15 berry-bursting recipes

There's nothing quite like popping a berry on your tongue. Unless it's popping many berries into an exquisite dessert.

Source: Sarah Graham's Food Safari

The temptation to begin with a pun is overwhelming: berries are just so berry good. They make life sweeter - in fact, you could say that berries are our jam.

Okay, good to get that out of the way. Now we can focus on the fact that berries are among the healthiest foods on the planet. They're also the hardest working. Berries are loaded with antioxidants to reign in free radicals and help fight inflammation; they're high in soluble fibre, which smashes hunger pangs; and they're positively overloaded with nutrients like vitamins C and K1, manganese, copper and folate.

Best of all, berries taste amazing. Put a berry into any dish and the wow factor is instantly sky-high. All of the following dishes are a case in point - even if you make them with frozen berries.

Summer loving

Berries turn a simple pudding into a show-stopper dessert. Source: Alan Benson

A summer pudding is a beautiful way to showcase the wonder that is berries. This recipe uses blackcurrants, strawberries, red currants, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries - it's a berry bonanza.

Bottled bonanza

Is there anything more wholesome than homemade jam? Source: Benito Martin

Homemade jam spreads the essence of summer berries throughout the year. Don't feel daunted by the process - it's surprisingly simple.

Sorbet wins

We'll have four scoops, thank you berry much. Source: Sarah Graham's Food Safari

We take it all back. Neither jam nor pudding can compete with berry sorbet for capturing summer like a boss. Throw in some mint and basil and it's like licking up the season.

Loafing around

Pro-tip: to stop your berries from sinking during baking, coat them in a little flour before adding to your batter. Source: Mary Makes It Easy

The only thing that makes a lemon loaf better? Adding berries, of course. Mary Berg adds raspberries then ups the ante with a lemon and raspberry glaze. Afternoon tea just became our new favourite meal.

Cranberry cut-through

These wholesome brownies also use sweet potato and dates in place of flour and sugar. Source: Adam Liaw

Brownies can have an overbearing richness - many will slay us for saying such a thing, but it's true. A good helping of cranberries cuts through the usual chocolate overload to produce a perfectly balanced treat.

Simply perfect

Puff pastry with lashings of Nutella-laced crème fraîche and lemon myrtle-laced berries will knock your guests' socks off, yet takes moments to prepare. Source: Adam Liaw

If it's a simple dessert you're after, then this berry-laden and Nutella-smothered puff pastry crowd-pleasing tart is the answer.

Nicely fooled

Hard to believe an exquisite dessert such as this would be named a 'fool', but the name comes from the French "fouler", meaning to press or crush. Source: Danielle Abou Karam

Freshly crushed raspberries, cream and light-as-a-feather sponge biscuits are layered to create this classic British dessert. Also try it with blackberries, mulberries or strawberries.

Cherry berry merry

Rote grütze is a popular specialty from Northern Germany and has a lovely tart flavour. Source: Alan Benson

The simple German rote grütze shows off the cherry and berry season. It's super-easy to make ahead to perfectly complete your summer dinner party.

Power whipped

Get your berry fix at breakfast. Source: Sini Ellen

Think of vispipuuro as the Finnish version of a berry power bowl. The dish is typically made with lingonberries, but the sweet tartness of cranberry is an excellent substitute.

Swoon before spoon

Macarons reach new heights thanks to a raspberry lift. Source: Guillaume's Paris

Trust Guillaume Brahimi to make macarons even more irresistible. Whole raspberries, raspberry sorbet and Chantilly cream are enough to make a swoon before eating.

Torte well

For maximum deliciousness, pile plump fresh berries on top as high as you can go. Source: Steve Brown

We reckon you won't be able to resist this rich, chocolate dessert that's made of whole food ingredients. A special note in the cake itself is the use of dried berries, instead of fresh ones. This brings a nice injection of berry flavour while keeping the moisture content of the torte just right.

Mulberry it over

A berry tart can't be beat. Source: Emma Galloway

Many neighbourhoods around Australia host a forgotten mulberry tree, only remembered when the class gets silkworms. Just know this: mulberries are just as delicious for humans as the leaves are for worms. Exhibit A: this mulberry and lemon yoghurt tart.

Long on short

Frozen berries are welcome in this warm and wonderful dessert. Source: Apple and blackberry shortcake (Benito Martin)

A sort of cross between a cake, a scone and a pudding, shortcake is one of the easiest desserts you'll ever put together. When you add plenty of berries, it's also one of the yummiest, too.

Suited to a clafoutis

Ainsley Harriott calls this dish a 'bluefoutis' and we like it. Source: Ebury Press / Dan Jones

Stone fruits (especially cherries) are often the choice when making clafoutis, but berries suit this dessert just as well. Blueberries are good, as used here, but raspberries, strawberries or even blackcurrants go just as well.

Crumbled resolve

A nutty, crunchy, toasty topping is the perfect complement for sweet and sour blueberries. Source: Mary's Kitchen Crush

Try to resist dessert all you want, but we're powerless against a blueberry crumble. Add vanilla ice cream to slowly melt its way through and we're as toasted as the crumble topping.