Dried blueberries are an increasingly popular item in our pantries. Besides being loaded with antioxidants and nutrients, blueberries are known for their sweet, fruity flavor that pairs especially well with a variety of ingredients, including nuts and other more tart fruits. If you're looking to enjoy dried blueberries at home but are stumped on how best to utilize them, consider some of these great uses for this delicious dried fruit:
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Toss some dried blueberries onto a salad to add a sweet twist to an otherwise crisp or savory dish. Dried blueberries pair especially well with spinach, walnuts, and fresh strawberries in a summertime salad.
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Love oatmeal but hate how it can sometimes be bland' Add dried blueberries, pecans, and a bit of brown sugar to your oatmeal to create a sweet yet satisfying treat that will keep you powered way past breakfast.
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Blueberries that are dried are great for enjoying in cereals. Toss a few in on top of your toasted rice, corn flakes, or other “basic” cereal for a lively breakfast. For an extra boost, you can also add tart dried cranberries or sliced almonds.
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Dried blueberries are especially well suited for using in muffin batters. Whip up a batch of blueberry muffins or add this dried fruit to another flavor of berry muffins for a flavorful, fruity creation.
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Dried blueberries also work well in bagels, so feel free to throw some into the dough when you're making them homemade. You can punch up the blueberry flavor by spreading some blueberry jam or blueberry cream cheese onto the finished bagel.
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Create a homemade snack mix by combining together dried blueberries, peanuts, Cheerios, sunflower seeds, and pretzel sticks. It's a crunchy yet sweet and savory combination that's great for serving up on the go.
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Make homemade blueberry granola by mixing together dried blueberries with rolled oats, almond slivers, brown sugar, honey, flax seed, and a little bit of vegetable oil. Bake the mixture on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, stirring the granola about every five minutes. Then let cool and enjoy in yogurt, in cereal, or on its own.
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Blueberries that are dried can also work especially well in heavy pancake batters. We highly recommend blueberry pecan pancakes as a wonderful way to enjoy these berries dried.
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Dried blueberries also work well in scone batter. Make blueberry scones and serve with clotted cream or butter with afternoon tea.
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Want to plump up your berries for use in other recipes' You can "rehydrate" dried blueberries by placing one pound of the dehydrated fruit in one cup of water.