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Blueberry Sauce easily comes together in minutes with just a few basic ingredients. It’s a versatile topping for so many sweet treats! Enjoy it as a topping for cheesecake, spoon it over a bowl of vanilla ice cream, or serve it with slices of pound cake. It’s the perfect way to elevate any dessert!
Table of Contents
- Why you’ll love this Blueberry Sauce recipe:
- Ingredient Overview:
- Ingredient Substitutions:
- How to Make this Easy Blueberry Sauce Step-by-Step:
- Serving + Storing this Recipe:
- Expert Success Tips:
- FAQs:
- Recipe Variations:
- Special Tools:
- Recipes to Serve Blueberry Sauce With:
- More Blueberry Recipes to Love:
- Easy Blueberry Sauce (Blueberry Topping) Recipe
Why you’ll love this Blueberry Sauce recipe:
- Deliciuous Blueberry Flavor – This blueberry topping is packed with fresh blueberry flavor, enhanced by the hint of lemon and vanilla.
- Easy Recipe – Anyone can make this easy blueberry sauce recipe!
- Versatile Recipe – This blueberry dessert sauce can be used on lots of desserts and treats.
Ingredient Overview:
As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Blueberries – Use fresh or frozen blueberries. If using frozen, do not thaw them first.
- Granulated sugar – A little sugar adds sweetness and helps release the juices.
- Corn Starch – This thickens the sauce!
- Fresh Lemon Juice & Zest – Lemon is the perfect compliment to blueberry.
- Vanilla extract – Use real vanilla extract.
Ingredient Substitutions:
- Dairy-free – This recipe is dairy-free as is!
- Gluten-free – This recipe is gluten-free as is!
- Other Fruits – See notes in the FAQs below.
How to Make this Easy Blueberry Sauce Step-by-Step:
Step 1: Make the Blueberry Sauce. Add the blueberries to a medium saucepan with the sugar and lemon zest. Cook for a few minutes so the berries release their juices.
Step 2: Continue making the Blueberry Sauce. Add a mixture of cornstarch, lemon juice, and warm water to the pot – this is your slurry to thicken things. Cook 1-2 minutes more – until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the vanilla.
Serving + Storing this Recipe:
Transfer blueberry sauce to a shallow bowl to cool in the fridge before using. Store in an airtight container or a jar with a lid, in the fridge for a week or so.
Expert Success Tips:
- Don’t Over Cook – As long as you follow the directions, you’ll be fine. But, if you over cook the sauce after adding the starch, it can turn gloopy.
- Corn Starch Lumps – Be sure that the cornstarch is fully dissolved in the water before adding it to the pot, or you could end up with cornstarch lumps in the sauce.
- Don’t Skip Refrigerating – The sauce needs to cool before you use it, unless spooning it warm over ice cream or stirring into oatmeal.
FAQs:
Yes, that should work just fine. You may need to cook it a bit longer – just keep an eye on things and follow the cues in the recipe card.
I recommend trying the Peach Filling from my Peach Cupcakes for peaches, my 10-Minute Strawberry Compote for strawberries, and the Cherry Sauce from my White Forest Cake for Cherries. I also have a delicious Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce!
Jam is cooked longer than a fruit compote, until the fruit is broken down much farther resulting in a thicker consistency. Pectin is also often used in jam. Compote is a great option for those who don’t want to take on the extra work of jam making!
Yes! Let it cool completely, then store in a freezer-safe container for 1-2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before using.
I haven’t tried anything besides granulated sugar in this recipe, so I’m not sure if something like honey or maple syrup would work as a 1:1 swap.
If you cook this over low heat, it won’t thicken. It has to get hot enough for the cornstarch to activate.
The blueberries break down, but not to the point that this is a completely smooth sauce – it still has a little bit of nice texture. You could use an immersion blender to carefully blend it if you want a completely smooth puree.
Recipe Variations:
- Other Fruits – I don’t know if this exact ratio of corn starch to water and this cook time will work for other fruits as different ones have different moisture contents. See FAQs one section above for my sauce recipes for Peaches, Cherries, Strawberries, and Strawberry Rhubarb! A recipe for raspberries is coming soon! I do think this could work well with blackberries.
- Spices – Try adding a pinch of cinnamon or cardamom if you want a hint of warm spices in your compote.
Special Tools:
- Nonstick Sauce Pan – Use this to cook your strawberry compote in, and any of my other fruit sauce recipes.
- Mason Jars – I like using mason jars to store fruit compotes in!
Recipes to Serve Blueberry Sauce With:
- Spoon it over slices of my Lemon Loaf
- Layer it on top of my 4-Ingredient Cheesecake Dip
- Top my Classic Vanilla Cheesecake with it
- Top my Blueberry Cheesecake with it
- Top my Chocolate Cheesecake with it
- Serve it with Brioche French Toast
- Enjoy it with waffles, pancakes, oatmeal, or yogurt! You can even spread it over cream cheese on your morning bagel.
More Blueberry Recipes to Love:
- Blueberry Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
- Double Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake
- Strawberry Blueberry Pie
- Baked Blueberry Streusel Donuts
- One-Bowl Blueberry Crisp
- Bakery-Style Blueberry Muffins
- Skillet Blueberry Peach Cobbler
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment & star rating!
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Easy Blueberry Sauce (Blueberry Topping)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar , 105 grams
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 and 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries,, If using frozen, do not thaw, frozen weighed 350 grams
- 2 tsp corn starch
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp warm water
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the Blueberry Sauce: Add the granulated sugar to a medium saucepan off the heat. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar until it resembles wet sand. (This will enhance the lemon flavor – if you want a more subtle lemon flavor, stir in the zest without rubbing it into the sugar). Add the blueberries to the pan of sugar and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 6-7 minutes. The berries will release quite a bit of liquid.Add cornstarch, lemon juice, & warm water to a small bowl and whisk to dissolve the cornstarch. Add to the pot, and bring to a heavy simmer (almost a low boil) over medium-high heat, then continue simmering over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes, until thickened.It should be thick enough that the blueberries fall off the wooden spoon slowly when you tip out a spoonful above the pot, and if you drag your finger through the juice on the back of the spoon, it should hold a trail. If it's thin, bring it back to a simmer and cook for a few more minutes to thicken. Stir in the vanilla last.2 and 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries,, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1/2 cup granulated sugar , 2 tsp corn starch, 2 tsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp warm water, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Serve & Store: Transfer to a pie dish or cake pan to cool quickly in the fridge. Cool at least 45-60 minutes (or until cold) or up to 24 hours (cover if storing longer than the minimum time). This will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
- Uses: See list above the recipe card for recipes to pair this sauce with!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This sauce is GOOD! I assumed the lemon zest goes in at the end? I couldn’t find it in the instructions as to when it goes in.
Hi JoAnne! Sorry about that – thanks for alerting me! Adding it at the end is just fine. Or, you can also rub it into the granulated sugar at the beginning to really bring out that lemon flavor. Totally up to your preference!