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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 am making large batch of your strawberry sauce Ihave 2pounds and 4oz,How much sugar do I use.Thanks so much and I love your site.
Hi Tia, if you are at the recipe you can click on Jump to recipe and you should be able to adjust the serving size and the ingredients.
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!
That’s just awesome Kim! Sounds like you found a new favorite!
Loved the Sauce ! It came out so glossy and so good ! I blended it after cooking to top them on my mini cheese cakes and it was amazing
That’s so great Aiman! Thank you for that wonderful review!
Well my story is I was making it to do a Strawberry pie and it is part of the recipe (then lost recipe) so I am now as I type making sauce to use over Cakes ice cream etc It’s simmering now Will have it tonight
Sounds good, I hope you like it!
I don’t have lemon but I have a lime. Will using the lime work for this recipe?
That should work too, Debie.
Can this strawberry sauce be canned?
Hi Barb, I haven’t tested that but here is what one of our readers wrote citing it freezes well, “I freeze mine and it turns out great. I use for our nightly ice cream” I hope that helps.
I’ve seen other recipes with vanilla extract…would that be a good addition to this recipe?
Hi Brandi! I don’t think this sauce needs it but if you happen to experiment I would love to know how you like this recipe!
Such a yummy topping to shortcake. My family loves it!
That’s just awesome! I’m so happy to hear that!
This is really easy and delicious. I reduced the sugar because my wife prefers it that way and it was still perfect. Beautiful color. This time we used it to top a no-bake cheesecake. We’ve used it on other desserts in the past and it never disappoints.
That’s so awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed this Vanda!
First I love all your recipes and trying the cheesecake today. Can the strawberry sauce be made a day ahead and pour over the cake the next day?
Hi Kali, that will work. 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.
Natasha, do I cover and simmer, does not say?
Hi Kali, we simmer uncovered. I hope you love the strawberry sauce!
I can give you 10 stars for this recipe. I just made it with following the instructions. It looks amazing the same as your picture. My cheese cake is in the oven right now and hopefully it will be good too because this is the first time I made cheesecake. But I am pretty sure it will be delicious as your other recipes. Thank you 🙂
Wow-what an awesome rating. Thank you for your excellent feedback and yes I hope you love the cheesecake!
As I expected, the cheesecake was delicious.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Do you use water when putting in the pan or just the ingredients stated?
Hi Kristie, we use just the ingredients as stated.
Have you ever canned and froze it for later use?
Hi Wendy, I haven’t tested that but here is what one of our readers wrote citing it freezes well, “I freeze mine and it turns out great. I use for our nightly ice cream” I hope that helps.
I have done that
Can I use blueberries instead of strawberry instead of cherry
Hi Norman, this works great with blueberries!
Hi Natasha,
Can I use frozen strawberries in this sauce?
We prefer to use fresh strawberries but if that’s what you have on hand, that will work too.
I made a strawberry lemonade cake with mine. It was totally amazing
Awesome, hope you like it!
I just made this and my mouth was watering the entire time. It is so fresh and delicious. I would definitely recommend using fresh squeezed lemon.
I’m making the perfect cheesecake recipe next. Do you think this strawberry topping would go ok with the cheesecake?
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Donna! Isn’t it so good! I think this could work for a cheesecake! If you experiment, please let me know how you like that.
Is sugar sub. Like stevia an option for diabetics ?
I think it is but it’s best to consult a professional just to be sure.
Followed the recipe exactly..was something left out? Berries were gray in color and not a pretty red like your picture shows. I wasted all the time and money when I should have just sliced up berries added some sugar and be done. Very
disappointing!
Hi Margo, I haven’t had that experience with them turning grey – that could be if they are boiled for too long (or not long enough). It could also be due to using less sugar or omitting lemon juice. Real lemon juice will help them keep their vibrant color.
My strawberries turned grey. I had let them cook a little longer and the color changed to red and all was fine. I used bottled lemon juice.
Thank you for your recipe. I made strawberry sauce with lemon juice from a fresh lemon. However, does it matter if I use a bottle of lemon juice?
Hi Natasha. I probably should’ve added that I used the strawberry sauce on top of a cheesecake. I was wondering if I could just use lemon juice from a bottle vs. a lemon in the future.
Hi Antonia, that should still work.
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Antonia!
I just wanted to state thank you so much for your replies! Greatly appreciated
You’re welcome!
How long will this sauce keep in refrigerator?
Hi Madeline, 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.
Thank you! Natashas
Hi Natasha,
Could I use frozen strawberries for this? Strawberries are almost out of season here.
Thanks
Hi Michell, That should work with frozen strawberries, just cook the sauce to the desired consistency. Sometimes frozen can give off more juice so it may take slightly longer to cook.
Can you can or freeze this little gem?
Hi Carrie, I haven’t tested that but here is what one of our readers wrote citing it freezes well, “I freeze mine and it turns out great. I use for our nightly ice cream” I hope that helps.
I made this strawberry sauce for a fresh strawberry pie. Pre bake a crust, let cool. Put a thick layer of cream cheese on the bottom of the crust. Layer fresh whole strawberries on the crust, fill up that shell to over the rim of the pie place. Pour cooled prepared strawberry sauce over berries, refrigerate. Serve with fresh whipped cream, Soooooooooo good!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
I made this to go over pancakes this morning, and OMG it was delicious! I used two “True Lemon” packets rather than regular lemon juice, and it tasted amazing. The lemon makes the taste just “pop”. It does not need anything to thicken up the syrup. Once it cooled, the consistency was perfect. Next time I’m going to double the recipe!
So great to hear that Holly. Thank you for your tips that were really helpful!
Can you use pre cut frozen strawberries for this?
That should work with frozen strawberries, just cook the sauce to the desired consistency. Sometimes frozen can give off more juice so it may take slightly longer to cook.