Last summer, we shared a Tactical Guide to Freezing Fresh Fruit so you could enjoy your favorite summer flavors, fresh fruits and berries even when they’re not in season. Now that the grocery stores are down to slim pickings, it’s time to pull those babies from the ice box and mix them into your meals.
Here are a few of our favorite tips and suggestions for how to use frozen fruits:
If you’re looking for a fresh-forward way to have a breakfast treat, try a just-kissed-with-sweetness breakfast crisp. No need to thaw frozen berries here, just mix them with a few ingredients to create the base and top it with a simple oat streusel, then bake. You can make them in individual ramekins for ready-to-go breakfasts or in a bigger pan for a crowd. Just top with yogurt and enjoy!
Raspberry-Almond Breakfast Crumble
Ingredients
For the crumble
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) organic quick oats
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) maple syrup
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) almond flour
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) almonds, toasted and chopped
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons (90 ml) coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) almond butter
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) organic vanilla extract
For the fruit filling
- 2 bags frozen raspberries
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) almond flour
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) maple syrup
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400ºF degrees. Prepare a 9-x-13-inch pan (or 8 ramekins) and combine the raspberries with the lemon juice, maple syrup and almond flour. Gently toss the ingredients so all the berries are evenly coated.
Next, make the granola topping: In a medium saucepan, combine the maple syrup, oats, almond flour, almonds, almond butter, salt, cinnamon and vanilla. Stir until the oats are well coated and little clumps of granola batter form. You aren’t cooking the granola mixture here — just avoiding using a separate bowl to incorporate all the ingredients. Once the mixture is nicely combined, sprinkle the granola evenly over the fruit mixture.
Bake the crumble for 45–55 minutes (15–20 minutes for individual ramekins) or until the berries are bubbling. The granola topping may brown faster than the berries cook; check the crumble at 25 minutes and cover the pan with aluminum foil if this is happening. Remove the foil again in the last 5 minutes of baking so the granola crisps.
Serve immediately with a dollop of yogurt. The crisp keeps well; cool to room temperature then store in the fridge for up to one week for breakfasts on the fly.
Serves: 8 | Serving size: 1/8 recipe
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 312; Total Fat: 21g; Saturated Fat: 10g; Monounsaturated Fat: 3g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 290mg; Carbohydrate: 30g; Dietary Fiber: 8g; Sugar: 11g; Protein: 6g
Smoothies are a no-brainer for frozen fruits and we mean more than bananas. Berries, mangos, melons and even apples and pears work perfectly to blend and chill creamy, satisfying beverages. Below is a favorite, flavorful smoothie made with just four ingredients. If you don’t have mango, substitute pineapple, berries … really any frozen fruit.
Mango-Banana Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 ml) frozen chopped mango
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) almond milk
- 1 ripe banana
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) honey
Directions
Toss all ingredients into the pitcher of a blender or the bowl of a food processor. Blend until smooth and frothy; enjoy immediately.
Serves: 1 | Serving Size: 8–10 ounces
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 305; Total Fat: 2g; Saturated Fat: 0g; Monounsaturated Fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 84mg; Carbohydrate: 75g; Dietary Fiber: 6g; Sugar: 22g; Protein: 3g
Add frozen fruit to your yogurt and granola bowls, toss it over cereal, add it to salads or oatmeal or enjoy over ice cream or with a bit of honey for dessert or on their own as a snack. Frozen fruits go just about anywhere fresh fruits might.
Frozen fruits are best employed in place of fresh fruits when they’re thawed and drained of additional water and juice. Simply pull them from freezer and place them on a plate in the refrigerator. Let them sit until the berries are soft, then drain. Likewise, you can place the fruits (still in their freezer container) under hot running water to speed the thawing process. Enjoy at will!
