Fresh Blueberry Sauce
This Blueberry Sauce recipe first appeared on Best Dessert Recipes, where I am a contributor.
Want to serve a homemade Blueberry Sauce over cheesecake, pancakes, ice cream or more? This delectable 7-ingredient berry sauce is perfectly sweet and tangy to add to desserts and breakfasts!
We all love blueberries, so it’s no surprise that we’re taking this beloved summertime fruit and transforming it into a decadent sauce.
This stuff is addictive… and it makes enough to enjoy some now while also freezing some for later.
More on this down below. 😉
Why I love this recipe:
This from-scratch Blueberry Sauce is sweet with a little tanginess. The blueberries hold their shape as you cook them down and burst in your mouth when you take a bite.
It’s also perfectly sweet—but not too sweet—and tastes like pure blueberry goodness.
And when served over cheesecake, the tartness of the berries pairs beautifully with the creaminess of the cheesecake. It’s a glorious combination.
Whether you use this as a blueberry sauce for pancakes, a blueberry sauce for cheesecake or a blueberry sauce for ice cream… well, you’re in for a treat.
Other blueberry recipes we love: How to make Lemon Blueberry Bread | Blueberry Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup | Blueberry Mint Juleps | Vegan Blueberry Muffins | Blueberry Cheesecake Popsicles
Looking for another sauce to add to a dish? Head on over to my Sauces Recipe Index for more ideas.
What you need to make this recipe:
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- Saucepan
- Citrus juicer
- Rubber spatula
- Mason jar(s)
- Freezing trays with lids or ice cube trays
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Blueberries—you may use fresh or frozen blueberries. Both should work perfectly here! Just note that frozen blueberries will take more time to melt and cook down and might not hold their shape as well.
- Granulated sugar—also known as “white sugar,” this is the sweetener we’re using in our sauce.
- Cornstarch—this is going to help the sauce thicken. A little goes a long way, so please don’t overmeasure! It will change the texture of the sauce if there is too much or too little corn starch, which is also known as corn flour.
- Lemon juice—I juiced a lemon for this recipe and love the acidity the juice adds. You don’t get a ton of lemon flavor, but it’s there in the background. Lemon and blueberries play nicely together, so this works!
- Water—we need just a splash of this to thin out the sauce and help those blueberries hold their shape.
- Sea salt—you’ll just need a pinch of fine sea salt or kosher salt. This will serve as a counterbalance of the sweet and help give it a nice pop.
- Vanilla extract—I love to use just a little bit of pure vanilla extract. It adds a wonderful aroma and undertones of vanilla to the sauce.
What can I serve this blueberry sauce on?
- Cheesecake
- Old Fashioned Pancakes
- Fluffy Waffles
- Ice cream
- Angel food cake
- Yogurt
- Parfaits
How to make Blueberry Sauce
Combine the ingredients. In a large saucepan, combine the blueberries with the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and water. Season with a pinch of salt. Stir to coat.
Add the liquids. Measure in the lemon juice and water.
Cook it down. Heat the blueberries over medium heat. You’ll cook them for about 5 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and has thickened. You want the blueberries to still mostly be holding their shape.
Pro tip!
If you’re using frozen blueberries, cooking them down will take longer. Also, they are less likely to hold their shape, but that’s OK.
Add the vanilla. Once the blueberry sauce is the correct consistency, pour in the vanilla, and stir.
Cool it off. Let the sauce cool for 15-20 minutes before transferring to a mason jar.
Serve it up. You can serve this sauce warm (but not super hot, unless you want to melt your dessert) or cold. Keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks!
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
Whether you’re hosting friends for dinner and plan to serve cheesecake or want to host an at-home brunch featuring pancakes, waffles, biscuits and more, this homemade blueberry sauce is an awesome thing to have in your fridge!
It pairs so nicely with so many different things.
Here’s how you can entertain with it:
- Double the recipe. This recipe makes a pretty big batch, but if you’re planning to feed a lot of people, it might be best to make extra so there’s enough.
- Make it early. Since this sauce keeps well in the fridge, make it up to a week in advance. When it’s time to serve, you can pop it into the microwave to warm up or let it be served cold.
- Serve it with an easy dessert or breakfast. Make it easy on yourself! We served this with a store-bought cheesecake, and it elevated the whole experience!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Use the same amount. However, cooking them down will take longer. They are also less likely to hold their shape, but that’s OK.
While you could use flour to thicken this, I really like to use cornstarch because you do not need much. Also, you don’t have to cook it down to get rid of the raw flour taste.
We use cornstarch to thicken this recipe.
You can keep this in the fridge for around two weeks. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
In a jam, fruit is broken down while a compote still has whole fruit in it. Compotes have no pectin, which is oftentimes added to jam and jellies for texture, so they tend to be thinner.
Quick tips and tricks to the best blueberry sauce
- Use the freshest berries. While you can make this sauce with frozen berries, the texture is better with fresh.
- Serve it with your favorites. This sauce is blueberry-centric, so anything you can serve with blueberries, you could probably serve it with this sauce.
- Add some zest. If you love lemon and want more lemon flavor, add the zest of a lemon to this sauce at the very end. It’ll give it a pop.
- How to store: It will keep in a mason jar or an airtight food storage container in the fridge for two weeks.
- How to freeze: Pour the sauce into storage cubes or ice cube trays. Freeze, then transfer to a freezer bag when solid. When you’re ready to use it, defrost in the fridge, and enjoy!
Other sweet sauces recipes you’re going to love:
Fresh Blueberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 18 oz. blueberries ~3 ½ cups
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- A pinch of fine sea salt
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Equipment
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Instructions
- Combine the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and water in a large saucepan. Season with a pinch of salt. Stir to coat.
- Heat the blueberries over medium heat. Cook them for about 5 minutes, bringing to a boil. The sauce will bubble and will have thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. The blueberries should mostly hold their shape.
- Add the vanilla once the blueberry sauce is the correct consistency. Stir to combine.
- Let the sauce cool for 15-20 minutes before transferring to a mason jar or another airtight storage container. Transfer to the refrigerator. (It will keep for up to two weeks!)
- Serve the sauce warm or cold with your favorite dessert or breakfast item.
Notes
How to freeze blueberry sauce: Use ice cube trays or freezer trays to freeze the sauce in portions. Transfer to a freezer back when solid. When you’re ready to use it, defrost in the fridge, and enjoy! It will keep for 3 months in the freezer. I have noted that the serving size is 1/4 cup. You may obviously use more or less, though it will change the nutritional calculation.
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
This blueberry sauce is excellent. A perfect recipe! Thank you!
So happy to hear you enjoyed the blueberry sauce, Kathryn! Your comment brightened my day!
Love that the berries stay whole. I did add just a dash of cinnamon, just because.
I scaled this down to use with a pint of blueberries that I used to top a cheesecake. It was perfect.
I’m so thrilled to hear this worked out for you, Caitlin! This topping is SO GOOD on cheesecake, right?!?