9 easy blackberry recipes and foraging tips

Late summer hedgerows are bursting with juicy blackberries, making this the perfect time to get outdoors and enjoy a spot of foraging.

If you're wondering what to make with them, we've rounded up some of our favourite easy blackberry recipes to try with your family, including blackberry crumble, ice lollies, flapjacks, pies and pancakes. We've also got practical tips to help you pick blackberries safely and responsibly in the wild.

When is blackberry season in the UK?

Blackberries grow on bramble bushes. They ripen from July onwards and can be picked through late summer into autumn.

How to forage for blackberries

Bramble is a common shrub. Look for it growing in woods, hedgerows and scrubland, and follow our tips for safe blackberry-picking:

• Brambles are thorny, so wear long sleeves and trousers to avoid getting scratched. Make sure children are aware of the sharp thorns.
• Choose a bush away from roads to avoid polluted fruit.
• Only pick if you're completely sure about your plant ID. You can use our bramble page to help you identify blackberries.
• Look for plump, purplish-black fruits. Small red and green ones won’t be ripe yet.
• Be careful not to crush other plants while you're picking.
• Leave plenty for wildlife. Squirrels, badgers, foxes, mice and birds all eat blackberries too.

1. Blackberry crumble

This classic crumble is delicious with a dollop of cream or a drizzle of custard. You can make it in one large dish, or use ramekins for small individual puds.

Ingredients

• 500g blackberries, washed
• 250g plain or wholemeal flour (swap 50g for porridge oats if you prefer)
• 150g soft brown sugar
• 180g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Before you start

Pre-heat your oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

How to make

1. Put the blackberries in a lightly buttered ovenproof dish. Sprinkle a little sugar over them if they're a bit sharp.
2. To make the crumble topping, put the flour and butter cubes into a large mixing bowl and rub them between your fingers until the mixture feels like breadcrumbs.
3. Stir in the sugar (and the oats if you're using them).
4. Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the blackberries.
5. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for around 30 minutes until golden brown.

2. Blackberry ice lollies

These fruity ice lollies will help kids cool off on hot days. 

Makes six ice lollies.

Ingredients

• 150g blackberries, washed
• Half a banana, chopped
• 100g vanilla yoghurt
• Ice lolly moulds

How to make

1. Blitz the blackberries and banana in a blender until smooth.
2. Stir in the yoghurt.
3. Pour the mixture into the lolly moulds.
4. Freeze overnight and eat them in the sunshine.

3. Blackberry and apple hand pies

Enjoy the taste of summer with this scrumptious bake. You can serve these individual pies warm with a scoop of ice cream or let them cool and pack them in your picnic to enjoy on woodland walks.

Makes 12 hand pies.

Ingredients

• 150g blackberries, washed
• 2 eating apples
• 50g caster sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 egg
• 500g shortcrust pastry dough (make your own or use ready-made)

Before you start

Pre-heat your oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

How to make

1. Peel the apples and chop them into small chunks.
2. Put the apples, sugar and water into a saucepan. Cook on a medium heat for five minutes.
3. Add the blackberries and cook for five minutes on a low heat. Pour the fruit mixture into a bowl to cool.
4. On a floured surface, roll your pastry into a large rectangle 5mm thick.
5. Cut your pastry into 12 equal-sized rectangles.
6. Place six pastry rectangles on the baking tray and brush the edges with beaten egg. Spoon your fruit onto the centre of each rectangle, leaving a gap around the edge.
7. Place the remaining rectangles on top. Use a fork to firmly press around the edges – this stops the filling spilling out.
8. Cut small slashes across each pie to let steam escape while cooking. Brush the pies with beaten egg and sprinkle caster sugar over the top.
9. Bake your pies in the oven for 20 minutes, until golden and bubbling.

4. Blackberry flapjacks

These yummy flapjack bars are just the right mix of chewy and fruity. They're ideal for stashing in your snack box to beat hunger on outdoor adventures.

Makes 12 flapjacks.

Ingredients

• 100g blackberries, washed
• 250g jumbo rolled oats
• 125g unsalted butter
• 125g light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp golden syrup

Before you start

Pre-heat your oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line a 20 x 20cm tin with baking paper.

How to make

1. Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a saucepan over a low heat.
2. Stir in the oats until they’re coated in the buttery liquid.
3. Pour the mixture into the lined tin and squish it into the corners.
4. Scatter the blackberries on top and press down firmly so the mixture is an even thickness.
5. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
6. Remove from the oven and leave to cool, before cutting into 12 pieces.

