from Lion’s Bread that combines sour lemon curd with sweet blackberry preserves and fresh topping for a beautiful and enticing contrast.
Purple Blueberry and Blackberry Smoothie
Especially while it’s hot out, a smoothie is a perfect way to stay cool and savor all kinds of fruit. Any smoothie recipe is pretty straightforward: Blend your berries with milk until smooth and add protein powder or flavoring if you like. That’s it! Include as many or as few additional fruits or vegetables as you wish.
If you’re making a smoothie with fresh fruit instead of frozen, you’ll need to also add some ice to keep that cold, creamy consistency. It’s worth it! You’ll taste the difference fresh-picked berries make in a smoothie, with a sweeter, stronger flavor. If you’d like to freeze your blueberries for later, though, we have advice on our page all about blueberries.
Instant Homemade Jelly
Canning jams or preserves is a smart way to make fresh berries last. That can be a daunting hobby to get into, though, and is fairly time-consuming. Jelly, on the other hand, can be made quickly at home from fresh blueberries or blackberries in a matter of minutes! Enjoy it on a slice of toast or a biscuit and keep it in the fridge for a few days—nothing beats fresh jelly in a PB&J!
And if you want a jar of long-lasting jelly, jam, or preserves without the hassle, remember to pick one up at Chiles Peach Orchard when you visit, or find them in our online store.
Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Blackberries
Okay, this isn’t the most traditional breakfast idea, we admit it! Blackberries go very well with cheese, especially when they’re both warm and gooey. There are a lot of ways to savor this combination, like cheesecake, salad toppings, or spreads. We personally think a simple grilled cheese, like Tiffany McCauley’s at The Gracious Pantry, is the way to go.
Experiment with breads and cheeses to see what you like the most. Soft cheeses like brie are common favorites that absorb the blackberry flavor, while a sharp cheddar gives a tasty contrast (and who doesn’t love that classic grilled cheese look?).
Blueberry Muffins
How could we forget! There’s no more iconic blueberry breakfast recipe than the good old blueberry muffin. If you’ve mostly baked with the dried blueberries in pre-packaged mixes instead of ripe, fresh-picked blueberries, you’d be surprised how big of a difference they make.
The secret to a good blueberry muffin is the warm, oozy blueberries inside, regardless of how you choose to flavor your batter. Sarah Kieffer’s blueberry muffins get a little fancy with nutmeg, lemon zest, and sour cream all adding small, tasty twists. There are thousands of blueberry muffin recipes out there to try, and any of them will taste even better with fresh blueberries.
Pick-Your-Own Blueberries and Blackberries
Of course, the best part of these recipes is picking the ingredients yourself! So come enjoy the fresh orchard air with us out in Crozet, VA and hand-pick a basket of blueberries or blackberries (or a bucket, now that you have a plan for them!). Check Chiles Peach Orchard’s pick-your-own fruit page for seasonal availability, guidelines, and information to plan your visit.
For even more breakfast treats, don’t forget to pick up some of our famous homemade peach cider donuts after you pick your berries! They’re only around during peach season, so get them while you can!
Add some orchard goodness to your breakfast with these specialty foods available at shop.chilesfamilyorchards.com!
