Simple and quick homemade cherry sauce made with either sweet or sour cherries, fresh, canned, or frozen cherries.
I've made this cherry sauce so many times that I could almost do it in my sleep. My favorite way to serve it is on German waffles with a dollop of whipped cream.
Right now I'm still working through a huge cherry harvest. I've been making Preserved Cherries, baking Fresh Cherry Loaf Cake, and using them in all kinds of recipes to keep up.
For more ideas, you can also check out my Cherry Recipes collection.
Featured comment from Helen: I never used canned cherries in any way before. Tried this recipe to serve on cheesecake. Everyone loved it. Thanks
Ingredients: 5 | Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Servings: 4 | Difficulty: Easy
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Recipe ingredients
What cherries to use for making sauce?
This cherry sauce works with fresh, frozen, or canned cherries.
With fresh or frozen cherries, I usually simmer them briefly (2-3 minutes) so they soften or thaw before thickening the sauce.
Canned cherries are already soft, so you can skip this step and add them directly to the thickened sauce. If they come in syrup, reduce the sugar in the recipe slightly.
I usually use sweet cherries from our tree when they are in season. Out of season, I rely on frozen or preserved cherries.
How to make cherry sauce?
With fresh or frozen cherries
Step #1: Pit fresh cherries. Using a pitter works best.
Step #2: Add water to a pot and stir in sugar. Adjust depending on sweet or sour cherries - 2-3 tablespoons of sugar for sweet cherries, and about 1 tablespoon more for sour ones.
Step #3: Mix cornstarch with a little cold water to form a smooth slurry.
Step #4: Bring the liquid to a boil, stir in the slurry, and thicken. Add cherries, stir, and simmer briefly until heated through and slightly softened.
With canned cherries
Step #1: Drain the cherries and reserve 4-5 tablespoons of juice for the cornstarch.
Step #2: Pour about ¾ cup/ 180 ml of the juice into the pot. Add 1-2 tablespoons of sugar.
Step #3: Bring the juice to a boil and thicken it with the cornstarch slurry.
Step #4: Add cherries and heat briefly until everything is combined.
Flavor the sauce
The sauce is delicious as it is, but you can enhance it with a little lemon or lime juice.
For variation, add vanilla extract, almond extract, or a pinch of cinnamon in winter.
Tips regarding sugar
If you're using canned fruit and include the juice, go easy on the sugar - many brands pack their fruit in heavy syrup, which can make the sauce very sweet.
You can add more sugar if you like (or other sweeteners). As we serve it on top of a sweet dessert most of the time, we prefer it a bit tarter to balance the sweetness of the dessert. However, especially if making the sauce with sour cherries, you can add sugar to taste.
Store and reheat
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week.
To reheat, add a splash of water and warm gently while stirring.
How to serve the sauce?
Cherry sauce is best served warm or at room temperature.
A classic German way is with German waffles and whipped cream.
It also works very well with creme fraiche crepes or potato pancakes, vanilla ice cream, yogurt, semolina, or milk rice pudding.
Serve it on top of Yogurt Bomb. And, by the way, this Yogurt Bomb is really a hit; you should definitely try it!!!
You can thicken the cherry sauce with a little more cornstarch and use it as a cake filling or cake topping.
Cherry Sauce (Fresh, Frozen or Canned Cherries)
Ingredients
- 2½ cups cherries 12.5 oz, pitted but left whole, Note 1
- ¾ cup juice from the canned cherries OR water if using fresh or frozen cherries
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar Note 2
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice freshly squeezed
Other flavors are optional
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract OR ½ teaspoon almond extract OR a pinch of cinnamon
Instructions
- Pit the cherries and set them aside. If using canned cherries, drain them and keep the juice.2½ cups cherries
- Juice: Pour 4-5 tablespoons of the canning juice into a small bowl. Pour the remaining juice, about ¾ cup/ 180 ml juice, into a saucepan. If using fresh or frozen cherries, replace the juice with water.¾ cup juice
- Cook: Add sugar to the pot with the juice. Bring the liquid to a boil.2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Cornstarch slurry: In the meantime, whisk together the reserved 4-5 tablespoons of juice (or water) with the cornstarch. You should have a thick yet still pourable paste.1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- Thicken cherry sauce: Remove the pot from the heat. Slowly whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Whisk well.
- Add the cherries and stir well. Return the saucepan to the hob and simmer the cherries for 2 or 3 minutes if they are fresh or frozen. If using canned cherries, let them bubble once or twice, then remove them from heat.
- Flavors: Stir in the lemon juice and either one of the flavors: vanilla extract, almond extract, or cinnamon.
- Serve warm or at room temperature as suggested above.
Notes
- Cherries: You can use sweet or sour cherries, fresh, frozen, or canned cherries.
- Sugar: Add more sugar if using sour cherries or to taste.
Helen says
I never used canned cherries in anyway before. Tried this recipe to serve on cheese cake. Everyone loved it. Thanks
Adina says
So glad to hear it, I make this sauce so often and I am happy when my readers try it too. Thank you for the feedback.
Sam says
Doesn't mention the sugar and where to add it. Liquid and cornstarch mixing / qtys are not clear
Adina says
Hi. Mix the sugar with the juice in the pan. The rest should be clear: you have to mix the reserved juice (4-5 tablespoons) with the cornstarch to get a slurry to thicken the sauce.
Joy Simon says
I so enjoy these recipes. I wondered if you ever use maraschino cherries for sauce? I forgot to buy cherry topping for cheesecake. Will the substitution work with your beautiful recipe?
Adina says
Hi Joy. I am glad you like the recipe. I'm sorry, I can't say if maraschino cherries would work, I live in Germany, and I've never even seen them here.
Kathy says
I used canned cherries because that is all I had and sadly all the cherries came apart. Plus I didn't like that the sauce is now opaque. I wish I used tapioca starch instead of cornstarch.
Adina says
Hi Kathy. How long did you cook the cherries? They should only bubble once or twice, I've made them this way dozens of times and they never once came apart. Tapioca starch is not an option where I live, so I don't know how that works, the cornstarch we have is fine, the sauce is always shiny.
Laurie says
@Kathy, if you actually bring the sauce with the added cornstarch and juice to a boil, then simmer several minutes only, the opaqueness will be 100% gone and you’ll have a gorgeous cherry sauce.
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
My cherries are just coming on and I have just begun picking them. I love the idea of making cherry sauce - especially since I know I will have more than I know what to do with them all!
mjskitchen says
Wow! You have been very busy! Lots of good recipes that I've missed. So glad I didn't miss this one. I love cherries and would love to be lucky enough to have a tree. Lucky you! I'm envious. Your cherries are beautiful and this sauce looks so good! A gorgeous red!
Arlene Anaraki says
I subscribe to countless food blogs and yours is my favorite. I appreciate your hard work that you do to make your blog interesting and creative.
Adina says
Thank you, Arlene. That is very nice to hear. 🙂