If you’ve ever wondered how to make berry coulis for spooning over panna cotta, drizzling over ice cream, or beautifying your vegan cheesecakes, you’ve come to the right place.
Consider this quick, simple, and oh-so-adaptable recipe for fruit coulis your one-stop shop for learning all the ins and outs of making berry coulis sauce!
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📖 Recipe Overview
- Quick & Easy - Wash, hull, simmer, blend, and strain. That’s the whole shebang! You’ll be done in just 20 minutes, tops.
- Versatile & Customizable - Feel free to use whichever berries are in season, mix and match them to your heart’s delight, then drizzle the delectable result on everything from pancakes and waffles to ice cream and cheesecake.
- Requires Just 3 Simple Ingredients - All you need are berries, sugar, and lemon!
If you love how one simple fruity sauce can transform an entire dessert, I’m right there with you. You should check out my vegan recipes for lemon curd, lime curd, orange curd, or passionfruit curd next!
🧾 Ingredients Needed
My favorite part about this simple berry coulis recipe is how few ingredients you need to make it. Here’s everything to grab:
Ingredient Notes
- Berries - Feel free to use any combination of fresh or frozen berries that tickles your tongue. I used a blend of strawberries, blueberries, boysenberries, and raspberries in the photos, but you have plenty of other options like blackberries, pitted cherries, or cranberries!
- Lemon Juice - Fresh definitely tastes superior to bottled, so do yourself a favor and grab a few. Feel free to add a few rasps of lemon zest to the mix while you’re at it for an extra intense citrus flavor.
- Sugar - If you live in the US, not all granulated sugars are considered vegan. Your best bet is to choose organic sugar. You’re also welcome to swap in less refined sugar (e.g. coconut sugar or maple sugar), though the resulting coulis will be a bit darker if you do.
🥣 How To Make Berry Coulis
Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Making your own homemade berry coulis sauce could not be easier, just simmer, blend, and strain!
Step 1: Add the mixed berries, sugar, and lemon juice to a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
Step 2: Once the mixture is bubbling, turn it down to medium heat. Continue to simmer for about 8-10 minutes until the berries have broken down and softened.
Step 3: Transfer the mixture to a high-speed blender or food processor and pulse until it reaches a smooth sauce consistency.
Step 4: Place a fine-mesh sieve on top of a large mixing bowl and pass the mixture through to remove any seeds from the berries.
Step 5: Pour the homemade coulis sauce into a jar or container and allow it to cool to room temperature before sealing it airtight.
🍓 Variations
As much as I love this recipe for berry coulis, there’s plenty of room for you to make it your own. Here are a few fun variations to consider:
- Swap in lime juice for the lemon. This is particularly tasty as a strawberry blackberry coulis recipe.
- Make it rustic by foregoing the seed-straining step, which will leave you with a chunkier berry compote consistency.
- Add spices like cinnamon sticks, whole cardamom pods, star anise, or vanilla bean while simmering, then remove them before puréeing.
📝 Recipe Tips
Go for the freshest, juiciest, in-season berries you can find for that mind-blowing taste. Can't find any fresh picks? No worries! Just hit the frozen aisle, but be sure to snag the high-quality ones without any added sugar.
While we avoid sugar-added berries, that's only because we want total control over the end flavor of the coulis. The amount of sugar you use depends on how sweet your berries are and how much of a sweet tooth you've got. Start with a little, then work your way up to your sweet spot.
Don't forget to squeeze in some zesty lemon juice too. It's not just about that tangy flavor – it also makes those colors pop and brings out the natural berry goodness. Two tablespoons of lemon juice for every two cups of berries should do the trick, but hey, it's your call!
Now, here's a little trick I swear by – if you're like me and want your coulis seedless and super smooth, grab a fine-mesh sieve. Pour your berry blend through it and press those solids with a spoon till you've got all the juicy, velvety goodness and no seeds left to get stuck in your teeth.
Finally, remember you can also adjust the viscosity of your berry sauce. For a thinner coulis, simply blend it a bit longer and add a splash of water if necessary. If you want a thicker coulis, simmer the mixture on low heat for a few minutes to reduce it slightly.
💬 FAQs
Coulis is a smooth and vibrant sauce made from puréed fruits (like berries!), and it's super versatile. You can use it to jazz up your desserts, drizzle it on pancakes or waffles, or even pair it with savory dishes (like adding it to a vinaigrette).
On the other hand, we've got compote, which is like coulis' more rustic sibling. Compote is a cozy, chunkier fruit sauce made by simmering fruits with some sugar and maybe a little spice until they get all soft and saucy. It's a bit like a fruit preserve, but not as thick or spreadable.
In a nutshell, coulis is smooth and vibrant, perfect for adding a pop of flavor, while compote is chunkier and has that cozy, homemade feel. So whether you're craving a fancy dessert upgrade or a comforting fruity topping, coulis, and compote have got your back! Happy saucing! 🍓🍯
Whether you make this berry coulis for cheesecake, ice cream, or pancakes and waffles, all you need to do is drizzle it on whatever tastiness you’re serving up.
To store your fresh or frozen berries coulis, allow it to cool completely and then transfer it to an airtight container. Keep it refrigerated, where it should stay fresh for up to a week. If you have made a larger batch and don't plan to use it all within a week, consider freezing it in smaller portions. I like to use silicone ice cube trays for this purpose, making it easier to defrost only the amount you need at a time. 😉
🍯 More Ways to Elevate Desserts
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Description
Ingredients
- 460 g (3 cups) mixed berries, I use 170g strawberries, 100g raspberries, 100g blueberries, and 90g boysenberries or blackberries, *see note 1
- 75 g (⅖ cup) granulated sugar, *see note 2
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice , freshly squeezed
Instructions
- If using fresh berries, wash them well and remove the stems, and hull the strawberries.
- Add the berries, sugar, and lemon juice to a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. The mixture will begin to boil and bubble, then turn it down to medium heat. Continue to simmer on low heat for about 8-10 minutes, stirring the mixture often. Once the berries have broken down and softened turn off the heat - this will take a few minutes longer if using frozen berries.
- Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and pulse until it reaches a smooth sauce consistency. You can also use a stick blender, just be careful not to burn yourself with the hot liquid.
- Place a fine-mesh sieve on top of a large mixing bowl and pass the mixture through to remove any seeds from the berries.
- Pour the coulis into a jar or container and allow it to cool to room temperature before sealing it airtight.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks - it will thicken once chilled. You can also freeze it in a suitable container or ice cube tray for up to a couple of months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before use.
- Serving: Serve over ice cream, pancakes, waffles, meringue, or as a filling for cupcakes and cakes. You can also drizzle it over cheesecakes and panna cotta, or use it as a base for making cocktails and mocktails!
Notes
- You can use fresh or frozen fruit.
- Some white sugar in the US is not vegan, if in doubt use organic sugar. You can use coconut sugar, although it will yield a slightly darker color.
Nutrition
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