thanksgiving Archives - Wild Blueberries

6 Wild Blueberry-Blissful Dessert Recipes for Your Thanksgiving Table

Can you believe Thanksgiving is right around the corner? If you’re hosting a family gathering this year, we have some scrumptious wild blueberry dessert recipes for you to choose from, so you can bring your own slice of heaven to the Thanksgiving table. Incorporating this brain healthy, indigenous, wild fruit into your Thanksgiving day is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Plus, this flavorful fruit packs a more intense blueberry flavor than ordinary blueberries, so it is sure to make your holiday a whole lot sweeter. Looking for some inspiration? Give one of these five wild blueberry pie recipes a go this Thanksgiving Day.

1. Mary Blenk’s Famous Maine Wild Blueberry Pie

Here in Maine, there’s always a table full of pies at Thanksgiving. This award winning pie recipe–Mary Blenk’s Maine Wild Blueberry Pie– will be the star of your pie table and the perfect end to your Thanksgiving meal. It is award winning after all…

2. Classic Wild Blueberry Pie

Keep it sweet and simple by baking this classic Wild Blueberry Pie. Not only is it filled with purple and blue goodness, but the layered golden crust is extra delicious!

3. Maine Wild Blueberry Pie

Bring the taste of Maine with you this Thanksgiving holiday. Enjoy our take on a classic Maine Wild Blueberry Pie, featuring a flaky crust brimming with sweet-tart native wild blueberries.

4. Wild Blueberry Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Savor the fruity fusion of tangy lemon and sweet wild blueberries in our Wild Blueberry Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake. This moist and dense pound cake, enriched with the luxurious creaminess of cream cheese and bursts of wild blueberry goodness, is the perfect addition to your feast.

5. Wild Blueberry and Apple Crisp

Who doesn’t love a simple apple crisp? We do but adding some wild blueberries to it will bring it to the next level. This Wild Blueberry and Apple Crisp recipe is vegan and gluten-free, uses minimal sugar and no butter. Delicious flavor and healthy to boot – win win!

6. Wild Blueberry Tart with Foolproof, Gluten-Free Crust

Indulge in this luscious Wild Blueberry Tart, featuring a foolproof, gluten-free crust that effortlessly complements the naturally sweet wild blueberries. This delectable dessert is a delightful harmony of a crisp, buttery crust with bursts of vibrant wild blueberries.

If you try one of the above recipes, let us know which one your family loved most! Take a picture, post on social, and tag us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter so we can see your *wild* Thanksgiving spread.

We hope you enjoy spending time with family and friends and take time to remember what you’re most grateful for. Thank you for being part of the wild blueberry community–we’re grateful for you. Happy Turkey Day!

Easy Dinner: Wild Blueberry Twice Baked Sweet Potato

The first time I watched my husband dress his baked sweet potato I was speechless. Although it was quite a few years ago, I remember it as though it were yesterday. I stared in horror as he packed a 4 oz. ramekin to the brim with brown sugar, and then without a care in the world, poured it all over his steaming sweet potato. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

Ever since that day, I set out to create a baked sweet potato that he would deem sweet enough and that I would deem, at the very least, appropriate for human consumption. After years of trying, my husband has finally met his match with this Wild Blueberry Twice Baked Sweet Potato recipe.

The flesh of the sweet potato is baked once to perfection and then carefully scooped out of its shell. It’s then mixed with creamy ricotta cheese, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, vanilla, and a little bit of real maple syrup. The velvety mixture is then stuffed back into the cooked potato to be heated again, after which it is smothered with warmed Wild Blueberries. The result is a creamy double-baked delight, with the perfect amount of sweet and savory. This Wild Blueberry sweet potato is great for an easy fall weeknight dinner, served alongside a hearty kale salad. You could also take your Thanksgiving menu to the next level by serving this baked sweet potato as a fun side dish option.

In addition to its great flavor, this twice-baked sweet potato smothered with warm Wild Blueberries is also loaded with nutrients. Wild Blueberries are not your ordinary berry. For one, farmers do not plant Wild Blueberries; they actually grow in the wild. They thrive in the thin glacial soils and harsh northern climate of Maine, Eastern Canada, and Quebec – the very same environment where these tiny potent berries have grown naturally for 10,000 years. Because Wild Blueberries live and thrive in the harshest of climates, they are forced to produce high levels of antioxidants. This gives them a potent blueberry taste and nutrition edge that regular blueberries just can’t match.

Let’s not forget the delicious vehicle for our Wild Blueberry consumption, the sweet potato! Loaded with beta carotene, vitamin C, and fiber, this duo is a match made in nutrition heaven.

My husband has since been enjoying a baked sweet potato every day. I love knowing that he is getting a healthy dose of nutrient rich Wild Blueberries along with his sweet potato fix!

