This easy Raspberry Sauce uses just 7 ingredients and takes less than 15 minutes to prepare. Drizzle it over cheesecake, waffles, or brownie sundaes–or just enjoy by the spoonful!
7 Ingredient Raspberry Sauce
This easy homemade raspberry sauce can be drizzled over cheesecake, ice cream, yogurt, waffles–the possibilities are endless! It has a bright, perfectly balanced flavor that is both sweet and tart (and pairs so well with a brownie sundae…yum). The best part? It tastes just as good with frozen raspberries as it does with fresh, so you can enjoy it all year long!
I prefer to leave the seeds in my sauce simply because I think raspberry sauce needs seeds (the texture is such a key part of the raspberry experience, after all), but you can strain them out if you want yours to be silky.
This sauce can be served hot or cold, and it makes a nice macaron filling (you need to use a frosting dam to keep it from spilling out though!). It’s a bit thin to use as a cake filling, but I have a solution for that! Scroll down to the FAQ section for more.
Why make my recipe:
- Has a fresh flavor, even with frozen berries.
- Can be served hot or cold with endless uses.
- Just a few ingredients and less than 15 minutes to make!
What You Need
You’ll need to gather just 7 ingredients to make this raspberry sauce. Besides water and sugar, we will be using:
- Raspberries. Fresh or frozen raspberries work nicely here, so take your pick! If your berries are especially tart, you may need to add a bit more sugar; taste test to be sure.
- Cornstarch. The cornstarch thickens our sauce, but not so much that it’s too thick or jam-like.
- Lemon juice. A splash of lemon juice accents the tartness of the berries and keeps this sauce from being too sweet.
- Butter. The butter is optional, but I recommend adding it to give the sauce a silky smoothness. Since we’re using such a small amount, you can use either salted or unsalted butter.
- Salt. Just a pinch enhances and balances the flavor.
SAM’S TIP: Just like in my raspberry frosting, I opt to forgo vanilla in this recipe for a fresh, raspberry prominent flavor. If you’d prefer a more candied raspberry flavor, feel free to add ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract when you stir in the butter.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Raspberry Sauce
- Combine all ingredients except the butter in a saucepan over medium low heat.
- Stir frequently until the berries become juicy and the mixture is very fluid.
- Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly. Let simmer for one minute (still stirring constantly) until the mixture thickens and becomes deeper in color.
- Remove from the heat, stir in the butter, and strain if desired. Let cool to room temperature before covering and chilling.
SAM’S TIP: I haven’t tried it myself, but I suspect that this recipe will also work equally well with blackberries. If you’re looking to use another type of berry though, I suggest you try my blueberry sauce or strawberry sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
This sauce would be fine for drizzling over cakes like my olive oil cake, angel food cake, cheesecake, or flourless chocolate cake, but it isn’t thick enough to be a filling between a layer cake. For that, I’d recommend my raspberry cake filling.
You will just need to strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer after adding the butter. It will require a bit of effort and nudging the sauce through to accomplish this. Note that you will have less sauce if you strain out the seeds.
Yes! This recipe will keep in an airtight container in the freezer for at least a month.
Similar to cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving, raspberry sauce pairs well with pork and poultry for Easter!
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Raspberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 oz (340 g) raspberries fresh or frozen (about 2 ½ cups)
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon (14 g) butter softened (salted or unsalted is fine) (optional)
Recommended Equipment
- Fine mesh strainer (optional)
Instructions
- Combine raspberries water, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat.12 oz (340 g) raspberries, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, ¼ cup (60 ml) water, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Cook, stirring frequently, until berries release their juices and mixture becomes very liquidy.
- Increase heat to medium and stir constantly, bring to a simmer.
- Simmer, stirring constantly for about 1 minute, until berries are broken down, deeper in color, and the mixture is slightly thickened (it should coat the back of a spoon).
- Remove from heat and immediately stir in butter.1 Tablespoon (14 g) butter
- If you want a seedless sauce, pour immediately through a fine-mesh strainer and discard seeds.
- Allow to cool to room temperature, then pour into a container, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
Storing
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Katherine
I have tons of fresh raspberries. Do u know if this recipe can be canned? Not sure what happens to the cornstarch if heated ling enough to seal jars.
Sam
Hi Katherine! Unfortunately I’m not familiar enough with the canning process to advise how it would work. 🙁
Alyson
This sauce is delicious and I loved how the recipe was written, with the ingredients repeated right next to each step! Great recipe!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you enjoyed the recipe, Alyson! Thanks so much for the review 😄
Karen
Hi Katherine! You absolutely can Can this recipe however you must use sure jel instead of cornstarch. Make sure you use the lemon juice and water bath can for 15-20 minutes.