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Homemade Strawberry Sauce

By Dahn Boquist

On Aug 27, 2021, • Updated Jul 05, 2025

4.49 from 25 votesJump to Recipe

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Cheesecake with glossy strawberry sauce and text: homemade STRAWBERRY topping.

Skip the jam jars and long simmer sessions, this homemade strawberry sauce is as easy as it gets. Juicy, sweet, and ready in minutes, it makes the perfect strawberry topping for cheesecake, pancakes, waffles, and more.

Fresh or frozen berries both work, and there’s no need to hover over the stove all afternoon. Just stir, simmer, and spoon it over anything that needs a burst of berry goodness.

Cheesecake with strawberry sauce dripping down, on white plate, light background.

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Here’s Why This Strawberry Sauce Recipe Works

Fresh or frozen strawberries: No need to wait for peak strawberry season. This dessert topping is just as good with frozen berries.

No slurry mess: Mixing the starch into the sugar first evenly disperses the starch granules, so they don’t clump the moment they hit liquid. This helps them dissolve more smoothly, skipping the need for a separate slurry.

Quick simmer, big payoff: Just five minutes on the stove gives you thick, glossy sauce with real strawberry chunks. It makes a beautiful glaze for cheesecake or an easy topping for our cream cheese pound cake.

Freezer-friendly option: The recipe uses cornstarch for quick thickening. But if you’d like to freeze the sauce, there’s an option to use instant Clearjel instead, which holds up to freezing. It’s how I made my cherry sauce as well.

White colander of fresh strawberries with scattered berries.

Labeled ingredients for strawberry dessert sauce to use as topping for cheesecake.

Recipe Tips

Mix starch and sugar first: Always whisk the cornstarch or Clearjel into the sugar before adding it to the berries. This keeps the sauce smooth.

Mash some berries: Break up a few strawberries as the sauce cooks. It thickens faster and gives a mix of textures.

Don’t skip the simmer: Full five-minute simmer time is non-negotiable, especially if you’re using cornstarch.

Adjust sugar if needed: If your berries are tart, bump the sugar up to 1/2 cup.

Use Clearjel if freezing: Cornstarch breaks down after freezing. Clearjel keeps the texture thick and glossy.

Bonus use: Got vanilla ice cream? Strawberry shortcake? This sauce was born for them. (Cheesecake just happens to shout the loudest.)

More Dessert Sauce Recipes

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Butterscotch Sauce

Close-up of cheesecake with strawberry sauce and whole strawberries.

A sliced cheesecake with strawberry topping on a cake plate.

Not Just a Topping for Cheesecake

This strawberry topping strikes the perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and thick, without being cloying or complicated. Spoon it over waffles, yogurt, or pancakes.

It’s quick, flexible, and hard to mess up, just how a fruit sauce should be. Try it on my sourdough ricotta pancakes.

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Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 7 minutes Total Time: 17 minutes 4.49 from 25 votes

Strawberry Sauce or Topping

By Dahn Boquist This homemade strawberry sauce is quick, easy, and packed with jammy fruit flavor. Made with fresh or frozen berries, it’s perfect for topping a cheesecake, ice cream, strawberry shortcake, and more. No canning or fancy steps required.

If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment.

Servings: 2 cups SaveSaved Pin Comment Print Email me this recipe!Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Email Save

Ingredients 1x2x3x

▢ 4 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, about 1 pound
▢ ⅓ cup granulated sugar
▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarch, or 2 tablespoons instant clearjel
▢ pinch salt
▢ 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
▢ ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ 2 to 3 drops red food coloring, Optional

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions show photoshide photos

Wash and hull the fresh strawberries. Slice the larger strawberries into halves or quarters (leave smaller strawberries whole). Add the strawberries to a saucepan.
In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, clearjel (or cornstarch), and the salt. Whisk well to distribute the cornstarch or clearjel into the sugar.
Add the sugar mixture to the strawberries and stir to coat the strawberries in the sugar/starch mixture.
Add the lemon juice to the saucepan and cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly. Use a spoon or fork to break up some of the strawberries as you stir.
Bring the strawberry sauce to a simmer and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and food coloring if using. Allow the sauce to cool completely. If you are using cornstarch, the sauce will thicken a bit more once it is cold.
If you want to smooth the sauce out, you can use an immersion blender to puree it.

Notes

Fresh or frozen berries work: If using frozen strawberries you do not need to thaw them. Sweetness Tip: If your strawberries aren’t very sweet, you can bump up the sugar to ½ cup. Preventing Lumps: To avoid lumps, mix the cornstarch or Clearjel into the sugar first. Then stir that sugar-starch blend into the strawberries, making sure the berries are well coated. This method eliminates the need to make a separate water-and-starch slurry. Simmer Time Matters: Be sure to simmer the sauce for at least 5 minutes to activate the thickener fully, especially if you’re using cornstarch. Freezing Notes: Planning to freeze the sauce? Use Clearjel instead of cornstarch. Cornstarch tends to break down after freezing and thawing, which can leave the sauce watery. Clearjel holds its texture and stays thick after freezing. Cooking with Clearjel: When using Clearjel, the mixture may look thick and gloppy at first. That’s normal, just keep stirring and gently mash a few strawberries. As they break down, the glaze will smooth out. Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Nutrition info is based on ¼ cup of sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 75kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 1g, Sodium: 20mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 13g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!

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About Dahn Boquist

Dahn Boquist is a retired nurse turned recipe developer, home cook, and baker with years of hands-on experience creating and testing from-scratch recipes. She specializes in whole-food cooking with creative twists on classic dishes. When she’s not in the kitchen, she enjoys sharing meals with family, exploring the Pacific Northwest, and spending time with her grandchildren.

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4.49 from 25 votes (25 ratings without comment)

8 Comments

There is no water or liquid other than the lemon juice.. how does it become “sauce”..
Reply
1. Great question. The strawberries are filled with enough juices to make their own sauce. The sugar draws the liquid out of the strawberries through osmosis. Cooking the mixture and mashing the fruit helps speed up the process. Adding extra liquid will only make the sauce thin and runny.
  Reply
Hi this sauce is absolutely perfect! How long will it last in an airtight container in my refrigerator please?
Reply
1. If you keep it in an airtight container, it will last for 5 to 7 days in the fridge. Thanks for the question.
  Reply
Made this for part of my husband’s Father’s Day gifts. It was an absolute hit! So fresh and full of flavor! PERFECT topping for a cheesecake!
Reply
1. Glad you liked it! Hope you have a great Father’s Day celebration. Thanks for the comment.
  Reply
So fruity, fresh and absolutely irresistible! Bet it would be great with some homemade pancakes or crepes.
Reply
1. Hi, Angie….Yes, it would be delicious with all of the above!
  Reply