This quick and easy Berry Sauce takes 20 minutes to make and is glossy and luscious. Spoon it over yogurt, toast or blend it into a smoothie. It's the most delicious and simple berry topping made with only good-for-me ingredients.

I love creating wholesome and refined sugar free alternatives to my favorite condiments and sauces. As a mom who's Eating For Perimenopause and keeping my PCOS symptoms at bay, AND with a teenage daughter with a compromised immune system, no added sugar is important in my home.
If you love this berry sauce recipe, try my Blueberry Compote next!
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Ingredients
I used 4 ingredients to make this easy, dreamy berry sauce.
- Mixed berries: Honestly you can make this berry sauce with mixed berries, just strawberries or just blueberries. Whatever you have at home. I used frozen but fresh work, too. You might need to adjust and top up with water depending on whether you use fresh or frozen.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the berry sauce while keep it gluten free. Note that I live in South Africa where we call it cornflour.
- Dates: Use 1 whole pitted date or a thumb sized compressed date mixture like I used here. For a totally unsweetened version, leave out the date.
- Vanilla: I used vanilla for this recipe but you don't have to add it.
See recipe card for quantities and full ingredient list.
Instructions
Here are the super simple steps I took to make my berry sauce:
- Step 1: Collect your ingredients and get a saucepan read on the stove.
- Step 2: Fill the saucepan with the berries and dates. Add the water.
- Step 3: Simmer the berry and water mixture for about 15-20 minutes or until the berries are soft.
- Step 4: Mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water. Pour that into the berry mixture and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened. Cool and bottle.
Hint: Remember the berry sauce mixture will thicken when it cools so you don't need it to be perfectly thick when it's still hot or warm.
Substitutions
This recipe is kind of perfect as is but you can swap out the vanilla for a little almond essence if you like.
Try the recipe with other fruit or berries instead of mixed berries.
Variations
Here are a couple of variations of this recipe I've made and loved:
- Spiced: for the cooler seasons, add a whole stick of cinnamon while simmering. Whip it out when you're ready to bottle the berry sauce.
- Lemony: You can make a lemon flavored berry sauce by adding lemon peel to the mixture. Make sure it's just the yellow and not the white part. Alternatively, squeeze in some fresh lemon juice at the end. I like to leave out the vanilla, in this case.
- Creamy version: Swirl in some fresh cream, coconut cream or marscarpone cream just before using it. This makes a delicious cake topping or sauce with ice cream.
- Christmas version: For the holidays, add spices, fresh orange juice and some brandy.
- Smooth version: You can blend up this mixture and strain it for a silky, smooth berry sauce recipe.
How to Serve It
I pretty much eat this berry sauce everyday. Before my lips touch a coffee, I've likely had a spoonful. Here are some of the ways I like to use it:
- Over this Yogurt Chia Seed Pudding or just plain yogurt, extra berries and but butter.
- Instead of fresh berries, use them in this Chia Flax Seed Pudding.
- Over cheesecake instead of storebough berry sauce.
- With these Chocolate Protein Pancakes! So good you guys!
- Stirred into warm oatmeal with a spoon of nut butter.
- Blended into your favorite smoothie mix.
Equipment
I used a heavy-bottomed saucepan to make this berry sauce. I find that a saucepan like this one from Le Creuset keeps the heat stable and cooks more evenly than a thin-based pot.
I also used a spatula, a small bowl and spoon for the cornstarch mixture.
Storage
So, my berry sauce typically gets eaten within 5 days because but it can last up to a week in the refrigerator is an airtight container like a glass jam jar.
You can also freeze it and then thaw it overnight in the fridge. It will freeze for about 4 months.
Tips
- Make your berry sauce extra glossy by whisking in 1 tablespoon of butter at the end.
- Serve it warm or cold. It's delicious both ways.
- Taste and balance the flavors if you need to.
FAQ
Yes, you can add sugar (try 1-3 tablespoons depending on how sweet you like it) at the start with the berries. Sugar will thicken the sauce you might need to adjust the cornstarch slurry.
Yes, you can. Fresh work perfectly well in this berry sauce recipe.
Warm it up again and mix in another 2 teaspoons of cornstarch slurry.
It's a runny mix of cornstarch and water mixed together and without lumps.
Add ¼ cup of water and simmer for a few minutes. Add more water if you need to.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Breakfast
Berry Sauce (Without Refined Sugar)
Equipment
- A pot
Ingredients
- Add the frozen berries dates and ½ cup water to a pot.
- Simmer the berries over a low to medium heat with the lid partly covering the pot for about 15 minutes.
- Mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water and stir it into the berries. Simmer gently until it thickens.
- Add as much of the extra water as you need to to reach your desired thickness
- Pour in the vanilla cool and pack into a glass jar.
Instructions
- 2.5 cups / 350g Mixed berries, frozen
- 1-2 dates
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or some vanilla essence
- 1 TBS cornstarch
- 1 cup water
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