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There is no rival for homemade strawberry sauce. It has just 3 ingredients and this is the easiest strawberry sauce recipe. Adding a few spoons of this glossy fresh strawberry topping will make any dessert feel fancier. This is a great recipe to have in your arsenal for entertaining or to make your family’s eyes light up as you spoon it over a bowl of vanilla ice cream.
This strawberry topping is completely wonderful over pancakes, waffles, pie, cheesecake, this trifle, you name it! This is our favorite and easiest way to make strawberry sauce. The lemon juice balances the sweetness and makes the strawberry flavor more pronounced. Truth be told, it’s dangerously irresistible stuff – consider yourself warned ;).
We’re using this sauce in our next recipe post so I hope you are all kinds of excited!!
Make-Ahead Tip: You can make this strawberry topping 1 to 3 days in advance, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Easy Strawberry Sauce Ingredients:
1 lb Strawberries, rinsed, hulled and thickly sliced
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice (from 1/2 Lemon)
How to Make Easy Strawberry Sauce:
1. In a medium saucepan, combine sliced strawberries, 1/3 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice. Place over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. The strawberries will release juice without any mashing required.
2. Reduce heat and simmer 20-23 minutes or until sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Keep in mind sauce will thicken up slightly as it cools and even more after refrigeration.
Pro Tip: Do not blend strawberries before cooking. I have tested coarsely blending strawberries in a food processor and even though they taste great, the color of the sauce was foggy and not glossy as shown in the photos above. We had best results with slicing strawberries by hand.
It really is as good as it looks – bursting with fresh strawberry flavor!
⬇Print-Friendly Strawberry Sauce Recipe:
Strawberry Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
Strawberry Sauce Ingredients:
- 1 lb Strawberries, rinsed, hulled and thickly sliced
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice, from 1/2 Lemon
Instructions
How to Make Strawberry Sauce:
- In a medium saucepan, combine sliced strawberries, 1/3 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Strawberries will release juice without any mashing required.
- Reduce heat and simmer 20-23 min or until sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Keep in mind sauce will thicken up slightly as it cools and even more with refrigeration.
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
I hope this becomes your new favorite strawberry topping. Let me know how you serve your strawberry sauce. Or maybe it’s just you with a spoon in your hand? Remember I called this dangerous for a reason!
I noticed in a lot of other recipes, cornstarch is used-what’s the reason for not using it here? Thanks!!
Hi Deb! This recipe thickens naturally as it cooks down and doesn’t need it. The sauce will also thicken up slightly as it cools and even more after refrigeration. If it doesn’t meet your desired thickness, you can cook it down more or add corn starch. 🙂
This is amazing!!! I made this as a replacement for the fruit spreads in individual yogurts/cottage cheeses. This worked perfectly. I reduced the sugar to 1/4 cup and it still tasted great and sweet!
I’m wondering if this could be done with other fruits, such as peaches or raspberries. Any suggestions?
Hi Ashley! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe. I think that would still work with raspberries. You may need a little less cooking time. This is our go-to raspberry-syrup but if you wanted a little more texture, I think raspberries are worth experimenting with!
Fast, easy, tasty recipe! Second time I’ve used this recipe everyone loves it
That’s great, Sam! So glad it’s enjoyed. 🙂
Excuse me ma’am! I used this recipe for mason jar strawberry shortcake as well as strawberry shortcake cupcakes. That’s what my daughter wanted for her 18th birthday and IT WAS A HIT!! It turned out amazing. Thank you for this recipe. Keep the recipes coming and again THANK YOU 🤗
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Heidi! Happy Birthday to your daughter!
Do you add any water in with the strawberries or do the strawberries naturally have enough moisture in them to boil on their own? I haven’t tried this yet but I’m worried that the sugar will burn in the pot while it is heating up.
Hi Casey! The strawberries will release plenty of liquid in the process. You do not need to add water. 🙂
Lovely sauce. Really tasty.
Could i ask please. We halved the sauce recipe as we only needed 3 tbsp for what we were making. The sauce seemed not to be pourable and more a nice jam consistency. How do you make it runny again to pour over eton mess.
