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You are here: Home / Seasonal / Summer Recipes / Simple Strawberry Sauce

Simple Strawberry Sauce

August 5, 2019 By Sam 27 Comments

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How to make a sweet and simple Strawberry Sauce! This easy recipe is perfect for topping off vanilla ice cream, pancakes, biscuits, or just enjoying by the spoonful! 

Strawberry sauce in a glass jar

Sweet Strawberry Sauce

The past few weeks I’ve been putting this strawberry sauce on everything.

Topping off the fluffiest buttermilk pancakes, serving warm over vanilla ice cream, spooning over angel food cake, or even mixing with some macerated strawberries for an extra juicy strawberry shortcake! Mostly, though, I keep finding myself stealing spoonfuls from the jar in the back of my fridge (I keep shoving it as far back as I can, hoping to deter myself from destroying a while jar in less than 24 hours, but it’s not working really well).

Strawberry sauce is simple to make. It’s bursting with real berry flavor and comes together in a matter of minutes on the stove. This is a glossy, flavorful sauce (with the option to add a splash of vanilla extract or not) that pairs well with just about anything.

While freshly picked summer berries are generally your best bet for strawberry sauce, store-bought will also work great here!

Quartered strawberries in a saucepan with sugar

Strawberry sauce in a blue saucepan, shown after cooking

How to Make Strawberry Sauce!

  1. Prepare your strawberries. Rinse, remove the tops, and quarter berries.
  2. Combine ingredients in saucepan. Strawberries, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and lemon juice all go into the pot.
  3. Cook! Set your stovetop heat to medium/low and cook, stirring frequently, until the berries release their juices. You’ll have a nice juicy strawberry mixture. Bring to a boil and boil (stirring constantly) for one minute.
  4. Reduce heat, but continue to cook. Simmer strawberry sauce until thickened. This will take a few more minutes. Keep in mind that the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. Cook the sauce for too long and it might be thick and more like a jam than a sauce once cooled.

If you do happen to overcook your strawberry sauce a bit and it seems thicker than you were hoping, you can add a splash (about a Tablespoon) of water to the pot and stir well. Add additional water until desired consistency is reached!

Check the Sweetness of Your Berries

I touched on this in my post on how to make strawberry lemonade, but the sweetness of your strawberries really matters! If you have ripe, juicy, freshly picked berries, you might want to use a Tablespoon less sugar in your strawberry sauce. Do not omit the sugar completely, though! It’s important for the consistency of your strawberry sauce.

Overhead of shiny red strawberry sauce in glass jar

So, what will you be pairing with your strawberry sauce?

Enjoy!

More Recipes You Might Like:

  • Blueberry Sauce
  • Strawberry Cobbler
  • Strawberry Crumb Bars
Strawberry sauce in jar with spoon on marble surface

Simple Strawberry Sauce

A sweet simple recipe for Strawberry Sauce! Recipe includes a brief video at the bottom of the post!
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: strawberry sauce
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 75kcal
Author: Sam Merritt

Ingredients

  • 1 lb strawberries tops removed and quartered (455g)
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar 65g
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch¹
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract² optional

Instructions

  • Combine strawberries, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and lemon juice in a medium-sized saucepan.
  • Cook over medium/low heat until berries release their juices (about 5 minutes or so, mixture should be very liquidy).
  • Bring mixture to a boil and boil for one minute, stirring constantly.
  • Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes (keep in mind sauce will continue to thicken after cooling).
  • Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract, if using.
  • Allow to cool before serving (over ice cream, pancakes, biscuits, etc.!)

Notes

¹You can omit the cornstarch for a looser, less thick strawberry sauce. Keep in mind the sauce will need to cook much longer to reach a consistency that isn't too runny (about 15 minutes or longer).
²Optional. You can leave it out for a stronger, fresh strawberry taste, but I love the flavor the vanilla extract adds!

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 75kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 50mg | Potassium: 119mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 12mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

I originally shared this recipe for Homemade Strawberry Sauce over on The Recipe Critic!

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Comments

  1. Chris says

    July 5, 2020 at 10:12 pm

    I be picking fresh strawberry, can I freeze the strawberry, then later on thaw the strawberry to make the sauce?

    Reply
    • Sam says

      July 6, 2020 at 10:34 am

      Definitely! Enjoy 🙂

      Reply
  2. Audrey Pagnotto says

    June 30, 2020 at 2:50 pm

    I’m going to try this recipe and can a few jars. From past experience I would say that you need to use Clear Jel (not instant Clear Jel) for this recipe. It can be purchased online and is good for pie filling and puddings. It does not break down like regular cornstarch, nor does it cloud up the color. I’ve used it for canning pie filling and many other things. It must be mixed with the sugar.

