Blueberry,Thyme & Olive Oil Mini-Cornbread Cakes
This week, I was inspired to adapt my signature olive oil bundt cake into a summer dessert perfect for a Sunday brunch menu: I gathered lemon thyme from my garden, added some early blueberries, and found some locally milled cornmeal. The result? Blueberry, Thyme & Olive Oil Mini-Cornbread Cakes.
As an archaeologist, I am always curious about where food comes from. While we don't have a surviving recipe that can be definitively called the world's first olive oil cake, historians have documented cakes made with grain, olive oil, and honey in the Mediterranean dating back more than 2,000 years.
In many ways, the heart of this recipe would have been familiar to an ancient Greek or Roman baker.
For much of Mediterranean history, olive oil was the preferred baking fat. Butter became more common in the baking traditions of northern Europe centuries later, but across Greece, southern Italy, and other olive-growing regions, olive oil remained a staple ingredient in both savory and sweet foods.
What I love most is that scientific research today continues to support many of these traditional ingredients.
Extra-virgin olive oil contains powerful plant compounds called polyphenols associated with heart, brain, and gut health. Blueberries provide anthocyanins linked to healthy aging and cognitive function. Thyme contributes aromatic compounds with antioxidant properties, while lemon adds brightness and beneficial citrus flavonoids.
Food is one of the places where history and science meet.
Sometimes a recipe is more than a recipe. It is a reminder that some of the foods nourishing us today have been nourishing people for thousands of years. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family did! Post your creation and tag me @lisarobertsfood ♥️
Blueberry, Thyme & Olive Oil Mini-Cornbread Cakes
Makes 8 cakes
Ingredients
2 large eggs
½ cup milk (I used plain, unsweetened almond milk)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon thyme leaves
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup gluten-free flour (I like Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1)
1/2 cup medium grind yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 fresh lemon, zested and juiced
½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Serve with:
Fresh Butter or lemon whipped cottage cheese (1/2 cup cottage cheese + 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice; whip in a small bowl with a fork)
Directions
Remove eggs and milk from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 9 inch baking dish.
In a small bowl, mix the sugar and fresh lemon thyme
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, sugar and thyme mixture, and lemon zest until well combined.
In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, milk, eggs, vanilla extract and one tablespoon of fresh lemon juice until smooth.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk gently just until blended, being careful not to overmix.
Fill the baking dish with batter. Smooth the top with a small silicone spatula or the back of a spoon.
Evenly place the blueberries in the batter, about ½ inch to 1 inch apart.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean. Test at 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes, then gently insert a round cake cutter and remove the little cakes. Best served warm.
Serve with butter or lemon whipped cottage cheese.
Store any leftovers lightly covered in plastic wrap at room temperature.
Copyright Lisa Roberts FOOD 2026