Thanks
Hi Ian, if less was made, it was likely cooked down too much. You can try adding more ingredients/ strawberries.
Made it for the first time! I’m hooked! It’s so easy and so delicious! I had to combine fresh and frozen berries because my grandson sneaked a few fresh ones from my supply! Worked out great/ just had to up the sugar a tad and let it simmer a bit longer. Delish! Thanks
So glad you enjoy this recipe. 🙂
Make your strawberry topping it was delicious. From East Earl Pennsylvania.
Hello there Maggie, so glad you enjoyed it!
I am having a bake sale on Saturday. Is it too early to make this sauce today?
Hi Stephanie, I have stored it max 4 days and it was still great but I haven’t tested it beyond that. Freezing it should work just fine.
Can you make this in large quantities, and then can it in small mason jars, like strawberry jam? Do you think it would it keep for about a year? I am thinking of doing this when strawberries come in season soon, instead of making jam like I planned. I really love this on cheesecake and on toast.
Hi there, I have stored it max 4 days and it was still great but I haven’t tested it beyond that. Freezing it should work just fine.
Hi can the strawberry sauce been used instead of jam in a Victoria sponge cake 😊
Hi Suzanne. I think that could work. The sauce is runnier than jam so you’ll have to watch that.
I made the sauce and it’s amazing. How long does this strawberry sauce last in the refrigerator
Great to hear that you enjoyed the sauce! You can make this strawberry topping 1 to 3 days in advance, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve
Can you use the Same recipe if you are using frozen strawberry’s?
Are the amounts the same?
Hi Nan, yes, this should work with frozen strawberries; be sure to cook the sauce to the desired consistency. Sometimes frozen can give off more juice, so it may take slightly longer to cook.
Would like to know if Monk fruit sweetener (which is better for you) will work in this recipe..
Also I love your blog but I have to alter each for no gluten.
Hi Sharon! I have not tested it but here is what one of my other readers said, “Simple, easy and so delicious! I used monk fruit sweetener and it still came out amazing! This will be my go-to strawberry sauce from now on!”
Unfortunately, Monk fruit sweetener contains erythritol which isn’t good for you unless you can find it without it. I’ve read that much of the erythritol found on grocery shelves originates from genetically modified corn or wheat. Some studies link GMO consumption to immune problems, infertility, inhibited insulin regulation, and accelerated aging. Suppliers often pair this sugar alternative with aspartame to increase its sweetness. Aspartame induces weight gain, depression, anxiety, fatigue, fibromyalgia, brain tumors, and many other maladies. The potential effects of erythritol produced from GMO crops and combined with unhealthy additives could lead to serious unforeseen health consequences.
But this sauce is excellent and It will be my go to for many desserts and ICE CREAM!! 🙂
I’m really glad to hear that, Deana!
Can this strawberry sauce be used as the swirl in pound cake batter, if so will it need to be pureed?
Hi Sylvia, I haven’t tested that but it sounds like a delicious idea.
Made this tonight for strawberry short cakes. My whole family loved it! Super easy and yummmmmy! 🍓
Glad to hear that, Sharry! Thank you for sharing that with us.
How long will this last in a mason jar when stored in the fridge ?
Can I make it a week in advance ?
Hi Pattie, you can make this strawberry topping 1 to 3 days in advance, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve
This looks like just the thing for all my berries. Could it be water bath canned for storage?
Hi Kelly, I have not tested this to advise for canning. But one of our readers wrote in saying it freezes well, “I freeze mine, and it turns out great.” I hope that helps.
I made this with frozen strawberries and it was perfect! I only added 2-3 tbsp of sugar since the berries were very sweet.
Hi Jeremy, thank you for your good comments and feedback, We appreciate it!
I’d like to try the strawberry sauce but with less sugar or maybe with a substitute like stevia? Would that work?
I haven’t tried those substitutions, so I can’t speak to that. Substitutions may hinder the recipe outcome. I always suggest making a recipe as written the first time around.
Made this for my French toast this morning. It was delicious!!!!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Christine!