• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Always Eat Dessert
  • Fall Baking
  • Recipes
  • Baking Tips
  • About
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Fall Baking
  • Recipes
  • Baking Tips
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Work with Me
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Fall Baking
    • Recipes
    • Baking Tips
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Work with Me
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Frosting, Sauce & Topping Recipes

    Easy Homemade Cherry Sauce

    Published: Jul 2, 2020 by Allison Ferraro · Modified: Jul 28, 2020 · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe

    This easy homemade cherry sauce recipe uses fresh sweet cherries for a simple, not-too-sweet cherry sauce that's perfect for topping ice cream, cheesecake, and so much more!

    angled view of homemade cherry sauce in a glass jar with a spoon scooping the sauce this Recipe

    If you're someone who looks forward to cherry season each summer and gets excited when these juicy little red fruits finally make an appearance at grocery stores and farmer's markets, then you need this easy recipe for homemade cherry sauce in your life! This sauce is so quick and easy to make, using just a handful of simple ingredients. The fresh cherry flavor shines in this not-to-sweet dessert sauce, and it's absolutely perfect for topping all of your favorite treats like ice cream, cheesecake, brownies, waffles, and more!

    How to Make Homemade Cherry Sauce

    Homemade cherry sauce is surprisingly easy to make from scratch! The most time consuming part is actually pitting the cherries (read how to do this without a cherry pitter below!), but cooking the sauce is quick and easy.

    • In a saucepan, combine pitted cherries, water, and sugar and bring to a boil.
    • Whisk a mixture of lemon juice and cornstarch into the boiling cherry mixture.
    • Cook the boiling mixture while stirring constantly until it thickens, which takes only a minute.
    • Let the sauce cool to room temperature before serving with ice cream, cheesecake, waffles, chocolate cake, or any dessert you choose (or before storing in the fridge for up to a week)!
    side view of homemade cherry sauce in a glass jar surrounded by fresh cherries on a white surface

    How to Pit a Cherry (Without a Cherry Pitter)

    Pitting a cherry without a cherry pitter is not difficult (though it can get a little messy, so grab your apron and some paper towels). You will need a small tool to poke through the cherry, and I find that a pastry tip or chopstick work best. If you use a pastry tip, be sure it's on the small side and has a smooth rather than spiky tip, as the spikes could become bent.

    To pit a cherry, remove its stem and carefully poke the pastry tip or chopstick through the top of the cherry and out the bottom, removing the pit in the process. The goal is to remove as little of the fruit along with the pit as possible, though some juice will inevitably be lost. Some of your cherries may split in half when you remove the pit, and that's perfectly fine for making cherry sauce.

    angled view of homemade cherry sauce in a glass jar with a spoon scooping the sauce

    More Dessert Toppings Recipes

    • angled view of lemon curd in a mason jar next to fresh lemons and a jar of sugar on a speckled blue background
      Homemade Lemon Curd
    • angled view of homemade salted caramel sauce being drizzled into a glass jar on a white surface with sugar, butter, and cream in the background
      Easy Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
    • Overhead view of chocolate ganache in a glass mixing bowl with a white rubber spatula.
      How to Make Chocolate Ganache
    • angled view of chocolate peanut butter whipped cream blended in a glass bowl with beaters
      Chocolate Peanut Butter Whipped Cream

    Love this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review on the recipe below! And don't forget to subscribe to Always Eat Dessert for even more simple recipes, baking tips, and inspiration.

    Recipe

    side view of homemade cherry sauce in a glass jar surrounded by fresh cherries on a white surface

    Easy Homemade Cherry Sauce

    This easy homemade cherry sauce recipe uses fresh sweet cherries for a simple, not-too-sweet cherry sauce that's perfect for topping ice cream, cheesecake, and so much more!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12
    Yield: 1 ½ cups
    Calories: 43kcal
    Author: Allison Ferraro
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Special Equipment

    • Cherry pitter

    Ingredients

    • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
    • 1 pound (about 3 cups) fresh sweet cherries, washed and pitted
    • ¼ cup water
    • ¼ cup granulated sugar
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and cornstarch and stir until smooth.
    • In a medium saucepan, add pitted cherries, water, and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often.
    • When the cherry mixture comes to a boil, whisk in the lemon juice mixture.
    • Return the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook the sauce for 1 minute, while continuing to stir constantly, until the sauce thickens.
    • Transfer the cherry sauce to a jar and let it cool to room temperature before using or before sealing and storing for later use.

