Description
A simple, reliable strawberry rhubarb sauce that balances tangy and sweet flavors, perfect for pancakes, ice cream, and more.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups fresh strawberries (about 600g), hulled and quartered
- 3 cups fresh rhubarb (about 300g), chopped into ½-inch pieces
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (30ml)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup water (120ml)
- Optional: 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Optional: 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water (for thickening)
Instructions
- Wash strawberries and rhubarb. Hull and quarter the strawberries, chop rhubarb into ½-inch pieces.
- Place rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and water into a medium saucepan. Stir to combine.
- Heat over medium heat until gently bubbling, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 12-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes until fruit softens and sauce thickens.
- Optional: Mix cornstarch with water to make a slurry and whisk into simmering sauce. Stir for 1-2 minutes until thickened.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Adjust sweetness or lemon juice if needed.
- Transfer to a jar or airtight container and refrigerate if not using immediately. Sauce keeps up to 5 days.
Notes
Simmer sauce low and slow to soften rhubarb and meld flavors. Use fresh lemon juice for brightness. Adjust sugar to taste depending on strawberry sweetness. Add cornstarch slurry at the end off direct heat to avoid lumps. Reheat gently with a splash of water to loosen sauce if thickened. Sauce keeps up to 5 days refrigerated. Frozen rhubarb or strawberries can be used after thawing and draining excess liquid.
- Prep Time: 7 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Sauce
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ cup (about 60ml)
- Calories: 80
- Sugar: 16
- Sodium: 1
- Carbohydrates: 20
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 1
Keywords: strawberry rhubarb sauce, homemade sauce, pancake topping, ice cream sauce, fruit sauce, easy sauce recipe, vegan sauce, gluten-free sauce