You might be thinking...what in the world is berry sauce? Well, it is a simple invention that makes homemade flavored yogurt, strawberry milk, and berry ice cream a piece of cake! All you have to do is mix a few teaspoons of the finished sauce into whatever your heart desires, although I do recommend sieving out the seeds for the optimal berry-flavored milk.
Berry sauce swirled into plain yogurt
Please no more Hershey’s “Strawberry Syrup” which is pure high-fructose corn syrup! This berry sauce is also a great topping on pancakes and waffles. The possibilities are endless!
Berry Sauce
You might be thinking…what in the world is berry sauce? Well, it is a simple invention that makes homemade flavored yogurt, strawberry milk, and berry ice cream a piece of cake! All you have to do is mix a few teaspoons of the finished sauce into whatever your heart desires, although I do recommend sieving out the seeds for the optimal berry-flavored milk.
Print Recipe
Servings: 1 cup
Ingredients
- ¾ cup frozen berries
- 1 ½ – 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup depending on how sweet you like it
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a light simmer.
- Cook until the berries have softened, about 5 – 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and puree with hand immersion blender or countertop blender.
Use immediately or store in the fridge for later.
Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
Berry Sauce
Amount Per Serving
Calories 248
Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 11mg0%
Potassium 220mg6%
Carbohydrates 61g20%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 52g58%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 55IU1%
Vitamin C 2.9mg4%
Calcium 76mg8%
Iron 0.2mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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About how much sauce does this recipe make?
Hi Jenny. It makes about a cup. ~Amy
Thank you for the reply. We tried it over the weekend for a topping on my daughter’s birthday cake. It was delicious. We made blueberry & strawberry. We also made the chocolate sauce that Lisa posted for the chocolate torte. Yum! Thanks again!
The berry sauce looks great! When I started giving my infant daughter plain Greek yogurt, I jazzed it up with baby food puree. Sometimes home made or sometimes store bought. It’s an easy thing to buy and it’s all fruit with no added sugar or sweetener. Yogurt, oatmeal, even her waffles. I’m really don’t like her to have any sugar so this is helpful. Good flavor combos too! Just thought I would share. Gerber makes a banana berry food that’s really yummy on yogurt and a pear pineapple food is yummy on waffles.
Love this recipe. It turned out fantastic and the kids love it in yogurt (we only eat organic plain whole milk yogurt so a nice switch up).
Just made this as we transition to real foods… used it in malt o meal instead of brown sugar.. it was a hit! Now I know they’ll like it, I can relax a little on making things “sweet” and just add berry sauce :) I tried to rate 5 stars, but I guess my phone wont let me.. lol
My kids don’t like plain yogurt, so I’ve been buying high-quality vanilla for them and cringing a bit at the sugar level. This is a GENIUS idea and should make “plain” yogurt a lot more appetizing!
(I actually found it on your recipe for chocolate cake. I have a cake-like brownie recipe that adapts well to whole wheat flour, so I’ve usually been making that for a birthday cake with whipped cream frosting… never thought about adding berries or other fruit.)
Just made this and put it in some plain greek yogurt, it’s really good, thanks!
Hi there Michelle. Lisa loves her immersion blender and uses it for stuff like this all the time. Maybe this will help: http://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/29331/how-to-minimize-splatter-using-an-immersion-blender. :) ~Amy
Just made the Berry Sauce. I used blueberries and I have the granola in the oven. Looking forward to yogurt with sauce and granola, mmmm. Just wondering, when I was making the sauce, I used a high-topped pot but when I put the immersion blender in I had blueberry sauce spraying everywhere, guess the countertop blender would be the better choice next time :)
This was decent, it does become like jello when put in the fridge but still edible.
Does anyone know if this berry sauce would work for the homemade poptarts? I want to make those so bad but don’t have the supplies for canning jam like that recipe calls for! :(
Hi Cassi. You could certainly try. The sauce is thinner than the jam would be. Let us know how it turns out. ~Amy
Decided to try it out. Added more berries to thicken it up and it didnt work well. still too liquidy. Next time ill try just using blended berries- no water. The kids still love them- its just a big mess! haha
I’m still getting used to the difference from the whole wheat flour compared to what im used to- regular AP flour. But they weren’t bad! :)
I make berry purees frequently in big batches and then can it (hot water bath method for 10 minutes).
We use the puree in kombucha, kefir, on pancakes, yogurt….
How long will this berry sauce, and also the homemade dressings, keep in the fridge?
