This simple raspberry sauce (coulis) uses just three ingredients—fresh or frozen raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice. It’s an excellent topping for cheesecake, ice cream, cakes, and many other desserts.
This quick raspberry sauce comes together in about five minutes. Raspberries are cooked with sugar and a touch of lemon juice, then the mixture is strained through a fine mesh to remove the seeds. The result is a bright, glossy sauce with concentrated raspberry flavor and a smooth, silky texture.
Use this coulis to top cakes, pancakes, panna cotta, waffles, ice cream, and especially cheesecake. It pairs beautifully with sponge cakes, chiffon cakes, roll cakes, and other light desserts that benefit from a fruity, tangy contrast.
Raspberries are naturally tart, so a little sugar balances the flavor without masking the fruit. Granulated white sugar is recommended to keep the bright raspberry taste dominant, but you can substitute another sweetener if you prefer. A splash of fresh lemon juice brightens and lifts the sauce.
Ingredients for Raspberry Sauce
- Raspberries – Fresh or frozen work well.
- Sugar – Granulated white sugar preserves the pure raspberry flavor; adjust the amount to taste.
- Lemon – Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds bright acidity.
Step by Step Photos
- Add raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice to a saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil.
- Mash the raspberries with the back of a spoon or a masher to release their juices. Once it reaches a boil, remove from heat and taste—adjust sugar or lemon as needed.
- Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds, pressing firmly to push the pulp through; the pulp helps thicken the sauce. Avoid pureeing before straining if you want easier seed removal.
- The finished sauce should be thick and smooth. If you prefer a thinner consistency, add a teaspoon of water at a time. Keep in mind it will thicken as it cools.
To test the consistency, drizzle a little sauce onto a cool plate and run a spoon through it; you should see a visible trail. This recipe measured and yielded a sauce without adding water.
Serve warm or chilled over cheesecake, sponge cake, chiffon cake, roll cakes, panna cotta, ice cream, waffles, pancakes, pound cake, angel food cake, and more.
More dessert sauces:
Desserts
Raspberry Cheesecake
Desserts
Strawberry Sauce (Strawberry Glaze)
Desserts
Cherry Sauce
Desserts
Classic Vanilla Sauce | Bread Pudding Sauce
Easy Raspberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 oz raspberries, fresh or frozen; about 3⅓ cups
- 4 to 6 tablespoons granulated sugar, adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice, or more
Instructions
-
Heat: Combine raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil while mashing the berries. Remove from heat when boiling and taste; add more sugar or lemon if needed.
-
Strain: Press the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds and extract pulp. If you want a thinner sauce, add a teaspoon of water at a time; remember it will thicken as it cools.
-
Serve: Spoon the sauce over cheesecake, cakes, ice cream, or other desserts and enjoy.
Notes
- Straining: Pureeing before straining can make the seeds harder to remove because they break into smaller pieces. I recommend cooking and straining without pureeing for easier seed removal, though pureeing is optional if you prefer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
A raspberry coulis is a smooth sauce made by pureeing or straining raspberries to remove seeds and solids. A compote contains whole or chunky fruit and is not strained, so it has a thicker, chunkier texture.