Oat & Berry Muffins Recipe with Frozen Fruit (2024)

FAQs

Can frozen fruit be used in muffins? ›

When mixing frozen fruit into cake or muffin batter, small, still-frozen pieces work better. Keeping the fruit frozen eliminates the possibility of smushing them into your batter while mixing (ultimately turning your beautiful batter red or purple), and keeping the fruit small keeps that distribution even.

Frozen fruit should work fine in anything baked or cooked. Keep in mind that some recipes may require additional thickener to balance the extra juice. Rinse frozen fruit to prevent colors from bleeding. Thaw frozen fruit first if what you're making has a short baking or cooking time.

Generally, speaking, you can use fresh and frozen berries interchangeably in your baking recipes, but you may need to make a few tweaks to ensure it comes out perfectly.

Oatmeal – Oatmeal is delicious with the addition of frozen fruit. Not only think of berries but also cherries, mango and even peaches. Below is a basic recipe but, feel free to experiment with your favorite fruits and flavors!

Simply toss the frozen fruit with a small amount of flour or cornstarch before folding it into the batter. This will help ensure that every bite of muffin from beginning to end is perfectly filled with fruit.

Gently and quickly stir the frozen berries into the batter. You'll see a few inevitable streaks of blue, but the entire batter shouldn't turn blue. If that starts to happen – stop stirring, you're done! Make sure not to overmix the muffin batter, or the blueberry juice will still bleed.

Fresh blueberries are also less likely to release excess moisture into the batter, which can make the muffins soggy and dense. However, if fresh blueberries are not available, you can use frozen blueberries in your muffin recipe.

If time allows you can defrost the berries in the fridge. Slow defrosting does maintain a better flavour and texture. Place the berries in a bowl and wrap with plastic or put them in an airtight container. Thaw them for 4-6 hours if you are using them as a garnish, otherwise you can let them thaw overnight.

Frozen fruit and vegetables are a great option. They're less expensive, longer lasting, and they often have as many nutrients and as much flavor as fresh. Don't let unnecessary fear mongering make you feel like you only have to buy fresh produce.

To sweeten oatmeal without going overboard on refined sugar, try these additions: Fresh fruit: berries, bananas, apples, peaches, mango, or pears. Spices: cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, or nutmeg.

When should I add frozen fruit to oatmeal? ›

Cook on medium-high heat about 5 minutes until your oatmeal begins to thicken. Add the frozen fruit to your oatmeal and stir. Cook for about 2 minutes until the berries begin to soften.

For the best texture, don't mix in your frozen berries until the morning. I find that allowing the fruit to sit on top while the oats are soaking allows for the perfect consistency of overnight oats. If you mix them in the water from the defrosting fruit it will result in a slightly thinner consistency.

Most fruit can be added to recipes straight from the freezer, but you might prefer to use fresh fruit to garnish. Now you know how to freeze and defrost fresh fruit, it's time to put your skills to practice and try out one of these delicious fruity recipes.

This means frozen fruit is safe to eat for 8-10 months beyond the printed date on an unopened package. But… the fruit will not stay safe indefinitely. Signs that frozen fruit has gone bad, rotten, or spoiled include discoloration (dull color) and a frostbitten appearance with white colored ice crystals.

Blueberries: Use fresh or frozen blueberries in this recipe. If you use frozen, add them frozen so your batter doesn't turn purple. Flour: I use all-purpose flour in the video, but this recipe works with whole wheat flour, spelt flour, and even an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend (like Bob's Red Mill).