Thick, perfectly pourable, and bursting with fresh strawberry flavor – this is the EASIEST Strawberry Sauce recipe ever! Lemon zest and juice take the strawberry flavor to the next level. All you need are strawberries, a lemon or two, sugar, and a little cornstarch.
Pour this amazing homemade strawberry topping over cheesecake, rich chocolate cake, angel food cake, ice cream … endless dessert possibilities.
Table of Contents
- The Story Behind the Recipe
- Strawberry Sauce Recipe Ingredients
- How to Make Strawberry Sauce
- Ways to Use It
- Try This Too …
Why You’ll Love this Strawberry Sauce
- Ready in 15 minutes
- Freezer friendly – preserve that summer-fresh strawberry flavor for months
- Naturally vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free
- Great for desserts like cheesecake, cake, and ice cream + the most awesome breakfast addition! Top oatmeal, stir into yogurt, pour over pancakes, waffles, and French toast.
The Story Behind the Recipe
I’d planned to share this Strawberry Sauce recipe well before the current “cook your fruits and vegetables” food poisoning scare, but now it’s extra timely.
I don’t know about you, but summer is all about out the fresh fruits and vegetables – especially berries. But some people are saying you should cook your berries right now, and who am I to argue? Because honestly, this Strawberry Sauce is an absolutely delicious way to enjoy berries, no matter what weird thing is going on in the agriculture world.
I love this strawberry sauce over ice cream and cheesecake. It’s also great with buttermilk pancakes, banana pancakes, or crepe-like Swedish pancakes. Oh and of course, it’s divine with French toast or classic homemade waffles!
With a simple list of ingredients and only a few minutes on the stove, you’ll love how easy this strawberry sauce is to make.
Strawberry Sauce Recipe Ingredients
- Fresh strawberries – You’ll need a pound of them, and you’ll want to dice them somewhat small (depending on how chunky you want your strawberry sauce). Choose deep red berries without any brown spots for best ripeness and flavor. You can swap in frozen strawberries, too, you’ll just want to thaw them a bit first so you can dice them.
- Sugar – This strawberry sauce does need some sugar to get it to the right sweetness level. Because strawberries can vary in sweetness, I like to start out with a smaller amount then add more later if needed.
- Lemon zest & juice – Kind of like salt highlights savory foods, the acid and brightness that lemon zest and juice add really help to amplify the strawberry flavors.
- Corn starch & water – You can leave this out if you’re okay with a thinner sauce. I like to add it to give the sauce a velvety thick quality, perfect for pouring. Be sure to stir the cornstarch into the water first – this helps to prevent cornstarch lumps.
How to Make Strawberry Sauce
- Rinse, hull, and dice your strawberries.
- Add them to medium saucepan along with the sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and water.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, until the berries release their juices and break down. The strawberry smell will be divine!
- Taste and, if you want your strawberry sauce a little sweeter, add more sugar a teaspoon at a time until it tastes just how you like it.
- Reduce the heat to low, stir together the cornstarch and water in a separate bowl, then mix it into the sauce.
- Simmer until thickened then remove from heat.
- Serve warm or cold.
Ways to Use It
- Spoon over cheesecake
- Top pancakes, French toast, waffles
- Use in a strawberry trifle
- Stir into Greek yogurt for a thick, rich, sweet treat
- Top angel food cake and add whipped cream – yum
- Add to brownies or top some chocolate wacky cake – strawberries and chocolate are always so good together!
- Top chia pudding or basil seed pudding for a decadent yet nutrient-filled breakfast
I hope this Strawberry Sauce recipe is your summer star! It’s so good for breakfast, on top of pancakes or swirled into yogurt, or over cheesecake, cake or ice cream. It’s so nice to have a jar of fresh strawberry sauce in the fridge at the ready for all your summertime treats!
Easy Homemade Strawberry Sauce
Ingredients
For the strawberry sauce:
- 1 pound strawberries (hulled and diced; about 3 cups diced)
- 1/4-1/3 cup granulated sugar (1/4 cup is 50g; add more later if needed to reach desired sweetness)
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest (grate before squeezing)
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 medium lemon)
For the cornstarch slurry:
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 2 teaspoons corn starch (add 1 more teaspoon for a thicker sauce)
Instructions
- Rinse and pick through the strawberries, discarding any bad berries. Remove the hull and dice strawberries. I like a smaller dice, about 1/2 inch.
- Place the strawberries in a large saucepan along with the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
- Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil.
- Continue to boil until the berries break down a bit, release their juice, and are fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Taste and stir in more sugar, a teaspoon or two at a time, if you'd like your strawberry sauce a little sweeter.
- Reduce heat to low. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water. Pour onto the strawberry mixture. Simmer until thickened, about 1 minute.
- Remove from heat. Sauce will thicken a little as it cools. Serve warm or cold.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Notes
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- Strawberry sauce will last in the fridge for 3-4 days. Just keep it in an airtight container.
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- To freeze it, cool to room temp then place in a freezer safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- You can swap in frozen strawberries, too, you’ll just want to thaw them a bit first so you can dice them.
- For completely smooth strawberry sauce that’s more like a coulis, let the cooked sauce cool a bit and then puree with an immersion blender or high-speed blender.
Nutrition Facts
Try This Too …
- Fresh Blueberry Sauce is so, so so good!
Hi! I’m Karen – I’m a real person with real recipes. No A.I. here! Since 2009, every recipe on Kitchen Treaty is thoroughly tested and loved before I hit “publish.” I’m a home cook, certified plant-based pro, and mom. I’m a vegetarian married to a carnivore, and my goal is to coexist deliciously.
