This stovetop, easy cherry sauce recipe takes 15 minutes to make and keeps for days in the refrigerator and frozen for at least a month. Use fresh cherries when in season, always, but know that frozen ones also work. The sweetness can be adjusted depending on the cherry variety you use and your palate, and it's great as a topping for cheesecake and waffles, and as a sauce over ice cream.
Quick fruit topping
When cherry season hits, and pounds of cherries appear in the market, I'm all over the cherry recipes archives looking for my next bake.
Cherries rank in the top three best summer fruits, and I love fresh sweet cherries so much that it's not easy to pick recipes that are worth baking. Usually, it's my favorite cherry custard tart (with the easiest crust!), and also this fresh cherry cake mix cobbler that's always a hit.
Homemade sauces and toppings use simple ingredients and are a great way to take advantage of fresh fruit. And an easy homemade cherry sauce should be in everyone's repertoire.
Quick & easy to make: and that is an understatement. This fantastic recipe comes together in 15-20 minutes, including the pitting part.
Make ahead: it keeps well in the refrigerator for a week and in the freezer for a month. So there's really no excuse to make a large batch and freeze it for dreary winter days.
- Carmen ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was an easy recipe that came out as the cherry sauce pictured. The flavor was amazing. Just the right sweetness. I will definitely make this again. Thank you for sharing.
Uses for cherry sauce or topping
- Cheesecakes. I use it for this cherry cheesecake, obviously, and also for the cheesecake with chocolate crust, and call it black forest cheesecake.
- Breakfast and brunch fare: spoon it on waffles, buttermilk pancakes or French toast, for a sweet alternative.
- Cakes: transform a slice of pound cake or angel cake into a sweet dessert with cherry sauce on the side and some whipped cream.
- Ice cream: Try this chocolate cherry ice cream, an old-fashioned recipe, or top this fantastic no-churn cheesecake ice cream for a unique take on the classic flavors.
- If you're into sweet and savory dishes, this is an excellent idea with pork chops (you can add some balsamic vinegar to the cherry mixture for more punch).
Testing notes
Paula's tips that make a difference.
Cherries: Fresh seasonal cherries are always the best option, but you can make it with frozen cherries. They have more water content, so they soften more quickly. Cook them over low heat to avoid breaking them much.
Flavorings: I love lemon for this recipe, but orange juice goes very well too. You can also add a pinch of cinnamon or pure almond extract, two flavors that pair well with cherries.
Sweetness: You can add up to ¼ cup more sugar if you want a sweeter sauce. The cherry variety you use will determine how much to add.
Syrup: if you like to go heavy on the amount of syrup, double the amount of water and add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch total. If you have a lot of leftover syrup, it's great for pancakes, muesli or oatmeal, waffles, and drinks.
Thicker topping: if you want a firmer cherry topping, use a little less water or none at all and only use juice. I've done it several times, especially when using it for cheesecakes.
Make ahead: this sweet cherry sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for a week and in the freezer for a month, always in an airtight container. I like mason jars for the fridge and plastic containers for the freezer.
Ingredients
- Cherries: you can use sweet cherries (my favorites are black cherries and bing cherries), sour cherries (such as morello cherries), or a mix of both. I use black cherries mostly. But I do love tart cherries when making jam.
- Sugar: Both white granulated sugar and brown sugar (light or dark) can be used. I love the caramel richness that brown sugar adds and use it often.
- Lemon juice: it's the acid ingredient necessary to balance out the sugar. Use fresh lemon juice and not the bottled stuff unless there's no other choice.
- Cornstarch: It's used as a thickener to achieve that wonderful thick syrup.
How to make cherry sauce
This quick and easy recipe takes only minutes on the stove.
Pit the cherries
If you bake often with fresh cherries, you do need a cherry pitter. It's a little gadget that will make your life easier.
It's the only part of this recipe that takes a little patience and an apron. Make sure your clothes are covered, as pitting cherries means drops of cherry juice will be flying around.
Stovetop
After pitting them, you can cut each in half or use them whole. Or a mix of both.
Mix ingredients in a saucepan with high sides, as the sauce can bubble up considerably.
Cornstarch slurry
Make sure you dissolve it completely in the water before adding it to the saucepan. If you don't, some parts will dissolve well and others won't, leaving small bits of hardened cornstarch in the sauce.
Cooking time
It takes 5 minutes on the stove to be ready. Before adding the thickener, you can use medium heat. But after, cook it for a full minute (or two) at a low temperature so the cornstarch loses its floury flavor. The syrup will be thick.
If you want more shriveled cherries (like in the cheesecake image, above) with a more concentrated syrup, let them cook longer, but watch closely that you don't run out of syrup!
Cherry glaze: bonus recipe
This is a bonus recipe you can make with this sauce that you can drizzle over ice cream or use as a pancake and cheesecake topping.
After you make it, mash the cherries with a potato masher or fork to release as much juice as possible.
- Strain and let the liquid collect in a small bowl. When it's completely cold, check for consistency. If it's as thick as you want, transfer to an airtight jar and refrigerate until ready to use.
- If it's too thin, place it in a small saucepan and return to low heat. Cook until it thickens to your liking. You can add an extra teaspoon of cornstarch slurry (½ teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 teaspoon of cold water) to thicken it quickly without losing volume.
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Easy Cherry Sauce (15-minute recipe)
Ingredients
- 24 ounces whole cherries
- 4 tablespoons light brown or white sugar
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Wash and pit 24 ounces whole cherries. You'll have about 3 cups of pitted cherries.
- Put them in a medium saucepan and add 4 tablespoons light brown or white sugar and 4 tablespoons lemon juice. Stir and cook over medium heat until it breaks a boil, stirring once in a while.
- Dissolve 4 tablespoons water in 2 teaspoons cornstarch until no lumps remain and drizzle over the berries.
- Stir constantly and cook for 1 more minute over low heat so they don't scorch. Remove the pan from the heat, transfer the cooked cherries with the syrup to a bowl and let them cool down completely.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to a week in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid or another type of airtight container. It can also be frozen for a month. Defrost or thaw at room temperature.
Helen Navarro says
Easy breezy recipe. Mixed in oatmeal or cream of wheat.
Julie says
Hello, I’m looking forward to trying this cherry sauce. We do like a more tart cherry sauce. Can I add more lemon ..sincerely Julie
Paula Montenegro says
Yes, you can Julie!
Geoffroy says
Hello !
Concerning this Glaze :
"Cherry glaze
This is a bonus recipe you can make with this sauce that you can drizzle over ice cream or use as a pancake and cheesecake topping.
After you make it, mash the cherries with a potato masher or fork to release as much juice as possible.
Strain and let the liquid collect in a small bowl. When it's completely cold, check for consistency. If it's as thick as you want, transfer to an airtight jar and refrigerate until ready to use.
If it's too thin, place it in a small saucepan and return to low heat. Cook until it thickens to your liking. You can add an extra teaspoon of cornstarch slurry (½ teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 teaspoon of cold water) to thicken it quickly without losing volume."
Am I correct in assuming only the liquid is to be kep and used ?
Thanks.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Geoffrey! Yes, for a clear glaze, only the liquid is used.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Geoffroy! Yes, if you want a clear glaze only the liquid is used.
Carmen Olivencia says
This was an easy recipe which came out as the cherry sauce pictured. The flavor was amazing. Just the right sweetness. I will definitely make this again. Thank you for sharing.
Paula Montenegro says
Happy to know you liked it Carmen! Have a great week.