Name: Strawberry Coulis (Strawberry Sauce)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 454 grams fresh or frozen strawberries ((1 lb)); 1 tablespoon lemon juice (from about 1/2 of a lemon); 65 grams granulated white sugar ((1/3 cup))

You just need 3 ingredients and 15 minutes to make this strawberry coulis – sweet yet fresh, vibrant, and intense strawberry flavor!

Strawberry Coulis

Strawberry coulis is just a fancy name for a smooth and super versatile strawberry sauce that is a perfect accompaniment to cheesecakes, crepes, waffles, ice cream, and many other desserts.

Why you should make this Strawberry Coulis

Do you have leftover fresh or frozen strawberries laying around? This is a good way to make use of them and store them for months!

It is very easy to scale down or scale up this recipe. When the sauce is simmering for about 5 minutes, taste the sauce and adjust accordingly. There is no right or wrong – follow what tastes good to you.
- If you only have 200 grams or about a cup of strawberries, you can half the sugar (or even just “eyeball” it) and lemon juice.
- If your strawberries are already very sweet as they are in season, you can reduce the sugar.

Even if you don’t plan on using the strawberry coulis immediately, it can be frozen for months so you’ll have have it ready anytime – whether it is for your breakfast pancakes or for your midnight ice cream cravings! More about storage options below.

smooth strawberry sauce in a white bowl with spout

You can’t go wrong with this recipe. Just put all the ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil then simmer for 10 minutes (longer time if using frozen strawberries), stand over your stove and inhale the incredible smell!

This easy strawberry coulis is one of those wonderful dessert component that requires minimal work while making you (and me) look like a rock star. =)

Now, let’s make some strawberry coulis!

How to make Strawberry Coulis

Shop efficiently (treat this as your grocery list) and gather your ingredients at home without running circles in your kitchen. (i.e. One trip to the fridge to get all your dairy needs.)

3 ingredients you need to make a strawberry compote

INGREDIENT SHOPPING LIST:

You only need 3 ingredients to make strawberry coulis:

PRODUCE

454 grams (1 lb) fresh or frozen strawberries
- Fresh strawberries are the main ingredient of this recipe. Pick berries with deep red color, and strong aroma for the best flavor. However, if you are making this compote outside of strawberry season, frozen berries is a great alternative.
1 tablespoon lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)

PANTRY

65 grams (1/3 cup) white granulated sugar

TOOLS & EQUIPMENT:

medium saucepan with lid
blender or handheld blender or immersion blender or food processor

Let’s start cooking!

DO SOME PREP:

Rinse and thickly slice the strawberries. I personally don’t hull them anymore – I don’t think it’s necessary for this recipe. Plus, it saves you time.

slicing fresh strawberries on a white chopping board

COOK THE STRAWBERRIES:

In a medium saucepan, combine 454g sliced strawberries, 65g (1/3 cup) sugar, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

Reduce to low heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally.

Note that if you’re using frozen strawberries, the cooking time may need to be longer as frozen berries release more water and will take longer to reduce and thicken.

strawberry coulis upclose — At this stage, it is a strawberry compote, and the chunky sauce can be left like this. To make it to a strawberry coulis, it needs to be pureed into a smooth sauce.

BLEND AND STRAIN:

Turn off the heat and use a blender or a food processor to turn it into a smooth sauce.

You will know it’s done when the sauce coats the back of the spoon. To do this, stir the sauce with a spoon and then immediately trace a line across the back of the spoon with your fingertip. If the lime remains visible, the sauce is thick enough; if it doesn’t the sauce needs to be thickened some more.

Pass the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. This will give you a very smooth and elegant sauce.

straining the strawberry coulis for a smooth sauce

COOL:

Leave to cool before serving – leave it at room temp or put in the fridge . Keep in mind that the sauce will thicken up slightly as it cools and even more with refrigeration.

Storage

Store your strawberry coulis in an airtight container and it will last up to 7 days.

If you like to freeze it for future use, I suggest pouring it into small containers then defrost as many cubes as you need in a covered container in the fridge.

The easiest way is to use an ice cube tray to freeze the sauce solid, then pop them out and store the cubes in a freezer bag.

