Purple Blueberry Cookies have an intense blueberry flavor and color thanks to incorporating mashed frozen blueberries into the dough. They are made with a mix of regular and almond flour which gives them nice soft and chewy texture.
Jump to:
If you’re on TikTok, you may have seen these mesmerizing purple blueberry cookies. When I first saw that trend I immediately decided that I need to try them for myself and see what the hype is all about! I have to say, they did NOT disappoint!
The original TikTok recipe produces deep purple cookies dotted with white chocolate chips made with vegan butter, frozen blueberries and granulated sugar. I thought that for a vegan cookie, these were pretty amazing but I also instantly started figuring out how to make the flavors more balanced and how to make the cookies a little more nutritious.
I absolutely love the lemon blueberry flavor combo so I decided to add lemon juice and lemon zest to the dough. I also experimented with different flours and it turned out that a combination of all purpose and blanched almond flour creates the BEST texture, soft and chewy at the same time. Finally, I didn’t think white chocolate chips add much to the wonderful lemon blueberry flavor perfection so I skipped them all together.
I used frozen Maine wild blueberries in this recipe for two reasons. 1. Because they are my very favorite blueberries to use in baking recipes 2. Maine is my home state so how could I not? If you’ve never tried Maine wild blueberries, go to the grocery store a find a bag of Wyman’s in the freezer aisle. They will blow your mind! If you have no access to wild blueberries though, regular bluebs will work great, too!
Do you love the purple color of these cookies? Try this Blueberry Pineapple Smoothie recipe or my Blueberry Apple Crumble.
What's special about this purple cookies recipe
There are so many reasons to love these purple cookie wonders! The flavor is fantastic, they have the BEST texture and the color is mesmerizing. If that’s not enough to convince you, here are more reasons to believe me:
- This recipe is easy and foolproof! The cookies will turn out perfect every time.
- Intense blueberry flavor in every bite (thanks to blueberries blended into the dough)!
- Great for summer but can be enjoyed all year round thanks to the use of frozen blueberries.
- These cookies are egg free which is great for families with egg allergies!
- They can easily be made vegan (just swap regular butter for vegan butter).
- Kids absolutely love these because they are sweet, soft and, well… purple!
Ingredient notes
-
Blueberries: I used frozen wild blueberries from Wyman’s. Regular (farmed) frozen blueberries will also be great.
-
All-purpose Flour: I like King Arthur’s.
-
Almond flour: use blanched almond flour. I buy mine in bulk at Sam’s Club or online.
-
Lemon zest & lemon juice: because blueberry and lemon are a perfect flavor match! Use an organic lemon, if possible and wash the peel well under hot water.
-
Sugar: plain old granulated white sugar works best for this recipe.
-
Butter: use good quality unsalted butter for that deep flavor and moistness. Vegan butter can be substituted if you want to make vegan blueberry cookies.
-
Baking Powder: to help the cookies raise.
-
Salt: to balance out the flavors. I use flaky sea salt in baking.
How to make purple blueberry cookies
- Microwave the blueberries. Place frozen blueberries in a small bowl and microwave for about 45 seconds to thaw and warm up. This step will make it easy to mash the blueberries with a fork. They should look mostly smooth, like jam. Add lemon juice and set aside to cool.
- Mix dry ingredients. Whisk together all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt.
- Cream butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer (such as KitchenAid) but you can also do it with a hand mixer. Beat the mixture on medium-high speed until white and fluffy. If using a standup mixer, you may need to stop it and scrape the sides and bottom once.
- Add blueberries to the creamed butter sugar and mix together at high speed for about 5 minutes, until the blueberries are completely incorporated and the mixture looks pink.
Note: At first the mixture may look a bit curdled. That’s normal! It will smooth out after a couple minutes.
- Add dry ingredients. Stop the mixer and add ⅓ of the flour mixture and all the lemon zest. Mix at low speed until fully incorporated. Repeat with remaining flour in two parts.
- Chill the dough. Place the bowl in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Note: I have a chest freezer so I stick the whole KitchenAid bowl in it but if you don’t have much space in the freezer, transfer the dough to a smaller bowl or container.
- Roll the sough into 12 balls. I use a small cookie scoop but a spoon will also work. Place cookie dough balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake in the oven preheated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 10-12 minutes should be enough. The cookies will flatten and the edges will just start browning.
Note: If you prefer flatter cookies, push them gently with the back of a spoon right after you take them out of the oven. If you prefer chunkier, thicker cookies, leave them alone. They are delicious either way!
- Let the cookies cool. Place the tray on a cooking rack for at least 15 minutes before diving in!
Tips & tricks for success
- Make sure to use softened butter to make the cookie dough. Beat butter and sugar until completely creamed, white and fluffy.
- The frozen and warmed up blueberries should be mashed to an almost pureed consistency but they don’t need to be completely smooth. After you add them to creamed butter and sugar, they will blend in nicely.
- When zesting a lemon only use the yellow parts. The white part of the peel is bitter and won’t taste good in the cookies. The best way to zest is by using a microplane but a cheese grater will also work!
