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Homemade Blueberry Sauce comes together in just a few minutes. Try a spoonful with your morning yogurt, dolloped over a stack of pancakes, or spooned on top of cheesecake for a delicious treat!
I seriously can’t get over the fact that our little babe goes back to school in a month.
I don’t know if it was the fact that it rained the entire month of June or what, but summer has flown by and I’m all kinds of sad about it.
We’re trying to pack as much as we can into these remaining weeks while still saving time for just chilling out at home, eating ice cream and creating some pretty epic chalk designs on the driveway.
If I’m being honest, I have some serious anxiety about her going from half-day to full-day school. Trust me, she’s definitely ready, it’s Mom that’s not.
I just get this overwhelming feeling of missing her so much every single time I think about it. But I’m putting on a brave face and pumping her up for this new adventure, even though I get all teary-eyed every time we browse the school supply aisles at Target.
Everyone told us that time flies, but I just didn’t really get it until now.
One of the things we love to do together is bake – when it’s not sweltering outside. Whether it’s sweets for Elle’s lemonade stand or just a little quality time in the kitchen, we’ve been whipping up chocolate chip cookies, pineapple coconut cake and testing several cheesecake recipes to share with all of you!
If you caught my post for graham cracker crust last week, you know I’m going to share my favorite recipe for vanilla cheesecake this week. But first, I wanted to share this homemade blueberry sauce with you because it is the perfect cheesecake topping!
HOW TO MAKE BLUEBERRY TOPPING FOR CHEESECAKE
I love homemade blueberry sauce. Spooned over a slice of vanilla cheesecake? It’s absolute heaven.
The thing I love the most about blueberry sauce? The fact that it comes together on the stovetop in less than ten minutes with just a few staple ingredients.
That’s right. Fresh or frozen blueberries, water, sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch are all you need.
To start, throw the blueberries, a little bit of water, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring this mixture to a low boil, stirring frequently.
While the blueberries get bubbly and happy, mix together a slurry with cornstarch and cold water.
Did you know if you add cornstarch to hot liquid, it will clump up? That’s why it’s important to make a slurry, or a mixture of cornstarch and a cold liquid, when using cornstarch to thicken a recipe. Add the slurry to your dish and the cornstarch won’t clump!
Add the slurry to the blueberries and stir, but be careful not to crush the blueberries!
Once the blueberry sauce has thickened, remove it from the heat and stir in vanilla and lemon zest for some extra flavor if you’d like.
Out of lemons? You can use orange juice and zest instead.
HOW ELSE CAN YOU USE BLUEBERRY SAUCE?
So if my recent posts on how to soften cream cheese, making graham cracker crust and how to bake cheesecake in a water bath haven’t made it clear enough, cheesecake is pretty much my fave. Which means serving blueberry sauce as a cheesecake topping is pretty much my fave.
But I also love serving blueberry sauce in a ton of other ways.
I like to stir a spoonful into vanilla Greek-style yogurt and top with a sprinkle of Coconut Pecan Granola for a fun and tasty afternoon snack.
It’s also absolutely delicious spooned over a stack of mascarpone pancakes or vanilla bean waffles for breakfast. Or make blueberry trifles or use it to top cream cheese pound cake for dessert.
Whether you’re serving this sauce up with breakfast, dessert or a midday snack, it’s sure to please the blueberry lover in your life!
Homemade Blueberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon about 1 tablespoon, optional
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries, 1/2 cup of water, sugar and lemon juice. Stir frequently, and bring to a low boil.
- In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water.
- Slowly stir the cornstarch into the blueberries, taking care not to crush the blueberries. Simmer until the homemade blueberry sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and gently stir in vanilla and lemon zest.
Video
Notes
- The amount of sugar that you use will depend on the sweetness of your berries, simply adjust the amount to suite your taste.
- If this sauce is too thick for you, slowly add in water until you reach the desired consistency.
- No lemons on hand? This homemade blueberry sauce recipe tastes really great with orange juice and zest.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is my most favorite dessert ever. I have made it so many times for so many people. Have you ever tried using cherries instead of blueberries? Would everything be the same?Â
So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!
I haven’t tried this exact recipe with cherries, but if you try it, please let me know.
-Jamie
I made this today to go on our pancake dinner tonight. Â It’s breakfast for dinner day. Â It’s so rich and delicious – just the right sweetness. Â Thank you for an easy, tasty sauce!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback.
-Jamie
Tired this for the first time to pair with cheesecake. Was so easy and absolutely delicious. Not too sweet not too tart! Thank youÂ
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback.
-Jamie
I made this last night to go on top of cheesecake for Mother’s Day dessert and my family loved it. I’ve made blueberry syrup in the past, but the addition of vanilla made this absolutely wonderful. My mom called it “dreamy.” Thanks for sharing the recipe!
So happy to hear you enjoyed the sauce, Sarah! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!
-Jamie
How many days in advance can you make the sauce? I want to make it for a breakfast potluck at work.
Hello! This should stay good for at least a couple of days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Hope this helps! Happy baking.
Jamie
As wild blueberries are in season here,I made this today to go over Lemon Blueberry cheesecake. I didn’t add lemon zest or vanilla at end because I really wanted to the blueberry to come through…..and it does! Thanks for the recipe! Saving this one for future
So happy to hear you enjoyed the sauce, Carolyn! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!
-Jamie
Can this blueberry sauce be canned. Meaning a water bath and sealed in Mason jars?
Hello! I haven’t attempted canning this recipe, so I am not sure of the best method or result. If you happen to give it a try, I’d love to know how it turned out. Thanks so much for stopping by.
-Jamie
Yum! This is perfect topping for SO many things! Delish!
Thanks so much for stopping by, Allison! I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Happy Baking!
-Jamie
Do you have to use the lemon in the blueberries?
Hello! I haven’t attempted this recipe without the lemon juice, so I am not sure of the result. If you happen to give it a try, I’d love to know how it turned out. Thanks so much for stopping by.
-Jamie
Thank you for sharing! I was wondering if you could use liqueur in the blueberry sauce?
Hello! I never have, but you should definitely try it! I would just subtract the amount of liqueur you use from the amount of water called for in the recipe so you still have 1/2 cup total of liquid. Hope this helps! Let me know how it turns out. Happy baking.
Jamie