    Notes

    Storage: Store cherry sauce in a jar or other airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2Tablespoons | Calories: 43kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 0.4mg | Potassium: 85mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 24IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.1mg

    More Frosting, Sauce & Topping Recipes

    • Close-up overhead view of frosting with flecks of crushed cookies spread over a cake.
      Cookies & Cream Oreo Buttercream Frosting
    • Close up view of cream cheese frosting spread on a cake.
      Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting (Plus 4 Flavor Variations)
    • Overhead view of whipped cream in a glass bowl with an electric hand mixer.
      Homemade Whipped Cream
    • a swirl of vanilla frosting on top of a vanilla cupcake
      The Ultimate Guide to American Buttercream Frosting

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    No Comments

    Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Allison Ferraro headshot

    Hi there!

    I'm Allison, the cookie-obsessed baker, recipe creator, and food photographer behind Always Eat Dessert.

    Here you’ll find made-from-scratch recipes designed for busy people who love to bake. From cookies to quick breads, you'll discover detailed, easy-to-follow recipes for everyday life along with practical baking tips to help you whip up indulgent treats from scratch with confidence.

    Get to know Allison →

    Halloween Desserts

    • Overhead view of black cocoa cookies decorated like a mummy with white chocolate on a gray surface.
      Black Cocoa Cookies
    • Overhead view of bitten cookie on a gray surface.
      Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
    • Dirt pudding cup in a glass jar topped with a white chocolate spiderweb and M&M spider.
      Halloween Dirt Cups
    • sliced peanut butter cup stacked on a pewter plate
      S'mores Peanut Butter Cups

    Fall Favorites

    • Sliced loaf on a wooden cutting board next to apples, applesauce, and cinnamon.
      Cinnamon Applesauce Bread with Streusel Topping
    • Punch in a glass on a gray surface garnished with an apple slice, cinnamon stick, and star anise.
      Sparkling Apple Cider Punch (Cocktail or Mocktail)
    • Stacked donut muffins on a white plate.
      Pumpkin Spice Donut Muffins
    • Apple pie bars drizzled with salted caramel sauce stacked on a white plate.
      Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars

    Reader Favorites

    • Side view of biscuits stacked on a white speckled plate with a blue background.
      Quick & Easy Buttermilk Biscuits (Small Batch)
    • Margaritas on a light gray surface garnished with lime wedges and sugar.
      Classic & Sweet Margarita
    • overhead view of pizza buns
      Homemade Pizza Buns
    • Decorated bronuts on a blue surface.
      Homemade Bronuts (Brownie Donuts)

    Top Baking Tips

    • overhead view of melting chocolate in a double boiler
      How to Melt Chocolate in a Double Boiler
    • Box grater and peeled carrot on a wooden cutting board.
      How to Grate Carrots for Carrot Cake
    • melted white chocolate in a double boiler
      How to Melt White Chocolate (Chips, Bars & Wafers)
    • Angled view of stacked baking pans lined with parchment paper.
      How to Line Pans with Parchment Paper
    • Flour and cocoa being stirred together in a glass bowl with a wooden spoon.
      Mixing Methods in Baking: How to Fold, Beat & Stir
    • Sliced brownies scattered on a crinkled piece of parchment paper.
      How to Store Brownies & Keep Them Fresh
    logos of media outlets featuring Always Eat Dessert recipes

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • Portfolio
    • Work with Me

    Policies

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Website Disclaimer
    • Accessibility Policy

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Subscribe

    COPYRIGHT © 2023 ALWAYS EAT DESSERT, LLC | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED