Earlier this summer I took the kids blueberry picking. They’re probably the easiest berries for my kids to pick based on the height of the bushes and how easily the blueberries can be pulled off, but because Juliette and Lleyton both love blueberries, not many (maybe not any) of the blueberries that they they picked made it home. Thankfully I picked enough that we had plenty of berries to take home for muffins, bread, cakes, and to keep in the freezer for smoothies. I even put blueberries in cocktails! My new favorite way to use blueberries is definitely this blueberry cardamom ricotta bread.
Cardamom is one of my favorite spices. You see cinnamon in a lot of banana breads and zucchini breads, but cardamom can be a real hero in baked goods. I love chai tea lattes and chai-spiced things, and cardamom is a key ingredient in that spice blend. I think it pairs so well with the blueberries in this quick bread, but if you’re not a fan of it you can leave it out or substitute cinnamon. If cardamom is a new spice to you though, I highly recommend using it! Substitute it for cinnamon in other baked goods too if you like it, it takes them to another level.
Ricotta is also a key ingredient in this blueberry cardamom ricotta bread. In a lot of breads you’ll see Greek yogurt or sour cream used for moisture and richness, and ricotta acts in a similar way in this bread. If you’re not a fan of the texture of ricotta cheese, don’t worry! I think you’ll still love this bread because the ricotta flavor is not overpowering and you don’t notice the ricotta texture. That being said, I don’t recommend a substitute for sour cream or Greek yogurt because I haven’t tried it! If you do try it and it works for you, please let me know in the comments below. I love feedback from my recipes that you make at home!
I hope you enjoy this tasty breakfast treat!
- 1½ cups + 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tbsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. cardamom
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup melted and cooled butter
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries (if frozen, do not thaw)
- 3-4 tbsp. turbinado (raw) sugar
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment paper for easy removal. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 1½ cups flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom. Set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together ricotta cheese, eggs, butter, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and fold to combine.
- In a small bowl toss the blueberries with the remaining 2 tbsp. flour. Add to the batter and gently fold to combine.
- Sprinkle the top of the bread with turbinado sugar.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy!
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Hi Claire!
Wondering how many cups of
Blueberries you use for this recipe?
~thanks and Take care!
Hi! I use 1 1/2 cups!