This Easy Strawberry Topping Sauce recipe is amazingly delicious and ready in a flash! This luscious strawberry sauce/topping is amazing to serve over desserts (especially cheesecake) or breakfast. The recipe includes step-by-step photos and lots of tips and variations.
Strawberry Topping Sauce Recipe Highlights
We all know that summer is the best time of the year to get all your strawberry fix in, and if you’re like me, you love to go a little crazy.
Instead of the nasty store-bought thingy make this luscious and Easy Strawberry Sauce. It’s ready in minutes. It’s freezer friendly.
Bright, fresh, and bursting with fresh strawberry flavor, this strawberry topping sauce is a great recipe to have in your arsenal.
Perfect for entertaining: cookout or summer parties, or just to make your family’s eyes light up as you spoon it over a pancake, waffles, cheesecake, or ice cream.
Ingredients Notes & Substitutions
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
- Fresh Lemon: Lemon brightens the flavor of the strawberry topping. You need about 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. For extra lemon flavor, you can also add the zest of one lemon.
- Thickener: To thicken my sauce, I like to use unflavored gelatin powder since it helps to thicken the sauce without making it cloudy. You can also use 1 tablespoon (10 g) of cornstarch dissolved in 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of water. Agar-Agar powder is also an option, in this case, use just 1/4 teaspoon.
- Strawberries: You can use fresh strawberries fresh or frozen.
- Sugar: I like to use regular granulated sugar. For a healthier version, use 1/3 cup agave nectar instead of granulated sugar. You can also use brown sugar but keep in mind that the color and flavor will be slightly different.
Step By Step Recipe Photo Tutorial
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
1 – Combine lemon juice and gelatin; mix to dissolve gelatin. Set aside.
2- In a medium saucepan, combine chopped strawberries and sugar.
3 – Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 8 -10 min.
4 – Add the gelatin-lemon mixture; stir to combine. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 – 7 more minutes, or until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
Important: Keep in mind sauce will thicken up slightly as it cools and even more with refrigeration.
Variations You Can Apply to This Recipe
- Add 1 tablespoon of berry liqueur such as Creme de Cassis or Chambord to enhance the flavor.
- 1 – 2 drops of red food coloring to make the sauce more vibrant red.
- I love to add the 1/3 cup of fresh chopped strawberries when the sauce has cooled a little, so the sauce is not so mushy.
- For a healthier version, use 1/3 cup agave nectar instead of granulated sugar. You can also use brown sugar but keep in mind that the color and flavor will be slightly different.
- Make this recipe using frozen strawberries as a time saver or if fresh strawberries are not in season.
- Other berries: You can substitute strawberries for other berries such as blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries with no other changes to the recipe. Cherries work too– pit and halve them first.
- For extra lemon flavor, you can also add the zest of one lemon.
- Prefer a chunk-free sauce? For no strawberry chunks, blend the finished sauce in a blender until you reach your desired consistency.
- If the berries are extra sweet, feel free to reduce the sugar, to about 3 tablespoons less sugar.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make a strawberry sauce/ topping with a clear syrup add ¼ -1/2 teaspoon of unflavored gelatin (powder). Do not use cornstarch since this ingredient will make your strawberry sauce/topping cloudy.
Instead of using cornstarch to thicken your strawberry sauce/ topping add ¼ – ½ teaspoon of unflavored gelatin (powder) to make a thick and clear strawberry sauce/ topping.
Probably you cooked it too long. To thin it out, simply add a tablespoon or two more water with the heat on low and cook until the water is nicely combined and the sauce is smooth again.
Let the sauce cool completely. Place it in an airtight container or jar, cover, and refrigerate for up to 7 days.
Yes, you can! Let the sauce cool completely. Place it in an airtight container or jar, and cover. Freeze for up to 3 months. To use: thaw in the refrigerator and use as needed.
BEST Strawberry Topping Sauce for Cheesecake
This strawberry sauce topping is AMAZING over the classic cheesecake or no-bake cheesecake. I actually always make a triple batch and freeze the sauce in freezer containers or bags. Freezes and thaws like a dream!.
Other Uses for Strawberry Sauce Topping
This strawberry sauce/topping is so delicious that you can literally eat it by the spoon, but here are my favorite ways to use it:
Storing & Freezing Instructions
Store: Let the sauce cool completely. Place it in an airtight container or jar, cover, and refrigerate for up to 7 days.
Freeze: Let the sauce cool completely. Place it in an airtight container or jar, and cover. Freeze for up to 3 months. To use: thaw in the refrigerator and use as needed.
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More Egg-Free Strawberry Recipes You’ll Love!
- Eggless Strawberry Muffins
- Eggless Strawberry Banana Bread
- Eggless Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
- Easy Eggless Strawberry Cake
- Homemade Eggless Strawberry Bundt Cake
Easy Strawberry Sauce Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder (see notes)
- 1 lb (453 g) strawberries (fresh or frozen), hulled and quartered
- 1/3 cup (67 g) granulated sugar
Instructions
- Combine lemon juice and gelatin; mix to dissolve gelatin. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine chopped strawberries and sugar. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 8 -10 min.
- Add the gelatin-lemon mixture; stir to combine. Continue to simmer, occasionally stirring, for 5 – 7 more minutes, or until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
- Keep in mind sauce will thicken up slightly as it cools and even more with refrigeration.
- Add 1 tablespoon of berry liqueur such as Creme de Cassis or Chambord to enhance the flavor.
- 1 – 2 drops of red food coloring to make the sauce more vibrant red.
- I love to add 1/3 cup of fresh chopped strawberries when the sauce has cooled a little, so the sauce is not so mushy.
- Use 1/3 cup agave nectar instead of granulated sugar for a healthier version. You can also use brown sugar but keep in mind that the color and flavor will be slightly different.
- Make this recipe using frozen strawberries as a time saver or if fresh strawberries are not in season.
-
For extra lemon flavor, you can also add the zest of one lemon.
-
Prefer a chunk-free sauce? For no strawberry chunks, blend the finished sauce in a blender until you reach your desired consistency.
- If the berries are extra sweet, feel free to reduce the sugar, to about 3 tablespoons less sugar.
Nutrition
Eggless Baking Frequently Asked Questions
You’ve asked, and I’ve answered! Read on for a handful of answers to the most frequently asked questions about eggless baking.
Originally posted in May 2019, the post content was edited to add more helpful information, with no change to the recipe in April 2022.