5. Blackberry pancakes

Brighten up breakfast time with these fruity, fluffy pancakes.

Ingredients

• 75g blackberries, washed
• 150g self-raising flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 100ml milk
• 75ml plain yoghurt
• Oil for cooking

How to make

1. Mash the blackberries in a bowl or whizz them up in a blender. Put to one side.
2. Put the flour, baking powder, egg, maple syrup, milk and yoghurt in a large bowl and whisk together until there are no pesky lumps.
3. Stir in your blackberries and watch as the mixture turns purple!
4. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a hot frying pan. Pour a large spoonful of pancake batter into the middle of your pan and cook for two minutes on each side. Feeling brave? Have a go at flipping your pancake!
5. Stack your pancakes and serve with a dollop of yoghurt, a drizzle of maple syrup and a handful of blackberries.

6. Frozen yoghurt bark

Bramble bark is a yummy summer treat and it's super simple to make, so kids can get stuck in.

Why is it called bark?

When frozen yoghurt is broken into shards, it looks like a bit like pieces of tree bark.

Ingredients

• 250g blackberries, washed
• 500g Greek yoghurt
• 2 tbsp runny honey

How to make

1. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
2. Stir the honey into the yoghurt.
3. Dollop the mixture onto the tray and spread it out in an even layer.
4. Scatter the blackberries on top.
5. Freeze for two hours or until the yoghurt is solid.
6. Peel away the paper and break the yoghurt into pieces. Now tuck into your yummy bramble bark!

Invent your own recipe

Encourage youngsters to choose their favourite ingredients to design their own bark recipe. Think about flavoured yoghurt, different fruits, nuts and seeds, chocolate chips, peanut butter, granola...take your pick!

7. Blackberry sauce

This tasty sauce is delicious drizzled over ice cream. You can also stir it into yoghurt, pour it over desserts or perk up breakfast foods like waffles and French toast.

Ingredients

• 250g blackberries, washed
• 50g caster sugar
• ½ tbsp vanilla essence
• 100ml water

How to make

1. Put the blackberries, sugar and water into a saucepan. Bring it to the boil and simmer until the fruit is mushy.
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla essence.
3. Strain the sauce through a sieve to remove the seeds.

8. Super summer pudding

This traditional pudding is bursting with summer fruit flavours. As well as blackberries, you can use raspberries, blackcurrants and redcurrants (a frozen mix works well). You'll need a pudding basin or an ovenproof bowl.

Ingredients

• blackberries and other summer fruits – enough to fill your basin one and a half times
• sliced white bread that's not too fresh – around one day old 
• 3 tbsp caster sugar

How to make

1. Grease the basin with butter.
2. Cut the crusts off the bread and line the basin with the slices. Press them firmly against the sides and make sure there are no gaps. Set a couple of bread slices aside to make the lid.
3. Put the fruit and sugar into a small saucepan. Heat it gently until it simmers – it should now be fairly runny with syrupy juice. Turn off the heat and taste it (be careful – it will be very hot). Add more sugar if it's too sharp.
4. Fill the basin with the fruit mixture. Save some syrup and any fruit that's left over. Put the bread lid on and place a plate on top so it's pressing down into the pudding. Weigh it down with a can.
5. When the pudding is cool, put it in the fridge overnight to let the juice soak into the bread.
6. To serve, carefully turn your pudding out onto a plate. Pour over the rest of the syrup and decorate the base with the leftover fruit. Scrummy!

9. Bramble whisky

While many of our blackberry recipes are family-friendly, this tasty tipple is just for grown-ups!

Bramble whisky is a beautiful, fruity liqueur with a deep, rich colour. You just need a handful of ingredients and it's really simple to make.

Try our bramble whisky recipe.

Find out more about blackberries

Can you freeze blackberries?

Yes, blackberries freeze well. Wash and dry your freshly picked fruits before storing them in the freezer.

How do you know if a blackberry is ripe?

Look for fruits that are dark in colour, shiny and come away easily from the stem.

Are blackberries good for you?

Blackberries are full of fibre and are bursting with vitamin C which are important for keeping our bodies healthy.

This blog was originally published on 27 August 2019, and was last updated on 23 July 2026 to include new information.