Healthy Eating 101 Budget Cooking Guide Thrifty I'm a Dietitian & These Are 16 Recipes I Make with a Bag of Frozen Berries By Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Instagram Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, has been with EatingWell for three years and works as the associate nutrition editor for the brand. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on February 26, 2023 Reviewed by Dietitian Maria Laura Haddad-Garcia Reviewed by Dietitian Maria Laura Haddad-Garcia Website Maria Laura is EatingWell's senior nutrition & news editor. As part of the nutrition team, she edits and assigns nutrition-related content and provides nutrition reviews for articles. Maria Laura is a trained dietitian, almond butter lover and food enthusiast with over seven years of experience in nutrition counseling. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland, Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer I love berries, but nine months out of the year, I prefer frozen to fresh, and for lots of reasons. Frozen berries are typically more affordable, they last way longer than their fresh counterparts and they're picked at peak ripeness and flash frozen—so that they can have a better flavor than fresh out-of-season berries. Not to mention, berries (fresh or frozen) are incredibly nutritious. They're packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that can help our mind and body thrive while helping prevent chronic illness. Though I love a good smoothie (especially recipes like our Berry, Banana & Cauliflower Smoothie that sneak in some vegetables, too), there are many versatile ways to use a bag of frozen berries. Beyond a filling breakfast, they're great for baked goods like Raspberry Cobbler and desserts like Lemon-Blueberry Nice Cream. Berries also make great additions to drinks, whether it's a refreshing Blueberry Lemonade or a happy hour Blackberry & Rosemary Vodka Soda. A quick berry sauce can make a delicious and tangy addition to a savory main, too (and our Grilled Salmon with Blueberry Sauce is proof). While not all of these recipes call for frozen berries, frozen works in place of fresh in them all. From my morning overnight oats to my evening sweet treat, I always reach for my bag of frozen berries. For more budget- and beginner-friendly cooking tips, check out Thrifty. 01 of 16 Breakfast Lemon-Blueberry Oatmeal Cakes View Recipe Ali Redmond A cross between muffins and baked oatmeal, these oatmeal cakes are perfect for an on-the-go breakfast or snack. If you prefer to use fresh blueberries, they're an equal swap for the frozen in this recipe. You can also make a double batch and enjoy one during the week and store the other batch in the freezer to savor later. 02 of 16 Berry-Banana Cauliflower Smoothie View Recipe Sneak in your veggies with a smoothie every morning. Riced cauliflower adds thickness and creaminess to a subtly sweet cauliflower smoothie that features the fruity flavors of bananas and berries at the forefront. 03 of 16 Blueberry-Banana Overnight Oats View Recipe Blueberries, sweet banana and creamy coconut milk combine to turn everyday oatmeal into the best vegan overnight oats! Make up to 4 jars at once to keep in the fridge for quick grab-and-go breakfasts throughout the week. 04 of 16 Strawberry Nice Cream View Recipe Jennifer Causey This luscious strawberry nice cream is a wonderful healthy ice cream alternative. It's all fruit, dairy-free, vegan and contains no added sugar, but is bursting with sweet berry flavor. And it takes just minutes to whip up this easy healthy dessert in a food processor if you freeze the fruit ahead. While you'll get the best flavor from fresh berries, if you don't have them on hand, feel free to use store-bought frozen fruit in this recipe. Serve the nice cream on its own or top it with more fresh berries for a refreshing summer treat. 05 of 16 Blueberry-Oat Muffins View Recipe These diabetic-friendly, Blueberry-Oat Muffins, sweetened with brown sugar and honey, are best when served still warm from the oven. 06 of 16 Blueberry-Almond Overnight French Toast View Recipe Pick your favorite table-worthy baking dish for this healthy French toast recipe—the breakfast casserole goes straight from the oven to the table. Serve with pure maple syrup. 07 of 16 Blueberry-Lemon Zucchini Bread View Recipe This easy and healthy zucchini bread recipe is elevated to company-worthy brunch fare with the addition of fresh blueberries to the batter and a simple lemon glaze and toasted almonds on top. A combination of whole-wheat flour and oats in the batter make it more nutritious--and more interesting--than standard zucchini bread, too! 08 of 16 Berry Bubbly Vodka Soda View Recipe This bright and bubbly sipper combines berries with vodka and seltzer to make a colorful 3-ingredient cocktail you can enjoy year-round, thanks to frozen berries. Amp up the flavor even more by using a flavored seltzer rather than plain! 09 of 16 Grilled Salmon with Blueberry Sauce View Recipe This quick and simple recipe pairs grilled salmon with a sweet and nutritious blueberry sauce. Serve it with steamed snap peas for a colorful and great-tasting meal. 10 of 16 Raspberry Cobbler View Recipe Photography / Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling / Margaret Monroe Dickey This raspberry cobbler is an easy dessert to whip up when you have fresh raspberries on hand. This version is lower in sugar than traditional cobblers and packed with berries that lend a sweet-tart flavor. 11 of 16 Fruit & Yogurt Smoothie View Recipe This easy fruit smoothie recipe calls for just three ingredients--yogurt, fruit juice and frozen fruit. Mix up your combinations from day to day for a healthy breakfast or snack. 12 of 16 Lemon-Blueberry Nice Cream View Recipe Brie Passano Nice cream is for everyone, regardless of dietary restrictions. This dairy- and lactose-free, no-added-sugar version requires only five ingredients, including cold water, and comes together as fast as the blades in your food processor can spin. It's bright with blueberries and creamy from bananas, making it a simple and easy dessert with a good dose of dietary fiber—how much more can you ask from a delicious frozen dessert? 13 of 16 Blackberry Sauce View Recipe Jason Donnelly Serve this easy blackberry sauce with ice cream, lemon mousse, angel food cake or sliced peaches—the list goes on! 14 of 16 Blackberry-Rosemary Vodka & Soda View Recipe Blackberries give this vodka cocktail its gorgeous hue and jammy flavor. Use the leftover simple syrup to mix up drinks for friends or skip the vodka for a mocktail. 15 of 16 Strawberry-Chocolate Smoothie View Recipe This creamy, rich strawberry-chocolate smoothie will satisfy any chocolate cravings. It's so decadent you might want it as a dessert, too. 16 of 16 Blueberry Lemonade View Recipe Photographer / Jen Causey, Prop Stylist / Kay Clarke, Food Stylist / Chelsea Zimmer This blueberry lemonade is just sweet enough, with gorgeous color and flavor from fresh blueberries. Whole lemons with a thinner skin add lemony flavor without bitterness from too much pith and peel. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit