Blueberry Dream Cookies
A blueberry cookie with cinnamon pie crust pieces is topped with a homemade blueberry jam and a creamy blueberry whipped topping. Creamy, dreamy, and full of blueberry flavor these blueberry dream cookies are the best.
My mother saved a stack of recipe cards from my Grandmother Marie in a wooden kitchen hutch in our house growing up. I would study her handwriting, fervently making plans to make each and every recipe, and commence covering the kitchen in whatever ingredients I needed to create something magical for the day. You see, dear reader, I have loved baking since I was very small. Some of my most cherished memories are sitting on the floor in the kitchen in front of the oven waiting and hoping for the timer to buzz.
One of the recipes I loved to make was her Blueberry Surprise, layers of dream whip, blueberry pie filling, and crisp pie crust pieces layered in a 13×9 baking dish. This was peak baking for me, crisp pastry, fluffy stabilized whipped cream concoction with a creamy blueberry pie filling from a can? Watch out Culinary School, 8 year old me could just hear the ovation of cheers and claps of what a wonderful baker I was. I could see my name on bakeries worldwide. This had to be the best dessert the world had ever seen.
I made Grandma Marie’s Blueberry Surprise recipe on repeat for months and years. Enjoying square cut pieces of this layered dessert was one of my first loves as a young baker. I remember the satisfaction I got when cutting dainty squares and placing them on plates for my family to enjoy. Sadly, the recipe card is long lost, and I kick myself for younger me being so careless and stupidly arrogant thinking why would anyone want to save food stained and scribbled recipe cards? Hellooo, we have the internet and Martha Stewart I naively thought to myself.
Luckily, my mature years are here for me to make peace with my younger dumb self and try not to repeat the same mistakes or, worse yet, my kids making the same mistakes. Now in my 30s I realized what a precious piece of family history those cards were and I’m glad I at least have that one memorized. Oof, that hits a bit heavy on me emotionally. This blog, in all of its random cookie glory, is thankfully my way to preserve a piece of my baking journey while also sharing with dear cookie friends I have made along the way.
Lately I have had a real craving for blueberry desserts. Of course, my Grandma Marie’s blueberry surprise recipe has been on my mind, and I have been toying with recreating it in ‘cookie style’ for some time now. With a few modern alterations and upgrades I have landed on a cookie I am proud of. Chewy brown sugar vanilla cookie dough, studded with crisp flakes of cinnamon sugar pie crust pieces, a homemade blueberry jam, and an ultra-creamy blueberry whipped topping. A cookie with layer after layer of blueberry flavor much like the layers of my childhood favorite Blueberry Surprise.
Even though I didn’t spend much time with my Grandma Marie, her love, kindness, and tenacity for baking treats and gifting them to others has passed on to me. I proudly and confidently carry this torch and hope this cookie would make her proud.
Why I Love This Recipe
Flavor-I am using a pretty standard brown sugar cookie dough recipe with vanilla, very similar to a chocolate chip cookie without the chips. This base cookie is soft and warm with a texture that is chewy and soft. The addition of the cinnamon sugared pie crust adds a deep toasty buttery flavor. The flavor of the pie crust is mild, buttery, and slightly salty adding complexity and richness to the cookie.
The blueberry jam is sweet and tart with a hint of lemon zest to brighten the flavor. I opted for a jam instead of a pie filling because I wanted concentrated blueberry flavor. The jam is cooked down with a stick of cinnamon which ties into the cinnamon sugared pie crust creating a warm aromatic flavor with every bite. Dried blueberries are added to the dough for pops of bright and sweet blueberry flavor.
The dried blueberries add a layer of candy like tart sweetness to the cookies. The whipped blueberry topping is a combination of cream cheese and whipped cream with blueberry freeze dried powder for another layer of blueberry flavor. It is lightly sweetened with powdered sugar and a bit of vanilla bean paste and is more tangy than sweet.
Perfectly balancing the sweetness of the jam and pastry crust and dried blueberry filled cookie dough underneath. All these components together stacked on top each other is layers of warm complimenting flavors. Fresh blueberries served on top add a fresh burst of juicy blueberry bringing the cookie flavor profile . Dreamy is the best way to describe the flavors of this cookie.
Texture -This is a soft and chewy style of cookie. It has crisp edges, chewy center, and a soft bite in between crisp pie crust and chewy dried blueberries. The pie crust is baked until a deep golden brown and crumbled up into pieces to add extra texture in the cookies. The pastry bits add a thin crispness to the cookie base that burst into buttery bites of flaky crust in every bite.
Dried blueberries add to the chewiness of the cookie and the blueberry jam is chunky with bits of blueberry throughout. The jam is very thick, melting into a pool of sugary sweet jammy syrup as you enjoy the cookie. The blueberry whipped topping is light and airy resembling a fluffy blueberry whipped cloud like texture. This adds a silky and creamy component for a texturally diverse cookie.
Layers of Blueberry-If you are a fan of blueberry desserts, this layered cookie has so many different components and uses of blueberry. Fresh, jammed, dehydrated, powdered, you are sure to get different levels of blueberry goodness. The blueberry flavor in these cookies are highlighted by the addition of lemon and cinnamon flavor buddies, letting the true flavor profile of blueberry shine through.
Ingredients You Need
-Butter- unsalted. Melted and cooled to room temperature.
-Brown Sugar
-Granulated Sugar
-Applesauce-I am using this as an egg substitute in this cookie recipe. I am very pleased at the results of the texture and flavor of the cookie using unsweetened applesauce. If you wish to use egg, replace the applesauce with one large egg.
-Dried Blueberries-sweet, tart, and very chewy.
-Cornstarch
-Baking Soda
-Vanilla Extract
-Salt-for flavor.
-Flour
Blueberry Jam
-Fresh Blueberries- can also use frozen blueberries. You might have to cook down for a little longer to evaporate the extra water from frozen berries.
-Granulated Sugar
-Lemon-half will be used for zest and juice
-Cinnamon Stick-optional. The cinnamon adds a nice warmth and depth to the jam.
-Pinch of salt-to enhance flavor of blueberries.
Cinnamon Sugar Pie Crust Pieces
-Pie Crust- I am using half of a single pie crust that I have made ahead of time and stored in my freezer. You can use store bought pie crust. You can also substitute the pie crust for 1 cup of cinnamon graham crackers. They add a nice honey cinnamon flavor to the cookies.
-Cinnamon-for the cinnamon sugar on the pie crust
-Melted Butter
-Granulated Sugar
Blueberry Fluff
-Freeze Dried Blueberry Powder- I found this online, it can also be found in health food stores. It has a wonderful bright purple color and a bright and tangy blueberry flavor. This stuff is wonderful!
-Heavy Cream-this needs to be very cold to whip up properly.
-Cream Cheese-full fat and at room temperature.
-Powdered Sugar
-Vanilla Bean Paste-can substitute vanilla extract or omit.
-Fresh Blueberries- I slice a few blueberries in half to decorate the tops of the cookies. This is an optional topping.
First Things First
So, I understand there are quite a few components to this cookie and I have created shortcuts to make the whole process easier. I am a big fan of prepping ahead when I can. I am also guilty of creating intricate and quite lengthy recipes. You must understand though, and I cannot stress this enough: Layers. Of. Blueberry. Flavor. If you want all the layers of blueberry deliciousness there needs to be a tiny bit of planning involved. Trust me, it is worth it.
How-To Make This Recipe Easy
- Make blueberry jam days or even weeks ahead of time.
- Purchase or make pie crust weeks ahead of time. Store in freezer. When ready to bake these cookies, place a pie crust in the fridge overnight to thaw, then bake the next day.
- Make the cinnamon sugar pie crust the day before making the cookie recipe and store in an airtight container in the pantry.
- Make the cookie dough the day before to bake the next day.
- You can also make the cookie dough, form into balls of dough and freeze to bake later.
- Whip up the blueberry whipped topping up to 3 days before you make the cookie recipe. Date, label, and store in the fridge until ready to assemble cookies.
- Get all the cookie assembly components ready at the counter. This will make layering the cookies easy.
Now that we have a plan to make this cookie as easy to make as possible, I am going to walk you through how I make all of the components and assemble this dreamy cookie. Also, all these components can be made the day of if you don’t want to assemble in advance, but it would carve out at least 90 minutes of time to get everything baked, whipped, scooped, and ready. Please plan accordingly.
Blueberry Jam
Please note this recipe is measured in grams instead of cups. This is to more accurately measure the correct quantity and ratios of fresh blueberries to sugar. There is so much variance on size of blueberries and it is easier for me to share this portion of the measurement using weight instead of volume so you will have consistent results.
