Nova Scotia Blueberry Grunt
Updated January 2026 with new photos, expanded notes, and clearer instructions.
Nova Scotia blueberry grunt is a traditional stovetop dessert made by simmering wild blueberries until juicy, then steaming soft dumplings directly on top.
“Thank you for the delicious recipe! It’s my first time making blueberry grunt, and it came out perfect! It was a lot easier than I expected it to be.” — Jodi
Nova Scotia blueberry grunt is a classic dessert that’s been around for generations. It’s cooked entirely on the stovetop, starting with berries simmered until juicy, then topped with a soft dumpling dough that steams gently under a lid.
You can make it when fresh wild blueberries are in season, or with frozen ones the rest of the year. In summer, it keeps the oven off, and in winter, it’s a small reminder that warm weather will return.
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A Note From Kelly
Blueberry grunt is one of my all-time favourite desserts. I first made it for a feature with Taste of Nova Scotia, and over the years, I’ve continued to tweak the recipe to improve it. It’s easy to make and especially good after supper with a cup of hot tea.
Ingredients for Blueberry Grunt
Ingredient Notes
- All-Purpose Flour: Avoid self-rising flour, as the leavening is added separately.
- Baking Powder: Use freshly or recently opened baking powder for reliable lift in the dumplings.
- Blueberries (Wild): Wild blueberries are smaller and more concentrated than cultivated ones, which gives a looser, more flavourful sauce. Fresh or frozen both work, and frozen berries can be used straight from the freezer.
- Butter (Salted): I use salted butter for all of my recipes. Let it come to room temperature for the dumplings so it rubs evenly into the flour.
- Milk (Whole): I use whole milk for all of my recipes. The higher fat content gives the dumplings a softer texture.
- Salt (Table): I use table salt for all of my recipes.
- Sugar (Granulated): Regular white granulated sugar is what I use here.
- Water: Tap water is fine.
It’s important to note that when making substitutions in recipes, the texture and flavour may be slightly different. However, these substitutes are the best options for changing the original recipe.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Milk (Whole): Use 1 cup of 2% milk.
- Sugar (Granulated): Use an equal amount of light brown sugar or dark brown sugar (sometimes called old-fashioned brown sugar).
- Wild Blueberries: You can use the same amount of cultivated high-bush blueberries, but it won’t be the same.
Recipe Variations
Try any of the following for a twist on this blueberry grunt recipe:
- Almond Extract: ¼ teaspoon, stirred into the milk before mixing the dumpling dough
- Bay Leaf: 1 whole leaf, added to the pot while the blueberries simmer and removed before adding dumplings
- Cardamom: ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon, ground, mixed into the dumpling dry ingredients
- Cinnamon: ½ teaspoon, ground, added to the berries along with the sugar
- Citrus Zest: 1 teaspoon of lemon or orange zest, finely grated, stirred into the berries before adding the dumpling dough
- Ginger: ¼ teaspoon ground or ½ teaspoon finely grated fresh, stirred into the blueberries during the initial simmer
- Nutmeg: ⅛ teaspoon, freshly grated, added to the dumpling dough with the flour
- Rum (Dark or Spiced): 1 tablespoon, stirred into the berries before adding the dumpling dough
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of this post, or scroll to the bottom to see the PRINTABLE recipe card with ingredient measurements and complete instructions.
How To Make Blueberry Grunt
STEP 1: Add the blueberries, water, sugar, and butter to a medium-large pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer briefly until the berries burst and the liquid looks glossy and loose.
STEP 2: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Rub in the butter until the mixture looks coarse and crumbly.
STEP 3: Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the milk.
STEP 4: Mix gently with a fork.
STEP 5: Stop mixing as soon as the dough comes together. It should be soft and slightly shaggy, not smooth.
STEP 6: Spoon portions of the dough evenly over the hot berries, leaving space for steam to circulate.
STEP 7: Lay a large square of parchment paper directly over the pot, then cover with the lid. Cook gently so the dumplings steam, and use care when removing the parchment as hot condensation will collect on it.
