What to Substitute for Blueberries
5 min read · Published August 7, 2026
Out of blueberries mid-recipe? Some swaps are one-for-one. Others need an adjustment, and a couple will not work at all.
The right substitute depends on what the blueberry is doing in the recipe. In a muffin it is a discrete pocket of soft fruit. In jam it is a source of pectin and acid. In a pie it is bulk plus liquid. Swap without accounting for the job and you get a soupy filling or a jam that never sets.
Direct one-for-one swaps
| Substitute | Works in | Adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| Blackberries | Nearly everything | None; slightly more tart |
| Raspberries | Muffins, crisps, jam | More fragile — fold even more gently |
| Huckleberries | Everything | None; closest botanical relative |
| Chopped strawberries | Muffins, cobbler, crisp | Wetter — add 1 tbsp cornstarch to fillings |
| Cherries, pitted and halved | Pies, cobblers, crisps | Firmer; may need 5 extra minutes |
| Cranberries, fresh | Breads and muffins | Very tart — increase sugar by 1/4 cup |
Frozen for fresh
The easiest substitution of all is frozen blueberries for fresh, which works in every cooked application. Do not thaw, and add a tablespoon of cornstarch to any pie or cobbler filling. The full rundown is in fresh vs. frozen blueberries in baking.
Dried blueberries
Dried berries are a substitute in cookies and scones, where extra moisture would be a problem, and a poor one in pies, where the fruit is supposed to supply juice.
Use about one-third the volume of fresh, since dried fruit is concentrated. If the recipe has little liquid, plump them first in hot water or juice for 10 minutes and drain well. Our blueberry cookies are built around dried berries for exactly this reason.
For jam and preserves, substitute carefully. Blueberries are moderately high in pectin and acid. Low-pectin fruit like strawberries or peaches will not set on lemon juice and time alone — you will need added pectin or a much longer reduction.
What does not work
- Blueberry pie filling from a can, in place of fresh fruit. It is already thickened and sweetened; using it as a fresh-fruit substitute doubles both.
- Blueberry jam, in place of fresh berries in a batter. Far too much sugar, and it will not hold its shape.
- Grapes. Similar size and colour, entirely wrong texture and flavour when heated.
- Blueberry-flavoured baking chips. These are usually sugar, oil, and flavouring with no real fruit.
Mixing fruit
You do not have to substitute all of it. Half blueberries and half something else works well in nearly every application, and mixed-berry versions of a crisp or cobbler are often better than single-fruit ones.
Our blueberry peach pie is built on that principle — the peaches bring perfume and the blueberries bring structure and colour.