Strawberry Sauce Recipe

Strawberry sauce recipe is made with fresh strawberries, lemon juice, zest, and sugar. With just 4 ingredients and in about 30 minutes, you will have the most delicious topping ever. It is excellent on cheesecakes, pound cakes, angel food cakes, pancakes, and even ice cream!

Homemade Strawberry Sauce or Strawberry Topping Recipe

Strawberry sauce or otherwise called strawberry topping is a simple recipe made with just 4 ingredients. You can make it with fresh or frozen strawberries, and I recommend adding some lemon juice and zest for the berry flavor to pop. I also enjoy stirring in some vanilla extract at the end, it balances the citrus and sweet berries beautifully. You will end up eating it with a spoon, it’s such a great recipe. So much better than store-bought.

This delicious topping is basically good on anything! It is one of the sauces that I always like to keep on hand. Especially I like that it stores well in the fridge and it also freezes well. To make it even more convenient for you we have included canning instructions as well. This way you can make a double batch and have some in the pantry all the time. For the best results make sure you use ripe and sweet fruit!

Whether you want something for your pastries, to make your next fancy birthday cake for the kids, or to fill crepes for your next brunch get-together with the ladies, this sweet and tangy strawberry sauce recipe is quick and easy to make. It has so many uses, from peanut butter sandwiches to cheesecake toppings. You should try it on my butter swim biscuits.

Why you will love this recipe

• Very few ingredients: You only need a few things to make this recipe.
• It’s so easy: Grab a saucepan and a wooden spoon. That’s all you need.
• Healthier than store-bought: You can do this at home without all the extra preservatives.
• Done in minutes: Unlike some recipes, you do not have to cook it for an hour or more.

What you’ll need to make strawberry sauce

Special items:

• Saucepan – For heating the sauce.
• Wooden spoon – To mix it up.

The ingredients:

• Strawberries – You will need two pounds of strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and chopped.
• Sugar – White granulated sugar for the best flavor.
• Lemon zest – Make your own for the best taste. It is easy, takes just a few minutes, and saves a lot of money.
• Lemon juice – Squeezing your own juice is also easy, and the taste is worth it.
• Vanilla – 100% pure vanilla extract for the freshest flavor without a bitter aftertaste.

How to make strawberry sauce?

1. Prepare the fruit: First, start by washing, hulling and sling the fruit. Next, add it to a medium saucepan.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients: Then, add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and sugar. After that, give everything a good stir and place on medium heat.
3. Cook: Next, bring the mixture to a boil, and after that reduce the heat to low. Afterward, continue a few minutes stirring occasionally, and simmer until thickened.
4. Cool: Once the mixture has thickened, remove it from heat and let it cool to room temperature. Keep in mind that the sauce will thicken more as it cools.
5. Store: Once cooled, transfer the mixture into airtight containers and store in the fridge for 4-5 days.
6. To Freeze: In addition, this mixture is very easy to freeze. Hence, to do so, just add the cooled mixture to an airtight container or freezer-safe Ziploc bag. Lastly, place it in the freezer, and if using a Ziploc bag, lay it flat. You can freeze it for up to 3-4 months.
7. To Defrost: Finally, if you are ready to defrost the mixture, leave it overnight in the fridge. Similarly, you can add it to a medium saucepan and reheat it on the stove. In case if the mixture is too watery after defrosting, simmer it with a bit of extra sugar for 15-20 minutes.

Expert tip 

Strawberry Sauce Canning Instructions

You can use the canning process when you make something so delicious that you want to keep it for up to a year. For some reason, a lot of folks are afraid of canning. Either they think it is too hard or dangerous. It is not either of these things if you do it right.

• Make the mixture: First, follow the steps and prepare the sauce as per the recipe below. Next, let it cool to room temperature.
• Water bath: In the meantime, fill a large pot with enough water to cover by 1-inch the jars. 
• Prepare the jar rings: Also, remove the rings from the jars and set them aside.
• Prepare the lids: Next, take the lids and place them in a small saucepan. Cover them with hot boiling water and let sit for 10 minutes. After that discard the water.
• Sterilize the jars: In addition, take the empty jars and place them in another pot with hot water. Cover and boil the jars for 10 minutes. Finally, when it’s time to remove them, use kitchen tongs to get them out. Make sure to discard any water from the jars and place them on a clean kitchen towel. Finally, let the sterilized jars dry out.
• Add the berry mixture: Afterwards, distribute the berry mixture into the prepared jars. Make sure to clean the jars, and after that add the lids and rings.
• Boil: Add the closed/sealed jars to the prepared water bath and boil for 5 minutes.
• Cool: Finally, remove the jars from the water bath and arrange them on a clean and dry kitchen towel. Now, let the jars rest undisturbed for 12 hours.
• Pop: Finally, a very important step that you have to watch for. Keep an eye, and an ear to listen to the list pop. If it pops, means that the jars are sealed and you can store them safely. In case it doesn’t pop, you have to store the jars in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Recipe variations and add-ins:

