I haven’t been able to stop thinking about blueberries since returning from Blueberry Boot Camp last month, so look what I made: Blueberry Graham Cracker Ice Cream!
I spent a couple of days immersed in the world of blueberries at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley along with several other bloggers, food service professionals and chefs.
And it was two of the most delicious days ever in my life. I kid you not.
You probably know how nutritious blueberries are. They’re packed with Vitamin C, manganese and fiber, and with only 80 calories per cup, the little blue dynamos make the perfect addition to school lunches.
But their versatility might surprise you. I know it surprised me! Not only are they fantastic in sweet treats, but they’re amazing in savory recipes.
My moment of epiphany was when Chef Lars Kronmark made blueberry breakfast sausage for us.
Mind blown. So good.
And once I tasted that sausage, there was no going back. I wanted a taste of everything, and believe me, everything was on the menu.
And my favorite recipe of all was for blueberry meatloaf. Yes, blueberry meatloaf. It looked a little wackadoo at first glance, but man, it was good.
In fact, we had a mini cook-off with some local kid judges and the blueberry meatloaf was one of their faves as well.
So don’t underestimate the blueberry! Both kids and adults love pop-in-the-mouth convenience, and they add a nutritious boost to all kinds of delicious dishes.
Blueberries are the best, so get creative when packing lunch boxes and serving up meals for the family.
Try my blueberry graham cracker ice cream too! It’s a dessert you’ll want to make over and over again.
Blueberry Graham Cracker Ice Cream
Blueberry Graham Cracker Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh blueberries divided
- 1 tablespoon water
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 cup graham crackers broken into pieces
Instructions
- Freeze ice cream maker freezer bowl at least 24 hours. It's important that it's very, very cold for the best ice cream consistency.
- Put half the blueberries ( 1 cup) and water in small saucepan over low heat. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Place in blender along with remaining blueberries. Puree. Add sugar, lemon zest and salt. Blend a minute or so. Scrape mixture into a bowl. Cover; place in freezer to chill at least 30 minutes. You want it nice and cold when it goes into the ice cream maker.
- Whisk in cream and half and half. Add to ice cream maker. Follow manufacturer's directions to churn ice cream. In about 20-30 minutes, the ice cream will reach a creamy soft-serve consistency. Just before finishing churning, add the graham cracker pieces and let them mix in.
- For a firmer consistency, remove from freezer bowl and place in freezer for several hours. Store in sealed container.
Nutrition
Visit the US. Highbush Blueberry Council website for all sorts of blueberry recipes, info and fun facts about the 100th year of the blueberry!
Erlene says
Oooo…I have our own garden blueberries and I’ve been debating what to do with them. I’ve never tried this flavor combo in ice cream, so this is going on my try list. Thanks for sharing on Merry Monday. Pinned and will be including this on my roundup this week.
Emily says
I love fresh blueberries, but I don’t think I’ve ever had blueberry ice cream, or blueberry sausage for that matter (which sounds totally amazing, by the way!). Thanks for sharing your ice cream recipe at Merry Monday – I’m going to be featuring it at next week’s party. It sounds like the best summertime treat!
Heather | Made In A Pinch says
While I am not a fan of blueberries themselves, I do love things made with blueberries (blueberry muffins, crumb cake, etc). Somehow I have missed trying blueberry ice cream. After looking at your pictures and reading the recipe, I can’t wait to try this one! Blueberry sausage? Blows. My. Mind.
Lisa says
How much water for cooking the blueberries and when do you add the graham crackers? I can’t wait to try this recipe.
Liz says
Ugh, I didn’t realize I missed adding those. I’ve edited the recipe to include that information. However I’ll just tell you that it’s 1 tablespoon with the 1 cup of berries you’ll be cooking. Also when you’re about to finish churning the ice cream, add the graham cracker pieces and let them mix in. Then you can either eat it soft serve or transfer to a container and let it freeze a little harder. (I usually take a taste, but do let it harden up a bit more in a separate container.) Enjoy!
Cate says
Something was left off the ingredients list… how much water are you adding to the blueberries in the sauce pan?
[email protected] says
I want this now! Looks so yummy! Thanks so much for sharing at Welcome Home Wednesdays!
Marie says
Omgosh, this looks amazing! My kiddos would go nuts over this. Thanks for sharing your recipe with us at Merry Monday this week!
The Little Tourist says
This looks so good!!! I wish I had a nice bowl full, right now! lol! My kids and I have made an ice cream cake before that turned out really good, but we’ve yet to find a great homemade ice cream recipe. This one looks promising! Thanks for sharing. Stopping by from Motivate Me Monday Link Party 🙂
andi says
all that food looks SO good – especially with all the blueberries that are in it 😀
Michelle James says
Wow! I never would have thought of blueberry sausage or meat loaf. That is amazing. I wish I had an ice cream maker because we LOVE blueberries and this looks AMAZING! I may print it anyway and get one. LOL! Isn’t Napa Valley a great place? This sounds like a fun time. Thanks for sharing at #HomeMattersParty
Tara @ Lehman lane says
Liz, this ice cream looks and sounds delicious:). Pinning. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe at Dream. Create. Inspire. Link. Please join us again tomorrow night at 8 EST. Take care, Tara
Kimberlee says
Sounds delicious. I have been making my own ice cream all summer in my kitchen aid ice cream bowl attachment and love it. Will have to try this one soon.
Jessica Jarrell says
I love this combination! I’m always looking for more homemade ice cream recipes. Since I got my ice cream maker, I just can’t eat the store bought stuff anymore. Homemade is soooooo much better! Visiting from Create It Thursday 🙂
Shannon Gurnee says
That blueberry ice cream looks and sounds amazing! Blueberry Boot Camp sounds like it was a lot of fun! love the pictures you shared!
Lauren Harmon says
Oh my goodness, this ice cream looks amazing! I love blueberry and the idea of graham crackers inside ice cream is genius! I can’t wait to try this! 🙂
Alli says
I’m such a blueberry lover and I’ve never had blueberry graham cracker ice cream. The color is beautiful and I can only imagine how good it tastes.
Jessica says
OMG yes this is awesome! I need to make this asap.
Tracey says
That ice cream looks out of this world! I would never have thought to add the graham crackers but it seems like a delicious touch.
M from The Stay-at-Home Life says
This looks so yummy and easy to make!
Lois Jones says
I don’t think I would have ever thought of making ice cream with the graham crackers in it. I like them with ice cream, so only makes sense! All the other foods with blueberries looked and sound wonderful! I think I would have been very interested in trying the blueberry meatloaf too!
Italia Caruso says
I need that ice cream now!
Christie says
Blueberry sausage and blueberry meatloaf sound insane to me! What a cool experience and delicious ice cream idea!
{Erica}EverythingMomandBaby says
That looks really good. And the blueberry pizza with green onion sprinkled on it?! Who knew?
Stephanie says
I am the only one in my family who loves blueberries. Everyone else hates them. What the heck is wrong with my family, lol? This looks heavenly. I could blueberries all day and never get tired of them.
Lexie Lane says
Oh, we rarely go without blueberries in our fridge! It’s a great antioxidant! Plus it’s really good!
Gabriel says
Blueberry meatloaf, eh? I’m intrigued. Blueberries are great in savories because they have a great bit of tartness and aren’t super sweet.
Crystal says
You can never go wrong with blueberries. They are just super delicious!! Thanks for the yummy recipe 🙂
Nickida says
I am not a fan of blueberries but my husband loves them so I would bake muffins and cookies for him with them all the time. I tried one fresh and didn’t like the texture or taste.
Holly @ Woman Tribune says
I really love fresh blueberries. Whenever they are in season and looking good at the store, I can’t help but pick some up. Your ice cream looks delicious, and I never would have thought of graham crackers!
