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Raspberry Sauce

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Homemade Raspberry Sauce is so quick and easy to make and can be used in so many different ways! Whether you’re spooning it on top of cheesecake or over your morning stack of pancakes, you’ll love this flavorful and versatile sauce.

White bowl filled with raspberry sauce with a spoon holding some of the sauce set across the top

My kiddo goes through a lot of phases with veggies and fruits. One day, she’s absolutely in love with kiwis and clementines and the next day she’s completely over them.

However, her love for fresh berries is typically a constant – especially if we’re talking about strawberries and raspberries.

Her love of fresh berries often causes this mama to overbuy at Costco which means we’re often left with packages of berries on the verge of going bad.

Instead of tossing those barely-good berries or throwing them into a smoothie, let’s make some raspberry sauce instead. It’s simple, delicious and so good on so many things!

Close up of scoops of vanilla ice cream topped with raspberry sauce in a white bowl

WHAT IS RASPBERRY SAUCE?

Raspberry Sauce is one of the most versatile sauces you can make at home. This tart and sweet fruit sauce is made with fresh or frozen raspberries and can be used in so many different ways.

Similar to Blueberry Sauce, I can’t even say that this is only a dessert sauce because there are so many ways to use it across different meals! But we’ll get to that in a second.

Don’t be intimidated by the idea of making your own sauces at home. I know you can buy them at the store, but it’s so much easier to make everything from Raspberry Sauce to Hot Fudge Sauce to Salted Caramel Sauce at home than you think. 

(Don’t believe me about that last one? Just follow my instructions for how to make caramel sauce and you’ll quickly trust me!)

Ingredients for raspberry sauce arranged on a white countertop

HOW TO MAKE RASPBERRY SAUCE

You’ll only need a handful of ingredients and about 10 minutes to make this Raspberry Sauce recipe:

  • Fresh or frozen raspberries
  • Water
  • Granulated sugar
  • Lemon juice
  • Cornstarch 
  • Vanilla extract
Raspberries being stirred by a wooden spoon in a metal saucepan

You can use either fresh or frozen raspberries in this recipe, which means that it’s easy to make any time of year. I love using frozen raspberries when fresh raspberries aren’t in season and are way too expensive to bother with.

If you’re using frozen raspberries, don’t worry about thawing them first. You can use them straight out of the freezer for this sauce.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the raspberries, 1/2 cup of water, the sugar and the lemon juice. Stir this mixture frequently while you bring it to a low boil. 

Overhead view of cooked raspberry sauce in a metal saucepan set on a wooden trivet

While the raspberries come to a boil, grab a small bowl, and whisk the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water. This slurry is what will thicken our sauce.

Slowly stir the cornstarch slurry into the raspberry mixture, taking care not to crush the berries. Simmer until the homemade raspberry sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, about 5 minutes.

Remove the sauce from heat and gently stir in the vanilla.

Serve the sauce warm or pour it into an airtight container and chill it in the refrigerator before serving.

Glass jar filled with raspberry sauce set on a wooden board

WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR RASPBERRY SAUCE

So wait, exactly what can you do with this tasty sauce? Well, just about anything your imagination can come up with!

Honestly, this is just the tip of the iceberg! I bet you can find so many other ways to use this Raspberry Sauce in your kitchen.

Cheesecake topped with raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries set on a white plate

CAN YOU MAKE THIS SAUCE AHEAD OF TIME?

You know how much I love a make-ahead recipe. This is one recipe that you can definitely make ahead of time!

Make this sauce as much as a few days ahead of when you plan to serve it. Place it in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.

If you plan to serve it chilled, simply grab it from the fridge and dig in! If you want to serve it warm, either warm it in the microwave for about 30 seconds at a time, stirring between each interval, or pour it into a saucepan and warm it over a low burner, stirring frequently.

Jar of raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries set on a wooden cutting board

HOW TO MAKE A SEEDLESS SAUCE

This is not a smooth raspberry sauce, as it leaves in all of the seeds and pieces of raspberries. 

If you need a smooth, seedless sauce, make the sauce according to the recipe directions. After it has cooled slightly, puree it in a food processor or high-speed blender, then run it through a fine mesh sieve to remove any remaining seeds. 

If you find that you need a thinner sauce, simply whisk in water a tablespoon at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.

White bowl filled with vanilla ice cream topped with raspberry sauce. Fresh raspberries and a jar of raspberry sauce are in the background

STORAGE AND FREEZING TIPS

Raspberry Sauce will keep in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to a week. Make it at the beginning of the week and enjoy it on your desserts and breakfasts all week long.

It also freezes very well. Simply pour it into a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. If you want to divide it into smaller portions, freeze it in several smaller containers. 

To thaw, place the container in the refrigerator overnight and enjoy it on your stack of pancakes the next day!

White bowl filled with raspberry sauce with a spoon holding some of the sauce set across the top

Raspberry Sauce

Yield: About 3 cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Homemade Raspberry Sauce is so quick and easy to make and can be used in so many different ways! Whether you’re spooning it on top of cheesecake or over your morning stack of pancakes, you’ll love this flavorful and versatile sauce.

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces fresh or frozen raspberries
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the raspberries, 1/2 cup of water, sugar and lemon juice. Stir frequently, and bring to a low boil.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water.
  3. Slowly stir the cornstarch into the raspberry mixture, taking care not to crush the berries. Simmer until the homemade raspberry sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, about 5 minutes.
  4. Remove from heat and gently stir in vanilla.
  5. Serve warm or pour into an airtight container and chill in the refrigerator before serving.

Notes

If using frozen berries, you do not need to thaw them before making the sauce.

Nutrition Information
Yield 12 Serving Size 1/4 cup
Amount Per Serving Calories 53Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 2mgCarbohydrates 13gFiber 2gSugar 10gProtein 0g

Did you make this recipe?

Tag me on social! I want to see what you made! @jamiemba

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Toni

Thursday 3rd of March 2022

Does this recipe work with any fruit? Like blueberries? Strawberries? It seems like it would…just inquiring. Thank you!

Jamie

Tuesday 8th of March 2022

I have a super similar recipe using blueberries (https://www.mybakingaddiction.com/homemade-blueberry-sauce-recipe/) and am working on a strawberry version now. You should definitely try it with strawberries and let me know how it turns out! -Jamie

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