Fresh Raspberry Sauce

Fresh Raspberry Sauce is so versatile, use it on ice cream, cheesecake, meringues, chocolate cake and more. And it only takes 5 ingredients and 20 minutes!

spoon dipping into raspberry sauce with text overlay for facebook


 

This is the perfect raspberry sauce for cheesecake! Don’t believe me? I guess you will just have to trust me and try it out! I love making it for special occasions to add a pop of color to my favorite treats.

Honestly, I could probably eat this raspberry sauce with a spoon. Not drizzled over anything else. Just me, raspberry sauce and a spoon. They are likely my all-time favorite fruit.

But of course, poured over a bowl of ice cream or used on your favorite breakfast pastry are also the perfect excuse to enjoy this fresh raspberry sauce recipe too.

spoon dipping into bowl of raspberry sauce

How to Use Raspberry Sauce

This delicious raspberry sauce is the perfect topping for any of your favorite desserts. The different ways to use it are endless, but here are a few of my favorite wats to use this dessert sauce:

Although raspberry topping is a simple recipe and versatile sauce, there are a couple of core facts. The first is that frozen raspberries are going to be cheaper than fresh.

raspberry sauce on angel food cake

Ingredients

Frozen Raspberries: Generally speaking, unsweetened frozen fruit still has just as many nutrients and no additives or preservatives. They will undoubtedly be less expensive than fresh, but not have as much flavor or be as sweet as the natural sugars in fresh since they have had time to develop. Thankfully, this recipe uses sugar, so that combats the issue.

Fresh Raspberries: While I much prefer fresh, they are expensive any time of the year and you’ll need at least two containers, if not three.

In addition to raspberries, the star of the show, you’ll also need:

  • Lemon juice– it is optional, but a little bit of acid brightens up any recipe. Just like adding wine or vinegar. You can even add a dash of salt to really bring out the flavors.
  • Sugar- Used as the sweetener and also gives it the jammy texture you are looking for in a fruit sauce.
  • Water- Prevents the sauce from getting too thick before the raspberries break down. If you want a really chunky sauce, you can certianly omit the water too.
  • Cornstarch – This helps thicken your raspberry sauce so it really sticks to the dessert it is intended for. Arrowroot can also be used.
  • Unsalted Butter- Added for richness, but can be omitted.
  • Fine Sea Salt– Just a pinch goes a long way in this recipe. It helps to balance all of the sweet flavors and brighten natural ones.
close up of spoon with raspberry coulis

How to Make Raspberry Sauce

After you get the hang of making fruit sauces, then you can use the same base recipe and technique for nearly any sauce using fresh or frozen fruit, like our Strawberry Topping.

  1. Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Whisk together. Add the frozen or fresh berries, lemon juice and water, mixing to combine. Increase to medium heat and bring to a low simmer.
  2. Continue to simmer and stir until the raspberries until have broken down and sauce has thickened and the sugar dissolves. Cook longer for a thick raspberry sauce.
  1. Remove the raspberry mixture from the heat and add the butter and salt. This gives it a richness and balances the sugars.
  2. Raspberry sauce can be served warm, room temperature or cooled.
  3. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week. If you want a smooth sauce, strain out all the raspberry seeds through a fine mesh sieve. Push the sauce through using the back of a spoon. This will create more of a raspberry syrup as opposed to textural sauce, based on personal preferences.
raspberry sauce cooking in pan

Variations

Use any of these variations to make this sauce your own.

  • A splash of orange– Omit the lemon juice, but replace it to with orange juice.
  • Up the citrus– Add a few grates of lemon or orange zest.
  • Vanilla- Vanilla compliments nearly any fruit, add a touch of vanilla bean paste or just a drop of vanilla extract.
  • Fresh Fruits Blend- Use several different berries or fruits.
jar of fresh raspberry topping

Storage and Freezing

Storage: Homemade raspberry sauce will stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Freezing: It is also freezer friendly if kept in a freezer-safe container (it will expand).

collage of fresh raspberry sauce for pinterest

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overhead shot of spoon in raspberry sauce with text overlay for pinterest
close up of spoon with raspberry coulis

Easy Raspberry Sauce Recipe

4.52 from 37 votes
Easy Raspberry Sauce is so versatile, use it on ice cream cheesecake, meringues, chocolate cake and more! And it only takes 5 ingredients and 20 minutes!
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 2 cups

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a heavy bottom saucepan. Whisk together. Add the raspberries, lemon juice and water, mixing to combine. Turn on heat and bring to a low simmer.
  • Continue to simmer and stir until the raspberries until have broken down and sauce has thickened.
  • Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the butter and a tiny pinch of fine salt.
  • You can use your raspberry sauce thick and chunky or you can place it in a small food processor to smooth it out. Run through a mesh sieve to remove seeds.
  • If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings!

Nutrition

Calories: 395 kcal, Carbohydrates: 99 g, Protein: 2 g, Fat: 1 g, Sodium: 3 mg, Potassium: 256 mg, Fiber: 11 g, Sugar: 82 g, Vitamin A: 55 IU, Vitamin C: 47.4 mg, Calcium: 43 mg, Iron: 1.2 mg
Author: Chef Jessica Anne
Calories: 395
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: raspberry coulis, raspberry sauce
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see your recipes – snap a picture and mention @savoryexperiments or tag #savoryexperiments!
Jessica Formicola in her ktichen

About the Author

Chef Jessica Anne Formicola

Jessica the mom, wife and chef behind Savory Experiments. You might see her on the Emmy- nominated TV show Plate It! or on bookshelves as a cookbook author. Jessica is a Le Cordon Bleu certified recipe developer and regularly contributed to Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, The Daily Meal, Mashed and more!

Read More About Jessica

4.52 from 37 votes (24 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Questions and Reviews

  1. 5 stars
    This is soooo good. Like others have said, could eat in with a spoon. I made it to put on a peach pie, the peaches were the most flavorless peaches I have ever eaten in my life, This sauce will make it worth eating.

  2. 5 stars
    I’m with you, I could eat this with a spoon and not poured over something but I will pour it over pancakes, waffles and a lot of other things.

  3. 5 stars
    I love this! Use it on ice cream, cheesecake, I even spread it on toast one morning when I ran out of my usual jelly. Delicious!