Raspberry season is here and this homemade Raspberry Sauce is the perfect sauce to make with sweet local berries. This dessert sauce is an easy recipe to make, delicious, and a great addition to your favorite desserts.
I love the summer berry season. It's my favorite time of the year with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. So when raspberries appeared in the farmer's market I couldn't wait to make this fresh raspberry sauce featuring local sweet raspberries.
Nothing store-bought comes close to the taste or the smell of raspberries cooking on the stove. It's also a great recipe to have in your arsenal for easy entertaining and special occasions. Also, check out my recipe for Homemade Strawberry Topping.
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Why You'll Love This Homemade Raspberry Sauce
- Made with real raspberries
- Nothing artificial and no preservatives
- 5 simple ingredients
- 15 minutes to make
- Use it on anything
Raspberry Sauce Ingredients
These are the ingredient that you’ll need for this delicious raspberry topping:
- Fresh Raspberries. When raspberries aren’t in season use frozen raspberries.
- Granulated Sugar: Just enough to sweeten the sauce with taking away from the natural raspberry flavor.
- Lemon Zest. The zest adds a nice subtle floral flavor to the sauce.
- Lemon Juice: Adds a bright freshness to the sauce and enhances the raspberry flavor.
- Cornstarch: Slightly thickens the sauce. Always mix the cornstarch with cold water before adding it to the raspberry sauce. Otherwise, you’ll end up with white lumps in the sauce.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract and strawberries go so well together.
How to Make this Delicious Raspberry Sauce
This easy sauce cooks in just 15 minutes.
Wash the fresh berries and remove any that appear moldy. Mix the cornstarch and water together to make the cornstarch slurry and set aside.
Add the raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice to a medium saucepan and place it over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low heat and simmer the raspberry mixture for 10-15 minutes. The liquid will reduce and the sauce will begin to thicken.
Stir in the cornstarch slurry, increase the heat until the sauce just begins to boil, and boil for about 30 seconds to heat up the cornstarch so it thickens the sauce. If you want a thicker sauce increase the cornstarch to 2 teaspoons.
Remove the sauce from the heat, pour it through a fine mesh sieve and use a rubber spatula to press the sauce through the strainer to remove the seeds. My personal preference is for a seedless sauce, but if you prefer the crunch of raspberry seeds you can leave them in.
Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature before refrigerating it in an airtight container. You can also serve the sauce while it’s still warm.
This recipe makes a thick smooth sauce. If you want it a little chunky you can lightly mash a 1/4 cup of fresh raspberries and add them to the cooled sauce.
Favorite Ways to Use This Raspberry Topping
- Use as topping for cheesecake
- Use as a topping for angel food cake
- Serve with pound cake and whipped cream
- Filling for homemade crepes
- Topping for yogurt, waffles, french toast, and pancakes,
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Freshly squeezed lemon will taste brighter and more fresh than bottled lemon juice.
- If you want an extra zesty flavor, you can add lemon zest to the sauce.
- Don't add the dry cornstarch directly to the raspberry mixture while it's cooking- there will be lumps. Always mix it with water first to create a slurry.
Recipe - Frequently Asked Questions
The raspberry sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Yes, the sauce can be frozen. After the raspberry sauce cools completely, freeze the sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. When ready to use the sauce, place the container in the refrigerator to thaw the day before. Warm the sauce on the stove or in the microwave if you want a warm sauce.
If you want a thicker sauce increase the cornstarch to 2 teaspoons and 1 tablespoon of water.
I hope you this incredibly delicious raspberry sauce soon, especially while fresh raspberries are in season. If you make it please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. And please SUBSCRIBE to the baking newsletter and CONNECT with me on INSTAGRAM.
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Raspberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454 grams) fresh raspberries
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons water
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Wash the raspberries. Whisk the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl. This is your cornstarch slurry. Set a medium-sized bowl with a fine mesh strainer next to the stove.
- Place the raspberries in a 3 or 4-quart saucepan and add the lemon zest, lemon juice, kosher salt, and granulated sugar. Place the pan over medium-high heat. Cook the raspberries until they begin to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the liquid is reduced by a third and noticeably thicker.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry into the raspberries and increase the heat to medium-high. Continuously stir the raspberry sauce until it comes to a boil and then boil it for 30 seconds.
- Remove it from heat and pour the raspberry sauce into the strainer and use a large spoon to press the sauce through the strainer to remove the seeds. Stir in the vanilla extract. Cool the sauce to room temperature. Once it’s cool, refrigerate the sauce. You can serve the sauce while it is still warm.
Storage
- The raspberry sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.
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