The 1 Easy Trick Professional Bakers Use for the Best Blueberry Pies

There’s a hot local bakery in Portland, Maine, that’s churning out hundreds of pies a week all year long but especially during the holiday season. At the top of the bakery’s popularity list is Wild Blueberry Pie. In fact, Two Fat Cats Bakery scoops out 210-pounds of frozen Maine Wild Blueberries a week into its delicious pies, scones, muffins, and cakes – that’s seven 30-pound boxes. “We make a batch of 10-15 blueberry pies a day,” says bakery owner Stacy Begin. “In the summer we can’t keep up with the demand.” We visited Two Fat Cats Bakery and chatted with Stacy about why she thinks Wild Blueberry Pie is hands-down her top-selling pie – no matter what the season! She also busts the myths about using frozen Wild Blueberries in pie making, shares some tips on how to use them and says it’s the only way to go to make the best Wild Blueberry Pie.

What’s behind the popularity?

Well, it’s a couple of things. People who come to Portland have heard so much about Maine Wild Blueberries and they want to try them. For tourists it’s on their to-do list, along with trying a whoopie pie and a lobster roll. Everyone loves Maine Wild Blueberries and Blueberry Pie never goes out of season – even over the holidays.

What makes the Wild Blueberry so distinctive?

Two things. First, is size. The Wild Blueberry is much smaller and this gives it a special quality. Second is taste – it’s sweeter and so different from a cultivated berry. I think people who know the story of the Wild Blueberry – how it’s native to Maine and how it’s grown and harvested – they understand that it’s a very intriguing and special berry.

Are frozen berries better for Wild Blueberry Pie?

Definitely. Frozen Wild Blueberries are more dependable because they were picked at the height of their ripeness, which preserves their great taste and texture. Not only that, but there are a couple of myths out there. One is that frozen fruit is not as good in a pie. This is just false. At Two Fast Cats, we always use frozen Wild Blueberries in our pie. A second mistake is that people allow the berries to thaw first. We never thaw the berries in advance.

So how do you make the pie?

The trick is to use frozen Wild Blueberries and keep them frozen.
Don’t thaw them out in advance.
Pour your dry ingredients (sugar, thickener and spices) over the frozen berries and stir gently.
Let everything sit for 15 minutes.
While this mixture sits, the fruit starts to absorb the sugar and the thickener.
The sugar will cling to the fruit and this is exactly what you want.
Give it all a good stir.
Then, pop everything into your pie shell and bake it.

What do people say about your pie?

What we usually hear is: “This is the best pie I have ever had.” I believe it’s not just due to our techniques or our recipes, I think it’s because a lot of people have never had the Maine Wild Blueberry and it’s so different than a cultivated berry pie. It’s an awakening to them. The blueberries are smaller, there lots of ‘em, so you get that delicious taste of the fruit.

Are there any special ingredients in your pie?

We make a very traditional Wild Blueberry Pie—and there is really no secret to the recipe. We just take the time to make it right. A pie can be time consuming and there is a temptation to take short cuts. If you really want a good pie, you have to put the time into it and use the very best ingredients.

Who buys your pies?

Well we all know that Mainers love their pie and we sell to a lot of local people. Tourists love them too and once they’ve tasted our Maine Wild Blueberry Pie, they want to visit again. For them, it’s like a taste of summer. We also sell to the Portland Lobster Company, which dishes up a ton of lobster and Blueberry Pie in the summertime.

Where do you get your berries?

We buy our Maine Wild Blueberries from Wyman’s and Allen’s, both are Maine growers with long histories. We get weekly deliveries of frozen berries throughout the year.

What are some favorite recipes that use Wild Blueberries?

We make a Bumbleberry Pie that uses local apples, rhubarb, raspberries, and Maine Wild Blueberries. This is also known as Heritage Pie – and it’s a recipe that people have made for generations. It’s traditionally made at the end of the season with whatever fruits people had left on hand from the summer.

Make your holiday complete with a Wild Blueberry pie from Two Fat Cats bakery or make your own using this delicious recipe! For other wild twists on traditional Thanksgiving side dishes take a look Danielle Omar’s recipes: Wild Blueberry Relish and Wild Blueberry Stuffing. Danielle is a registered dietitian, clean-eating coach, teacher and cookbook author and enjoys sharing plant-based recipes and nutrition strategies on her Food Confidence blog.

A Wild Twist on Thanksgiving (Part 2)

My husband and I have an unspoken rule. I just put the food in front of him and ask him to taste it. I don’t set it up. I don’t tell him what’s in it or how it’s supposed to taste. I don’t ask him any questions except…do you like it?