In a medium sauce pan I place the fresh blueberries, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon stick, and pinch of salt. I stir them together to combine and heat the stove on medium high.
I pressed on some of the blueberries to release some of the juices but this isn’t necessary, I was simply bored.
The blueberries will come up to a boil and when they do I turn the heat down to medium and let them cook down into a jam.
I stir occasionally for 10 minutes until the jam is very thick and coats the spoon I’m stirring with. Alternatively, you can place a small dollop of jam on a plate. If it domes and doesn’t run like liquid off the plate, the jam should be good to go.
Discard the cinnamon stick and place the jam into glass mason jars to cool. The jam will stay fresh in the fridge for up to month.
Cinnamon Pie Crust
Preheat the oven to 425*F. PIE CRUST RECIPE HERE.
Cut the pie crust in half from my frozen stash of single pie crusts, I will only be using half a puck of single pie crust for this recipe.
Lightly flour a work surface and gently roll the dough out until just under a ¼ inch.
Melt the butter in the microwave while I mix the sugar and cinnamon together for the topping.
Using a pastry brush, I spread the melted sugar on top of the rolled-out pie crust, then top with the cinnamon sugar evenly.
Bake the pie crust for 12-14 minutes or until it is a deep golden brown. I want the pie crust to be cooked through with lots of color and flakiness.
Allow the pie crust to cool completely before chopping. This took around 20 minutes.
Use a knife to roughly chop the pie crust into one-inch pieces but I have used my hands in the past and it has worked just as well.
Place the pie crust pieces in a sealed container until ready to use for the cookie dough. Pie crust will stay crisp for a day or two stored in the pantry.
Cookie Time
In a large microwave safe dish, melt the butter until all melted. This took me around a minute in my microwave. I let the butter sit for a few minutes, so it was closer to room temperature and not hot.
Next, add the sugars and mix into the butter. I then add the applesauce, and vanilla extract and mix well. It should be smooth and glossy.
I add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt to the bowl and mix until it comes together into a soft dough.
Next, the pie crust pieces, and dried blueberries get folded into the dough. The dough will be quite soft.
Using a 2-ounce cookie scoop, I scoop out 8 cookies onto a baking sheet. I roll the dough between my palms to smooth out any harsh edges from the pie crust pieces. This will help the dough bake up with smooth edges and look pillowy soft.
The dough will need to rest for at least an hour before baking. The dough can rest in the fridge for up to 3 days or can be placed in a sealed bag and frozen until ready to bake.
Preheat the oven to 350*F and bake 4 cookies at a time for 12-14 minutes. They will spread slightly when baking so I like to give them adequate space and use two baking sheets, baked one at a time, for this recipe. My lucky bake number for these cookies was about 45 seconds past the 12-minute mark. Depending on your oven, cookies will be done anywhere from 12-14 minutes.
I know the cookies are done when they have spread a bit, they are golden on the edges, the tops don’t look wet, and they have a light golden color on the tops.
Let the cookie cool on a rack for 15 minutes while I make the blueberry whipped topping.
Blueberry Whipped Cream
In honor of DreamWhip used in my Grandma Marie’s Blueberry Surprise, I will be making a whipped topping using cream cheese, fresh cream, and blueberry powder for an extra kick of flavor. If you wish to use DreamWhip you can just follow manufacturer’s directions and add a teaspoon or two of blueberry powder to color and flavor it.
If wanting a shelf stable option, you can use marshmallow fluff in place of the blueberry whipped cream. Dust the tops of the marshmallow fluff with a mixture of blueberry powder, powdered sugar, and a tiny bit of cornstarch to keep them from getting too sticky on top.
In a bowl, beat the room temperature cream cheese, sugar, blueberry powder, vanilla bean paste, and sprinkle of salt until smooth and creamy. Slowly beat in cold heavy cream and beat on high until stiff peaks form.
I use a handheld mixer for this as it is a small batch of whipped cream that would struggle to mix in my stand mixer. Using a handheld mixer is easier and faster to whip up than by hand.
The whipped cream should be light, fluffy, and a beautiful shade of purple.
Assembly
I get my station ready with cookies, teaspoon and blueberry jam, blueberry whipped cream, and a tray to place the cookies on after assembly.
Take a teaspoon of blueberry jam and layer it on top of the cookie.
