Easy Cherry Sauce (15-minute recipe)
This simple homemade cherry sauce takes minutes on the stove and keeps for days in the refrigerator and a month frozen. Use fresh cherries when in season, but frozen ones also work. It's great as a topping for waffles and cheesecake, and as a sauce for ice cream.
Servings 8 servings
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.
Notes
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.
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.
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.
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.
Serving it: it's a delicious cherry topping for cheesecakes, waffles, buttermilk pancakes, chocolate and vanilla ice cream, and French toast. I also love a thick slice of pound cake with cherry sauce on the side and some whipped cream. 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).