I think his opinion is important because he considers himself “mainstream.” I feel if he likes something, then everyone will like it. And he’s usually spot on. Sometimes I disagree with his taste buds but I definitely can’t go by my own preference. I’ve been told one too many times that I like food to taste a bit “too healthy.”

After having a taste of this Wild Blueberry stuffing my husband looked at me and said “wow, this is so good you could serve it at Thanksgiving!”

That’s when I knew I was onto something pretty darn good.

I think it’s safe to say that stuffing is a must on any Thanksgiving table. And there are so many variations! You can stuff it in the turkey or bake it in the oven. It can be meatless. It can be made with boxed bread, fresh bread, rice or other grains. Growing up, my mother always made two versions, one stuffed inside the turkey and the other one baked. As a kid I loved the soggy mound that came straight from the bird, oftentimes sticking to my spoon. As an adult I wonder…what was I thinking?

A really great stuffing can have that “dream about it all year” quality. Indeed, once you’ve had an amazing stuffing, it’s hard to forget it. To create an unforgettable stuffing, you have to add a little something special that people will remember; something unexpected that will take your stuffing to that elusive craving level.

This stuffing definitely has that something special. For one, look at the gorgeous wild blue color! Anthocyanin takes most of the credit for that; it’s the flavonoid that is found in the deep blue pigment of Wild Blueberries, giving them their amazing color and their antioxidant power.

The base of this stuffing is a lovely loaf of five grain bread that I left out overnight to get a little crispy. To the bread I added cooked tri-color quinoa and sautéed leeks, baby bella mushrooms, and diced parsnips. After seasoning with sage and thyme I tossed the stuffing with my something special: frozen Wild Blueberries. The Wild Blueberries are that unexpected ingredient that takes this stuffing to the next level. They not only add gorgeous color and unique flavor, they also add moisture to the stuffing, so very little extra liquid is needed. I love this perk because sometimes broth can overpower the other flavors.

This stuffing is gorgeous straight from the oven. But to really impress your guests, give it a quick stir before serving and watch how those warm Wild Blueberries transform this dish into something…well, unforgettable.

About the Author

Danielle Omar is a registered dietitian, clean-eating coach, teacher and cookbook author. She is a passionate food and nutrition educator and founded Danielle Omar Nutrition to support busy men and women on their journey to becoming their healthiest self. An avid cook, she also enjoys sharing plant-based recipes and nutrition strategies on her Food Confidence blog. Danielle has a Master’s degree in Nutrition and has been teaching nutrition at the college level for over 10 years. She has contributed to local and national media outlets such as The Washingtonian, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Shape Magazine, and Women’s Health Magazine. Through her private nutrition practice, media work, and group programs, Danielle has successfully motivated hundreds of busy professionals and families to eat confidently and live a healthy life.

A Wild Twist on Thanksgiving Dinner: Part 1

Being a vegetarian for the last few decades, Thanksgiving is not a food holiday I get overly excited about. Unless I’m hosting (which is rare) the Thanksgiving meal for me is usually a plate full of sides. Which is perfectly okay, I don’t mind, it’s a great opportunity to exercise the idea that the day is not about the food and more about the time spent with family and friends.

That being said, I still need to eat and I do love food! It’s not surprising that over the years I’ve become a connoisseur of delicious Thanksgiving sides. In fact, I enjoy encouraging my family when meal planning to elevate the side dishes to new and delicious heights. I definitely know a good side dish when I see one and that’s why I’m excited to share my Wild Blueberry and Ginger Relish with you.

After visiting the Wild Blueberry barrens back in August, I’ve been using them a lot in my recipes. I love the intense blueberry flavor, the fact that they are loaded with antioxidants, and their deep blue color is just gorgeous, which can really make a dish stand out! I also love that you can use them straight from the freezer; you don’t have to thaw them out first. And, being that you purchase them frozen they won’t go bad in your fridge and they are available for use year-round.

Think of this Wild Blueberry relish as a delicious and healthier twist on its cranberry cousin. Wild Blueberries are naturally sweet so very little added sugar is needed — this recipe only uses two tablespoons! In fact, depending on how you will use this relish, you could get away with using one tablespoon. If you’re eating it as a side dish, then one tablespoon is likely sweet enough, but if you plan to use it on turkey sandwiches, you might want to use two to bring out more of the intense blueberry flavor.

Something to remember when cooking with fresh frozen Wild Blueberries is that once they are cooked they will release a bit of water. While very little added liquid was used in this recipe, it still needed a little thickening up. Chia seed was the perfect thickening agent and with it came a healthy dose of omega 3 fat.

Little added sugar, tons of antioxidant power, and omega 3, too? I call that a real relish upgrade!

Wild Blueberry & Ginger Relish

About the Author