This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This homemade strawberry sauce captures the bright flavor of summer berries and is super simple to make! Use it on cheesecake, ice cream, or to make strawberry shortcake.
Home gardeners know that nature doesn’t wait for you to be ready for its bounty. It just showers you with its blessings and expects you to figure it out.
In my garden, this frequently happens with zucchini when everything decides to ripen at the same time, but at least with zucchini you can leave it on the plant for a few extra days without it being a big deal. Not so with strawberries. When a bunch of them hit their peak you gotta grab them fast before the birds spot them. Then, you have to do something with them! Homegrown strawberries don’t last as long as commercially grown varieties either, so time is of the essence.
Aside from hand eating fresh strawberries, my usual go-to solutions are turning them into pies, muffins and strawberry shortcake. But today I was feeling a bit lazy so I decided to make a simple strawberry sauce instead. 🙂
What is Strawberry Sauce?
Strawberry sauce is exactly what it sounds like: a sauce made with fresh berries. It is similar to blueberry sauce and you use it the same way. The benefit of making strawberry sauce is it lets you harness all the flavor of fresh berries at their ripest, then use it at your leisure.
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll only need a handful of ingredients to make strawberry sauce. Here’s a quick overview. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for specific amounts.
- Fresh strawberries – You can use frozen in a pinch, but I personally prefer to make this sauce in the summer and then freeze it for winter. The flavor will still be good if you use frozen berries but it won’t taste like sunshine. Fresh strawberries are hard to beat.
- Water
- Sugar
- Lemon Juice – Don’t use bottled lemon juice. Fresh is best.
- Vanilla extract – Use pure vanilla extract.
How to Make Strawberry Sauce
This sauce is ridiculously easy to make. Here’s how to do it:
- Bring the strawberries, water, and sugar to boil over medium heat in a saucepan. Reduce the heat to low and allow the sauce to simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Stirring continuously, add the vanilla and lemon juice and cook on low for 5 more minutes, stirring regularly. Continue cooking until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. For a thicker sauce cook it longer, for a thinner sauce you’ll need less time.
- Transfer to a mason jar and set aside to cool completely.
Ways to Use It
There are so many ways to use strawberry sauce. Here are my favorite ideas:
- Spoon it over a bowl of vanilla ice cream or even strawberry ice cream. Add a dollop of whipped cream while you’re at it!
- Turn it into Strawberries Romanoff or Strawberry “Shortmug” Cake.
- Drizzle it over cheesecake or a slice of cake.
- Add it to fluffy pancakes, buttermilk waffles or sourdough waffles. I also love this sauce tucked into crepes with a bit of sweet cheese filling.
- Dollop it into a bowl of brown sugar oatmeal or millet porridge for breakfast. I also enjoy spreading a thin layer onto a piece of thick toast with some whipped honey or maple cream.
How to Store & Freeze
- Fridge: It is important to let the strawberry sauce cool completely in the mason jar before placing it in the fridge. If you place it in the fridge while still hot, it will impact the temperature of the other food items around it. So, let it cool, then seal your jar and store it in the fridge. The sauce will keep for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: You can also freeze strawberry sauce. Let it cool completely and make sure there is at least 1-inch of space at the top of your freezer-safe container so that the sauce has room to expand as it freezes. Seal your container, then store the sauce in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge when you’re ready to use it.
Fresh Strawberry Sauce
This homemade strawberry sauce captures the bright flavor of summer berries and is super simple to make! Use it on cheesecake, ice cream, or to make strawberry shortcake.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 servings
- Category: Sauces
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 cups (14 oz) fresh strawberries
- 4 tablespoons water
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract
Instructions
Bring the strawberries, water, and sugar to boil over medium heat in a saucepan. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
Stirring continuously, add the vanilla and lemon juice and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring regularly. Continue cooking until your sauce reaches your desired consistency.
Transfer to a mason jar and set aside to cool completely. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Last Step:
Please share a rating and comment if you enjoyed this recipe! Your feedback helps this little blog thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Keywords: strawberry sauce for cheesecake, how to make strawberry sauce, fresh strawberry sauce