A homemade strawberry sauce recipe that makes the best strawberry topping for ice cream, cheesecake or pancakes! It’s easy to make with only 2 ingredients.
Looking for more strawberry dessert recipes? Try frozen strawberry lemonade, strawberry ice cream or strawberry pie!
Easy Strawberry Sauce Recipe
Simple and sweet homemade strawberry sauce is a delicious way to put a finishing touch on all your summertime treats. Bursting with fresh, juicy strawberries, it tastes just like strawberry jam but there is no boiling involved!
Drizzle it over a scoop of vanilla ice cream, swirl it into a simple no-bake cheesecake or pile it high atop buttermilk pancakes. These strawberry crepes with cream cheese crepe filling and whipped cream are next-level amazing with strawberry sauce!
Ingredients
Homemade strawberry sauce is basically foolproof. It’s made with just 2 ingredients!
All you need are strawberries and sugar. The butter and lemon are completely optional!
Trust me, it’s that easy and yet makes a major taste impact. Keep this recipe on hand, because as much as we love it during the summer, it’s for sure a year-round staple!
How to Make Strawberry Sauce
As easy as this recipe is, I’m excited to share it because I know there are many home cooks and busy parents out there who are always looking for quick and easy, budget-friendly ways to create their favorite sauces, dressings, and dips that way they can avoid the store-bought stuff. So, here we are!
Combine sliced strawberries and sugar together in a bowl and allow it to sit. The sugar will draw out the natural juices from the strawberries and sweeten everything up nicely. It’s so good, you’ll want to eat it right out of the bowl!
How to Thicken Strawberry Sauce
For a thicker consistency with more of a jam texture with softer berries, place mixture, along with butter and lemon juice, in a pot on the stove and simmer on medium-low until thickened. You can then mash with a fork for a textured syrup or use an immersion blender for a runnier smoother texture. This recipe can take you from strawberry sauce to strawberry syrup in a pinch!
Tips & Variations
- Cut your strawberries to the desired size, remembering that the bigger they are, the chunkier your sauce will be.
- If you are going to blend your strawberries until smooth, do this after they’ve simmered and thickened, not before. For some reason, it loses a bit of its glossy appearance if it’s blended beforehand.
- This recipe works with other berries as well, exactly as directed. Think blackberries, raspberries or blueberry sauce!
- Add chopped rhubarb: It pairs so well with strawberries like in my homemade strawberry rhubarb jam!
- You can use either fresh or thawed from frozen strawberries for this sauce.
Way to Use Strawberry Topping
There’s never a shortage of reasons to whip up a batch of strawberry sauce. Depending on what you’re using it for, it can be served cold, room temperature, or nice and warmed up!
- Vanilla ice cream
- Mini cheesecakes
- Belgian waffles or liege waffles
- Crepes
- French toast
- Yogurt parfait
- Homemade biscuits
Storing, Freezing & Reheating
- To store: Keep in a jar with a lid in the fridge for 3-5 days and allow the flavors to marry even more.
- To freeze: Transfer to an airtight container and keep frozen for up to 6 months. If you’ve made a lot, you might consider storing it in individual or smaller portions and only thaw what you need.
- To reheat: Allow to thaw in the fridge overnight. You can either reheat on low over low heat on the stove or microwave for 20-second intervals.
FAQs
Strawberry topping is made with strawberries and sugar. Optionally you can add butter, lemon juice and vanilla extract if you would like.
If the strawberry sauce is not thickening on it’s own, you can simmer it in a pot on the stovetop. When a spatula leaves a clear line around the edge of the pan while stirring your sauce has thickened.
If you are using cornstarch to thicken your sauce but would like to use flour instead, you can whisk 2 Tablespoons of flour with 1/4 cup of water. Add strawberry topping to a saucepan, stir in your flour slurry and simmer until thickened.
One pint yields approximately 2 cups sliced strawberries.
We also love hot fudge sauce, easy caramel sauce and easy butterscotch sauce!
Use it With These Recipes
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Strawberry Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pint strawberries , rinsed and dried
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice , optional
- 1 Tablespoon butter , optional
Instructions
- Cut the strawberries into desired size. Combine the strawberries and sugar. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes, or until a syrup forms. Stir in fresh lemon juice if desired.
- For more of a jam strawberry filling, place the strawberries with sugar in a small saucepan. Then add the lemon juice and butter. Cook over medium-low heat. Simmer for 3-5 minutes. Allow to thicken. Mash with a fork if (or use an immersion blender) to reach desired consistency. Allow to cool.
- Serve strawberry filing on top of crepes, pancakes, ice cream, etc.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: 5 Ingredients Or Less, American, Condiments, Desserts, Freezer-Friendly, Fruit Desserts, Gluten-Free, No-Bake, Nut-Free, Sauces, Stovetop, Toppings, Vegetarian
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
This was perfect for serving over ice cream and cheesecake. So delicious!
This was delicious on vanilla ice cream!
I’m so happy to hear that you liked it, Sandi! :)