Hi Dauren. The berry sauce will be okay will be okay for a few days. With dressings, depending on the ingredients, it can vary greatly. This has helped me: http://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/15553/how-long-will-homemade-salad-dressing-stay-good-in-the-fridge. ~Amy
Just made with fresh strawberries and kiwi, delicious!!
I just puree a pack of fresh strawberries, after washing and cutting off leaves. I don’t add anything or cook anything. I then divide into small portions using baby cubes and I store in the freezer. I take one out to the fridge every night and we use it in the morning on our pancakes or waffles. Everyone loves it! You could add other fruits, like banana to sweeten it a bit. Or puree something else like blueberries or mango. I like the no-cook method…so easy!
This berry sauce is very easy and fast to make. I love to put it in my plain yogut with the homemade granola…m m m…
Hi Jenna. I’m not sure. You could certainly preserve it by freezing it in freezer safe jars. ~Amy
This sounds great! Do you think it could be stored in jars after processing in a hot water bath, like jam?
I just did this recipe( using blueberries) in my vitamix and blended until it was heated ( not sure if the ninja blends to heat?) but this gave me a very smooth consistency and good taste. Once it cooled though it started to thicken so ‘m not sure if the stove top version does this? I hope to try it on the stove to compare. We used it for our pancakes and then added to our plain yogurt. I liked it but my kids were on the fence. I’m going to try strawberries as well.
Making this for the first time :) My daughter adores strawberry milk but I stopped buying Hershey’s ages ago. I think she will love this!
Am making this tonight, straining it and trying with snow cone maker tomorrow!!!
I am fairly new to cooking so this question might seem odd. Why must you cook it all together? I have a Ninja blender and thought if I just did it in there, it would blend perfectly. Thus, eliminating the need to cook everything together. Would that work?
Hi Libby. You could do a puree in the blender instead of a sauce on the stove top. The consistency and taste will be different. Let us know how it worked. ~Amy
We all love our yogurts and yogurt tubes around here but, since finding your site and reading the ingredients on those labels, I’ve stopped buying them. Instead, I now keep a regular supply of homemade mini-yogurts in my fridge. For each yogurt, I use 1/4 cup plain, full-fat organic yogurt with slightly less than 2 TBSP of your berry sauce added. My daughter and I LOVE them (I usually can’t resist eating one as soon as I finish making them). My son isn’t convinced yet that they are as tasty as the yogurt tubes but he has asked to try them a few times so he may change his mind eventually. For the recipe, I usually increase the amount of berries to 1 cup since it gives me a little extra sauce and a couple of extra mini-yogurts.
I followed the recipe exactly. I added it to plain yogurt. I liked it, but my kids hated it. Haven’t found any yogurt they like that’s not pre-sweetened! :(
Marsy, have you tried pureeing bananas and adding it to the yogurt? I used do this for my son when he was a baby. I have one of those tiny food processors (got it at Walmart on black Friday for $4) and I just drop a banana in, and blend until it is smooth. Then I mix it in with the yogurt and sometimes add granola on top. It is really sweet without any added sugar. We love it!
For my son, I started sweetening plain, whole milk yogurt with maple syrup. Measure and used what i thought was too sweet and slowly reduced. It took a few weeks, but he now eats barely sweetened yogurt.
If using honey, do you use the same measurements as the maple syrup?
Hi Hailey. Yes, they can be exchanged 1:1 and the flavor will obviously be somewhat different. ~Amy
Irf you use fresh strawberries do you have to cook it? Can’t you just puree whole berries or does it not taste as good?
Hi Silia. Sure, it would just be less sauce and more fresh fruit puree. The taste and texture will be different. ~Amy
I used fresh strawberries & honey…YUM! My kids love it and so do I.
;)
Oops, already answered. Sorry!
How long would you say this keeps in the fridge? Have you ever frozen it?
I made 2 batches of this tonight, 1 blueberry and 1 strawberry. I froze them in an ice cube tray, and there was enough in 1 batch for 6 cubes. Perfect!
Made this last night for my daughters yogurt and milk and she loved it! I’m slowly switching my daughter to real foods and you are such an inspiration!
We don’t use maple syrup. my kids don’t like it. Could you us honey instead?
I used honey to make ours and came out great.
Could you make it with fresh strawberries?
Hello Corrie. I don’t see why not. Let us know how it turns out. ~Amy
Hi Jen. One of our team members said she kept it for more than a week. You could always freeze it, too. ~Amy
Finally! Strawberry sauce that isn’t complete junk! My daughter ALWAYS asks for me to buy “Strawberry” milk and I had to listen to so many fits for not buying that junk. Used this in milk and in yogurt and everyone loves it!
