This berry sauce (compote) is incredibly versatile and pairs perfectly with cheesecake, waffles, ice cream, and more. You won’t believe how easy it is to make!
Since fresh berries are hard to find around here, I usually rely on frozen berries to make jams and compotes. If you have an abundance of fresh berries, check out my post on how to freeze fresh berries! Fortunately, both frozen and fresh berries work incredibly well for making compotes! All it takes is cooking berries and sugar in a saucepan -although I like to add a few other ingredients to enhance the flavor.
How to make a berry sauce
- In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, place berries, 2 tablespoons sugar, lemon juice, and zest. Cook for about 5 minutes, mixing occasionally until the liquid thickens. At any point, you can add water if the sauce it too thick, or more sugar to make it sweeter.
- In a small cup, whisk together cornstarch and water until smooth, then add it to the saucepan. Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes longer until it reaches the desired consistency. Sauce will thicken further as it cools.
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What can I pair berry sauce with?
You can pair mixed berry compote with lots of desserts! Here are a few of my favorites:
- New York Cheesecake
- Classic Cheesecake
- Ricotta Cheesecake
- Flourless Chocolate Fudge Cake
- Flourless Chocolate Almond Torte
- Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Vanilla Panna Cotta
- No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream
Tips for making the BEST berry sauce
- Try to keep most of the berries whole while cooking (but if they do break, that’s ok).
- Frozen berries release plenty of juices while cooking, so don’t be tempted to add water in the beginning.
- If you’re using fresh berries rather than frozen, you’ll need to add a few tablespoons of water until you reach the desired consistency.
- The longer you cook the sauce, the thicker it will get. You can also add a bit more cornstarch for thickening, but don’t add too much or it will affect the taste.
- For a smooth sauce, you can puree the cooked sauce in a food processor. If you like, you can also push it through a fine sieve using the back of a spoon to discard the seeds.
- If you like, you can add a fruit-based liqueur such as Grand Marnier or Chambord.
- You can use orange zest instead of lemon zest (but still use the lemon juice).
- Try adding a pinch of warm spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg for added flavor.
Berry Sauce
This berry compote is easy to make and pairs perfectly with cakes, ice creams, custards, and more!
Ingredients
- 2 cups frozen mixed berries*
- 2-6 tablespoons granulated sugar , to taste
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 5 grates of lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon water
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
-
In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, place berries, 2 tablespoons sugar, lemon juice, and zest. Cook for about 5 minutes, mixing occasionally until the liquid (which is the juice released from the fruit) thickens. At any point, you can add water if the sauce it too thick, or more sugar to make it sweeter.
-
In a small cup, whisk together cornstarch and water until smooth, then add it to the saucepan. Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes longer until it reaches the desired consistency. Sauce will thicken further as it cools.
Recipe Notes
*If using fresh berries rather than frozen, you’ll need to add a few tablespoons of water until you reach the desired consistency.
nicole (thespicetrain.com) says
Looks gorgeous!
Shiran says
Thank you so much Nicole! 🙂
Sara says
Just made this, following instructions exactly except zest of half a lemon. 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 cu p s frozen cheeries, raspberries, blackberries. Beautiful and not overly sweet. Will serve warmed over Angel food cake. Thanks for this recipe.
Beeta @ Mon Petit Four says
This berry sauce looks delicious, Shiran! I love the idea of creating a course coulis like this, as I think it looks more natural and beautiful than sometimes completely puréeing and straining the sauce. Would be fun to do a cranberry version for fall with your orange zest suggestion and seep a cinnamon stick in there. Lovely recipe! <3
Shiran says
You read my minds, Beeta! The cranberry-orange combination is another favorite of mine! And I agree that a cooked sauce is much better than puree, although I would make it if I want something quick 🙂
Anne says
This looks absolutely gorgeous!!! The little berry seeds make this shine like so many pretty jewels! 😀
Shiran says
Thank you so much Anne! 🙂
Tony says
How can you keep the sauce for long periods. I have an abundance of fruit each year and after making the sauce it often goes off – moulds etc. What is the best way to keep it?
Shiran says
Hi Tony, sometimes I keep the leftovers in the freezer and they keep well for a while.