Kathy Kenny Ngo says
I never knew you could use blueberries in so many ways. I liked how it looked with the sausage and the pizza thing. The ice cream though makes me cringe a bit hahahaha. I always associate blue ice cream with bubblegum but I’ll give this one a try.
cindy c says
That blueberry ice cream looks good! Never made my own ice cream before, sounds neat.
Maureen says
I love the color of this ice cream. I would never have thought of this combination.
CourtneyLynne says
Ooooo his ice cream sounds all sorts o deliciousness!!!! Perfect for a warm day!
Bonnie @ wemake7 says
I love blueberries too. This ice cream recipe is one I have got to try soon. Thanks for sharing.
Lisa Rios says
My kids love Blueberry so much & anything with a combination of blueberry is a super-hit in our home. And my goodness the blueberry ice cream looks very much delicious & I am just amazed how they were used in preparing many other recipes as well.
Amanda Ripsam says
I have never made my own Blue berry ice cream I would how ever love to give it a try especially your blueberry graham cracker ice cream. yum.
Trisha Haas says
Wait, wait, back up the train. IS that BLUEBERRY pizza of some sort? And your recipe looks so very delicious!
Katie says
My daughter and husband would love this ice cream!!! Thanks for sharing. We have blender that can make ice cream super fast so I am going to try it in there.
Sojourner says
Your ice cream looks DELICIOUS! What a fantastic idea! Your Culinary experience in Napa Valley sounds so great! I want to go!!!!
Danielle says
This ice cream looks delicious!
Anne - Mommy Has to Work says
I never thought to use blueberries in so many dishes! I have to try that blueberry ice cream. It looks amazing.
Rebecca Swenor says
This sounds like an awesome recipe for Blueberry Graham Cracker Ice Cream dessert. We all love blueberries here along with ice cream so this is perfect for us. This would a wonderful treat for the kids on a hot summer day also. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
JAsmine says
Sounds delicious! I never made ice cream before this would be a great start!
Jennifer Pridemore says
I love anything with blueberries. I can’t wait to try this ice cream!
Nikki says
I love those foods, we love ice cream!!! These are looks yummy. I wanna grab this.
Claudia Krusch says
I love blueberries. Blueberry ice cream sounds sooo good! I’ve never had it!
Travel Blogger says
i love blueberry ice cream, and it’s hard to find
Krystal says
I have never heard of blueberry ice cream before. That sounds like an ideal dessert and I bet it’s pretty healthy! 😉
Trisha says
The blueberry ice cream would be a hit with my family and it looks really simple to make!! I want to make this with my daughter! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Dogvills says
The blueberry ice cream looks so yummy! Gotta bring out my ice cream maker and try this.
Paula Schuck says
I love Blueberries. My Parents had a few Blueberry trees in their yard. I loved picking them. I will have to try this ice cream recipe.
Urvi says
I love blueberries. Blueberry ice cream looks delicious.
Ave says
I`m a big fan of blueberries, but I would have never thought on using them in salty dishes. That meatloaf looks delicious! And I really want to try your Blueberry Graham Cracker Ice Cream!
Mama to 5 BLessings says
I WOULD BE IN BLUEBERRY HEAVEN AT THIS EVENT! EVERYTHING LOOKS AMAZING AND HEALTHY!
Julie says
Blueberries are my favorite lately! I just made a cake with them this week. I’ll have to try adding them to some savory recipes now!
Heather lawrence says
Yummy!! I know what I’m going to make this holiday weekend.
Perfect timing too..the stores are bursting with blueberries!
Laura says
Are Graham Crackers the same as Digestives (in England)? If so, I’m definitely giving this a go!
Bernadette says
I love the color, my youngest would love helping to make this.
Pam Rote says
My family became Blueberry OBSESSED this Summer–Going to try a few of those savory dishes –IceCream looks DIVINE!!!
Fi Ní Neachtáin says
That ice-cream looks so amazing, the colour is just awe inspiring. I really want to try it, I bet it’s delicious!
