Frozen fruit is a fantastic way to capture the freshest, ripest flavor of the season. Fruit is typically frozen at the high of freshness so you can enjoy its delicious flavor all year long. Freezing does change the original texture of berries, cherries, peaches, and other fruit, and that does slightly limit the ways you can use them. For instance, frozen fruit works better in baked goods or blended drinks than it does in fruit salads.
The good news is that the difference between most baked goods, sauces, sorbets, and the like made with fresh or frozen fruit is undetectable. In some cases, like with smoothies, frozen fruit is even better. Note that some recipes call for thawing the fruit first, while others allow you to simply add the fruit straight from the freezer.
Strawberry Smoothie
Frozen fruit makes superior smoothies for a couple of reasons: the structure is partially broken down thanks to the freezing process, making them easier to blend, and they make the drink nice and cold without the need for ice. This simple strawberry smoothie is a delicious sweet snack or breakfast on the go.
Homemade Blueberry Pancakes
Elevate your homemade pancakes by adding a sprinkle of frozen blueberries to each flapjack. The berries add a delicious burst of fruitiness to your breakfast and pair nicely with maple syrup. It's also easy to make blueberry pancakes vegan.
Easy Cherry Sauce
Easy cherry sauce made with frozen cherries is extra easy since the fruit comes already stemmed and pitted. Use the sauce to top ice cream, cheesecake, crepes, pancakes, and more.
Easy Vegan Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
The perfect mixture of sweet and savory, raspberry vinaigrette adds beautiful brightness to fresh green salads. Sweet berries are balanced by tangy vinegar and spicy mustard for a unique salad dressing.
Continue to 5 of 17 belowVegan Banana Bread
If you've got more ripe bananas than you know what to do with, stash them in the freezer. Then, when the craving for banana bread strikes, all you have to do is thaw the bananas, drain off any excess liquid, and mash.
Basic Fruit Sorbets
Fresh or frozen fruit of your choice can be used to make a delightful sorbet. Good options include peach, pineapple, raspberry, cherry, and canteloupe. The only other ingredient you'll need is sugar, making the dessert vegan and gluten-free.
Raspberry Iced Tea
Black or green tea is infused with the flavor of berries for a refreshing iced tea. Just enough sugar is added to bring a little sweetness to the mixture, but you can adjust the amount according to taste. Fresh or frozen raspberries work equally well in this recipe.
Peach Cobbler With Crumble Topping
A simple peach filling is topped with a buttery crumble topping for a delicious dessert. Use thawed frozen sliced peaches to drastically shorten the prep time. Serve your warm peach cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Continue to 9 of 17 belowBlueberry Bread With Walnuts or Pecans
Chopped nuts and frozen berries make this quick bread into a breakfast, brunch, or teatime treat. Let your frozen fruit thaw and drain before using to keep the blueberry bread from becoming soggy.
Avocado Mango Smoothie
Getting an avocado to perfectly ripen at the same time as a fresh mango is a difficult task. Using frozen mango chunks gives this avocado mango smoothie an ultra-smooth texture while making the drink frosty cold without the need for ice.
Raspberry and Carrot Fruit Snacks
These fruit snacks are far superior to the store-bought version. They only contain a few pronounceable ingredients and very little sweetener. They're also easy to make and a fun afternoon snack.
Continue to 13 of 17 belowBanana Ice Cream
Did you know you can make vegan ice cream with just one healthy ingredient? Blended in a food processor, frozen ripe bananas magically turn into creamy "ice cream" in just minutes. Add frozen mango for a tropical flavor or cocoa powder for a chocolatey twist.
Blueberry Scones
Studded with oozing berries, these are more than your average scones. Serve blueberry scones at your next brunch or teatime along with lemon curd and clotted cream. You can swap the frozen blueberries for other berries, just don't forget to thaw and thoroughly drain them.
Easy Raspberry Jam With Frozen or Fresh Berries
Sugar and berries are all you need to make this easy raspberry jam. Fresh or frozen fruit work equally well, so you can enjoy the flavors of the summer all year long. Serve alongside toast or use to make toaster strudels or raspberry cheesecake.
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
The combination of sweet cream cheese filling, strawberries, and a salty pretzel crust makes this salad a fun side dish for big family meals or an attractive dessert. Sliced frozen strawberries work best for strawberry pretzel salad.
Continue to 17 of 17 belowBlueberry Lemon Curd
Lemon and blueberry is a classic flavor combination. Add some fruity flavor and beautiful color to your lemon curd with the addition of frozen berries. Serve with toast, biscuits, pancakes, or use as a filling for cake.