I’m excited to share my quick Homemade Strawberry Sauce using just three ingredients and ready in under 20 minutes for pancakes, angel food cake, or cheesecake.
I never thought a three ingredient topping could make me stop mid-bite, but this Homemade Strawberry Sauce did. Using fresh strawberries and a splash of lemon juice it turns ordinary pancakes or Angel Food Cake Toppings into something that tastes like someone used a secret shortcut.
It’s messy in the best way, bright, a little tart, kind of impossible to resist. I kept messing it up the first time and loved the happy accidents, so you might end up with your own favorite twist.
Try it on cheesecake or stand at the fridge spoon in hand, you won’t regret it.
Ingredients
- Strawberries bring bright sweetness and natural pectin, thickening the sauce slightly.
- Fresh ones add lively texture and more vibrant flavor when lightly mashed.
- Frozen berries thaw with softer texture, super handy year round.
- Sugar sweetens, balances acidity, and affects how glossy the finished sauce looks.
- Lemon juice gives bright tang, lifts flavors and helps preserve color.
- Strawberries provide vitamin C, fiber, antioxidants, so it still feels kinda healthy.
- Less sugar keeps it fresher tasting, more sugar makes it syrupy and shelf stable.
Ingredient Quantities
- 1 lb (about 450 g) fresh or frozen strawberries, hulled and quartered if fresh, give or take
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, more or less to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, more if you like it tangy
How to Make this
1. Prep the strawberries: measure about 1 lb (450 g), hull them and quarter if fresh, or thaw frozen just enough to cut if needed.
2. Put the berries in a medium saucepan with 1/2 cup granulated sugar, stir to coat and let sit about 10 minutes so the sugar draws out the juices.
3. Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring now and then so nothing sticks.
4. Reduce heat to medium low and mash the berries with a potato masher or fork to the texture you like, simmering about 6 to 10 minutes until things are syrupy and the strawberries are broken down.
5. Stir in 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice near the end, taste and add a bit more sugar or lemon if you want it sweeter or tangier.
6. If you want a very smooth sauce, blitz briefly with an immersion blender or transfer a bit to a blender and pulse, but don’t overblend unless you want no chunks.
7. Let the sauce cool a little, it will thicken as it cools — if it seems too thin, simmer a couple more minutes, if too thick add a splash of water.
8. Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to about 10 days or freeze in portions; rewarm gently before serving on pancakes, cake, or cheesecake.
Equipment Needed
1. Medium saucepan, about 2 quart
2. Measuring cups and spoons for the 1/2 cup sugar and tablespoon lemon juice
3. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula for stirring
4. Potato masher or sturdy fork to mash the berries
5. Cutting board and a sharp knife to hull and quarter strawberries
6. Immersion blender or regular blender if you want a super smooth sauce
7. Airtight jar or container for storing in the fridge or freezer
8. Ladle or large spoon for transferring and serving
FAQ
Easy Homemade Strawberry Sauce Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Strawberries: swap in mixed berries like raspberries or blueberries, same weight, they give a slightly tarter kick and cook down pretty much the same
- Granulated sugar: use honey or maple syrup instead, about three quarters the amount by volume, taste and add more if you want it sweeter
- Low sugar option: use erythritol or monk fruit sweetener, follow package equivalence, the sauce may not thicken as much so simmer a bit longer or add a tiny pinch of cornstarch
- Lemon juice: substitute fresh lime juice for similar acidity or use a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar for a milder tang
Pro Tips
– Let the berries macerate longer than 10 minutes if you can, toss them with the sugar and a tiny pinch of salt and walk away for 20 to 30 min. That little rest pulls out way more juice and flavor so you need less cooking. If you start with frozen, thaw just enough to cut, then let them sit a bit too.
– Control the texture by how much you mash and how long you cook, dont overblend unless you really want no chunks. For a smoother but still bright sauce blitz briefly with an immersion blender, pulse in a regular blender, or use a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds and bits.
– If the sauce seems thin, simmer to reduce it a few minutes, or for a quick fix stir in a cornstarch slurry (1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp cold water) and simmer until clear. To check doneness spoon a bit on a chilled plate — if it wrinkles when you push it, its set enough because it will thicken more as it cools.
– Flavor and storage hacks: stir in a splash of balsamic vinegar, a pinch of black pepper, a little vanilla, or a spoon of liqueur at the end for depth. Cool completely before sealing jars, freeze flat in zip bags or ice cube trays for single servings, and always rewarm gently so you dont lose that fresh strawberry flavor.
Easy Homemade Strawberry Sauce Recipe
I’m excited to share my quick Homemade Strawberry Sauce using just three ingredients and ready in under 20 minutes for pancakes, angel food cake, or cheesecake.
4
servings
133
kcal
Equipment: 1. Medium saucepan, about 2 quart
2. Measuring cups and spoons for the 1/2 cup sugar and tablespoon lemon juice
3. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula for stirring
4. Potato masher or sturdy fork to mash the berries
5. Cutting board and a sharp knife to hull and quarter strawberries
6. Immersion blender or regular blender if you want a super smooth sauce
7. Airtight jar or container for storing in the fridge or freezer
8. Ladle or large spoon for transferring and serving
Ingredients
-
1 lb (about 450 g) fresh or frozen strawberries, hulled and quartered if fresh, give or take
-
1/2 cup granulated sugar, more or less to taste
-
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, more if you like it tangy
Directions
- Prep the strawberries: measure about 1 lb (450 g), hull them and quarter if fresh, or thaw frozen just enough to cut if needed.
- Put the berries in a medium saucepan with 1/2 cup granulated sugar, stir to coat and let sit about 10 minutes so the sugar draws out the juices.
- Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring now and then so nothing sticks.
- Reduce heat to medium low and mash the berries with a potato masher or fork to the texture you like, simmering about 6 to 10 minutes until things are syrupy and the strawberries are broken down.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice near the end, taste and add a bit more sugar or lemon if you want it sweeter or tangier.
- If you want a very smooth sauce, blitz briefly with an immersion blender or transfer a bit to a blender and pulse, but don’t overblend unless you want no chunks.
- Let the sauce cool a little, it will thicken as it cools — if it seems too thin, simmer a couple more minutes, if too thick add a splash of water.
- Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to about 10 days or freeze in portions; rewarm gently before serving on pancakes, cake, or cheesecake.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 141g
- Total number of serves: 4
- Calories: 133kcal
- Fat: 0.34g
- Saturated Fat: 0.02g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Polyunsaturated: 0.02g
- Monounsaturated: 0.02g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 1mg
- Potassium: 172mg
- Carbohydrates: 33.7g
- Fiber: 2.3g
- Sugar: 30.5g
- Protein: 0.79g
- Vitamin A: 14IU
- Vitamin C: 67mg
- Calcium: 18mg
- Iron: 0.45mg
