Fresh fruit is better than frozen fruit, right? That’s something people shout from the rooftops. Or maybe just something you’ve heard before. No doubt, something happens to fruit when it goes into the freezer that turns down the fragrance and juiciness and texture somewhat—it just ain't going to be the same. But for solid chunks of the year, the fruit we love to turn into tarts and pies and muffins isn’t in season, and frozen fruit is the best possible substitute. And that’s totally cool, just as long as you know how to use them.
One good thing to know about using frozen fruit in your favorite baking recipe is that it doesn't need to be defrosted before you use it—it'll thaw on its own in the oven. But not all frozen fruit is created equal; some are just better for baking than others. As a general rule, smaller fruits with a thicker skin tend to hold up better and release less water. That’s why we like blackberries, pitted cherries, and blueberries for almost any application, while we avoid things like strawberries or peaches for most. Here’s how to incorporate frozen fruit into the baked goods we make year-round:
These easy crumble bars are the ultimate bring-over dessert. They're incredible when made with blackberries, but any other berries that look good—raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, or a even a combination—make a more than acceptable substitute.
Fruit Bars
Think of your fruit bar pan like a canoe. You don’t want water in the bottom of your canoe, for the sake of keeping the contents of the canoe (read: you) dry. Keeping the bottom layer of your fruit bars dry and crispy is just as important. To do that, we want to avoid frozen fruit that sheds a ton of water. Blackberries and blueberries (not thawed) are prime here, since their skin is slightly thicker and keeps the moisture in the berry. You could pull it off with raspberries or peaches, but keep in mind that your bars will have to bake a little longer to get rid of the excess liquid that leeches out of the fruit. Strawberries though? Don’t do it, unless you like gloppy, soggy mush.
Photo by Laura Murray, Styling by Anna Billingskog
Pies and Tarts
We have a hard time advocating for the use of frozen fruit in pies. The ratio of fruit to crust leans drastically in the favor of fruit, and since pies are all about highlighting fruit flavor, it would be a shame not to use the fresh stuff. We definitely wouldn’t use frozen peaches, strawberries, or raspberries in pie, since they turn to mush easily. Blueberries are the only store-bought frozen fruit we can get behind for pie use. That said, we've been known to freeze our own fruit when we can get that good-good in-season farmers' market stuff for the right price, and use that all year round. Throw those farm stand blackberries in the deep freeze now, and you'll thank yourself in January when you’re eating a dank berry pie.
