This classic strawberry sauce is made with fresh or frozen strawberries and comes together in minutes. Drizzle it over desserts or breakfast favorites like pancakes or waffles.

Classic strawberry sauce in a mason jar on a blue place mat and white cloth napkin with a couple of fresh strawberries next to it

We had an abundance of strawberries after a recent trip to a You-Pick farm, and I couldn’t believe how much sweeter and more flavorful they were than store bought berries. I think I’ll have to start growing my own next year!

Picking strawberries at the you pick to make strawberry sauce

Topping Suggestions

This delicious strawberry topping can be poured over:

Pancakes, waffles, crepes or baked oven pancakes
Homemade vanilla ice cream or an ice cream sundae
Homemade yogurt or a parfait
Cheesecake, pound cake, strawberry short cake, angel food cake or a trifle
Cottage cheese
French toast or biscuits
Custard

strawberry sauce in a mason jar with the leftovers in a white glass bowl behind it on a wooden counter top

Recipe Ingredients

Strawberries
Granulated Sugar
Lemon Juice
Water
Cornstarch

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make this recipe

Step 1: Wash, hull and quarter strawberries. Add to a pot. Add the sugar and lemon juice and set aside.

cornstarch and water mixture being poured over fresh strawberries to make sauce

Step 2: Whisk together the cornstarch and water. Pour over the berry mixture and mix.

Strawberry sauce being boiled and thickened in the cornstarch slurry

Step 3: Boil on stove for 5 minutes, mash 1/3 of them after 2 minutes. Stir continuously.

classic strawberry sauce in a mason jar cooling down before going into the fridge

Step 4: Pour into jar or storage container and cool slightly before placing it in the fridge to cool and thicken.

Tips: This sauce is thick and can be left with larger pieces of strawberries or you can mash it more, its all up to you and the consistency you like. I find it so beautiful to look at with the bigger chunks.

I stored mine in a 500 ml mason jar in the fridge and put the rest in the freezer in a freezer bag to have strawberry sauce over the winter months.

This recipe makes a bigger batch for an abundance of strawberries.

strawberry sauce in a mason jar being scooped out with a spoon

Storage

Fridge: Allow to cool at room temperature then store it in an airtight container or mason jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Freezer: Once it completely cools store it in a freezer safe container or in a freezer bag for up to 3-6 months and thaw in the fridge.

Classic Strawberry Sauce

A delicious topping for breakfast or desserts

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Serving Size 10 servings

Ingredients

4 cups fresh washed, hulled, sliced strawberries or frozen strawberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup cold water
2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Instructions

Wash, hull and quarter strawberries. Add to medium pot along with the sugar and lemon juice. Mix, set aside.
In a small bowl whisk together the water and cornstarch until combined and no clumps. It will look like milk.
Pour over the berry mixture and mix.
Add pot to stove on medium high heat making sure to mix so it does not burn.
Once it comes to a boil reduce heat to medium and boil for 5 minutes while continuing to mix. While cooking mash about 1/3 of the strawberries with potato masher and continue stirring continuously.
Once timer goes off remove from the heat and pour into a mason jar or storage container once cooled slightly.
Place in the fridge once it cools. It will thicken more in the fridge.