Everything I make from your recipes I love!
Just wondering how long this will typically keep in the fridge? TIA! Excited to try it SOON!!!
It doesn’t get much easier than this. I have made this a few times with strawberries and mix it with Greek yogurt. I think I will try blueberries next time.
I just made this sauce with frozen cranberries. I then mixed it with greek yogurt – DELISH!!!! My one year old loved it as well. Thanks for the great idea!!
Another great recipe. My son loves it in his almond milk, on top of his whole wheat banana pancakes and as a dipping sauce for his strawberries. Thanks for all the whole food, simple recipes.
This stuff is DELICIOUS!! I actually used it today on a peanut butter sandwich, because I forgot to buy fruit spread when I was at the store. It did seep through my hearty wheat bread a bit, but it was so tasty!! YUM!!
I am making a cheesecake for Christmas desert & am going to try this for the first time as a topping! I have blueberries & raspberries in e freezer waiting!
Best way to seive out the seeds please. I have one of those micro colanders (well – weave is a little tighter than a sifter – not as fine as a juicer but tight enough strawberry seeds can’t fit through) and the juice seems to just sit there. I keep rubbing it with a spoon to push it through and can’t seem to get much out of the pulp and I feel I waste more juice doing this (like with blackberries and strawberries). I have a juicer but boy is it a setup and breakdown. Tips?
Hi Amanda. I actually don’t take out the seeds. If I were to do it though, I’d probably use a sieve that you can pour it through. Jill
Hi. Could you use honey in place of maple syrup?
Although I haven’t tried it, I’d imagine it would work just as well. If you use local honey it will be even better for ya!
Hi Alyson. I don’t see why not. Jill
Dear,
I am new to your blog. I just want to say thank you for the berries sauce. it help me out alot since my hubbie is a huge fan of the sweet, and im trying to serve as many healthy “foods” around the house as i can. He also love the chocolate syrup with his milk, does any better solution in this case for me to not use the store-bough one ? forgive me if my question is a litle bit not related to this article. Thank you again, and looking forward to hear from you or someone out there.
Hi Louise. I would check out this recipe on Deliciously Organic…http://deliciouslyorganic.net/chocolate-sauce-syrup-hersheys-recipe/. We’re glad you are enjoying the blog. Jill
how long does this last in the fridge and can you freeze it?
Hi Kelly. I usually keep it up to a week. Yes, you can freeze it as well. I sometimes freeze it in individual servings so I can easily sweeten yogurt. Jill
I have some strawberries I puréed during the summer to use over the winter. Would it work to follow these steps with a purée? Thanks.
Hi Kelsie. I’m sure you could use them in the recipe. Jill
I just made this sauce and mixed with it plain yogurt. Delicious!!! Even my picky eater (7 yr old son) LOVED it.
Thank you!!
Can I freeze this berry sauce?
Hi Michelle. I have not tried to do so, but, I think it would work. Jill
Do you think using Agave Nectar would be an ok substitute for the syrup?
Hi Anna. We don’t use agave and here’s why…http://www.foodrenegade.com/agave-nectar-good-or-bad/. Jill
Just made this tonight as a sauce for our crepes. YUM! So much better than just plain maple syrup. My husband said, “I have always liked your crepes, but with this on it–Wow.” Thanks!
I just made a raspberry sauce and strained out the seeds. I immediately tried it over plain, whole milk yogurt. Delicious!
Can you sub. honey for the pure maple syrup?
Hi Mandi. I haven’t tried it but I think it could work. Jill
What are your thoughts on pectin? Like for making homemade freezer jams?
Hi Meghan. Have you checked out the post on canning (https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/05/10/how-to-can-some-jam-a-simple-method-without-pectin/). This recipe does not use pectin. Jill
Any guess how long this stays fresh?
Hi Sarah. I’ve kept it up to 2 weeks and it’s been fine. You could probably also try freezing it, although I’ve not done that. Jill
I was addicted to eating Chobani flavored Greek yogurt and have been struggling with eating just plain yogurt, but this makes it taste like my beloved flavored yogurt! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Love this idea! I just switched from the Stonyfield flavored yogurts to the plain and this will make the transition easier. I also have never given my son strawberry milk…he is going to be in LOVE! :)
Yum! I’ve been moving away from the single servings of flavored greek yogurt and this sounds like just what I need to make the switch! Can’t wait to try it!
