Before blueberries were a superfood, they were simply those roly-poly little berries that we looked forward to scattering on our yogurt and sneaking into muffins all summer. Not much has changed, really! What are your favorite ways to use blueberries?

It's true: plump and dusky blueberries really are tiny nutritional powerhouses. According to the Blueberry Council, just one cup contains healthy (literally!) dose of both Vitamin C and fiber. The antioxidant properties of the blueberry are also a constant conversation piece in health studies and nutritionist recommendations.

But let's be real here, shall we? The health stuff is just a side benefit; we eat blueberries because they taste delicious. Among the summer fruits, blueberries are some of the sweetest. They are perfectly happy on their own in a blueberry pie or a batch of muffins, but they also like the company of other summer fruits like sweet-tart strawberries, peaches, and nectarines.

I find that I like blueberries best when they are combined with an acidic ingredient to offset the berries' sweetness. A squeeze of lemon or a generous helping of tangy buttermilk in the batter do the trick quite nicely. I also like combining blueberries with warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Try making your next batch of shortcakes with blueberries instead of strawberries, and you won't be sorry.

A few favorite blueberry recipes for your summer cooking pleasure:

• Blueberry Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
• Blueberry and Apricot Crumble
• Breakfast Grain Salad with Blueberries, Hazelnuts & Lemon
• Rosewater Yogurt Panna Cotta with Blueberries
• Blueberry Rum Smash

How do you like to use blueberries in the summer?

Related: Top Five Things to do with One Pint of Berries

(Image: Christian Jung/Shutterstock)