Description
This Quick Blackberry Sauce is a vibrant, sweet‑tart topping that comes together in minutes using fresh or frozen blackberries—or even a store‑bought blackberry jam hack for speed and convenience. It’s perfect over pancakes, ice cream, yogurt, cheesecake, or grilled meats.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries (or 1 1/2 cups store‑bought blackberry jam)
- 2–3 tablespoons granulated sugar (adjust to taste; omit if using sweet jam)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
- 1–2 tablespoons water or orange juice (as needed)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water (optional, for thickening)
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- If using fresh/frozen berries: Place blackberries, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries begin to break down and release their juices, about 5–7 minutes.
- If the sauce seems too thin, stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer 1–2 minutes until slightly thickened. If too thick, add a tablespoon or two of water or orange juice.
- Remove from heat and strain through a fine‑mesh sieve for an ultra‑smooth sauce, or leave it chunky for texture.
- If using store‑bought jam: In a small saucepan over low heat, heat blackberry jam with lemon juice and a splash of water or orange juice until warm and saucy, about 3–4 minutes. Stir in lemon zest and a pinch of salt. If too sweet, add a tiny splash of vinegar or extra lemon juice to balance.
- Let cool slightly before serving. Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- For extra depth, add a splash of balsamic vinegar or a few whole berries toward the end of cooking.
- Use this sauce over desserts (ice cream, cheesecake), breakfast (pancakes, waffles, yogurt), or savory dishes (grilled pork, chicken).
- Frozen berries work great—no need to thaw before cooking.
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Category: Sauce/Topping
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Versatile
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 30
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 2mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: undefined
- Unsaturated Fat: undefined
- Trans Fat: undefined
- Carbohydrates: 7g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: undefined
Keywords: blackberry sauce, quick fruit sauce, berry topping, jam hack sauce, dessert sauce