This 3 ingredient (no thickener) Strawberry Coulis is a super versatile sweet sauce and can be made using fresh or frozen strawberries. Use it to top cheesecake, ice cream, frozen yogurt, rice pudding, and many more (vegan, gluten-free).

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About Strawberry Coulis
Word coulis (pronounced as ku.li) is a French word that means thick sauce. You can make fruit coulis using a variety of fruits like mangoes, peaches, berries, etc.
Strawberry Coulis is a glossy bright red sauce made using 3 ingredients – fresh or frozen strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice.
It is a great strawberry sauce to make during summer when it’s strawberry season, and the markets are flooded with fresh, juicy, and red strawberries.
Strawberry Coulis is a super versatile sauce that adds an intense strawberry flavor to ice cream, frozen yogurt, cheesecakes, pudding, pancakes, waffles, and many more desserts. This vibrant and beautiful sauce adds a sweet, tangy taste to your dishes, giving them a distinct flavor and appearance.
Surprisingly, it is easy to make at home and much more economical than store-bought ones. The homemade sauce uses high-quality ingredients and is free of preservatives and artificial colors. There is no need to add any thicker in this recipe.
You can also make this simple strawberry sauce throughout the year using frozen strawberries. Just note that if you use frozen strawberries, you must cook them longer to thaw them fully.
You will get approximately 3 cups of sauce using this recipe. Half, double, or triple this easy strawberry coulis recipe as per your requirements.
Try out my Mango Coulis recipe too.
Here are some more strawberry recipes
- Strawberry Horchata
- Korean Strawberry Milk
- Strawberry Overnight Oats
- Instant Pot Strawberry Jam
- Strawberry Kiwi Smoothie
- Strawberry Banana Milkshake
- Whipped Strawberry Butter
- Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Strawberry Lassi
- Strawberry BBQ Sauce
Ingredients

This beautiful red-colored sauce needs three ingredients – strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice.
Always go for bright red colored and juicy strawberries. Avoid the ones that have black marks or soft patches.
You can also get frozen strawberry packets from supermarkets if you can’t get fresh strawberries.
Check out my post on How To Freeze Strawberries when they are in season and use them all year round.
Sugar is added for sweetness. You can adjust the sugar amount depending on how sweet you want the coulis. I use raw light brown sugar in my kitchen, but you can use regular white sugar too.
You can use honey, maple syrup, or agave syrup to make it sugar-free.
Lemon juice adds a bit more tanginess and helps preserve strawberry coulis, making its shelf life more.
You can also add some orange juice to the recipe. Vanilla extract is also a great addition. It will lend a sweet fruity fragrance to the sauce that compliments the strawberries very well.
How To Make Strawberry Coulis
Rinse 35 oz (1 kg) strawberries with water. Chop off the top green leafy part and chop the strawberries into small pieces. If you see any black patches on the strawberries, cut and discard them.

Combine strawberries, 8 oz (200 g) sugar, and 2 tablespoon lemon juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring occasionally.



Turn down to low heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Stir at regular intervals using a wooden spoon while cooking.

Remove the pan from heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature.
Add the cooled strawberry mixture to a blender or a food processor and blend until smooth. You can also use an immersion blender to puree the mixture.
Note – If you like chunky sauce, you can mash the mixture using a potato masher instead of blending.


Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer so that the result is smooth and nice. Use the back of a spoon to press the coulis while passing it through the strainer.
Skip this step for a chunky coulis.


Store the coulis in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days or freeze for upto 6 months.

Frequently Asked Questions
Both of them are similar in terms of ingredients but different in texture. While coulis has a smooth and thick texture, strawberry compote has chunks of the whole fruit, giving it a little coarse and chunky texture.
You can use the leftover fruit to top your overnight oats, ice creams, yogurt, smoothies, milkshakes, pancakes, waffles, etc. Add it to any cake or cookie dough, or layer it between ice cream to make sundaes. You can even use it to top your shortbread.
Instead of strawberries, you can use raspberries, blueberries, mangoes, blackberries, plums, etc., to make the coulis.
It entirely depends on how you like adding it to your recipes. You can top it cold or reheat it a bit to make it hot.
Pro Tips By Neha
If you want a thicker sauce, then dissolve 2 tablespoon cornstarch in ¼ cup of water to make a lump-free mixture. Then add this cornstarch slurry to the sauce and cook until the sauce thickens (3-4 minutes).
Usage Suggestions
Strawberry coulis sauce is a very versatile sauce, which is one reason it is my absolute favorite. You can top this vibrant red and delicious strawberry sauce over
- Vanilla Ice Cream, Ice Cream Sundaes, Panna Cotta & Frozen Yogurt
- New York Cheesecake, Vanilla Cake, Chocolate Cake, or Pound Cake
- Rice Pudding, Oatmeal & Porridge
- Overnight Oats
- Strawberry Granita
- Pancakes, Waffles, Crepes, and French Toast
- Tarts & Pies
- Fresh Strawberries & Cream
You can also use it to layer in between your cake and cheesecake recipes. Add it to any dessert you like.
It can also be used as a garnish for dessert plates.
Storage Suggestions
You can store strawberry coulis in the fridge for about 7 days. Store it in an airtight container, and always use a dry and clean spoon whenever you take the coulis from the container.
You can freeze it too (up to 6 months)! The best way to freeze it is in ice cube trays. Once frozen, take the cubes out and store them in a freezer-safe ziplock bag. Thaw and use as desired.
You can also freeze it in microwave-safe glass bottles.
Ue these frozen cubes to flavor your mocktails or cocktails or blend them with bananas and yogurt to make a refreshing smoothie.
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Recipe Card

Easy Strawberry Coulis Recipe (3 Ingredients, No Thickener)
Ingredients
- 35 ounce strawberries (1 kg)
- 8 ounce sugar (200 g, white or light brown)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Rinse strawberries with water. Chop off the top green leafy part and chop the strawberries into small pieces. If you see any black patches on the strawberries, cut and discard them.
- Combine strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Turn down to low heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Stir at regular intervals using a wooden spoon while cooking.
- Remove the pan from heat and let the mixture cool down to room temperature.
- Add the cooled strawberry mixture to a blender or a food processor and blend until smooth. You can also use an immersion blender to puree the mixture.
- Note – If you like chunky sauce, then instead of blending, you can mash the mixture using a potato masher.
- Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer, so that the end result is really smooth and nice. Use the back of a spoon to press the coulis while passing it through the strainer. Skip this step for a chunky coulis.
- Store the coulis in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days or freeze for upto 6 months.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!