Homemade Strawberry Sauce (Strawberry Topping) Recipe - Savory Nothings (2024)

This fresh Strawberry Sauce is quick and easy to make and tastes delicious as a topping for cheesecake or pound cake; or as a sauce with ice cream or whipped cream.

Fresh strawberry topping

There’s nothing like strawberry season, if you ask me. I love using the fresh berries to make this strawberry sauce/strawberry topping for yogurt, cheesecake… Or to eat with a spoon!

• It’s quick and easy to make with just a handful of ingredients and a few minutes of time
• This is a great recipe to use for berries that need to be used up and may not look their best anymore, or for off-season berries that lack natural sweetness
• This freezes well, so it’s a great way to preserve those juicy farmer’s market strawberries!

Ingredients you’ll need

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!

Ingredient notes

• Strawberries: You can make this with frozen strawberries. You don’t need to defrost them, but the sauce will take a little longer to cook and they tend to break up more. Feel free to substitute other berries – the sauce works great with blueberries, blackberries or cherries. Raspberries tend to completely break up and form more of a jam.
• Cornstarch: Feel free to double or triple the cornstarch for a more jammy, thick sauce (the recipe as-is yields chunks of soft strawberry in syrup-y sauce).
• Lemon juice: The lemon aids with the thickening of the sauce. If you use bottled or skip the lemon juice, you may need to add a little more cornstarch to get the same consistency.

How to make strawberry sauce

1. Combine the strawberries and sugar in a pot. Whisk together the cornstarch, vanilla and lemon juice in a small bowl, then pour into the pot with the strawberries and sugar.

2. Stir well, then bring to a boil over medium-high heat once. This will start releasing the strawberries’ juices, which will be very liquid at this point.

Reduce the heat to medium and allow the sauce to simmer for around 5 minutes, stirring often, until the juices have thickened to your liking. Break up or even mash part of the berries as the sauce cooks if you like, for a less chunky and more mashed sauce.

You can serve it warm with a scoop of ice cream for a simple dessert. Use at room temperature or chilled on cheesecakes and the like, in order to keep your dessert from melting away under the heat of the freshly cooked sauce.

Recipe tips

• You can cut the strawberries as small or as chunky as you’d like. I prefer a chunky strawberry sauce, especially for cheesecake toppings or for things like extra-special strawberry shortcake and the like.
• The sauce thickens a little as it chills. If it is too thick when you want to use it, microwave it for 10-15 seconds.
• This yields soft, juicy strawberries in a sirup-y sauce. For a thicker sauce, double or even triple the cornstarch.

Sauce consistency

I like a chunky strawberry topping with lots of juicy syrup. But in some instances, it can be more useful to have more of a sauce consistency, or smaller chunks. Here are some ways you can vary the consistency:

• Cut the strawberries in large chunks (halve or quarter) and only stir carefully during simmering to leave the berry chunks whole for a very chunky topping, perfect for cheesecake
• Dice the strawberries in medium chunks, and/or break up some of the berries as the sauce simmers for a more small chunk, jamm-y topping
• For a smoother sauce, please do not blend – it turns out too liquid-y. Instead, break up/mash all of the berries with a wooden spoon after simmering the sauce for about 5 minutes. Simmer for 5-10 more minutes, stirring often, until thickened to your preferred consistency.

Storage tips

Fridge: Cool the sauce to room temperature, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Microwave for 10-15 seconds to warm the sauce and to make it thinner again if it is too thick.

Freezer: Cool the sauce to room temperature, then place in a labelled freezer bag or freezer container. Freeze for up to 4 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight.

Ideas for using

• Top a cheesecake or a no bake cheesecake with your strawberry sauce
• Use as an extra-special topping for strawberry shortcake
• Spoon some on top of Greek yogurt
• Serve with lemon pound cake
• Use as a Crépe filling
• Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, or cold with whipped cream
• Serve hot with waffles, pancakes or French toast

PSIf you try this recipe, please leavea review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along onPinterest,FacebookorInstagram.

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