Easy Blueberry Sauce

Blueberry Sauce, also known as blueberry compote, is a sweet and simple sauce that goes well with pancakes, crepes, and so many other foods (I have a full list of my favorite pairings below)! This recipe takes only fifteen minutes to make and can be made with either fresh or frozen blueberries.

Alright, exactly one week after my blueberry cake and my promise to not inundate you with blueberry recipes, I already have a new blueberry recipe for you: Blueberry sauce.

I was honestly a little hesitant to share such a ridiculously simple recipe, but this is the perfect kind of recipe for summertime and I know that not everyone has made their own blueberry sauce before or knows how to, and so here we are, with two blueberry recipes in two weeks. Stick with me, please, this one’s definitely worth it.

Blueberry sauce is sweet and simple and right now with blueberries are at their ripest, juiciest, and cheapest, I literally can’t think of a better way to top off a stack of pancakes.  This recipe also requires such a minimal amount of work and uses ingredients you probably already have on hand — doesn’t really get better than that!

What is the difference in a Sauce and a Compote?

I wanted to address this here because when I started working on this blueberry sauce recipe, I really didn’t know whether I should call it a “sauce” or a “compote”. After reading through dozens of descriptions and recipes and puzzling over the difference, I’ve come to the conclusion that the only real difference is the name, and for the purpose of this blog post I’m calling blueberry sauce and blueberry compote one and the same.

But, um, if you have information on what actually differentiates these two, please let me know in the comments. I would actually be really interested to be proven wrong!

Whatever you want to call it, the taste remains the same. It’s a vibrant blueberry taste, thanks to cooking down most of the blueberries until they release their juices and then stirring in a handful of fresh ones to finish off the recipe.

I also like to add just a splash of vanilla extract to mine, but you should know that it does make the blueberry sauce seem sweeter and this recipe stands alone well without the vanilla extract.

Without the vanilla, you’ll have a more pure and vibrant blueberry taste, but my taste testers all loved the flavor addition and so I’ve included notes in the recipe so that you can customize to your own taste (and your own taste testers!).

What Can I Serve with Blueberry Sauce?

• Buttermilk Pancakes or waffles
• Crepes
• Scones
• Angel Food Cake
• Ice cream
• No-Bake Cheesecake
• Or swap out the strawberries in your strawberry shortcake with blueberry sauce instead!

So, what are you going to pair your blueberry sauce with??

How To Make Blueberry Sauce

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Blueberry Sauce

A sweet and simple blueberry sauce that's great for serving with pancakes, crepes, or scones!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword blueberries, blueberry sauce, sauce

Prep Time 2 minutes

Cook Time 41 minutes

Total Time 43 minutes

Servings 9 servings (1/4 cup per serving)

Calories 100 kcal

Author Samantha Merritt

Ingredients

• 4 cups blueberries divided (560g)
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons cold water divided (60ml + 30ml)
• 1/3 cup sugar (67g)
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice (15ml)
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch (15ml)
• 1 Tablespoon butter (15g)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract optional*

Instructions

1. Combine 2 1/2 cups (350g) blueberries, 1/4 cup water, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.

2. Stir frequently until the blueberries release their juices (about 5-7 minutes).

3. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and remaining 2 Tablespoons cold water until completely combined.
4. Pour into blueberry mixture and stir well.

5. Stirring constantly, bring mixture to a rolling boil and then reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until blueberry sauce coats the bottom of a metal spoon. 

6. Remove from heat, stir in butter and vanilla extract (if using), until butter is melted. Add remaining 1 1/2 cups (210g) blueberries and stir well.

7. Serve and enjoy. If your blueberry sauce becomes too thick you can always add water while the mixture is still hot to make it thinner, but be sure to only add a teaspoon or two at a time until desired consistency is reached. Blueberry sauce is best served warm.

Recipe Notes

*A little vanilla extract goes a long way in this recipe, it enhances the sweetness of the blueberry sauce. For a more tart sauce with a stronger blueberry flavor, omit the vanilla extract.

Store unused blueberry sauce in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Blueberry sauce will keep at least a week in the refrigerator (many sources say longer but I've never kept mine longer than a week).

Nutrition Facts

Blueberry Sauce

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 100

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.