Annemarie LeBlanc says
Blueberries and graham crackers ice cream. Wow. That would be so delicious. I will follow your recipe and make some for my family. Blueberries are so healthy too.
LydiaF says
Mmmm the photo of the ice cream with the streaks of gold from the graham crackers is gorgeous, but it was the blueberry breakfast sausage that has blown me away. Looks like a delicious trip!
Mykidsguide says
Oh wow, everything looks so delicious. The ice cream, especially! I can’t wait to try it.
Ron says
This is truly an awesome recipe. Love to try this!
Zoe Alicia says
Blueberries on Pizza? Who knew! That ice cream looks absolutely amazing too. Good job x
Marts says
Love this post. I have never tasted a blueberry ice cream, and I always love graham desserts 🙂 I bet this will be loved by my taste buds
victoria says
Yey love the Instruction i can’t wait to try it , me and my hubby would absolutely love Ice cram
Adriana Martin says
Yummy ice cream girl! We learned so much in this trip to California, loved sharing with you and eating blueberries together.
Sherri says
Everything on this page looks incredible…but that ice cream is absolutely amazing. Thanks for the recipe!
Nancy @ Whispered Inspirations says
OMG, that looks amazing. The color alone makes my mouth water. Bookmarked.
Carol Bryant says
I am going on vacation soon and plan to get a lot of out of state blueberries – I know what I am making. Yum!
Tyra says
The blueberry ice cream looks absolutely amazing. Homemade ice cream is so miuch better than store bought.
Jenny says
I have never thought to make my own ice cream! This looks delicious, and I don’t think I have ever seen so many things made out of blueberries before.
Jennifer S says
Oh goodness! This ice cream recipe looks DELISH! I love all things blueberry and will definitely be giving this a try sometime soon!
Felicia says
All of this looks so delicious. I want to come over and hang with you.
Jeanine says
I saw this on facebook and couldn’t wait to check it out. This looks amazing. What a great idea for an ice cream. It looks so delicious.
Crystal says
Isn’t it so scrumptious looking? I love fruit-flavored treats like these.
Claudette says
My granddaughter loves blueberries so I will pass on this recipe to her Mom!
Autumn @Mamachallenge says
That looks yummy! I think my family would love this!
Crystal says
I admit, I’d be a little hesitant to try blueberry meatloaf at first. But everything looks so fantastic, I’d have to at least try it!
Janeane Davis says
Now that there are blueberries growing in our yard, I need more recipes I would like to try this..
Crystal says
If you need some help eating them, you just holler! I’d love to have fresh berries in my yard.
Heather D. (@GirlGoneMom) says
This looks amazing. I will pin this to make later 🙂
Laura Canfield says
My kids and I love graham crackers so much. I’m not wild about blueberries, but they are so this is definitely going in the recipe box! What an odd and delicious looking combo!
tammileetips says
Oh my gosh this looks amazing! I love blueberries they are amazing to throw into so many different recipes.
[email protected] says
That food looks wonderful!!
Autumn says
That ice cream looks absolutely delicious!! I love how the recipe doesn’t have too many ingredients too!
Autumn @ Stay gold Autumn
Colette-JamericanSpice says
Look at all these foods!
You are killing me over here!
Sabrina @ Dinner, then Dessert says
I’ve never had a blueberry ice cream before, but now I really want to! Blueberry is one of my favorite flavors!
Angelic Sinova says
Wow that Blueberry Graham Cracker Ice Cream looks AMAZING! I can’t wait to try this recipe out this weekend <3
Erinn S says
I love The benefits of blueberries! This looks delicious
Mary Edwards says
All of the food looks delicious! I am definitely going to try this blueberry graham cracker ice cream soon!
Shann Eva says
Wow. I had no idea all the things that could be made with blueberries. That ice cream looks fabulous.
Travel Blogger says
Honestly I’m a little bit surprised at how beautiful that ice cream looks!
