By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by the Wild Blueberry Association of North America and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.
When I was growing up, my grandpa had rows of blueberry bushes behind his house. When they were at their peak, we would get SO many and I could never get away from them. Once I had more of a say in what was made in the house, I never wanted to touch another blueberry (exceptions made for pancakes and muffins, only). When I bought the wild blueberries for this Recipe Redux recipe challenge, I wasn’t super excited about it. That changed once I tasted them. They’re nothing like the blueberries from my childhood. They weren’t wet and messy like cultivated blueberries can be and their flavor was INTENSE. Needless to say, I’m a wild blueberry convert now.
You’ll find these delicious little guys with the frozen fruit. They’re smaller than the standard blueberry, which I think would make them ideal in pancakes (don’t worry, I have some left for Saturday’s breakfast!). I also like that they’re not cultivated and no one has messed with perfection — these berries are the same wild blueberries that existed 10,000 years ago.
I loved them so much, I made two recipes in one. I originally made these as dessert wontons (rangoons?) like one of my very first recipes but because I’ve never been able to find vegan wonton wrappers, I wanted to figure out a vegan option. Pizza dough is easily made vegan and there are many vegan cream cheeses available that would work wonderfully. Wild blueberries are loaded with antioxidants (twice as much as cultivated!), and I didn’t want anyone to miss out on that.
You’ll see I have 2 different wonton shapes. The fancier of the two is how the packaging instructed. While those are cute and get a little crunchier, they take longer and hold less filling. Um, wild blueberries in my mouth NOW please! You can make them in any shape you want. Crowns, triangles, fold them into origami hats — any shape will do.
Side note: I had a little filling left over, so I swirled the cream cheese and blueberry fillings together and ate it with a spoon. #NoShame Both of the recipes below can be made ahead. I recommend the wontons when you’re entertaining. If you keep some in the freezer, you can whip them up in minutes for surprise guests. Calzones would make for a great night in with the fam.
2+ tbsp. sugar of choice (any that will dissolve will work)
½ tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp. water
8 oz low fat cream cheese or vegan cream cheese
⅓ c powdered sugar
Splash vanilla extract
Approximately 40 wonton wrappers
1 tbsp. unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice
extra sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
In a small sauce pan over medium heat, combine the blueberries, lemon, and 2 tbsp. sugar.
Mash the blueberries lightly until juice is released and increase heat. Bring liquid to a boil and add the cornstarch and water combo. Reduce heat and cook until thickened. Add additional sweetener to taste (2 tbsp. was plenty for me).
Meanwhile, microwave the cream cheese for about 30 seconds until soft. Stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla.
Lay out a few of the wontons. Following package instructions, wet the edges and dollop each of the fillings in the center (if you prefer, you can gently swirl the two fillings in a bowl and dollop the mixture). The package will explain how to fold pretty wontons, or you can fold into triangles (it’s easier and you get more filling in each).
Repeat until no more filling remains, approximately 40 wontons.
Brush the tops with milk and sprinkle with additional sugar.
Arrange wontons in a single layer and freeze for at least 30 minutes. You can then bag them for longer freezer storage, or prepare to bake.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes until edges and tops are lightly browned and crispy. Some filling may leak out (less will leak the more frozen the wontons are).
Serve warm.
Notes
If the wonton wrapper isn’t getting crisp enough for you: spritz with nonstick spray, turn on the broiler, and watch closely.
2+ tbsp. sugar of choice (any that will dissolve will work)
½ tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp. water
8 oz low fat cream cheese or vegan cream cheese
⅓ c powdered sugar
Splash vanilla extract
1 pound pizza dough, whole wheat preferred
1 tbsp. unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice
extra sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
In a small sauce pan over medium heat, combine the blueberries, lemon, and 2 tbsp. sugar.
Mash the blueberries lightly until juice is released and increase heat. Bring liquid to a boil and add the cornstarch and water combo. Reduce heat and cook until thickened. Add additional sweetener to taste (2 tbsp. was plenty for me).
Meanwhile, microwave the cream cheese for about 30 seconds until soft. Stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla.
Cut the pizza dough into 8 pieces. Roll into ~6 inch circles. Wet the edges and dollop filing in the middle (you can either dollop each separately or gently swirl together first). Fold in half and press the edges together to make a half circle, using a fork if you want fancy edges. Repeat for all pieces of dough.
Brush the tops with milk and sprinkle with additional sugar.
Arrange in a single layer and freeze for at least 30 minutes. You can then bag them for longer freezer storage, or prepare to bake.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. If frozen for more than an hour, let thaw slightly. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes until edges and tops are lightly browned and crispy. Some filling may leak out.
I was never a huge blueberry fan as a kid, but I ADORE them now, and you better believe I’ve pinned this recipe so I can make both of these. They look too good not to try!
Can you believe, I bought the wild blueberries for this and then just didn’t have enough time to make anything with them?! Sigh. Maybe next week. You’ve gotten me way more excited about it though! And your hand pies and rangoons look unbelievable!
All of these blueberry options are so fun! I could go for a nice warm calzone to hold in my hands and keep me warm…for about 2 seconds before I gobble the thing down in one bite. SO tasty!
DELISH!!!!!! Thank you or sharing this with us. It’s so tasty and easy to make
Thanks, Connie! Glad you enjoyed.
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creative and they look delicious!
I was never a huge blueberry fan as a kid, but I ADORE them now, and you better believe I’ve pinned this recipe so I can make both of these. They look too good not to try!
What a fun recipe. I love using wonton wrappers (and egg roll wraps) for sweet and savory dishes. So creative!
Very clever!
Wow – I love both of these recipes equally! So unique and tasty for sure!
These look divine, Kelly, and what a great idea! I love the sound of blueberries and cheesecake together. 🙂
Can you believe, I bought the wild blueberries for this and then just didn’t have enough time to make anything with them?! Sigh. Maybe next week. You’ve gotten me way more excited about it though! And your hand pies and rangoons look unbelievable!
All of these blueberry options are so fun! I could go for a nice warm calzone to hold in my hands and keep me warm…for about 2 seconds before I gobble the thing down in one bite. SO tasty!