Old-Fashioned Blackberry Cobbler
There's nothing simpler than a fresh fruit cobbler—just a pinch of starch and sugar to bind and sweeten the best summer fruit, all bubbly and thick beneath a golden biscuit crust (and maybe a dollop of whipped cream, if you're lucky). It's one of the easiest bakes around, and even less-than-perfect blackberries can make a stunning dessert.
Blackberry Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
This cake's pretty purple color and fruity flavor come from fresh blackberry purée, which acts like buttermilk to make the cake itself tender, tangy, and light. Paired with tangy cream cheese frosting, it may just become your new favorite dessert.
Blackberry Ice Cream
Celebrate summer blackberries at their peak with this intensely flavored and pretty purple ice cream. Ripe blackberries are cooked down on the stovetop with sugar to concentrate them, then strained to remove seeds. A touch of cinnamon amplifies the fruits' natural aroma.
Blackberry, Grapefruit, and Sage Infused Water
Sweet ripe blackberries, tart grapefruit, and woodsy sage blend together for a refreshing and balanced infused water.
Continue to 5 of 14 belowBlackberry Mint Kombucha
Here, adding fruit and a small amount of sugar for the secondary fermentation results in a refreshingly fizzy kombucha.
Blackberry Margarita
Margaritas are also a great way to use up some of that fresh fruit from the market—especially fruits with a hint of tartness. Blackberries add deep berry flavor and a vibrant red color to this margarita. The salted rim provides the perfect contrast to the sweet and tart citrus and berry flavors while the blackberry garnish helps dress this drink up.
Blackberry and White Chocolate Layer Cake
Here, a lemon layer cake is filled with blackberry jam and encased in rolled wafer cookies and white chocolate for a summer dessert that's a showstopper at any festive occasion.
Blackberry-Thyme Crumb Cake
Blackberry preserves get an unexpected exclamation point with fresh thyme and lemon zest in this crumbly, buttery cake that's a cinch to make.
Continue to 9 of 14 belowLemon Ginger Blackberry Swirl Ice Cream
This ice cream pairs a bright, slightly spicy lemon-ginger base with a dark, sweet, and tart blackberry swirl.
DIY Blackberry Liqueur
Blackberry liqueur, also known as crème de mûre, is a summer must! It has the brightness of berries and the richness of a sophisticated liqueur all rolled into one.
Blackberry Brown Sugar Frozen Yogurt
Using brown sugar instead of white here adds a subtle caramel molasses note to frozen yogurt. It also enhances the dark, rich flavor of blackberry purée. A pinch of clove adds more spice.
Apple Blackberry Thyme Jam
This sweet, tart, herbaceous jam pairs well with hearty whole grain breads and bran muffins, but it can also be used as a glaze for pork tenderloin. Pulse the blackberries in the food processor a few times to coarsely purée them.
Continue to 13 of 14 belowBlackberry Pistachio Icebox Cake
This cake is studded with blackberries, pistachios, and pomegranate molasses in between layers of tea biscuits and rose water–infused whipped cream. It's sweet and creamy like an icebox cake should be, but tart berries and nutty pistachios keep things interesting for an easy but delicious warm-weather dessert.
Blackberry Gin and Tonic
The sharp, tart flavor of a classic gin and tonic is a perfect pairing for ripe blackberries. Blackberries and lime form the backbone of this simple summer sipper.
14 Blackberry Recipes You'll Love So Berry Much This Summer
If you have quarts of freshly picked blackberries, we have the cake, ice cream, or cocktail for you!
Updated June 11, 2024
Summer is prime season for locally grown fruits, especially ripe, sweet berries. Whether you picked up a few quarts at the farmers market or stained your fingers picking your own, here are 14 ways to make blackberries shine. Featuring frosted cakes, jewel-toned cocktails, cool ice cream, and old-fashioned blackberry cobbler, these blackberry recipes are perfect for any party, potluck, or an evening with friends.