Berry Sauce
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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.
Comments
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this looks delicious ! I am having company and we are having lasagna . Do you think your cheesecake with the berries is too much for dessert?
Hi Char, I think it will be an indulgent meal, but no, I don’t think it’s too much. Hope you enjoy the cheesecake/berries if you make it!
OMG, this is the best sauce I’ve ever made/tasted. Very easy to make.. and it looks so beautiful!! Thanks for sharing the recipe!!!
Hi Jenn Can I make or use this sauce for filling a cake?
Hi Fanny, Unfortunately, I don’t think that will work — it would be too liquidy and make the cake soggy. Sorry!
It smelled like heavens😍😇
Wow. My first ever cheesecake. I am a Chef, don’t confuse me with baker, that I am not… I sweat the whole time making it but… WOW! Flavor, texture and presentation were amazing. Thank you for the detailed directions. I will share this recipe and keep it for future use!
I made this sauce to go with Jenn’s New York Cheesecake. It is the perfect topping. I used all fresh berries. I did strain the sauce as directed. When I saw the amount of seeds in the strainer, I was very glad that I did do that. I added one and a half teaspoons of Framboise, just because I like it with anything with raspberries.
This sauce is spectacular and the color is lucious. This is a must with the cheesecake. Simply a feast for the eyes and the palate!
I use either Chambord (a raspberry and blackberry liqueur) or Pacific Rim framboise (raspberry liquere) to add another level to the flavor. I also whisk lemon juice and cornstarch to thicken berry sauce and use less sugar.
I tried your recipe and tweaked it a bit because I only had frozen blueberries and strawberries. However, the blended product was fantastic! I would reduce the sugar marginally. For the fresh berries, only blueberries, I tossed them with Blue Caraco along with the lemon and sugar. Nice flavour profile when put with a homemade shortcake. Thank you!
As always, a straightforward and detailed recipe with great results. Thank you!
Hello @onceuponachef. Wow! Made your delicious cheesecake yesterday. Your directions are spot on and it was by far the best cheesecake I’ve ever made.
Thank you!
Kelly