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Here’s a silky, simple, and just-right strawberry sauce for cheesecake, ice cream, and more. We especially love it with vanilla bean cheesecake.
Why we love this recipe
This fresh, uncomplicated strawberry sauce amplifies the natural flavor of strawberries and turns them into a well-behaved dessert topping. It’s:
- Smooth and silky
- Sweet but not too sweet — the berries shine through beautifully
- A perfect pairing with cheesecake or ice cream
- Or, hey, layer it into a yogurt parfait with granola or spoon it over oatmeal for a festive brunch
What you’ll need
Here’s a glance at the short list of ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.
- Frozen strawberries are picked at the peak of ripeness and easy to keep on hand, so I tend to reach for them when making this sauce. Let them defrost at least partway before using so that they’ll begin releasing their juices right away. You can use fresh strawberries instead if you like. They’ll take a little longer to break down in the pot.
- A little bit of cornstarch helps create just the right texture for this sauce, making it silky and pourable without being too thick. It will drip perfectly down the edges of a cheesecake. You can control the thickness by deciding how much to cook it down.
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice to brighten the sauce just a bit. It makes a big difference.
How to make it
Here’s what you’ll do to make a beautiful batch of sauce. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.
- Place the strawberries and sugar into a medium pot and set over medium-low heat. Stir almost constantly until berries start to release their juices and sugar begins to melt. Then cook, stirring occasionally, until strawberries are soft enough to mash with a spoon, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, stir together the the cornstarch and water until perfectly smooth.
- Stir cornstarch mixture into the strawberries and cook for a minute or two, until slightly thickened. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice.
- Cool to warm to before pouring over ice cream, or cool completely before using as a topping for cheesecake.
Expert tips and FAQs
It’s easy to have a say in how thin or thick your sauce will be. I’ve given guidelines for achieving my favorite result, which is pourable and well-behaved. But the choice is yours. The longer you simmer the sauce after adding the cornstarch, the thicker it will become. Keep in mind that it will continue to thicken up a bit as it cools.
Sure thing. You can make it up to a week in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Bring to room temperature or warm slightly if you like before using.
More favorite classic dessert sauces
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Strawberry Sauce for Cheesecake & Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups (280 grams) frozen strawberries, defrosted
- ½ cup (100 grams) sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water
- 1 tablespoon (8 grams) cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Place the strawberries and sugar into a medium-sized pot and set over medium-low heat.
- Cook, stirring frequently until the strawberries start to release their juices and the sugar dissolves. Then leave to simmer, stirring occasionally, until strawberries have softened to the point that they’re easy to mash with the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes.
- While the strawberries cook, stir together the water and cornstarch until they’re perfectly smooth and no lumps of cornstarch remain.
- When strawberries are soft, stir cornstarch mixture into the pot. Simmer for a minute or to until slightly thickened.
- Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice.
- Use an immersion blender or transfer to a regular blender and process until perfectly smooth and silky. Let cool to room temperature before using on cheesecake, or slightly warm if you like for ice cream. Sauce will thicken up a bit as it cools.
Notes
- You can use fresh strawberries if you prefer. I tend to use frozen because they’re so easy to keep on hand. Fresh berries will take a little longer to break down when cooking.
- A little bit of cornstarch helps create just the right texture for this sauce, making it silky and pourable without being too thick. It will drip perfectly down the edges of a cheesecake. You can control the thickness by deciding how much to cook it down.
- You can make the sauce up to a week in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before using.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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