So You Found a Bag of Frozen Berries in the Back of Your Freezer—Here's What To Do With It

Cranberry-Pecan Coffee Cake
Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

There's a reason we seldom go digging through the abyss of our freezer. What's hidden behind and beneath those make-ahead casseroles and fix-and-freeze soups are items that we probably should have ditched long ago and sometimes ought not to have put in there to begin with (i.e. the fruitcake Mamaw makes for Christmas every year that you just don't have the heart to toss). But every once in a while, you'll find a gem and that usually comes in the form of frozen fruit, with the most prized of all being frozen berries. From blueberries, blackberries, cherries, and more come the sweetest confections this side of the Mississippi. If you're wondering what to do with frozen berries, we've got you covered with these recipes that call on frozen berries.

01 of 08

Apple-Cherry Cobbler with Pinwheel Biscuits

Cobbler Recipes: Apple-Cherry Cobbler with Pinwheel Biscuits
Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Apple-Cherry Cobbler with Pinwheel Biscuits

A package of frozen cherries is the secret to this sweeter-than-honey filling. You might think the spiral pinwheel biscuits topping with brown sugar and almonds couldn't get any better, but then you'd be missing that dollop of whipped cream on top—and we just can't have that, now can we?

02 of 08

Winter Blackberry Cobbler

Winter Blackberry Cobbler
Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Winter Blackberry Cobbler

Want to know the best thing about frozen berries? They make cobbler in the middle of winter a possibility. Here we're calling on two packages of frozen blackberries to make a giant cobbler that yields 8 to 10 servings. Serve with a hefty scoop of vanilla ice cream and we bet you can stretch it to feed a few more mouths too. Rest assured, there's no right season for baking up this treat.

03 of 08

Sallie Ann Robinson's Blackberry Dumplings

Sallie Ann Robinson's Blackberry Dumplings
Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn

Recipe: Sallie Ann Robinson's Blackberry Dumplings

While this recipe was originally made by Robinson's mother using fresh blackberries, a pound of frozen will work in a pinch. When the dumplings are ready, they'll have risen to the top of the sauce and will have the consistency of a doughnut.

04 of 08

Old-Fashioned Trifle

Old-Fashioned Trifle
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Old-Fashioned Trifle

Don't let its holiday-esque look fool you—this trifle was made for year-round enjoyment. Sure, it's decadent to say the least, but show me a Southerner who isn't up for a little indulgence whether it's winter, spring, summer, or fall. Now something to pay attention to: The recipe calls for fresh pound cake. This does not mean the kind you can get in the grocery store's frozen section. We're talking bakery-grade cakes here—no skimping.

05 of 08

Cranberry-Pecan Coffee Cake

Cranberry-Pecan Coffee Cake
Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

If you want to taste something delicious, go ahead and give our Cranberry-Pecan Coffee Cake a whirl. Cinnamon, toasted pecans, and cranberries make this coffee cake a standout. It calls on frozen cranberries and can be made up to two days in advance—how convenient.

06 of 08

Bakeshop Blueberry Muffins

Bakeshop Blueberry Muffins
Southern Living

Recipe: Bakeshop Blueberry Muffins

Homemade muffins are one of the kitchen's cheap thrills. They're easy to pull together and difficult to mess up. As long as you've got 2 cups of frozen blueberries stored away in the freezer, there's nothing standing in the way of mixing up a batch or two—you'd be hard pressed to find a Southern pantry that wasn't already stocking the rest of the ingredients.

07 of 08

Star Spangled Blackberry Pie

Star Spangled Blackberry Pie
Evin Photography

Don't want to fuss with a homemade pie crust? We hear you. Pick up the store-bought variety in your grocery store's refrigerated section. This recipe utilizes either fresh or frozen blackberries, so use whatever you have on hand. Alternatively, as with most recipes featuring berries, you can substitute whatever variety you have available. Star Spangled Blueberry Pie, anyone?

08 of 08

Raspberry Crumble Bars

Raspberry-Almond Crumble Bars
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Raspberry Crumble Bars

If soft, gooey, and crumbly sound right up your alley, then proceed full speed ahead because you've met your match in these raspberry bars. They call for fresh or thawed frozen raspberries and get a kick of freshness from lemon zest. Raspberry jam helps the filling come together in gelatinous fashion.

Was this page helpful?
Related Articles