Blueberry Cookies Are the Ultimate Soft and Chewy Treat — 3 Success Secrets + 2 Recipes

The smell of freshly baked cookies wafting through the kitchen is simply irresistible. And if you’re like us, you’re always looking for easy ways to make homemade extra flavorful and chewy. One trend that’s caught our eye is incorporating blueberries into the cookie dough. Similar to mixing blueberries into cake or muffin batter, the fruit adds a pop of freshness and color to cookies. Plus, the berries soften as they bake to create perfectly tender treats. Simply put, making a batch of blueberry cookies will satisfy your sweet cravings and allow you to use up leftover fruit. So, keep reading for tips on baking with these berries alongside two blueberry cookie recipes that bake in under 30 minutes!

Why blueberries are a perfect add-in to cookie dough

Blueberries produce soft and chewy cookies for two main reasons. First, the fruit releases its juices during baking, preventing the dough from drying out. Also, adding blueberries into cookie batter provides the treat with a naturally sweet and tart flavor. This is why blueberries shine when mixed in rich and buttery sugar, peanut butter or oatmeal cookie dough.

All of this said, you shouldn’t stress over using fresh versus frozen blueberries. Both work well in cookie batter, but Lisa Steele, founder of Fresh Eggs Daily, prefers baking with Maine blueberries whenever possible. “They’re the best to use for pie and cookies because they’re smaller and their flavor is more intense than regular cultivated blueberries,” she explains.

If you’re unable to buy fresh Maine blueberries, a frozen brand like Wyman’s Wild Blueberries (Buy from Walmart, $12.48 for a 48-oz. package) is widely available in grocery stores. Once you’ve got your blueberries, all it takes few tips in mind when baking with it for best results.

3 tips for baking with blueberries

These berries are one of the easiest fruits to bake with since you don’t have to chop them beforehand. Still, Norah Clark, professional pastry chef and editor at Boyd Hampers, offers three tips for ensuring the berries hold their shape and are fully incorporated into the cookie dough.

• Keep moisture to a minimum. Whether you use fresh or frozen blueberries, make sure the fruit is completely dry to prevent soggy cookies. For frozen berries, this means keeping them frozen rather than thawing before use. Fresh blueberries can be rinsed thoroughly and dried with a paper towel.
• Lightly coat the blueberries in flour. To prevent blueberry juices from bleeding into your cookie dough, toss the berries in 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour before gently folding into the batter. This helps the blueberries stay intact and evenly distributed. (Click through to discover how flour works to stop berries from sinking in other baked goods.)
• Chill the dough before baking. After mixing your cookie dough, it’s a good idea to chill it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes prior to scooping it. This step firms up the dough and prevents excessive spreading during baking. 

2 recipes for deliciously chewy blueberry cookies

Now that you have tips for making blueberry cookies, apply them to these two simple recipes — and impress yourself with the yummy results!

Blueberry Cookies With Lemon Glaze

This recipe courtesy of Farwin Simaak, founder at Love and Other Spices, adds a bright zing to blueberry cookies by mixing lemon zest and juice into the dough. Also, Simaak tops each cookie with lemon glaze once baked for a final sugary touch.

Ingredients:

Cookie dough:

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter softened 
• ¾ cup granulated sugar 
• ¼ cup light brown sugar 
• 1 egg, temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1½ cups all purpose flour 
• 1 tsp. baking soda 
• Pinch of salt 
• 1 Tbs. lemon juice 
• 1 Tbs. lemon zest 
• ½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries 

Lemon glaze:

• 1 cup confectioners sugar 
• 1 Tbs. lemon juice + additional
• 1 Tbs. milk 

Directions:

• Active: 15 mins
• Total time: 25 mins
• Yield: approximately 22 cookies

1. Preheat the oven at 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 
2. In mixing bowl, add butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Beat until creamy. Add vanilla extract and egg and beat until mixed. 
3. In separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Add lemon zest and lemon juice to batter and mix until dough forms. Fold blueberries in. 
4. Using cookie scoop, drop dough onto cookie sheet, spacing each one 2 inches apart. Bake 9 to 10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Transfer to cooling rack and let cool completely. 
5. To make glaze, whisk confectioner’s sugar, lemon juice, and milk in bowl until smooth. Glaze should be thick but pourable. Add more lemon juice if needed.
6. Drizzle glaze over cookies. Enjoy! 

Blueberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies 

This recipe shared by Steele takes blueberry cookies up a notch with the addition of white chocolate and rolled oats to the dough. These ingredients provide the cookies with milky sweet yet nutty taste. Yum!

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 tsp. baking soda 
• ½ teaspoon salt 
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened 
• 1 cup brown sugar 
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or extract
• 3 cups rolled oats 
• ½ cup white chocolate chips 
• ½ cup chopped walnuts 
• ½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries 

Directions:

• Active: 15 mins
• Total time: 25 mins
• Yield: 24 cookies

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt. Using hand or stand mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until creamy.  Add eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla. 
2. With mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the flour mixture until incorporated. Add oats, chips and walnuts, and mix until well combined. 
   Gently stir the berries into the dough. 
3. Drop the dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper using small ice cream scoop, spacing balls 1 inch apart. 
4. Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on cookie sheet for 
   a minute or two and then remove to wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
5. Note: Leftover cookies can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

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