Fresh Strawberry Sauce Recipe Will Rock Your World (4 Ingredients, 20 Minutes) Fruit Desserts Breakfast Brunch Sauces/Condiments Gluten-free Budget Recipes Farm to Table Recipe

If you ask me, one of the best things about summer is all the ripe strawberries. There's nothing like the sweet taste of fresh strawberries ripe from the vine, which is why there are always tons of them in my house during the warm-weather months. In fact, this recipe was inspired by having too many (if that's possible) ripe strawberries in my house!

We'd gone away for a few days and, when we returned home, I realized I had a bunch of strawberries that needed to be rescued. Because we were making pancakes for breakfast, I decided a fresh strawberry sauce would be the perfect way to use those strawberries before it was too late.

This easy strawberry sauce recipe is similar to a French-style raspberry sauce I made last year for my husband's birthday (that bright, sweet, tangy dessert sauce recipe is known in French as a “coulis”). This sweet strawberry sauce is more of a compote, however, since I didn't strain it (as you would with a coulis), but it's still French in origin.

This easy four-ingredient strawberry sauce is a vibrant red color, and it’s so delicious that you’ll want to put it on top of more than just pancakes. Think ice cream, cheesecake, regular cake, brownies, French toast, waffles, yogurt – you name it. The sweet strawberry flavor makes so many things taste that much better. In fact, I'll bet the flavor intensity of this low-sodium strawberry compote recipe will rock your world. Plus, check out the health benefits of strawberries and the health benefits of lemon.

Cooking Tip: I used fresh strawberries, but in a pinch, you could use frozen strawberries.

Here's what you need to make this gluten-free, fresh and juicy strawberry sauce recipe: fresh strawberries, granulated sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice. That's it! You combine the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer until the strawberries break down and the sauce is thickened. In only about 20 minutes, you'll be enjoying your sweet strawberry treat for dessert. Just try not to lick the bowl when you’re done!

Cuisine: French / American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh strawberries, chopped
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Here’s how to make it:

1. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the strawberries, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium heat. (I prefer to squeeze my own fresh lemon juice, but you can use bottled lemon juice in a pinch.)
2. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often to help the strawberries break down, until sauce has thickened and turned into a compote (about 15 minutes).
3. Remove from heat and allow sauce to cool (sauce will continue to thicken as it cools to room temperature).
4. Serve over your favorite breakfasts, desserts, etc. Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This recipe can be easily doubled, depending on how much you need (or want).

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