This is a HUUUGE favorite at my house. I make a batch at least every week. My son loves it with his waffles (again, your recipe). We also use it with yogurt, on ice cream, anything we can think of! THANK YOU from my whole family!
YUM!!! I just made this with less water, fresh blueberries, and honey instead of syrup. Probably more of a compote instead of the jelly I was going for but it worked just fine!!! Will use the rest for syrup on waffles tomorrow and try again without using water :) SO GOOOD!!!
When would you suggest sieving out the seeds if the strawberries are frozen?
Hi Melissa. I do not take the seeds out…but, you could try it if you don’t like them. Jill
Hey! This looks supper yummy and I can’t wait to try it. I’m just wondering how much does this recipe make? About a cup of sauce?
Sydney – Yes, I would say about a cup, maybe a little more. Jill
This looks so good I’m inspired to make my own yoghurt!
I am new to your website and gearing up to take the 10 day pledge. I just made this berry sauce and mixed it with plain yogurt, it hit my sweet spot. I had been graving candy and was about to go get some sugary processed candy, but decided to make this instead. Also I substituted honey for the maple syrup and it tasted great! Thanks for so many great recipes and advice.
Lisa, I am going to be making a week of lunches for 100 kids. Yogurt parfaits (yogurt, fruit, homemade granola) with bagels (we need to fill them up, this could be their only meal for the day) is one I have planned. Do you think this would be cheaper than using whole fruit? Right now, frozen fruit is more expensive than fresh. But if this goes farther…..
If fresh fruit is cheaper than frozen then go that route for sure!
I just made a batch of berry sauce to use in our plain yogurt. It’s delicious! And what a great way to enjoy berries year round -fresh when in season & frozen when not! This is definitely a keeper!
I just made a large batch of this using fresh strawberries. Yum! I’ve finally converted my 5 year old to plain, homemade yogurt, and he will love this mixed in. Now to work on my husband and the two year old…they are tough!
Have you ever tried mixing in mashed bananas? I’m just curious… I want to try mixing this with plain greek yogurt to see if my kids will eat it (good-bye Yoplait!), and would like to come up with a few flavor combinations.
I have not tried it with bananas…my only concern would the the color changing to something really unappealing, but you could try it.
I love this because I’ve been wanting to quit buying sugary yogurt but I can’t stand plain yogurt. I’m going to try it with this! Thank you.
I make berry sauce for pancakes, and have found that if you add a ripe banana to it, you don’t even need to sweeten it at all.
I made this tonight because I was craving something a little sweet and it is great. I stirred two tablespoons into 1/2c of greek yogurt and it was really good, better to me than the premixed storebought junk. I mixed strawberries and blueberries.
Just made blueberry and strawberry versions of this sauce- delicious! I’m currently living a no-sugar-added life (for lent), including honey, syrup, anything. So, made blueberry sauce as the recipe directs (for my hubby) but made the strawberry without any added sweetener. Trying to add sweetness/for fun, I added half a banana and some grape juice (squeezed fresh as that’s all I had on hand)- so fantastic! A little tart, a little sweet, my favorite :) Lisa, thank you for all you do!
What kind of Maple Syrup do you buy?
~BethAnne
P.S. I LOVE your blog!! Lots of fabulous information!
Thank you! :) I buy Earth Fare brand organic Grade B Syrup.
Just made this to go along with your whole wheat waffles. SO good!!
I make a strawberry sauce that i just blend with maple syrup and add lemon juice. I don’t cook it, but the lemon juice acts as a preservative and it lasts a few weeks in the frig. I will try this recipe. Looks yummy!
I make this all the time to put on top of our favorite dessert or in yogurt. Today my son wanted pb&j and I was totally out of jelly. THEN I had the idea to take your recipe, put less water in it and voila – jelly. A thinner version than the store-bought kind made with gelatin but it was quick and easy and healthy and my son loved it!
Finally got around to making it and its great!
I am making this to add it to plain yogurt this morning. I just bought the ice pop makers and I’m excited to use them for my daughter. But I despise yogurt and have no idea how much berry sauce to add to the yogurt and refuse to do a taste test (it would taste terrible to me no matter what). And tips on ratios? Thanks!
Per our discussion on facebook start with 2 tablespoons per 1/2 cup and go from there!
I just made this and added it to some plain yogurt with a little Stevia. It was yummy. It was even good plain.
Thank you so much for this recipe! My youngest loves strawberry milk but I hate giving her Nestle’s. I can’t wait to get to the store for some fresh berries!