Ferne Foley says
I have a pressure cooker for doing vegetables, meats, etc. for the winter. I put my jams, jellies and sauces in their bottles and put them in the cooker for at least 15 minutes at ten pounds pressure or
a little more depending on the size of the bottles and cook them. I find I have no problem after keeping them ’till they’re opened. They will last a long time.
Tisha says
Thank you for this recipe! Just tried it out now, and it came out perfectly! 🙂
Shiran says
Thank you Tisha 🙂
elizabeth says
I made it and it is wonderful! Thank you so much!
Susan says
Made this delicious cheesecake and it’s scrumptious! Followed the recipe exactly.
Cia says
Hi Shiran, can u use this berry sauce for fruit tarts?
Shiran says
Hi Cia, do you want to use it as a filling or glaze? It will be delicious if you serve it on the side or top the fruits or cream cheese/vanilla filling with it, but I don’t recommend using it as the only filling to fill your tart.
DAN TONELLI says
loved this
Joanne says
Hi,
When can I add the liqueur?
Shiran says
You can add it after cooking the mixture.
Kobi says
It worked perfectly, I got just the consistency I wanted. Thanks.
Mrs. G says
This berry sauce is the bomb! I made it for topping cheesecake and it delivered!! Quick and oh so easy, a keeper and I’ll definitely try making it with some cranberries and orange zest, and finish it with some Gran Marnier.
Mrs. G says
Best berry sauce ever! So easy, so tasty. Have served this over cheesecake, custard, and yogurt. Hands down awesome, I now keep a regular supply of frozen berries on hand for a quick easy sauce.
Helen Williams says
Perfect! I used a mix of fresh berries and added a little gran marnier as suggested by you and others. wonderful over cheesecake.
Esther says
Can this be made 2-3 days ahead, refrigerated, and then used with pannacotta. It will keep ok?
Shiran says
Yes, it will be great 🙂
Jacqueline says
How much berry sauce do you get out of this recipe?
Shiran says
Hi Jacqueline. About 1.5 cups. I almost always double the recipe just in case 🙂
Christine says
So simple, but once you start eating it, you won’t be able to stop. Waffles, yogurt, oatmeal, panna cotta (your recipe of course), cheesecake… wow, wow, wow! Make this.
Earlyjill says
This is soooo gooooood!Thank you. I made my first berry sauce with this recipe and I will definitely make it agian!
Marlu says
Just made this to go over pancakes. Perfect I followed the recipe exactly. Will definitely make this again perfect for scones.
Ergative says
I made this to go with the New York cheesecake recipe, and it was easy and thickened perfectly, and provided exactly the right tangy sauce to balance out the sweetness of the cheesecake.
Elizabeth Kuruvilla says
I can’t believe how easy this recipe is! I made the sauce to serve with your Panna Cotta, and I’m honestly tempted to just eat all the sauce by itself because it’s so delicious! My husband (who normally doesn’t like sweet stuff) loved the sauce too! I’ll definitely be making this again and putting it on EVERYTHING – thank you!
Karen says
Do you serve this warm or cold or does it matter?
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says
Hi Karen, I recommend serving this sauce cold or room temperature. It goes particularly well with cheesecake, and if its warm or hot it will melt the cake:) However, feel free to experiment! It might be delicious served warm on other types of desserts.
CammyWammy says
This recipe is quite possibly the best thing that has happened to me since my late husbands death.
Lucy says
Omit the cornstarch! For the first try, I followed the recipe exactly. My husband and I disliked what the cornstarch did to the texture-to the extent that we threw it out and started over. Next try we used just frozen berries and 2 T sugar and simmered a little longer. Much better!
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Hi Lucy, thank you for your review. Not everyone loves cornstarch as it can sometimes give a chalky mouthfeel. If you aren’t looking for a thicker sauce, it is perfectly fine to omit.
Gracie says
How many does this serve pls
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Hi Gracie, it depends on what you’re using the sauce for – it will yield about 16 oz. Depending on the serving size for this topping, you can do 1-2 oz portions for your guests on top of cheesecake or panna cotta.