Berry Sauce
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Packed with juicy berries and natural sweetness, this berry sauce recipe is perfect for dressing up both everyday and special-occasion treats.
Quick and easy to make, this mixed berry sauce is perfect spooned over cheesecake, vanilla ice cream, pancakes, crepes, or waffles. It’s thickened with puréed fruit rather than cornstarch, so the berry flavor really shines through. I like to reserve some of the whole fruit to stir into the purée before serving, but serve the berries on the side instead if you prefer.
“This is delicious and easy to do. Great with Jenn’s cheesecake, as a topping for a bowl of ice cream or on plain Greek yogurt for a sweet treat.”
What You’ll Need To Make Berry Sauce
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Simmer the berries with lemon juice and sugar. Combine all of the berries in a large bowl and stir gently. Transfer about two-thirds of the mixture to a medium saucepan (set the rest aside in the fridge for later). Add the lemon juice and sugar to the pan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat and cook until syrupy, about 5 minutes.
Pro Tip: If your berries aren’t super ripe or are particularly tart, you can bump up the sugar a touch—or add a splash of orange juice for a different flavor.
Step 2: Purée the sauce. Pour the hot berry mixture into a blender and blend until smooth.
Pro Tip: Take the center cap off the blender lid and cover with a kitchen towel to let steam escape—this keeps pressure from building up and making a mess.
Step 3: Strain. Set a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and pour the sauce through it. Use the back of a ladle to press the liquid through in a circular motion, leaving the seeds behind. (If you prefer a rustic, more textured sauce, you can skip straining altogether—but expect it to be seedy, thicker, and more jam-like.
Step 4: Chill and finish. Discard the seeds, then refrigerate the sauce until cold. Right before serving, stir in the reserved fresh berries. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with a little water, bit by bit, until it reaches the consistency you want.
Pro Tips for Berry sauce
- Berry flexibility: Feel free to tweak the berry ratios based on what you’ve got on hand or what looks best at the store—just keep the total amount the same.
- Make it boozy: Stir in a splash of Chambord, Grand Marnier, or port for a more grown-up twist.
- Storing: This sauce keeps well in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months..
- More uses: Try it over frozen yogurt, pound cake, or French toast, or swirl it into Greek yogurt or oatmeal.
More Recipes You May Like
Berry Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
- 6 oz (1 dry half pint) fresh raspberries
- 6 oz (1 dry half pint) fresh blueberries
- 6 oz (1 dry half pint) fresh blackberries
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- ¾ cup sugar
Instructions
- Combine all of the berries in a large bowl and stir gently to combine. Spoon about ⅔ of the mixed berries into a medium saucepan; transfer the remaining berries to a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Add the lemon juice and sugar to the berries in the sauce pan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat and cook until the fruit is syrupy, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer the hot berry mixture to a blender and purée until smooth. Set a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Pour the sauce into the strainer and use the back of a soup ladle and circular motions to force the sauce through the strainer and into the bowl. Discard the seeds that remain in the strainer. Refrigerate the berry sauce until cold or ready to serve.
- Before serving, add the reserved berries to the sauce and stir to combine. If the sauce seems too thick, add a few tablespoons of water, a little at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I used this recipe when teaching my oldest to make panna cotta. Super simple and delicious.
If you’re looking for something more rustic or a bit quicker, you can skip straining and blending and mash the berries in the saucepan, making more of a compote. Same ingredients and ratios apply.
Fabulous topping for a plain cheesecake or pancakes….
And I didn’t even strain it.
Absolutely as easy and delicious as advertised. I used the fruit suggested (I couldn’t believe my local supermarket actually carried them on the day I wanted them – that never happens) and it was a big hit. Thanks.
Hi Jenn. I made your cheesecake bars the other day, and they were excellent! I’m going to make them again and try this berry sauce. I’m planning on using frozen fruit. I’m assuming I should defrost first. How many cups of frozen fruit would you suggest I use? Thank you 🙂
Glad you liked the cheesecake bars! Frozen fruit is fine and, yes, I would thaw them first and drain off any excess liquid. I think you’ll need about 8 cups of frozen berries. Please LMK how it turns out!
The sauce was delicious. I couldn’t get strawberries but it made no difference. I cut back the sugar to a light half cup and added a healthy dollop of Grand Marnier.
So refreshing! Served this on top of ice cream and cheesecake and everyone went crazy over it. We even stole bites straight out of the bowl.
I haven’t made this yet but am about to get the ingredients. I was wondering if anyone made it with Stevia. Thank you.
Perfect perfect prefect!!!!!!! This was easy and delicious and I must say I’m also stunned by how BEAUTIFUL it is! Definitely a keeper.
I have made this sauce 4 or 5 times now and it is now my go-to berry sauce recipe! I’ve used it to accompany ice cream, chocolate cake and angel food cake and it is really just the perfect berry sauce recipe. Thank you so much for sharing it with us!!
Hi
I’ve used your cheesecake recipe now for the fourth time but wanted to try this to elevate the cake for my brother’s special visit.
I even bought blackberries, which I never do! I used 300g frozen raspberries, among with fresh raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries for the sauce. It all went well and tasted so fantastic. I can’t imagine cheesecake without this sauce now!
Wonderful!
Hello!
I have a request from a friend for a Blueberry NY cheesecake for their birthday this coming weekend, I always use your recipe, but have never tried to make this sauce. Is it possible to replace all other berries for just blueberries and have a similar result?
Thanks in advance!
Sure, Kait, that should work. Hope your friend enjoys!