STEP 8: The dumplings should be soft and cooked through. Serve the grunt warm with vanilla custard sauce, ice cream, or whipped cream.
Kelly’s Top Tips
- I sometimes increase the blueberries to 6 cups (900 g) when I want more berries per serving.
- I like using an enamelled cast-iron Dutch oven for this recipe. It holds heat evenly and is less likely to develop hot spots than thinner pots.
- You can try this recipe with other seasonal berries, as long as the fruit releases enough juice to create a saucy base.
Recipe Notes
- For detailed ingredient notes, substitution tips, variations, and step-by-step photos, scroll through the full recipe post.
- Use a digital kitchen scale for precise measurements.
- To switch to gram measurements, click “Metric grams” in the ingredients section of the recipe card.
- The berry mixture should look loose and saucy before the dumplings go on, as it will thicken as the grunt finishes cooking. If the berries cook too long and look thick or syrupy, add a small splash of water to loosen them before adding the dumpling dough.
- Laying parchment paper directly over the pot before adding the lid creates a tighter seal and prevents condensation from dripping back onto the dumplings and berries.
- Keep the heat low and steady while steaming so the dumplings cook through without scorching the bottom of the pot.
Storage for Blueberry Grunt
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through, adding a small splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.
More Fruit Dessert Recipes
Printable Recipe Card
Nova Scotia Blueberry Grunt
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons or digital kitchen scale
- Medium-large pot with tight-fitting lid
- Rubber spatula or sturdy spoon
- Mixing bowl
- Fork
- Parchment paper
Ingredients US cups or click for Metric grams
For the blueberries:
- 4 cups wild blueberries (fresh or frozen)
- ½ cup water (tap)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
For the dumplings:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- ⅓ cup salted butter (room temperature)
- 1 cup whole milk
Instructions
- Add the blueberries, water, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of butter to a medium-large pot with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes more. The berries should look juicy and loose rather than syrupy at this stage.
- While the berries are cooking, make the dumpling dough. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Rub the butter into the flour mixture using your fingertips or a pastry blender until the mixture looks coarse and crumbly.
- Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the milk. Mix gently with a fork until a soft, shaggy dough forms.
- Use a spoon to drop chunks of dumpling dough evenly over the surface of the hot berries, continuing until all of the dough has been used.
- Cover the pot with a large square of parchment paper, then place the lid on snugly. Reduce the heat to low so the berries bubble softly around the edges rather than boil. Cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid to allow the dumplings to steam.
- Remove the lid, then carefully lift off the parchment paper, watching for hot steam underneath. The parchment will be wet from condensation, so keep it level and avoid dripping liquid back into the pot. Serve the blueberry grunt hot, warm, or cold, plain or with vanilla custard sauce, ice cream, or whipped cream.
Notes
- For detailed ingredient notes, substitution tips, variations, and step-by-step photos, scroll through the full recipe post.
- Use a digital kitchen scale for precise measurements.
- To switch to gram measurements, click “Metric grams” in the ingredients section of the recipe card.
- The berry mixture should look loose and saucy before the dumplings go on, as it will thicken as the grunt finishes cooking. If the berries cook too long and look thick or syrupy, add a small splash of water to loosen them before adding the dumpling dough.
- Laying parchment paper directly over the pot before adding the lid creates a tighter seal and prevents condensation from dripping back onto the dumplings and berries.
- Keep the heat low and steady while steaming so the dumplings cook through without scorching the bottom of the pot.
Storage
- Store leftover blueberry grunt in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through, adding a small splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and is provided as a courtesy. For precise nutritional data, please calculate it independently using your preferred nutrition calculator.
More Dessert Recipes
Kelly Neil is a recipe developer, food photographer, and lifelong Nova Scotian building a sense of home and identity through recipes. She lives in her hometown of Dartmouth with her partner, Chris, their daughter, Elodie, and their little dog, Skipper.
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission if you buy something through one of them at no extra cost to you. I only share products I use myself and genuinely recommend.
