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    Home » Recipes » Frostings & Sauces

    Easy, Perfect Berry Sauce (Compote)

    Published: Apr 24, 2022 · Modified: May 28, 2025 by Shiran · This post may contain affiliate links · 40 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    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!

    Perfect Berry Sauce | prettysimplesweet.com

    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.

    Perfect No-Bake Cheesecake with berry sauce | prettysimplesweet.com

    How to make a berry sauce

    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    Perfect Berry Sauce | prettysimplesweet.com
    4.85 from 13 votes
    Print

    Berry Sauce

    This berry compote is easy to make and pairs perfectly with cakes, ice creams, custards, and more!

    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 10 minutes
    Total Time 15 minutes
    YIELD 2 cups (16 oz) enough sauce to top a 10-inch cake

    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

    1. 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.
    2. 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.

    More Frostings & Sauces

    • Creamy orange curd in a jar with a spoonful of curd being removed, flanked by fresh oranges.
      How To Make Orange Curd
    • Orange Cream cheese frosting swirled in a bowl with an orange slice and frosted cupcakes on the side.
      Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
    • A jar of light purple whipped blackberry frosting made with mascarpone cheese and fresh blackberries.
      Blackberry Mascarpone Whipped Frosting
    • Reduced sugar cream cheese buttercream frosting is made with nonfat dry milk powder.
      Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting (reduced sugar)

    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. nicole (thespicetrain.com) says

      June 16, 2015 at 9:41 pm

      Looks gorgeous!

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        June 18, 2015 at 5:33 am

        Thank you so much Nicole! 🙂

        Reply
        • Sara says

          January 25, 2020 at 4:17 pm

          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.

          Reply
    2. Beeta @ Mon Petit Four says

      June 17, 2015 at 1:12 pm

      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

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        June 18, 2015 at 5:37 am

        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 🙂

        Reply
    3. Anne says

      June 17, 2015 at 7:32 pm

      This looks absolutely gorgeous!!! The little berry seeds make this shine like so many pretty jewels! 😀

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        June 18, 2015 at 5:37 am

        Thank you so much Anne! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Tony says

      December 22, 2016 at 3:17 am

      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?

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        December 24, 2016 at 2:46 pm

        Hi Tony, sometimes I keep the leftovers in the freezer and they keep well for a while.

        Reply
        • Ferne Foley says

          August 11, 2023 at 12:53 pm

          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.

          Reply
    5. Tisha says

      March 25, 2017 at 2:36 am

      Thank you for this recipe! Just tried it out now, and it came out perfectly! 🙂

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        March 29, 2017 at 6:09 am

        Thank you Tisha 🙂

        Reply
    6. elizabeth says

      April 01, 2018 at 5:39 pm

      I made it and it is wonderful! Thank you so much!

      Reply
    7. Susan says

      April 13, 2018 at 2:35 pm

      Made this delicious cheesecake and it’s scrumptious! Followed the recipe exactly.

      Reply
    8. Cia says

      June 02, 2018 at 2:09 am

      Hi Shiran, can u use this berry sauce for fruit tarts?

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        June 02, 2018 at 12:18 pm

        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.

        Reply
    9. DAN TONELLI says

      August 01, 2018 at 1:38 pm

      loved this

      Reply
    10. Joanne says

      September 20, 2018 at 8:38 pm

      Hi,
      When can I add the liqueur?

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        September 24, 2018 at 8:29 am

        You can add it after cooking the mixture.

        Reply
    11. Kobi says

      September 23, 2018 at 8:51 am

      It worked perfectly, I got just the consistency I wanted. Thanks.

      Reply
    12. Mrs. G says

      March 28, 2019 at 5:50 pm

      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.

      Reply
    13. Mrs. G says

      April 02, 2019 at 11:09 am

      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.

      Reply
    14. Helen Williams says

      May 25, 2019 at 1:31 pm

      Perfect! I used a mix of fresh berries and added a little gran marnier as suggested by you and others. wonderful over cheesecake.

      Reply
    15. Esther says

      December 17, 2019 at 6:11 pm

      Can this be made 2-3 days ahead, refrigerated, and then used with pannacotta. It will keep ok?

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        December 22, 2019 at 4:21 am

        Yes, it will be great 🙂

        Reply
    16. Jacqueline says

      January 19, 2020 at 1:42 am

      How much berry sauce do you get out of this recipe?

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        January 29, 2020 at 2:28 am

        Hi Jacqueline. About 1.5 cups. I almost always double the recipe just in case 🙂

        Reply
    17. Christine says

      February 14, 2020 at 10:02 pm

      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.

      Reply
    18. Earlyjill says

      July 15, 2020 at 7:49 pm

      This is soooo gooooood!Thank you. I made my first berry sauce with this recipe and I will definitely make it agian!

      Reply
    19. Marlu says

      February 16, 2021 at 8:21 pm

      Just made this to go over pancakes. Perfect I followed the recipe exactly. Will definitely make this again perfect for scones.

      Reply
    20. Ergative says

      May 02, 2021 at 4:26 pm

      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.

      Reply
    21. Elizabeth Kuruvilla says

      June 23, 2021 at 1:14 am

      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!

      Reply
    22. Karen says

      April 21, 2022 at 2:27 pm

      Do you serve this warm or cold or does it matter?

      Reply
      • Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says

        April 24, 2022 at 6:56 am

        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.

        Reply
    23. CammyWammy says

      August 23, 2023 at 11:27 pm

      This recipe is quite possibly the best thing that has happened to me since my late husbands death.

      Reply
    24. Lucy says

      March 17, 2024 at 3:25 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says

        March 17, 2024 at 10:00 pm

        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.

        Reply
    25. Gracie says

      May 26, 2025 at 11:22 am

      How many does this serve pls

      Reply
      • Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says

        May 28, 2025 at 12:43 pm

        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.

        Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Italian Panna Cotta – The Queen Eats says:
      April 27, 2023 at 12:23 pm

      […] you like, top with fresh fruit, berries, berry sauce, or lemon […]

      Reply

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