Recipes for CLL Patients: Blueberry Cobbler

Wild blueberries (found next to regular blueberries in the frozen section at the grocery store) are a powerful superfood. They help reduce fatigue, a common symptom CLL patients often struggle with. They contain almost double the amount of antioxidants than regular blueberries, are one of the most nutrient-dense berries, they are high in vitamin C, vitamin K, and manganese, and a study showed that eating blueberries strengthens the immune system by increasing levels of natural killer cells (a type of white blood cell that targets virus-infected and cancerous cells). 

“Researchers asked athletes to eat about 250 grams of blueberries every day for six weeks to see if the berries could reduce the oxidative stress caused by long-distance running. The blueberries succeeded, but a more important finding was their effect on natural killer cells. Normally, these cells decrease in number after a bout of prolonged endurance exercise, dropping by half to about one billion. But the athletes consuming blueberries actually doubled their killer cell counts, to more than four billion.”  

Try this blueberry cobbler recipe to include more blueberries in your day!

Blueberry Cobbler 

Total time 50 minutes (prep time 15 min, cook time 35 min) 

Ingredients 

Berry mixture

• 4 cups wild blueberries (found next to regular blueberries in the frozen section at the grocery store)
• 1/2 cup cane sugar
• 4.5 Tablespoons vegetable oil 

Batter

• 1 cup whole grain soft white wheat flour (tastes similar to refined flour but keeps the health benefits of low oxidative stress)
• 1 cup cane sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup low-fat milk
• ground cinnamon (to sprinkle on top)

Instructions 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit 
2. Pour vegetable oil into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish, spread evenly to coat the bottom of the pan
3. Add wild blueberries and cane sugar to a bowl. Stir to combine
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the batter ingredients: flour, cane sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the milk, just until combined
5. Pour wild blueberries into the pan. Drizzle the batter mixture over the top. Sprinkle with a little bit of cinnamon
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes 
7. Serve warm. Can be eaten as is or with ice cream made with cane sugar

*Ice cream made with cane sugar is preferred over ice cream made with refined sugar because refined sugar causes high oxidative stress whereas cane sugar does not. 

Nutritional Information Per Serving

Total servings: 9 | Calories per serving: 297 | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g