- Don’t skip the chilling time. The dough will be very soft and the cookies won’t hold their shape during baking time. If you don’t mind flatter cookies, you can shorten the chilling time from 30 to 20 minutes, knowing that they will spread more while baking.
- Make cookie dough balls similar size so they bake at the same time. A small cookie scoop does the best job!
- Don’t overbake. Take the cookies out after about 10 minutes. The edges should start browning just a little bit.
Storage suggestions
You can store these cookies on the counter for up to 3 days. I don’t put them in an airtight container because the moisture from the blueberries and lemon juice makes them too soft, almost soggy. Instead, you can cover them with a clean thin kitchen towel or parchment paper.
You can also freeze the cookies for up to 3 months in a zip lock bag or a container with a lid. Or, freeze the cookie dough balls for up to 1 month. Let thaw to room temperature before baking.
Variations and substitutions
- To make these cookies vegan, swap regular butter for vegan butter.
- If you don’t have or don’t want to use almond flour, just swap it for equal amount all-purpose flour. They will turn out softer and slightly less chewy (more like muffin stops) but you’ll love them either way!
- If you want, you can fold in ⅓ cup white chocolate chips into the dough.
- To make these cookies gluten free, use gluten free flour in place of all-purpose flour.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, especially if they’re wild blueberries (the small dark blue blueberries that grow in forested areas). Just heat them up in a bowl for a minute or two and mash with a fork. For regular farmed blueberries I would stick to frozen. They are easier to mash and will give the cookies a deeper color.
Yes to all-purpose flour. The cookies will turn out softer and a bit more cakey but will still be delicious. I would not use coconut flour for this recipe.
If you like white chocolate, go ahead! I'd start with ⅓ cup. You might also want to consider reducing the sugar amount by 1-2 tablespoons since white chocolate is quite sweet.
More cookie ideas
- Healthy Banana Nutella Oatmeal Cookies
- Healthy Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Healthy Almond Shortbread Cookies
- Healthy Banana Peanut Butter Cookies (No Oats)
- Protein Oatmeal Cookies
Recipe
Blueberry Lemon Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup all-purpose flour lightly packed + 2 tablespoons
- ½ cup blanched almond flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup butter softened
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup frozen blueberries
- zest from 1 lemon only yellow parts
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice about ½ lemon
Instructions
- Microwave frozen blueberries in a microwave safe bowl for 45 seconds. Let cool slightly, then mash with a fork until mostly pureed. The mixture will be watery – that’s ok.
- In a medium bowl whisk together all-purpose flour, almond flour, salt and baking powder.
- Place softened butter and sugar in the bowl of a standup mixer and cream together until light and fluffy.
- Add mashed blueberries and lemon juice to the butter-sugar mixture. Beat on high until the blueberries are completely incorporated, about 5 minutes. At the beginning the dough will look curdled which is normal. You may need to stop the mixer and scrape the sides once or twice.
- Add ⅓ of the flour mixture and lemon zest and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Repeat two times until all the flour is used up and purple cookie dough forms.
- Place the bowl in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, heat up the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- After 30 minutes in the freezer, form 12 cookie dough balls using a small cookie scoop or a spoon and drop onto the lined cookie sheet.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes until the edges are slightly browned.
- If you prefer thinner cookies, press them lightly with the back of a spoon once straight from the oven and very hot. If you like thicker cookies, you can omit this step.
- Place on a cooling rack and let the cookies cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
You may also like
Meet the Author
Hi, I'm Agnieszka. I'm a mom of three and recipe developer, writer and photographer behind Wholly Tasteful. I love creating comforting, delicious, family-friendly recipes that you can feel good about.
Jerika says
Yum! Can't wait to make these Purple Blueberry Lemon Cookies with my kids this coming weekend. Thanks!:)
Mandy says
These were so easy and delicious!
Marcellina says
I love the vibrant purple color of these cookies - so gorgeous!
Devan says
Wow, these cookies were so good! Thanks for this one!
Alexandra says
These cookies are beautiful! And so delicious.
Rupali says
Delicious and stunning! This was a hit with my daughter's friends.
Nora says
Those cookies look so cute! I love how easy they can be prepared! Thanks for the lovely recipe!
Angela says
these cookies are beautiful and delicious!
Megan says
These cookies look sensational
Denise says
These are so good! And good enough to win my family’s second annual “Cookie Contest”! Easy to make, not too sweet, and healthier than most cookies. Thank you, Wholly Tasteful!
Agnieszka says
Congratulations on your win! Glad to hear your family liked the cookies.
Heidi says
These are more like a cake than a cookie. They were soft and fluffy. I didn't taste much of the blueberry. If I make them again I'll add more. I used all purpose flour only. I left out the lemon zest. I rolled the cookie dough balls in sugar before baking . I baked them at 375° for 10 minutes. I also doubled the recipe and it still made a very small batch. Overall, they were easy to make but not as flavorful as I would have liked.
Eris says
Great summer treat! I added a little lemon icing drizzle to mine!
Agnieszka says
Great idea with the drizzle!
Trisha Jive Cariño says
OH MY GOSH. I LOVE IT. BEAUTIFUL. LIKE ASHTON KUTCHER. BUT HE'S HOT. ANYWAY, THESE ARE GOOD.