Debra says
Oh my word. This looks amazing! So fresh and delicious!
Michelle F. says
That ice cream looks so good. I would have never thought to make ice cream out of blueberries.
NORAH says
I am a total deer in headlights with cooking and baking. But this sounds absolutely delicious and I love blueberries.
Ellen ThatChicMom says
Oh wow, nothing says I love you like homemade ice cream… I need to make this for my husband.
Marina says
What a yummy treat! These look delicious. I love blueberrys too so this is right up my alley.
Chelley @ A is For Adelaide says
I lovemaking my own ice cream, but it’s usually boring flavors! I am going to try this out for sure- the perfect pairing with pie for the Fall season!
Laura Gregory says
Our family loves blueberries and this looks amazing. Can’t want to experiment.
Tammi Roy says
I am getting hungry looking at these great photos/ I will have to try the ice cream recipe. I have never heard of blueberry meatloaf before.
Lisa Bristol says
I have never tried making my own ice cream before. I will have to get the ingredients i need to try making it. All of the food looks amazing.
Ann B says
This food all looks amazing.I would love to try the ice cream. The blueberry meatloaf sounds like it would be so delicious.
Elizabeth O. says
Wow it looks really yummy. I really should get myself an ice cream maker. The recipe looks so easy to do!
Tonya C says
That’s an amazing amount of dishes featuring blueberries! Who knew. Totally surprised by all the savory options.
Pam says
Wow that Blueberry Graham Cracker Ice Cream looks out of this world. I bet the crackers really add just the right flavor and texture to it. Going to try and make this over the weekend.
carissa garabedian says
These pics are beautiful! I love the recipe too and will save it to try. I love all things blueberry ! Thanks
Toni | BoulderLocavore says
What a fantastic outing! You must have learned a lot about blueberries and sampled some delicious food. This ice cream recipe is the best!
Shauna says
I can understand why you wanted to try everything, it all looks amazing. And that blueberry ice cream? YUMMY! Thanks so much for the recipe. Thanks for sharing…
Debbie Denny says
This is an event I could have a blast. Love that icecream
Lorane says
This is a great spin on indulging in Ice Cream .. the Blueberries made it a healthy treat
Ashley Sears says
One of my favorite foods to snack on are graham crackers. This ice cream recipe must have been made just for me lol
coolchillmom says
So blueberry meatloaf sounds like an adventure! I would totally go for that yummy ice cream. Recently I grilled a pizza with blueberries and it was a hit
Elizabeth @ Being MVP says
Wow this looks absolutely stunning! I just need an ice cream maker now :/
Lois Alter Mark says
I’m such an ice cream fanatic. That sounds delicious – and the color is so pretty!
Sarah Bailey says
Oh wow this sounds absolutely delicious and I don’t think you can beat fresh fruits being used. x
Dana Rodriguez says
The blueberry sausage sound really good too!
Terri Beavers says
I love blueberries in everything so I bet I would really love this ice cream. I’ll have to make it and see how the kids like it as well as they love blueberries as well. Thanks for sharing.
Wendy says
Love blueberries. I grew up with bushes in the backyard so we had a lot of them. Will need to make this ice cream!
Lindsey @ Redhead Baby Mama says
OMG, these frozen treats are looking so delicious. Blueberries are one of my favorite fruits.
Amanda says
This recipe looks very interesting. We love blueberries and graham crackers, but have never tried them both in ice cream. Worth a try, though!
melisasource says
Blueberries and Ice cream two of my favorite things!I totally love this!
Pam says
Blueberry meatloaf sounds interesting! I swear I’ve seen a recipe for meatloaf with dried cherries in it before, so it’s not TOO weird of an idea for me. But I still don’t know if I could bring myself to try it. This ice cream on the other hand….yum.
204 Park says
Oh my gosh YUM! These photos all made me so hungry haha
Cynthia @craftoflaughter says
I love blueberries, pancakes, muffins, ice cream, not sure about meatloaf though!
