Berry Sauce – Barefeet in the Kitchen

Warm berry sauce poured over cold ice cream is one of my favorite desserts. I make this sauce year-round and every time I serve it, it gets raves.

This fruit sauce might be the simplest recipe I keep in my dessert recipe notebook. I scribbled it out on a scrap of paper almost 25 years ago while I was visiting a friend.

Berry Sauce from Frozen Berries

We were dishing up bowls of ice cream and her husband told us to wait a minute.

He combined some frozen fruit and a bit of sugar in a saucepan, simmered a few minutes, and then transformed that basic bowl of ice cream into something much more elegant.

I was speechless (yes, imagine that) over the difference the warm fruit sauce made over that dish of ice cream. Sweet berry flavor turned the easy dessert into a cold creamy bowl of heaven.

My whole family gets excited when I pull berries out of the freezer along with a tub of ice cream. Not only is the flavor delicious, but the contrast of warm and cold temperatures is also divine.

I’m all about simple and hassle-free ways to turn basic treats into something that feels a bit more special and this mixed berry sauce does just that.

Berry Sauce for Ice Cream

With so many possible combinations of berries and fruits to use in this sauce, I never get bored with it either.

Lest you think this sauce is only good as an ice cream topping, I also poured this over the Vanilla Bean Cheesecake I made last week. From topping cheesecakes to Greek yogurt to mousse cups or pudding, this berry sauce makes everything better.

Fruit Topping

I’ve made this simple fruit sauce topping countless times over the years, using whichever fruits I happened to have in the freezer at the time. Cherries, strawberries, and blueberries are all perfect in this topping.

I’ve also used raspberries for a slightly tarter variation on the original berry sauce. A mix of different berries is my favorite combination, the different fruit flavors always combine so well together.

Whatever berries or cherries you happen to have stored away in your freezer are sure to work well in this sauce! It’s so versatile and makes even the simplest desserts something special.

Berry Sauce Recipe

Making this berry sauce is so easy it hardly requires a recipe at all. I’ve played with different proportions of sugar and berries and still think the original is just perfect.

This sauce is as easy as combining berries and sugar in a pan. Put frozen berries and a big scoop of granulated sugar in a sauce pan over low heat. Stir the berries occasionally until they soften and everything starts to meld together.

Turn the heat up to medium once the berries are completely thawed and soft. Use a potato masher to mash the berries and stir constantly while the berries simmer, for about 2 minutes.

If you don’t have a potato masher, a sturdy fork or the back of a spoon will work too. Mash the berries until there are no big chunks of berries left.

Serve this sauce warm poured right on top of Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream or Strawberry Vanilla Ice Cream. It also makes a great ice cream sundae topping along with crushed nuts and homemade Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream.

Homemade sauce is worlds better than anything you can buy from the store and comes together in just a few minutes.

You can make the berry sauce ahead of time and store it in the fridge so it’s ready to go anytime you need it. This sauce will keep well in the fridge for up to a couple of weeks.

Fruit Topping for Cheesecake

Berry sauce is also my secret to turning a plain cheesecake into an elegant treat. Turn your vanilla cheesecake into a blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, or cherry cheesecake just by pouring this sauce on top.

When using the sauce for cheesecake, let it cool to room temperature first. The combination of flavors is phenomenal!

There are no limits to the number of ways you can use this sweet and simple berry sauce. Add some excitement to a Yogurt Parfait, drizzle over Whole Wheat Pancakes or mix it into a cup of Vanilla Pudding.

Once you have this sauce tucked into the fridge, I highly recommend making a batch of Mixed Berry Ice Cream. I’m so very glad I scribbled down this recipe all those years ago!

I’ve never served this simple berry sauce to guests without rave reviews. There is something heavenly about the way the warm fruits melt down into the cold ice cream or spreads over a slice of creamy cheesecake. You’re going to love this!

originally published 2/20/13 – recipe notes and photos updated 6/14/23