Raspberry sauce is the perfect topping for your next cheesecake, stack of pancakes, or bowl of ice cream. It's made with a handful of simple ingredients and turns out with a perfectly balanced sweet and tart flavor.
I never comment or rate anything, and this sauce is that good. So delicious! ★★★★★ - Emily
Why you'll love this recipe
Flavor: Fresh raspberry flavor with a nice balance of sweet and tart.
Few ingredients. Make a batch of raspberry sauce with just four ingredients. Raspberries can be fresh or frozen!
It's quick. Make a batch on the stovetop in about ten minutes.
Yield: About 1 cup
Use on: Mini Cheesecakes, No-Bake Cheesecake Bars, or Buttermilk Pancakes
Similar to: Strawberry Topping for Cheesecake and Lemon Blueberry Topping for Cheesecake
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Raspberries - You'll need about 12 ounces (340g) of fresh raspberries. Frozen raspberries that have been thawed beforehand will also work.
- Sugar - The amount of granulated sugar needed will vary based on the tartness of your raspberries. I highly suggest preparing your sauce as written, doing a taste test, and adding more sugar as needed before removing it from the stovetop. Brown sugar can also be used for a deeper, caramelized flavor.
- Vanilla extract - Adds flavor to your sauce.
- Cornstarch - Added to thicken your sauce slightly.
How to make raspberry sauce
- Add all of your ingredients to a saucepan over medium heat.
- Bring to a simmer and gently mash berries with a spoon as your sauce cooks. Sauce is finished when it looks glossy and berries have broken down almost completely.
- Remove from heat and pour your sauce through a fine mesh sieve.
- Press to remove as much sauce as possible while leaving behind the hard raspberry seeds. Repeat as desired for a smoother sauce.
Tips and tricks
Add more sugar as needed - Raspberry flavor can vary based on the season, so give your sauce a taste. If it tastes too tart, add more sugar and allow it to dissolve before removing it from the heat.
How to remove seeds - Raspberries are filled with tiny, hard seeds. Straining those seeds out creates a smooth consistency. You'll need a fine mesh strainer or sieve to strain the sauce. Gently pour the sauce into a fine mesh sieve that's been placed over a bowl. Use a rubber spatula to gently stir and press your sauce through the sieve.
Strain again, if needed - If desired, rinse your sieve and strain your sauce once more to catch any remaining seeds (a few are likely to get through the first time).
Storage
Raspberry sauce will keep for up to 7 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator. You can also freeze leftover sauce for up to six months (or more) in a tightly sealed, freezer-safe container.
Frequently asked questions
Raspberry sauce is incredibly versatile and can be added to just about any dessert imaginable. Here are a few of my favorite dishes to garnish with raspberry sauce: mini cheesecakes, pancakes, waffles, angel food cake, chocolate layer cake, french toast, lemon mousse, breakfast smoothies, overnight oats, ice cream, or panna cotta.
Yes, fresh raspberries can be substituted with frozen raspberries that have been thawed beforehand. Thawed raspberries and any juices can go into the pan - no need to strain.
Depending on the sweetness of your raspberries and whether they're in season or not, your sauce may turn out a bit tart. Simply add a bit more sugar to balance the flavor. A small pinch of salt can also help.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Raspberry Sauce for Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (341 g) raspberries
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar, *
- ¼ cup (57 g) water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add raspberries, sugar, water, and cornstarch. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and gently mash the berries with a spoon as your sauce cooks. Cook sauce for 10-12 minutes, or until raspberries have broken down and sauce looks shiny. Remove from heat, add vanilla extract, and stir to combine.
- Arrange a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and pour your cooked sauce into the sieve, using a rubber spatula to gently press your sauce through the sieve. You should be left with a paste of mostly seeds - this can be discarded. If desired, rinse sieve and repeat to catch any remaining seeds.
- Sauce can be served warm or chilled over cheesecake, pancakes, ice cream, pound cake, and more.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Add more sugar as needed: * Depending on the tartness of your raspberries, you may want to add more sugar. Taste your sauce before removing from the heat and add more sugar as desired.
- Yield: About 1 cup. Enough for one standard cheesecake or 1 tablespoon of sauce on 16 mini cheesecakes
- Using frozen raspberries: Fresh raspberries can be substituted with frozen raspberries that have been thawed beforehand. Thawed raspberries and juices can go into the pan, no need to strain.
- Storage: Sauce will keep for up to a week in a sealed container in the refrigerator, or frozen for up to 6 months.
Spot on.
Sauce was fantastic! Will continue to make in the future. Perfect on top of your mini cheesecake recipe.
I made this and everyone said it tasted better than a restaurant. Topped off the cheesecake with this and fresh raspberries. This is a keeper recipe!!
Hi there, I can wait to make this! I’m going to use it to top mini cheese cakes. How many do you think this will top?
This recipe makes about 1 cup of strained sauce. Adding 1/2 tablespoon per cheesecake will cover about 32 mini cheesecakes. Adding 1 tablespoon will cover 16 mini cheesecakes. Hope this helps!
Heather, this is a lovely recipe. Very easy to make. Thank you, it was perfect!
Great flavor
This is a fantastic recipe! Thank you it turned out perfectly.
Can this sauce be can
Hi Donna, I haven't tried canning this sauce so I can't say for sure how it would turn out.
I never comment or rate anything, and this sauce is that good. So delicious!
So glad you enjoyed it Emily!
I pureed my berries in the blender first and ran them through the strainer directly into my cooking pot and then whisked in the sugar and cornstarch before cooking. It's easier, saves time and a few dirty dishes plus I'm pretty sure it tasets about the same! Delicious!
Used this for a dark chocolate cheesecake I made and it was the perfect addition.
Very good recipe! Added a smidge of lemon juice also.
Used it for my Norwegian waffles! Perfect!
Phenomenally good recipe! I just tailored it a little bit by adding 2½ tbsp of lemon juice to brighten it up a little bit. Best cheesecake topping I've ever had!