This easy 4-ingredient berry dessert sauce takes just 10 minutes and works with pancakes, waffles, yoghurt, and more. Sweet, simple, and totally fuss-free! Love homemade breakfast treats? Try our easy decorated Krispy Kreme doughnuts for your next weekend project!
🍓 10-Min Prep | 🥄 4-Ingredients | 🌱 Vegan-Friendly | 🧊 Freezer-Stable
Ever get that feeling when your stack of pancakes or waffles needs something extra? That's where this easy berry dessert topping comes in. It's sweet, fruity, and takes just 10 minutes. And the best part? You only need four ingredients-no fancy stuff, no hassle.
I've made this sauce more times than I can count, especially when I've got berries in the freezer that need using up. It works with frozen or fresh berries, and once it's done, I spoon it over everything-pancakes, French toast, oatmeal, even ice cream.
I used this easy berry dessert sauce to make: quick chocolate berry pancakes (perfect for lazy Sunday breakfasts), Fudgy brownies with berry cream swirl (my most-requested potluck dessert) and a decadent chocolate berry layer cake (with velvety whipped ganache).
💗 Why You'll Love This Recipe
✔ Pantry-friendly - Uses staples you likely have.
✔ No fancy tools - Just a pan and a spoon.
✔ Works with frozen fruit - No need to thaw!
✔ Kid-approved - My picky daughter licks the spoon clean.
🫐 Ingredients
*See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Mixed Berries: You can use any combination of berries, such as raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, or blackberries. Fresh berries offer vibrant flavours, while frozen berries are convenient and save time; just toss them in without thawing. If you love the vibrant colour of this sauce, I am sure you're going to find my vampire red velvet cake interesting too.
- Corn Starch: To avoid lumps, mix it with a bit of cold water before adding it to the berry mixture.
- Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is best, but bottled juice works in a pinch.
♻️ Substitutions
- Sugar swap: White sugar, honey, or maple syrup works.
- Cornstarch hack: Use 1 tablespoon flour (but mix with cold water first) or arrowroot powder.
- Berry mix: Only have strawberries or raspberries? No problem!
📋 Variations
- Spiced: Add cinnamon or vanilla while cooking.
- Zingy: Stir in orange zest at the end.
- Adults-only: Splash of bourbon after cooling.
How to Make 4-Ingredient Berry Dessert Sauce
Love this berry sauce? You'll want to check out my one egg lemon cake, too! This berry sauce is perfect for pancakes, waffles, yoghurt bowls, a topping for cheesecake or even drizzled over that lemon cake for a sweet twist. For more inspiration, take a look at my dessert collection!
Step 1: Add the mixed berries and sugar to a pan over medium heat. Cook until the berries are soft, which should take about 10 minutes.
Step 2: Add the lemon juice and cornstarch dissolved in a splash of water. Make sure to continuously mix after adding the cornstarch to prevent it from sticking to the bottom and burning.
Step 3: Cook until it reaches your desired consistency; it should be thick but still runny, so avoid overcooking.
Step 4: Serve with freshly made pancakes.
*See the recipe card for detailed instructions.
💡 Pro Tip
Freeze leftovers in ice cube trays for:
- Instant berry-infused water
- Quick smoothie starter packs
💭 Expert Tips
- Seed hack: Press sauce through a sieve if you hate seeds.
- No lumps: Mix cornstarch with lemon juice first.
- Extra glossy: Stir in ½ teaspoon butter at the end.
🥞 Serving Suggestions
- Breakfast: Pancakes, waffles, oatmeal mix-in
- Dessert: Ice cream, Sundays, cheesecake topping, pound cake, brownie swirl, chocolate mousse,
- Snack: Yoghurt parfaits, toast, or straight from the spoon
- Unexpected Hacks: Cocktail Rim - Dip glasses in sauce + sugar (try with margaritas!); Grilled Cheese - Spread on brie-stuffed sourdough; Smoothie Base - Blend with bananas and spinach.
This sauce is the kitchen equivalent of a superhero cape-it saves the day when dessert emergencies strike. Now go raid your freezer!
❓Quick Berry Sauce FAQs
Keep it in a sealed jar or container for up to 5 days. Freeze flat in a bag for 3 months. Thaw overnight.
Frozen berries work perfectly. No need to thaw them first.
As long as your cornstarch is GF-labelled.
This versatile berry sauce works perfectly as a quick pie filling. For best results:
- Double the cornstarch (use 4 tablespoon instead of 2) to thicken it into a sliceable consistency.
- Cool completely before adding to the pie crust to prevent sogginess.
Pair with:
A buttery shortcrust for classic fruit pies
A crumble topping for lazy "dump pies"
Pre-baked tart shells for no-bake desserts
Pro Tip: For extra shine, brush the baked pie crust with egg wash before adding the berry filling!
Quick Fixes:
- Keep simmering 1-2 more minutes (stir constantly!) - liquid will evaporate and thicken.
- Slurry trick: Mix ½ teaspoon cornstarch + 1 teaspoon cold water, then whisk into simmering sauce. Cook 1 minute.
Pro Variation: Turn thin sauce into Berry Coulis!
- Strain through a sieve for a silky texture.
- Perfect for: drizzling on cheesecake, swirling into yoghurt or making berry milkshakes.
Science Tip: Cornstarch needs to reach 203°F (95°C) to thicken properly - use a thermometer if precision helps!
If You Enjoyed This Recipe, You Will Love These Too
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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📖 Recipe
Easy 4-Ingredient Berry Dessert Sauce
Ingredients
- 300 gr mixed berries fresh or frozen
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar Swap in maple syrup for sugar if you're out!
- 2 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Combine all berries, brown sugar, corn starch, and lemon juice in a pan and cook over medium heat.300 gr mixed berries, 3 tablespoon brown sugar, 2 tablespoon corn starch, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Stir frequently until the berries soften, the sugar melts, and the sauce thickens slightly, about 5-7 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow the sauce to cool for a few minutes. This will help it thicken up, making it easier to drizzle over your pancake stack.
Video
Notes
- Sauce thickens as it cools. Thin with water if needed.
- Frozen berries work straight from the freezer-no thawing!
Nicole says
This berry sauce is amazing! Such a great topping.
Claudia Ciorteanu says
Thank you!
Elizabeth says
This berry sauce was amazing! I used it for pancakes at brunch and my family loved it. So easy to make, too!
Ashley says
I love how versatile this sauce is--perfect for pancakes, ice cream, cheesecake, you name it!
Lora says
Made this very easy berry sauce and drizzled on a stack of pancakes! Wonderful!
Swathi says
This quick berry sauce is so easy and perfect to serve with various dishes, it is highly versatile.
Lathiya says
I loved this berry sauce. My kids loved it on their pancakes and waffles while I topped it over on a scoop of ice cream.
Bev says
This sauce was really good and easy to make! we served it with french toast and it was perfect!
Paula says
Loving this berry sauce. I served it over desserts as well as breakfast and my whole family loves it!
Liz says
My family loved this sauce! It's my new favorite pancake topping....bye, bye maple syrup!
Lora says
Fantastic berry sauce that can go on so many different things...I like it for yogurt!
Elizabeth says
This berry sauce is perfection! My daughter loves fruit with her pancakes and this has been the best treat for her. She loves it and always asks for seconds.
Michele says
I love this berry sauce on angel food cake! I used it both as a layer and topping with fresh strawberries and it was sooo good.
Paula says
This berry sauce was amazing! I served it over bowls of vanilla ice cream for dessert last night and my family LOVED IT!
Claudia Ciorteanu says
My family loved this!