Those wild blueberries look so good and the recipe sounds very simple. Love the idea of baking the blueberries in the oven. That means no standing in the stove top and stirring. Also the dumpling dough is so simple to put together. Love the recipe!
This looks absolutely divine! I love ALL things blueberry and my mouth was just watering reading this post! YUM!!!
It is time for me to explore some Nova Scotia pearls! 🙂 Eveything looks really good, so I should definitely make it over the weekend. And the plate in the last picture fits the berries perfectly – great choice for the shot!
Fabulous way to use blueberries. I’ve got a lot of them frozen in the fridge and I was hoping to find a good use to them as I need to clean the freezer up. I’ve found it! 🙂
I have tried blueberry crumble earlier but this scotia is absolutely new. I could not have imagined anything as delicious as this one. Your images are making me drool over this dessert.
I absolutely love blueberry desserts, and I love when they have the smaller berries like this grunt has. I have a bunch of berries, and this recipe is on my list for this weekend!
That bowl of blueberries just had me salivating…. there is nothing like freshly picked WILD bluberries. The ones in the stores just don’t cut it.
There is no such thing as “too much blueberry” – it is sooo goood, particularly when you make smething as delicious as this grunt. Love the recipe and really looking forward to trying it!
I love the simplicity of this recipe and those wild blueberries! Gorgeous dessert for the summertime 🙂
You bring me right back to my childhood with this recipe. I grew up in Newfoundland, which is right next door to Nova Scotia, so I know all about picking blueberries the second half of every summer break. My mom used to make these grunts all the time. Thank you for the memories. I have to try making my own version!
Your photographs of Nova Scotia Blueberry Grunt looks so delicious, Kelly. Wild blueberries are so wonderful – I can imagine how good this would taste, especially with vanilla ice cream melting on top. Yum. 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing.
I used to love seeing my mother make blueberry grunt on the stove. I also remember burning my mouth with the hot blueberries. Good tips on where to source the berries in HRM!
First off, I just want to say how much I love that photo of the blueberries on the plate. Absolutely stunning. Now, as for the recipe itself, it sounds amaaaazing. I always wondered what made a grunt a grunt (though I never looked it up for some reason). Delightfully simple, and perfect for the explosion of blueberries here on the West Coast. Cheers!
“Nova Scotia is the Easternmost province of Canada.” Please…..check a map. Newfoundland and Labrador is East of Nova Scotia. And, since 1949, has been a province of Canada.
Wow, ok thanks Brenda! I really appreciate you taking the time out of your day to point that out to me. Thanks so much for your kindness!
Just perfect! Gorgeous clicks too…would love to visit Nova Scotia someday:))
Love traditional Canadian desserts like this one, and it’s perfect for those of us w a-a-a y on the other side of the country who are overloaded with blueberries now!
A wonderful, delightful, and classic Canadian recipe – and you’ve made it so beautifully! The substitution notes are especially appreciated too. We’re in peak blueberry season here (all the way on the other coast), so I think a grunt or two might be in order. Lol. Cheers!
Thank you for the delicious recipe! 🙂 It’s my first time making blueberry grunt and it came out perfect! It was a lot easier than I expected it to be.
Excellent news! It’s one of your favourite desserts and it’s so easy to make! Thank you for trying the recipe! xo.
Hello Kelly,
Our home here in New Glasgow (NS) smells divine, your blueberry grunt is simmering. Can’t wait to dig in.
There is nothing like our traditional Nova Scotia recipes.
Thanks for sharing.
Darlene
Oh, yay! I’m so happy! I’ll wave to you from the highway the next time I’m driving to Cape Breton. I hope you love it! xo.
My grandfather made this in the fall when our large extended family would go pick wild blueberries here in Washington state. He made in a cast iron Dutch oven with the lid on that he would put in a hole he’d dug in the ground. He’d then cover with hot coals from the campfire and cover everything with a layer of dirt and let it cook. We’d serve it with fresh hand cranked homemade vanilla ice cream. So good!