Cooking a batch now to stir into my homemade yogurt…thanks for sharing!
your berry sauce looks awesome and sounds great! to even think about the nestle strawberry syrup makes me so angry! thankfully my children are young enough and will not know about that those things some call ‘food.’ every time i see the local ads in the paper, i get so disgusted with the ‘food’ or lack thereof grocery stores sell. i am proud to say i have not stepped foot in a big named grocery since my family began our healthy eating! thank you for sharing out all the information you do lisa! :)
I am venturing into the world of homemade yogurt this week and this is PERFECT! I was looking for something a little “saucy” instead of just chunks of fruit for my yogurt. Can’t wait to try this!!
I’ve used fresh fruit (blueberries and peaches) and it has worked well, I just didn’t have to keep them on stove top for as long!
I am making this with raspberries to add pink to my daughters birthday cake. She loves this sauce in yogurt, on pancakes, and now in birthday cake and frosting!
I love the idea of mixing it into cupcakes! Pinkalicious inspired party! Is there a good healthy cake recipe??
Here is a cake recipe…have fun! :)
https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/08/05/recipe-whole-wheat-chocolate-cake-with-easy-whipped-cream-frosting/
Just found your site today & I am loving it!! Two Qs about this sauce:
1.) Can I use fresh fruit to make it?
2.) Can I make a batch or two & freeze for later (maybe in ice cube trays?)
Thanks a million!
Yes, fresh fruit would work…also, I have not frozen it myself, but I think it would work great!
Could you freeze this for later use?
I have not tried to freeze it myself, but I bet it would work.
Hi,
I love the idea of this in yogurt for my kids but i have never been able to perfect a yogurt recipe (I have a yogurt maker) that my children will eat – do you have any suggestions? I would have to strain it because they really like “smooth” yogurt – but I would love to try something! Thank you.
Kids loved it with plain yogurt! Hurray for less sugar in their little bodies!
Why frozen berries? Can I use fresh fruit?
This is delicious! I was nervous to try it since my kids are used to the other kind of yogurt…but they LOVED it! We wrote a list of other fruits we could try to make sauces with to go with the plain yogurt. I just found your site a week ago, but have already made the banana bread, granola, this sauce & plan to make the tortillas next week! Thank you so much for this great resource to help us feed our families & ourselves in a much healthier way!
Hi! I love your website as my family and i are trying to eat healthier! I need more ideas of what else to put in plain yogurt besides strawberries (i am allergic). I love vanilla flavored yogurt but i realize now looking at the sugar content, it is ridiculous to eat that as is. Please help! Thank you!
You could use this recipe with any frozen fruit…peaches, blackberries, pineapple, etc. The sky’s the limit!
I’m thinking of trying this for a sorbet/ice cream type of treat. We should have strawberries at the local farm soon.
I just made this with buckwheat honey and strawberries and it turned out fabulous!
mmm-sounds great! I’m going to try it with oatmeal tomorrow :)
What is the shelf life? Could you replace the maple syrup with honey?
I think honey would work great! Shelf life is as long as you would keep berries in the fridge…a week and a half at the most.
What a GREAT EASY so much better for you sauce!! I always have those ingredients on hand so the possibilites are endless :) Thanks for the inspiration to make my own sauce!
Thanks for sharing. I can’t wait to try it! I think I’ll try making some this week as I just got a bag of mixed frozen berries.
I had homemade waffles for dinner last night with cottage cheese and maple syrup. I almost caved and bought jam but resisted.
This looks awesome – I was literally just looking for something like this today!
I’ve been making this recipe from Kathleen Daelemans’ cookbook, Cooking Thin for years. Similar to your berry sauce this one is strawberries and rhubarb with a bit of sweetener. I never use that much sugar and you can replace with honey or your choice of sweetener. But it could not be any simpler. And no straining necessary! So delicious. http://books.google.com/books?id=6KBUc4V0hDgC&lpg=RA3-PT126&ots=UCOX2IEcqe&dq=Kathleen%20Daelemans%20strawberry%20rhubarb%20sauce&pg=RA3-PT126#v=onepage&q&f=false
Yummy! What would be the best way to strain out the seeds? Cheese cloth, maybe?
I just used a fine sieve/strainer, but cheese cloth would probably work too if that is all you have on hand!
sounds great! At some point soon I plan on making my own yogurt – which would be plain. I myself don’t care for whole berries in my yogurt – so all I could think of was jelly. This will be perfect! If only we had local berries. :(