To hull or not to hull

To my knowledge the only reason you hull is so you don’t have the white lumps of the hull standing out against the red berry (for example, in jams). The white parts are also a bit tougher than the flesh of the berry. Since we are cooking, blending, and straining the berry mixture, I find hulling unnecessary. So for now I suggest to skip this step and just remove the leaves.

Do you hull your strawberries? I would love to know in the comments below!

A note about consistency

Berries have a small amount of natural pectin, which helps thicken the sauce. That being said, the consistency would not be thick as a jam; it is spoonable, pourable, and saucy.

If you one to thicken it more, you need to add a cornstarch slurry when you are cooking the strawberries. A cornstarch slurry is a mixture of water and cornstarch. Be sure to mix it throughly or else it will leave white chunks in your sauce!

For this recipe, mix together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 45 grams (3 tablespoons) of water. Add it to the saucepan and cook together with the strawberries, sugar, and lemon.

Coulis vs Compote

Coulis (pronounced koo-lee) is French for a thick sauce made with pureed fruit or vegetable. Restaurant chefs often usie coulis as a delicious garnish for both entrees and desserts.

A compote, on the other hand, is a mixture of whole or or pieces of fruit that have been stewed or baked.

If you prefer your strawberry sauce to have chunks of fruit instead of a smooth sauce, skip the part of blending the stewed strawberries in this recipe and you’ll have a Strawberry Compote.

strawberry compote in a pot — Strawberry Compote

A bowl of smooth strawberry coulis — Strawberry Compote

Where to use Strawberry Coulis

Drizzle this strawberry sauce over:

vanilla ice cream (our favorite!)
pancakes and waffles
crepes
pound cakes
cheesecakes
yogurt
sundaes
smoothies
French toast
panna cotta
churros (YUM!)

Can I use other berries?

Yes, you can substitute blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries for the strawberries with no changes in the recipe.

For more dessert sauce recipes, check out:

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Watch How To Make This Easy Strawberry Coulis

Printable Recipe Card

Strawberry Coulis (Strawberry Sauce)

5 from 1 vote

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 15

Sweet yet fresh, vibrant, and intense strawberry flavor! Strawberry coulis is just a fancy name for a smooth and super versatile strawberry sauce that is a perfect accompaniment to cheesecakes, crepes, waffles, ice cream, and many other desserts.

You can use other types of berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries) as well with no change in the recipe.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

▢ 454 grams fresh or frozen strawberries (1 lb)
▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice from about 1/2 of a lemon
▢ 65 grams granulated white sugar (1/3 cup)

Instructions

DO SOME PREP
Rinse, remove the green stems, and thickly slice the strawberries.
COOK THE STRAWBERRIES
In a medium saucepan, combine 454g sliced strawberries, 65g (1/3 cup) sugar, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Reduce to low heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally.
Note that if you’re using frozen strawberries, the cooking time may need to be longer as frozen berries release more water and will take longer to reduce and thicken.
BLEND AND STRAIN
Turn off the heat and use a blender or a food processor to turn it into a smooth sauce.
You will know it’s done when the sauce coats the back of the spoon. To do this, stir the sauce with a spoon and then immediately trace a line across the back of the spoon with your fingertip. If the lime remains visible, the sauce is thick enough.
Pass the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. This will give you a very smooth and elegant sauce.
COOL
Leave to cool before serving – leave it at room temp or put in the fridge . Keep in mind that the sauce will thicken up slightly as it cools and even more with refrigeration.

Notes

>> STORAGE: Store in the fridge for up to 7 days.

>> If you like to freeze it for future use, pour it into small containers then defrost as many as you need in a covered container in the fridge. The easiest way is to use an ice cube tray to freeze the sauce solid, then pop them out and store the cubes in a freezer bag.

>>Berries have a small amount of natural pectin, which helps thicken the sauce. That being said, the consistency would not be thick as a jam; it is spoonable, pourable, and saucy.

>>If you one to thicken it more, you need to add a cornstarch slurry when you are cooking the strawberries. A cornstarch slurry is a mixture of water and cornstarch. Be sure to mix it throughly or else it will leave white chunks in your sauce!

>> For this recipe, mix together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 45 grams (3 tablespoons) of water. Add it in saucepan and cook together with the strawberries, sugar, and lemon (step 2 in the recipe card).

Tried this recipe?Mention @theBakeologie or tag #Bakeologie!

Easy Strawberry Coulis (Strawberry Sauce)