• Other berries: Add some other berries with your strawberries, like raspberries, blackberries, and cherries.
• More fruit: It would also be delicious with other fruits mixed in such as chopped apples, peaches, and pears.
• Different extracts: Instead of vanilla, experiment with other flavors of extracts. Orange, lime, or lemon would make it tangy, and strawberry would add even more flavor.
• Other citrus: Instead of using lemon zest and juice, try this with lime or orange.
• Spices: For a different taste, add your favorite spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

Serving suggestions:

You can use this yummy sauce on or in all sorts of things. Here are some great ideas.

• Pour this on top of your pancakes or waffles for breakfast. It would be amazing on top of these strawberry pancakes with cheesecake filling!
• It is also an excellent way to fill donuts, crepes, cupcakes, and hand pies.
• Spread it on a slice of strawberry bread for an after-school snack.
• Add a spoonful to the kids’ ice cream for a special treat. 
• For a quick breakfast, try it on a bagel or toast with a strawberry banana smoothie.
• This is the perfect topping for a strawberry cheesecake! Also it works perfectly with this with panna cotta recipe.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my strawberry sauce watery?

The most common reason for watery strawberry sauce to be watery is if your strawberries are too ripe. Having mushy strawberries that are too ripe and have too much water will make your sauce too runny to be reduced appropriately. It may also be that you did not cook it long enough. Keep it on the stove a little longer, and you may find that your sauce is perfect. If not, add some cornstarch slurry (1tbsp cornstarch dissolved into 2tbsps water), turn the heat back on, and simmer for a few minutes, and the sauce will thicken up nicely.

How long does it take to macerate strawberries?

To juice strawberries without heat, sprinkle one tablespoon per pound of strawberries, stir to combine, and place them in the refrigerator, covered for at least 30 minutes. After that, come back to find sweet and juicy strawberries swimming in their juices. Wait another hour for more juice. Continue to wait, and your strawberries will become even softer. However, the juice will keep increasing. If you want it reduced and thickened, you must heat it. Also, if you let them sit too long, they will get mushy.

What is the difference between strawberry sauce, jam, and preserves?

Jam is made from mashed strawberries, sauce from reduced or macerated sliced fruit and preserves from whole strawberries. That is really the only difference here. With jam and preserves, however, people typically make a bunch and use a canning process to store several jars for later use or to give as gifts. I do this often when I find large amounts of my favorite fruits at farmers’ markets.

Does my strawberry sauce have to be so chunky?

The chunkiness of the sauce depends on what you like. First, you can mash the strawberries before you make the sauce so there are no chunks in it. Or you can pour the mixture into a food processor and pulse it until it is the consistency that you like. You could also use an immersion blender if you do not have a food processor. I like mine with a lot of chunks, but then I will mash them up or blend them if I am using it for something smooth.

How to put strawberry sauce on a cheesecake?

First, make sure that your sauce has been cooled to room temperature. If you want to use it as a layer on the cheesecake, not just a drizzle on a slice, it needs to be cooled.

Next, bake your cheesecake, remove it from the oven and let it cool. Finally, while the cheesecake is still in the springform pan, fully cooled, top it with the sauce and refrigerate for 6-8 hours. You can add it later, before serving, but it won’t get a chance to settle nicely on top of the cake.

Another tip is if you plan on using it as a cheesecake topping, make sure to thicken it with the cornstarch slurry. Hence, the mixture will be thicker and look better on top of the cake.

How to store leftovers:

• Refrigerate: Once it has cooled, you can pour it into glass jars and store them in the fridge for up to a week.   
• Freezing: Make sure your jars are freezer-safe, and you can freeze your sauce for three or four months.   
• Defrost: Thaw overnight in your refrigerator for the best texture and taste.

More recipes with strawberries:

Recipe tips:

• Although you should not need cornstarch or thickener, you can use it if your sauce is not as thick as you would like.
• If you want to macerate your strawberries without heat, mix sugar and put them in the fridge for several hours before adding the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla.
• Use a blender or mash the berries for a less chunky sauce. For easier mashing, use a potato masher.
• Do not wash the strawberries until you are ready to use them. They will last longer if you remove them from the container they came in and put them in a different one with a paper towel to absorb moisture.
• Use firm strawberries for this recipe. Soft ones have too much water and will make your sauce runny.
• If you want to keep your strawberry sauce for more than a few months, you can use the canning process. It is not that hard. My easy instructions are in the tips section.