This is my simple, go-to strawberry topping recipe for blintzes, cheesecake, pancakes– basically anything that needs a sweet and juicy berry topping. Strawberry season is just around the corner. That means it’s a great time to find beautiful (and affordable) ripe berries at your local market. You can also use frozen berries, just let them thaw and chop them up before measuring. It’s so easy and so scrumptious!
Passover Note: You can use this topping at Passover if you’re avoiding kitniyot, or if you’re grain free. Use potato starch instead of cornstarch.
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Strawberry Topping
Ingredients
- 2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch (for Passover, use potato starch)
NOTES
Instructions
- Put chopped strawberries and sugar into a small saucepan. Add 1/3 cup water to cover, stir to blend. Heat mixture over medium high heat until it boils. Stir, then reduce heat to medium.
- Mix cornstarch with 2 tbsp of cold or room temperature water until a thick liquid forms.
- Pour the liquid into the pan, stirring continuously, and continue to stir until well blended. Cook the strawberry mixture over medium for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until it becomes thick and syrupy. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
- You can serve the topping as-is with a chunky texture, or puree it smooth with an immersion blender. You can also puree it halfway, so that it’s almost smooth but still has some texture. Use for anything that requires a sweet strawberry topping- cheesecake, ice cream sundaes, waffles, or cheese blintzes!
Nutrition
Made this and it was so easy. Used it as topping for my cheesecake. Will use it for pancakes and waffles as well. I always thought it was hard. Will definitely do it again. Soon !????
Tori your recipes are great and I have printed several that gave me answers to Hungarian recipes of my mother’s that were incomplete. I looked at a million strawberry sauce recipes and this seemed perfect. I have to agree with some readers about cutting the vanilla though. I used pure, good quality vanilla and decided to halve it based on comments I read. I’m glad I did because even halved it kind of overwhelmed the strawberry taste. I added 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar and it helped but maybe I should have tried lemon juice. Would lemon juice alter the taste too much?
Lemon juice will brighten it a bit. You can certainly cut the vanilla or even omit it completely for a purer strawberry flavor. 🙂
Followed recipe exactly, it tasted great! Used it for pancakes and will also use for strawberry shortcake.
Delicious. I made this today to top cheesecake for a birthday/ Father’s Day combo dinner. I’m not a strawberry fan but it was delicious, I was worried about the need of the vanilla so I cut it back to a 1/4 teaspoon and it was great. I think if I had less fresh strawberries I may have added more.
Can you make this with canned strawberries? I want to use it as a cheesecake topping and cant seem to find a recipe using the canned variety.
Once made can this be refrigerated prior to using or does it need to be used immediately? Would like to have prepared for cheesecake topping prior to serving dinner.
Hi Michelle, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. Yes, this can be refrigerated. I’d let it come back to room temperature before serving.
I’ve made it before and put it in the fridge overnight as leftovers from cheesecake and ate it on my pancakes for breakfast and it tasted just as good, if not better than it did fresh!!
Two words: Totally awesome!
I used frozen mixed berries and it turned out really well. Great recipe. Will be using again.
I’m kinda in a bind and rushed for time. Can I use all purpose flour in place of the cornstarch because I don’t have any cornstarch and no time to go to the store.
You can, but it will make the syrup look more pink and not as deeply red colored.
CAn we use this topping in thai pan ice cream ? and what is the shelf life of it ?
Hi Akbar, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. I’m afraid I’m not familiar with Thai pan ice cream.
Can you make this sugar free?
Came out great on my French toast!
Can you tell me if you can freeze this
Hi Stephanie, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. You can freeze this topping, though it may be a bit more mushy after it thaws.
Nice recipe! The teaspoon of vanilla at the end completey overpowered th he strawberries on mine. I’ll try using half or none next time.
Hi thanks for this easy delicious recipe – I made it this morning I am wondering if I add a little more corn starch if this word be ok for strawberry tarts mixture? Have you tried?
Hi Amy – I have not tried, but as a general rule when thickening fillings for pies and tarts I prefer using tapioca. Too much starch can make the texture gummy.
How much tapioca do you recommend?? Thanks for a go to recipe!
Great for cheesecake and ice cream
What type of sugar does this recipe use. I’ve looked through and can’t see it say anywhere. I’ve read other recipes that require either caster sugar or icing sugar but this doesn’t say so I’m guessing just granulated sugar?
Granulated.
I hulled and chopped/sliced some strawberries and tossed in sugar — THEN I saw your recipe. :o( So now I need to know if I can still make your sauce if I’ve had my strawberries in sugar? It WAS 2lbs, but snacking parents later, not so much. lol Hope to hear from ya, thanks for sharing. PS I’m not sure what Kosher is, but I’m a Native American who loves strawberries. :oP
Hi AJ, Tori’s assistant Ashley here! I’m sure you’ve eaten your strawberries by now, but next time I would add the sugar and strawberries in the pan at the same time. Hope this helps!
Super quick and easy, and a perfect filling for my white layer cake. I doubled it, added a ton of vanilla, boiled it with a vanilla bean, and used potato starch (didn’t have corn) and it turned out perfectly. Thanks
Perfect and simple. We use this mostly for pancakes and ice cream! I’ve used fresh and frozen and both strawberries and blueberries never a problem!
Just made this with frozen strawberries and put it on top of a Daiya chocolate cheesecake, and it was the best thing I’ve ever tasted!!!! Amazing sauce!!!
May I use frozen strawberries?
Yes you may.
Does it rott over time?