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Enjoy our super easy 5 Minute Berry Sauce on a slice of your favorite pound cake, or dolloped on yogurt, waffles, pancakes, biscuits, scones, ice cream and more!
If you find yourself with a few extra fresh or frozen berries, try whipping up this easy recipe for berry sauce that’s terrific served both warm or cold. I always seem to have leftover berries and need to make something quick before they get too ripe. This berry sauce comes to the rescue every time! It makes a great topping for ice cream or simple cakes. It’s also a great substitute for syrup on pancakes and waffles. It’s so easy to make you can whip up a batch of each flavor and let your family pick a favorite. Blackberries and blueberries are my favorites, but really ripe, sweet strawberries are great too.
This sauce is only as good as the fruit you use to make it. If you use less ripe, light colored strawberries for example, the sauce will be pink instead of red. The taste is obviously going to be better with ripe fruits all the way around. But, on the other hand, this berry sauce is a great way to use up less than prime fruits. Adding lemon juice and sugar amps up the flavor of the berries.
Feel free to vary the amount of sugar you add to the sauce based on how sweet your berries are. Raspberries are typically more tart than strawberries so you may want to use the higher end of the sugar range. If using as a topping for cake for example, I would use less sugar so the sauce compliments the dessert instead of stealing the show.
I love spooning this sauce over unsweetened Greek Yogurt which has a natural tartness that pairs perfectly with the sweetened berry sauce. Â I hope you find plenty of ways to enjoy this fresh berry sauce, and never have to throw berries away again!
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Here’s another one of our favorite sauces you might also like:
Warm Black & Blueberry Sauce ~ a simple fruit sauce made with blackberries and blueberries with a tangy bite from the fresh lemon juice. Â With just a little sugar, this versatile sauce is great on just about everything! Click HERE to get the recipe.
Easy 5 Minute Berry Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh or frozen berries (slightly thawed if frozen)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ to ⅓ cup granulated sugar or less to taste depending on the tartness of the fruit
- pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the clean dry berries in a deep medium saucepan. Add the lemon juice, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Once the sauce boils, mash some of the berries with a fork but be sure to leave some whole for good texture. Slowly stir in about half of the cornstarch and water mixture, while stirring constantly. Add more of the cornstarch mixture if needed or until the sauce is as thick as you want. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Serve immediately and refrigerate leftovers. Easy peasy.
Recipe Notes
- This sauce is great made with blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries, or use a combination if desired.
Nutrition
Here’s a link to the tulip jelly Weck Jars featured in this post and my favorite saucepan with a handy spout! Click on the photos for more information:
    
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Thanks so much for stopping by! Tricia
Robin
Thank you. I made a beautiful poppyseed pound cake but it was just too sweet. A raspberry sauce…yours was perfect.
Tricia Buice
Thanks Robin! Poppyseed Pound Cake sounds pretty terrific. Bet it was lovely with the raspberry sauce 😉
Madeline Hollon
This recipe is so easy and just what I wanted. I serve it with sour cream pound cake mostly but it has a lot of uses. I typically use a mixed bag of frozen berries and it is delicious. Thanks!
Tricia Buice
Thank you so much Madeline. We love fruit sauces and especially over pound cake! Thanks again for taking the time to comment.
Kolbie Clites
Glad I stumbled upon this! I knew the general concepts, but your measurements of sugar and cornstarch are what really turns the berries into a sauce. Thanks for sharing!
Tricia Buice
Thank you Kolbie! So glad you enjoyed the sauce.
Shelly
How long does the berry sauce keep? I’d like to make for Christmas gifts
Tricia Buice
Hi Shelly. Like anything made with fresh fruit, it is best eaten within a few days of making. Although this is jam-like, it won’t keep forever. Heartier berries like blackberries or blueberries will last longer than raspberries. Anyway, making a day or two in advance should not be a problem. Good luck and enjoy!
Shelly
Thank you. Have a wonderful holiday season
Susan
So beautiful and fresh-looking, Tricia! What a great way to use fresh fruit before it spoils. I can imagine this on a freshly toasted English Muffin in the morning. Mmmm!
Tricia Buice
Thanks Susan – almost like jam!
Liz
Besides spooning directly into my mouth, I’d love these berry sauces on so many dishes—cake, cheesecake, pancakes! Delicious!
Tricia Buice
Thank you Liz – happy long weekend!
Gerlinde
I love to have these sauces over some ice cream. Yum! Your photos are so gorgeous!
Tricia Buice
Thank you so much Gerlinde 😉
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
Such a great way to enjoy all the Summer fruit! So many ways to use 🙂 Have a great long weekend, Tricia!
Tricia Buice
Thanks Jennifer!
Jenny
Can I do this with peaches?
Tricia Buice
Hi Jenny – I haven’t tried this with peaches but I say go for it. What can it hurt? I would chop the peaches up to about berry size and maybe add a little cinnamon too. Sounds delicious – good luck!
Monique
Love the gorgeous colors..just pulled a pound cake/loaf out of the oven..see this happening:)
Tricia Buice
I love the smell of pound cake baking – so delicious! Thanks Monique.
angiesrecipes
The way you prepared this sauce reminds me of cherry sauce my MIL made…wish I could taste some of your berry sauce :-))
Tricia Buice
Oh cherry sauce sounds nice too Angie – wish I could share it with you! Thanks 😉
sue | the view from great island
My mouth is watering, I want to drape it all over ice cream 🙂
Tricia Buice
Yummy stuff Sue – thanks!
Diana
Can I freeze the sauce?
Beautiful pictures…
Tricia Buice
Hi Diana – I would cool the sauce completely and perhaps refrigerate overnight. Then seal well in a jar or container and freeze. It will be like freezer jam 🙂 Great way to use up extra berries you want to preserve without a lot of work. Be sure to leave header space at the top of the container as the sauce will expand when frozen. Thank you!
Chris Scheuer
This is a wonderful idea! I’m like you and so often have extra berries as I tend to overbuy when produce is beautiful! Berry Sauce to the rescue!
Tricia Buice
Thank you Chris – enjoy the long weekend!