Easy apricot sauce with fresh or canned apricots. Perfect to serve over rice pudding or any other dessert. Blend it shortly to get a smooth apricot coulis.

Who doesn't like a nice, creamy, luscious rice pudding? I really can't think of one person who would refuse that... And then everything topped with this bright-colored, tangy, and sweet apricot sauce. Love it! I could have it every week.
And if you like fruit sauces and compotes, you could try the Peach Compote, the Stewed Plums or the Cherry Sauce.
Ingredients
Apricot sauce:
- Fresh or canned apricots.
- For the fresh version, you will also need some sugar.
- Canned apricots are normally sweetened, so I always leave out the sugar.
- Corn starch to thicken the sauce.
Rice pudding:
- Short grain rice is the best rice to use for making pudding and desserts. It will be soft and creamy.
- Otherwise, you will need sugar and milk.
How to make?
Fresh apricot sauce:
- Slice the fresh apricots. Place in a saucepan, add water and sugar.
- Depending on how ripe and sweet they are, you will need more or less sugar.
- Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes, to obtain a light syrup.
- Thicken the sauce with the corn starch slurry.
Canned apricot sauce:
- Slice the canned apricots and set aside. They are already soft, so you will not cook them anymore.
- If the apricots are sweetened, you will also need less sugar. If you use the canning syrup to make the sauce, you will not need any sugar anymore.
- If using water and sugar, boil the syrup for 3 minutes (as described above), thicken with corn starch and add the fruit.
- If making the sauce with the syrup from the can, boil it for 1-2 minutes (it is usually thicker than water) and thicken slightly with the corn starch. Add the fruit.
Apricot coulis:
- Blend the sauce.
How to serve?
We love it with rice pudding, that's why I added the recipe to the recipe card. You can also serve it with other desserts, like semolina pudding, custard or over cake or sweet bread.
Alternatively, serve it over muesli or porridge. Or over pancakes or crepes.
Or you could make Apricot Trifle.
The apricot sauce keeps well in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days.
More apricot desserts:
Easy Apricot Cake (Upside Down)
Apricot Sauce (with Fresh or Canned Apricots)
Ingredients
- Apricot sauce:
- 250 g/ 8.8 fresh or canned apricots different cooking instructions
- 75 g/ 2.6 oz/ ⅓ cups granulated sugar Note
- 125 ml/ 4.2 fl.oz/ ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- Rice pudding:
- 230 g/ 8.1 oz/ 1 ⅛ cup short-grain rice
- 1 liter/ 33.8 fl.oz/ 4 ¼ cups milk
- 50 g/ 1.7 oz/ ¼ cup granulated sugar
- a pinch of salt
Instructions
Apricot sauce:
- Halve the fresh apricots and cut each half into 2 or 3 slices.
- Place the sugar, water, and apricots in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes.
- In a small bowl whisk together the corn starch with 1 or 2 tablespoons cold water. Whisk this mixture into the sauce and cook for another minute or so or until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Canned apricots don't require cooking, they are already soft.
- Cook the water and less sugar (to taste) for 3 minutes and then add the sliced apricots. You could completely replace the water and sugar with the syrup from the can, which you will thicken with the corn starch as well.
- Serve warm or cooled with the rice.
Rice pudding:
- Place the rice, milk, sugar, and salt in a pot. Cover and bring to a boil, lower the heat and cook slowly for about 25 minutes or according to the package's instructions.
- Stir often making sure that the rice doesn't catch at the bottom of the pan.
- After the cooking time is over, let the rice stand covered for another 10-15 minutes or until all the milk has been absorbed by the rice.
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
I love that you paired the rice with apricots! Beautiful colour and flavour, Adina.
Alida @My Little Italian Kitchen says
I love the simplicity of this recipe. And wow.. the apricot sauce looks delightful (perfectly in season now).
I am coming over from Rosa's blog and I am very pleased to have discovered you. So many fab recipes. Ciao!
Anca says
I like apricots with rice pudding. I don't make it very often though.
mjskitchen says
I love it when things come together. Tomorrow is my husband's birthday and I wanted to make something different for dessert. He loves rice and adores apricots so this is perfect. I've put up 5 pints of apricot jam today and still have 10 pounds on the counter. Great timing! Thank you!