    Reply
    • Sam says

      June 30, 2020 at 11:24 pm

      That is very interesting information, Audrey! I am not very familiar with canning so thank you for the input. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Sheep says

    May 20, 2020 at 10:01 am

    Can I substitute the strawberries for cherries?

    Reply
    • Sugar Spun Run says

      May 20, 2020 at 10:18 am

      Hi, Sheep! That should be fine. Keep me posted on how it turns out. 🙂

      Reply
  4. Sheep says

    April 22, 2020 at 1:16 pm

    5 stars
    I paired the strawberry sauce with whipped cream and French Toast! It was very delicious, as always! 🙂 😀

    Reply
    • Sugar Spun Run says

      April 22, 2020 at 1:50 pm

      Thank you so much, Sheep! I am so glad that you enjoyed it. 🙂

      Reply
  5. Jen says

    April 14, 2020 at 5:15 pm

    Hi,

    Can I omit the lemon juice? I want to use this on your no bake cheesecake. Should I wait until it cools to put it on the cheesecake? How long will it last on top of the cheesecake in the fridge?

    Reply
    • Sugar Spun Run says

      April 14, 2020 at 8:52 pm

      Hi, Jen! Yes, you can omit the lemon juice. If you want to use it as a topping for the cheesecake, I would allow it to cool for 30 minutes or so before adding it to the cheesecake. It should stay fresh for a few days. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Shy says

    April 2, 2020 at 11:53 am

    Which lemon juice do you use? Is it the concetrated one?

    Reply
    • Sugar Spun Run says

      April 2, 2020 at 11:54 am

      Hi, Shy! Either fresh or concentrated will work for this recipe. 🙂

      Reply
  7. Vanessa Wrubleski says

    January 29, 2020 at 5:39 pm

    Is this recipe safe to can?

    Reply
    • Sam says

      January 29, 2020 at 10:37 pm

      Honestly I have never tried canning it or done any canning so I”m hesitant to advise. Hoping someone else who is familiar with canning can chime in!

      Reply
  8. Debbie says

    November 22, 2019 at 6:15 pm

    Would this work on cheesecake?

    Reply
    • Sugar Spun Run says

      November 22, 2019 at 9:34 pm

      Hello, Debbie! Yes, it will work nicely. I hope that you enjoy it! 🙂

      Reply
    • Debbie says

      November 23, 2019 at 5:21 pm

      Thank you!!!!

      Reply
  9. Leslie Scoren says

    August 6, 2019 at 2:53 pm

    Hi Sam, I have made this as a topping for an angel food cake, garnished with fresh whole strawberries.
    Wondering if this sauce can be frozen for the months ahead? Wasn’t sure if the cornstarch would keep or not, since it tends to change consistency with time. Ever tried it? Maybe best to make it for freezing purposes without the cornstarch, then add the thickener later when defrosted and ready to use? Any thoughts?

    Reply
    • Sam says

      August 7, 2019 at 10:15 pm

      Hi Leslie! I have not tried freezing it. You could can it if you’d like to hold it for a little longer time, but are worried about freezing it. 🙂

      Reply
  10. Melody says

    August 5, 2019 at 5:21 pm

    5 stars
    Loved the video I will be trying the strawberry sauce 🥰
    Congratulations to you lil lady on the baby news 🙏🏼😌❤️

    Reply
    • Sam says

      August 6, 2019 at 2:44 pm

      Thank you so much, Melody! I hope you love the strawberry sauce. 🙂

      Reply
  11. Larry Imber says

    August 5, 2019 at 3:49 pm

    Just made this. My wife loves it. Can you freeze this after it cools?

    Reply
    • Sam says

      August 6, 2019 at 2:45 pm

      Hi Larry! I haven’t tried it myself, but I think it would work just fine. 🙂

      Reply
  12. Cynthia Ann Shields says

    August 5, 2019 at 12:48 pm

    Congratulations on the wonderful news of you precious gift to arrive soon.

    I wanted to tell you that I made your Chocolate Scones and my goodness they are delicious and addictive.

    Thank you for sharing. Cynthia

    Reply
    • Sam says

      August 6, 2019 at 2:48 pm

      Thank you so much, Cynthia! I am so glad you enjoyed the chocolate scones so much! They are definitely one of my favorites. 🙂

      Reply
  13. Julie says

    August 5, 2019 at 11:26 am

    Is it best to store in the fridg or can it be left out? and what is the shelf life?

    Reply
    • Sam says

      August 5, 2019 at 11:37 am

      Store in the fridge for up to two weeks. I hope you enjoy, Julie! 🙂

      Reply

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The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

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