Then, I take a heaping tablespoon of blueberry whipped cream to layer on top of the jam. I make sure to pack it in the center of the jam and lightly spread it smooth. Try not to go to close to the edges to keep the cookie looking on the neater side.
I mound a few fresh blueberries cut in half on the top of the blueberry whipped cream. These are optional but I enjoy a pop of fresh blueberry to cut through the sweetness of the blueberry cookie and blueberry jam.
Enjoy these beautiful creations. I have spent weeks dreaming of creating them, carefully envisioning what I wanted every layer of my dream cookie to taste like.
It may be cliché, but I can’t help myself, yes, cookie dreams do come true.
If you try this recipe and love it as much as I do, please tag, follow, and like @sunshinetxcookies on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and TikTok. New posts every Thursday so be sure to follow me for more delicious cookie recipes. Happy Baking!
Blueberry Dream Cookies
Chrissy GrundyIngredients
- 1 stick butter melted and cooled.
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tspn vanilla extract
- ½ tspn baking soda
- 1 tspn cornstarch
- 1¼ cup all purpose flour
- ½ tspn salt
- ½ cup dried blueberries
Cinnamon Sugar Pie Crust
- ½ puck pie pastry dough can use homemade or store bought pie dough. Will need a half portion of a single crust pastry dough.
- 1 tspn melted butter for pie dough. Cooled to room temperature if hot.
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar for pie dough.
- ½ tspn cinnamon for pie dough.
Blueberry Jam
- 1½ cup fresh blueberries 200 grams
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100 grams
- 1 tbsp lemon juice 15 grams
- ½ tspn lemon zest
- sprinkle salt
- 1 cinnamon stick optional.
Blueberry Whipped Topping
- ½ cup Heavy Cream very cold.
- 4 tbsp powdered sugar
- 2 ounces cream cheese full fat, softened to room temperature.
- 1 tspn freeze dried blueberry powder
- ½ tspn vanilla bean paste can also use vanilla extract to substitute.
Instructions
Blueberry Jam
- In a saucepan combine blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon stick, and salt.
- Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
- Turn heat down to medium and let simmer until the jam is thick, around 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally while cooking.
- Using a cold plate, scoop a small spoon of jam onto the center. The jam is done when it domes up on the plate, doesn't run, and is very thick.
- Place jam into a glass dish (it will be hot) and set aside in the fridge to cool while making the cookie dough.
Cinnamon Pie Crust
- Take half of a portion of single crust pie dough on a silpat or parchment, and flatten with rolling pin as you would if you were baking a pie. It should be around or under a ¼inch thick. Place the parchment of pie dough onto a baking sheet after it's rolled out.
- Brush pie crust with melted butter. Combine cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle evenly on top of pie crust.
- Bake cinnamon pie crust in a 425*F oven for 10-12 minutes. The pie crust should be crisp, bubbly, and a deep golden brown.
- Allow crust to cool for 15-20 minutes before breaking into roughly one inch pieces.
- Set pie crust pieces aside to add to cookie dough later.
Blueberry Whipped Topping
- In a bowl combine room temperature cream cheese with powdered sugar, blueberry powder, vanilla bean paste, and a sprinkle of salt.
- Mix on high until they are creamy, light, and well mixed.
- Slowly add in cold heavy cream and continue to beat on high until it is thick and creamy.
- Place blueberry whipped cream in the fridge until ready to use.
Blueberry Cookies
- In a bowl, combine melted butter and both types of sugar. Stir together until well mixed.
- Add vanilla extract and applesauce and mix to combine.
- Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch on top of wet ingredients and stir with a spatula until a soft dough forms.
- Stir in the dried blueberries and cinnamon pie pastry pieces into the dough making sure they are evenly distributed in the dough.
- Using a 2 ounce scoop, scoop 8 cookies on baking sheet. Refrigerate dough for at least an hour before baking.
- Bake cookies 4 at a time on a parchment lined baking sheet at 350*F for 12-14 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges are lightly golden.
- Cool cookies on a rack before decorating with blueberry jam and blueberry fluff.
Assembly
- Place a teaspoon of blueberry jam on top of cooled cookies. I focus on keeping it in the center of the cookie and not too close to the edges.
- Top the blueberry jam with a tablespoon of blueberry whipped cream, smoothing the tops to cover the blueberry jam underneath. I keep the whipped topping from going over the edge.
- Top the centers with whole or sliced blueberries if desired.
- Enjoy!