Pale green globes, pinkish purple, dusty blue then dark purpley blue. There’s the evolution of a blueberry in a few hues.
For those with blueberry bushes of your own, you know how tough it can be to wait until they achieve that dark purpley hue before twisting them off their tiny stem.
I’ve been so eager to pluck the zillions of huge berries this year (thank you mega rains in late spring!) that I find myself picking far too many before they’re in their prime color and sweetness.
So I’ve been waiting a few more days in between gathering them and when I do plop them into my buckets, there are a boatload!!!
Loads of Berries, Now What?
With such a bumper crop, I put those delicious berries into more places than straight into my mouth from the bush and freezer.
Blueberry muffins, pancakes, paired with fresh peaches over yogurt, and swirled in smoothies are frequent summer treats when these babies are ripe and ready.
Then I found this recipe for Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Cake a few years ago and have been enjoying it often, both during berry harvest and even in winter with frozen berries.
Whip up this simple cake and let me know what you think of it in the Comments!
Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Cake
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour. To make gluten-free, I used half oat flour (how to make your own in a cinch here) and half gluten-free blend with good results.
3/4 cup quick-cooking oatmeal, uncooked
2 Tbsp granulated sweetener of choice
2 tsp baking powder (make your own aluminum-free here)
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk of choice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease an 8-inch round baking pan; set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, oatmeal, sweetener, baking powder and salt.
In a 2-cup measure, stir milk, oil and egg. Pour at once into flour mixture.
Stir just until moistened (batter may be a bit lumpy). Fold in blueberries.Spoon batter into prepared pan.
Bake until cake is golden and pulls away from sides of pan, 20 – 25 minutes.
Cool on a rack, 5 to 10 minutes.
Do I have to eat this cake just for breakfast?
Of course not, silly. You can devour this seasonal and healthy treat anytime.
Tell me how you like it.