Julie Clark
Updated:
Easy Raspberry Sauce
May contain affiliate links. Disclosure policy.
Use frozen or fresh raspberries to make this easy raspberry sauce with the secret ingredient of butter! It’s a raspberry reduction that gives a pop of color, perfect for cheesecakes, ice cream and pancakes.
One thing we’ve learned from our kitchen adventures over the past 25 years is that almost every dessert can be enhanced by a great sauce. This easy raspberry sauce is one of our all-time favorites. Even raspberry muffins can have a simple sauce on top.
This homemade raspberry sauce recipe, sometimes called raspberry coulis, is a true game-changer. I add a secret ingredient (spoiler: it’s butter!) to the dessert sauce that makes takes it to the next level. Perfect for special occasions or random summer Saturdays when you have fresh berries.
From our kitchen to yours:
- This raspberry sauce is incredibly easy to make. Even if you’re new to cooking or are feeling a little bit intimidated by the idea of creating a sauce from scratch, this recipe is takes just a few simple ingredients and less than 25 minutes.
- It solves a common problem many home cooks face. Too often, we find ourselves stuck in a cooking rut, using the same recipes and flavor profiles over and over again. The Easy Raspberry Sauce brings a fresh and fruity twist to both savory and sweet dishes.
- It’s versatile. Drizzle this delicious raspberry sauce over ice cream for an elevated dessert experience, add it to your smoothie bowl to make breakfast a bit more special, or even mix it into your savory dishes, like grilled chicken or baked ham.
What is raspberry sauce made of?
There are only 6 ingredients in this raspberry sauce:
- Raspberries. Are fresh raspberries or frozen raspberries best? You do not have to thaw frozen raspberries before cooking them. Frozen raspberries are conveniently available year-round and are typically frozen at their peak, retaining their nutritional value and flavor. For recipes like our Easy Raspberry Sauce, both fresh and frozen raspberries can be used.
If you opt for frozen, remember there’s no need to thaw them before use. - Cornstarch. This is what thickens the sauce.
✨ See the recipe card for full ingredients and amounts. ✨
Easy Raspberry Sauce
Use frozen or fresh raspberries to make this easy raspberry sauce. Perfect for cheesecakes, ice cream and pancakes!
Servings 10 servings
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 12 ounces frozen unsweetened raspberries, divided about 2-2 ½ cups of raspberries
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together 1 ½ cups raspberries, sugar and water until the sugar is dissolved. Heat the mixture to boiling, stirring often. 12 ounces frozen unsweetened raspberries, divided, ¾ cup granulated sugar , ½ cup water
- In a small cup, combine the cornstarch and two tablespoons of water. Mix well. Pour this into the boiling raspberry mixture. Stir and boil over medium-low heat for 4 minutes or until the mixture has thickened a bit. 2 teaspoons cornstarch , 2 tablespoons water
- Remove the pan from the heat. Add the vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of butter and mix until the butter has completely melted. ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon salted butter
- Allow the mixture to cool for 15 minutes, then add the last of the raspberries and stir to mix. Cool to room temperature, then serve over whatever dessert you’d like!
Video
Notes
- Reduce the sugar. I’ve made this with ½ cup of sugar successfully.
- Add lemon. Lemon and raspberries go so well together. Use fresh lemon juice instead of water in the cornstarch slurry for a little bit of an acidic tang.
- Storage Instructions: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Can you freeze this sauce? Yes. This sauce freezes well. Store for up to 8 weeks in a freezer-safe container.
- Can I strain the seeds? Yes, if you’d like you can strain the raspberry seeds. If you want a completely smooth sauce, don’t worry about holding back raspberries to add in at the end. Add them all at the beginning, then strain out the seeds through a fine mesh sieve after you make the sauce.
- Makes 2 ¼ cups sauce.
- Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
Nutrition
Serving: 110g | Calories: 87kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 11mg | Potassium: 51mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 45IU | Vitamin C: 8.9mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.2mg
How to Make Raspberry Sauce: Step by Step
This easy recipe is very similar to our homemade strawberry topping. Here’s how you make it:
- Place 1 ½ cups raspberries in a medium saucepan with sugar and water. Cook over medium-low heat until the mixture is at a gentle boil. Reduce the heat and add vanilla.
- In a small cup, combine the cornstarch and water. Whisk this together until it is smooth. Don’t just throw the cornstarch into the raspberry mixture or you’ll end up with little clumps of white cornstarch in your beautiful red raspberry sauce. And nobody wants that. Mixing the cornstarch with water first helps the cornstarch to completely mix in.
- Once the cornstarch and water are mixed, add it to the raspberry sauce. Cook and stir this mixture, letting it simmer until it is slightly thickened. Maybe 3-4 minutes, depending on how hot your mixture is.
- Then remove the pan from the heat and add butter. The butter is our secret ingredient that adds a delicious richness to the raspberry flavor.
- Let the mixture cool, then add the remaining raspberries (from the original 12 ounce bag) and stir gently.
How to Use Raspberry Sauce
Think of this raspberry dessert sauce as the perfect topping on:
- homemade pancakes. One of my favorite ways to use leftover fruit sauces.
- creamy cheesecake
- angel food cake
- old fashioned pound cake
- vanilla ice cream
- whole grain waffles or chocolate waffles
- baked French toast
- swirl it into oatmeal
- in our Heaven on Earth Cake recipe
- buttermilk biscuits
- chocolate mayo cake
- plain yogurt
- baked brie with puff pastry
- chocolate cheesecake or fudgy brownies
Can I use this sauce to fill a cake or cupcakes? The sauce as the recipe is written is slightly runny and I would not recommend using it as a cake filling. You could try lowering the water or increasing the cornstarch to make it thicker.
But you know what? The leftovers, I just ate with a spoon. 😋 There are countless different ways to experiment with this sauce.
I ended up using additional cornstarch but the consistency and flavor were spot on. Loved the addition of some whole raspberries to finish it up with.
This sauce is super tasty! Thanks for sharing!
This sauce was delicious Sweet with a bit of tart, from the lemon. I strained out the seeds to make it a smoother sauce. We’ve tried it on ice cream & pancakes so far. How long can this be stored in the refrigerator? I didn’t notice suggestions about length of storage. Thanks!
This sauce is wonderful! Adding butter as the secret ingredient enhances the flavor. I put it over orange sherbet with a sprig of fresh mint from my garden. It presented so nicely and everyone loved it!!
So good! Best sauce I’ve made. A teaspoon of lemon juice is a must. I put it on a chocolate cheesecake I made that day. Perfection!
Nowhere in the recipe does it mention when to add the vanilla.
It’s a simple and quick recipe but turned out too thin and runny, and a bit bland.
This is the best raspberry sauce I’ve made (and I’ve tried several). I also love how easy it was. I used frozen raspberries and added a little lemon juice, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. I served it with my husband’s chocolate birthday cake, along with some whipped cream. Absolutely delicious! Thank you!
Is recipe able to be canned? I have made the sauce and it’s delicious!! Would like to make another batch and can it.
I made this with black raspberries from our little backyard patch. It’s delicious! My daughter loves it over her ice cream. ❤️
Would I be able to can this, using a hot water bath?
this was a vary amazing experience and sooo good I love this recipe I 100% recomend this. BUT you have to be able to do this with patience and have a lot of time to do it but i did it for my class and they were bagging me for more i love it and i hope you love it to
Just made this to top an angel food cake with ice cream. It’s absolutely scrumptious!!
How long is it safe to keep in the refrigerator?
I love this recipe! I added about a tablespoon of citric acid (I had some left over from canning) and it made the best sour and sweet combo! I could not find a sour raspberry sauce anywhere but this worked out great!
I Strained the sauce to remove seeds after boiling making sure all berries were cooked down. Then I heated again and added the cornstarch and cooked until thickened.