Blueberry Sauce
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This Homemade Blueberry Sauce recipe is a simple 4 ingredient sauce that’s the perfect topping for cheesecakes, ice cream, pancakes, yogurt, and any other sweet treats. The sauce has fresh lemon juice for some brightness and either fresh or frozen blueberries can be used for it! The blueberry syrup has the right amount of thickness and pours perfectly too.
Whether you use fresh blueberries or a bag of frozen berries from the freezer, this easy sauce is ready in minutes and tastes better than anything you’ll find on a grocery store shelf!
I’ve been on a kick of making sauces and glazes and wanted to start sharing the recipes on the blog just in case someone else would like a homemade blueberry sauce or a fresh lemon curd.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 4 simple ingredients
- Works with fresh or frozen blueberries
- Perfect as a breakfast or dessert topping
- Sweet and tart!
- Freezes beautifully
Why This Recipe Works
As the blueberries cook, they naturally release their juices while some berries break down and others stay mostly intact, creating a sauce with plenty of texture.
The cornstarch thickens the juices into a glossy sauce without making it heavy or gummy.
The lemon juice adds acidity that keeps the sauce tasting bright and fresh rather than overly sweet.
Ingredients
See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all ingredients and quantities.
Blueberries – Fresh or frozen blueberries both work in this sauce!
Cornstrach – Cornstarch thicken the sauce into the perfect consistency for spooning. It starts out cloudy when the cornstarch is added but will become translucent as the sauce cooks and boils.
Fresh lemon juice – The lemon juice always tastes better when it’s freshly squeezed but out of the bottle will work in a pinch. The lemon juice gives the sauce a bright and tangy flavor and enhances the blueberry flavor.
Substitutions and Variations
- You can substitute any berry for the blueberries.
- If you don’t want to use as much lemon juice, you can substitute 1/4 cup of the lemon juice with water. You can omit the lemon juice altogether and just use water, but you’ll definitely notice a difference.
- You can add lemon zest to the sauce before or after it’s cooked for an extra lemony flavor.
NOTE: This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations
Tips for the Best Results
- Stir the mixture constantly so the cornstarch doesn’t settle in the bottom of the pan and the sauce doesn’t scorch. Keep the sauce moving as it thickens!
- Don’t worry if the sauce looks a little thin when you take it off the heat. It will thicken considerably as it cool in the refrigerator.
- The sauce needs to reach a full boil for the cornstarch to activate and thicken the sauce. You’ll know the cornstarch has done its job when the cloudiness is all gone and a rich, very dark purple color develops.
- As you stir, some of the blueberries will burst while others stay whole, giving the sauce the perfect texture. If you want more whole blueberries, pop in 1/2 to 1 cup of additional fresh blueberries once the mixture is cooked.
Serving Suggestions
- warm over pancakes, waffles, or french toast
- Over vanilla ice cream
- Spoon on top of vanilla cheesecake
- Drizzled on a vanilla pound cake
- On top or in crepes
- Swirled into Greek yogurt
How to Store and Freeze
Store the blueberry sauce covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Stir after it’s been stored before serving.
Place the sauce in a freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refirgerator overnight and stir well before serving.
Recipe Troubleshooting
Make sure the sauce reaches a full boil. This allows the cornstarch to activate and begin thickening the sauce. If it has come up to a full boil already, it may need to cook longer.
It could be that your blueberries were drying out which can happen if they’re close to going bad. It can be that you packed the cornstarch or didn’t level it before adding it to the sauce. It can be if you reduced the amount of liquid or sugar as well. You could have also cooked it too long or on too high of a heat.
The good news is that you can save your sauce. Add a small amount of warm water or lemon juice to your sauce. Start at 1 tablespoon and stir well and continue until the sauce has thinned out to your desired consistency.
The cornstarch likely didn’t get mixed in well before the liquid was added to the pan. It can become hard to whisk out the cornstarch lumps once too much liquid is in the pot.
Blueberries can vary in sweetness and lemons can vary in tartness. If needed, stir in an extra tablespoon or two of sugar after cooking the sauce.
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Blueberry Sauce
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, add in the 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 3/4 cup granulated sugar. Stir until the cornstarch is thoroughly incorporated.
- Add in the 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice and 1 1/4 cups blueberries and stir to combine.
- Place over medium/low heat and let come up to a boil. Stirring constantly. Let boil for 5 minutes until thickened. The sauce will bubble up, keep stirring and it will go back down.
- Pour into a bowl and store in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
(Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.)