Fun Ways to Enjoy Berries

Like all fruit, berries are nature’s original dessert.

Not only are berries bursting with sweet deliciousness, they’re chock-full of nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants. Flourishing in every color of the rainbow, the nearly 6,000 berry types thriving around the globe liven up cereals, smoothies and baked goods. While berries are already packed with fructose – fruit’s natural sugar – most snacks made with berries are boosted with processed sugar.

Any favorite fruit can be used for these delicious recipes below, however, during National Berry Month, discover how these berry desserts can replace sugary processed treats.

Berry Snacks

Try these if you love those store-bought chewy delights, but don’t like the added sugar and corn syrup:

1 cup water

½ cup gelatin powder

¼ cup honey

1 cup pure fruit juice

1 cup pureed berries

Boil ½ cup water. Mix ½ cup cool water and gelatin powder. Add boiling water. Stir briskly. Add honey and puree. Stir briskly. Quickly pour in molds or greased dishes. Cool in fridge 2-3 hours.

Berry Kabobs

These colorful skewers are not only fun to create, they’re delicious and nutritious:

12 wooden skewers

24 strawberries

24 blueberries

24 raspberries

24 chokeberries

24 blackberries

24 gooseberries

24 cranberries

Wash and dry berries. Put each in a separate bowl. First skewer a strawberry to create a base. Skew berries – 2 berries of each type per skewer – in any order to create a pattern. Pack gently, but firmly.

Smoothie-sicles

Smooth and creamy yogurt adds a velvety texture to these frozen fruit treats:

2 cups of any berry

½ cup yogurt

¼ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds. Or pour into paper cups and insert spoons or popsicle sticks. Freeze at least 2 hours.

Frozen Fruit Pops

Made with just a wee bit of juice, these delicious concoctions can help you chill out on a hot day:

1/3 cup diced strawberries

1/3 cup diced blueberries

1/3 cup diced raspberries

1/3 cup diced blackberries

¼ cup fresh berry juice

Combine all fruit in a bowl. Fill 5 oz cups with fruit. Add 1 tbsp berry juice. Insert sticks in cup. Freeze 2 hours or until firm.

Sor-berry

Trade ice cream packed with processed sugar, saturated fat and thickeners for this refreshing option:

¼ cup honey

2 tbsp citrus juice

¾ cup water

2 cups berries

Bring water and honey to boil over low heat. Let cool. Puree fruit and juice. Combine fruit and juice with honey-based simple syrup. Pour into parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid. Remove from pan in chunks and puree again just before serving.

Try these berry recipes then consider sharing them with others who are looking for healthy summer snack recipes.

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