Linda Kinsman says
My family and I love Blueberries and I missed out picking my own this summer, so I’m going to have to find some at the grocery store now because your photos are making my mouth water!
Rebecca B. says
Your blueberry ice cream sounds amazing!! The perfect treat for this holiday weekend!!
Tamara says
I love the addition of graham cracker crumbs. Blueberries are wonderful and I can’t stand when they’re not in season! (same with ice cream although I do sometimes eat it even in winter)
Catherine S says
I love Blueberries and Ice Cream and the two together are perfect. I can’t wait to try this recipe.
Mama to 5 BLessings says
I love blueberries, they are so good for you. Full of antioxidants! This ice cream sounds like a nice healthy treat!
Rebecca Bryant says
Oh my i would have been in food heaven. I just made blueberry muffins last night so now I want ice cream.
Charles Bradshaw says
This sounds so good. I love blueberries. I have a couple of pints of them in the fridge and was looking for some good recipes for the kids too.
Diana Villa says
Everything looks fantastic! I’m hungry already lol, I can’t wait to try the ice cream recipe 😀
Catherine S says
I agree, I can’t wait to make this Ice Cream Recipe. All the food looks amazing.
Lieurene Tran says
Oh my gosh! That looks delicious! My travel buddy absolutely love the blueberry ice cream in South Korea. I will be sure to pass this along to her so she can learn how to make it
Alicia says
I love blueberries!! This is absolutely delicious.
Ora Lee Gurr says
Gosh, it’s a treat going to the wine country anytime of year. To learn more about blueberries and how to use them to add flavor and nutrition to other things to eat is fantastic. The ice cream is definitely on my list of things to try.
BellaVidaLetty says
I’m amazed at how creative people are. I would have never thought to add blueberries to things like pizza.
sharon martin says
I would have loved to try it all, it looks amazing! I will definitely be trying the ice cream, yum yumx
Sarah says
Oh my goodness I would love to be there tasting all that food. Your ice cream looks amazing I really want to taste it.
Krysten says
Oh my gosh that looks AMAZING.
Lexie Lane says
Oops! Sorry I was too excited and pressed the comment button quick! That ice cream looks too perfect! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Lexie Lane says
Wow! This is an amazing selection! Very nice!
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says
Holy. Moly. This is the best ice cream recipe I’ve seen in a long time, and I’ve seen a TON of them. Yummo!
Rebecca B. says
I absolutely love blueberries!! So good for our and so versatile!! I have to say I probably would make a meatloaf with them, though :0
Jessica Harlow says
Your Blueberry Graham Cracker ice cream looks delicious! These two flavors would go together wonderfully…and I just so happen to have a freezer full of frozen blueberries thanks to my bushes out back!
Tiffany Cruz says
This looks really refreshing! I want this right now. I have so many fresh blueberries on hand because of the two bushes in our backyard.
Mary says
The blueberry ice-cream looks delicious! I will have to try some different recipes adding blueberries. Thanks.
Dawn says
Everything about that is amazing! Blueberry is always a fantastic pairing with dairy, and I already love to eat graham crackers with my ice cream.
Robin (Masshole Mommy) says
We have a ton of blueberries in our freezer from when we picked them last month. I know what I am using some of them for 😉
Claudia Krusch says
This sounds sooo good! I’m definitely trying it! Thank you for sharing it!
chelsea jacobs says
This sounds so delicious!
Valerie says
I honestly thought that blueberries were more for a sweet treat. These other recipes sound great too! The ice cream looks delicious.
Robin (Masshole Mommy) says
Blueberries are always a treat! We can’t get enough of them in our house.
Amanda Ripsam says
I have so much blueberries in my freezer that I need to use up, thank you for the lovely ideas. Blueberry meatloaf sounds kinda crazy but I’m up to giving it a try I’d probably add more oatmeal to my meatloaf if I do make blueberry meatloaf. I also would love to make home made ice cream something I have never done before.