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Cherry Sauce | Unsweetened Deliciousness

Nothing says delicious like homemade cherry sauce! Whether you’re making a sweet cherry pie, sticky glazed chicken wings, or just looking to add a bit of flavor to your favorite dish or dessert, it’s hard to beat the taste of freshly made cherry sauce.

A spoonful of sauce held over a jar filled with it along with cherries in a glass and on the table
Photo Credit: Dishes Delish.

The flavor of this sauce made with fresh cherries is outstanding. I love to dollop it on yogurt, cheesecake, vanilla ice cream, pound cakes, pancakes, or waffles.

As we all know because I’ve been pounding it into everyone’s heads by saying it over and over, I love cherries. Love. I wish I could eat them year-round.

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“But you would get sick of them,” you say.

I don’t think it’s possible for me to get sick of this delicious fruit.

I love extending the season by making as many recipes with cherries as I can. That includes cherry cosmos, infused vodka and one of my favorite desserts, cherry rhubarb crisp.

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Helpful tips

  • Wash your fresh sweet cherries before using them. Here’s how: Put as many cherries as you want in a wire strainer and run water on them. Pull off all the stems and place them in the sink. Grab a handful of cherries, squeeze a small amount of natural, non-scented foaming soap (I buy mine from Whole Foods) on top, gently roll them together in your hands, and set them in the strainer. Continue until all the cherries have been washed and then run water over them, gently rolling them between your hands again to get the soap off.
  • I use a cherry pitter to pit the cherries. It’s a wonderful gadget that makes it fast and easy to get the pit out.
  • To protect your clothing, don an apron before using the cherry pitter because the juice tends to splatter.
  • Since cherries are naturally sweet, I don’t add any sweetener to this cherry sauce. Make it like this to see what you think before adding additional sweetener.
  • I also don’t add cornstarch because the consistency is perfect.
  • You could use frozen cherries, but it won’t be as fresh, but they will be just as delicious.
  • Even though I use bing cherries, which tend to be sweet, you could use sour cherries, but you may have to add some maple syrup to balance the taste.
A jar of red fruit sauce with a spoon in it on a table with cherries
Photo Credit: Dishes Delish.

How to make cherry sauce

Pre-step

Measure out 4 cups of cherries, get your cherry pitter and saucepan.

Cherries in a two cup measuring glass with a pitter and pan in the background
Photo Credit: Dishes Delish.

Step one

Remove the stems, wash the cherries (see helpful tips) and pit them.

A female hand holding a pitted cherry with a hole in it over a jar of cherries
Photo Credit: Dishes Delish.

See what a fabulous job the pitter does?

Step two

Add cherries and water to the pan.

Step three

Turn the heat to medium heat under the saucepan and once it starts to boil, set the timer for 10 minutes. I give the cherries a few good stirs during the cooking time.

Now, I take one of my other favorite gadgets, the pastry blender and smush the cooked cherries. Sometimes I leave some of the cherries whole just because I like my sauce that way.

But this time, I mash them thoroughly. Just know the more you mash them, the juicier your sauce gets.

I scoop the sauce into a jar and let it cool on the counter.

A jar of cherry sauce on the table with cherries strewn across it
Photo Credit: Dishes Delish.

Now, for the vertical shot of the cherry sauce!

Vertical view of the sauce in a jar with cherries in the background
Photo Credit: Dishes Delish.

I wanted to include an old photo that shows the what the sauce looks like when you leave a bunch of the cherries whole.

I love it both ways but this time around, I knew I was going to use the cherry sauce in some baked goods and I wanted them to not have big chunks of cherries.

Jar of cherry sauce on a wooden table
Photo Credit: Dishes Delish.

I hope you enjoyed this cherry sauce recipe. It is so good dribbled over cheesecake, ice cream, yogurt or anything else you can think of!!

Other delicious fruit sauces

And as always, may all your dishes be delish!

If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog, I’d love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOKTWITTERINSTAGRAM and PINTEREST  to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!

Jar of cherry sauce with cherries strewn on the table - square

Not Your Average Cherry Sauce

This is the perfect recipe for cherry sauce! It's easy to make and so delicious. You'll love this sweet and tangy sauce on everything from ice cream to pancakes. Give it a try today!
5 from 14 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dressings
Cuisine: Sauce
Keyword: cherry sauce
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 32 tablespoons
Calories: 11kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 cups bing cherries washed, pitted and de-stemmed
  • 1/4 cup water

Instructions

  • Place pitted cherries and water in a medium saucepan and heat it on medium.
    4 cups bing cherries, 1/4 cup water
  • Once it comes to a boil, cook it for 10 minutes. Stir a few times while it cooks.
  • Take a masher and mash most of the cherries into a sauce.  I leave some whole.
  • Pour into a jar and let cool on your counter for 2 hours.  Or you can eat it warm.
  • Spoon on some cheesecake.
  • Eat
  • Smile
  • Enjoy
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Notes

Helpful tips
  • Wash your fresh sweet cherries before using them. Here’s how: Put as many cherries as you want in a wire strainer and run water on them. Pull off all the stems and place them in the sink. Grab a handful of cherries, squeeze a small amount of natural, non-scented foaming soap (I buy mine from Whole Foods) on top, gently roll them together in your hands, and set them in the strainer. Continue until all the cherries have been washed and then run water over them, gently rolling them between your hands again to get the soap off.
  • I use a cherry pitter to pit the cherries. It’s a wonderful gadget that makes it fast and easy to get the pit out.
  • To protect your clothing, don an apron before using the cherry pitter because the juice tends to splatter.
  • Since cherries are naturally sweet, I don’t add any sweetener to this cherry sauce. Make it like this to see what you think before adding additional sweetener.
  • I also don’t add cornstarch because the consistency is perfect.
  • You could use frozen cherries, but it won’t be as fresh, but they will be just as delicious.
  • Even though I use bing cherries, which tend to be sweet, you could use sour cherries, but you may have to add some maple syrup to balance the taste.

Nutrition

Serving: 3tablespoons | Calories: 11kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Potassium: 38mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Vitamin C: 1.2mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.1mg
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Originally published in July of 2017.

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From lighting up stages with her BA in theater to food journalist, Elaine Benoit's journey is a testament to passion's transformative power. As the CEO of Dishes Delish, she offers a blend of healthy, comforting recipes and exquisitely crafted cocktails. Beyond the kitchen, Elaine voiced her culinary adventures on her podcast, "Dishing," and co-owns Food Blogger Help, extending her expertise to guide budding food bloggers to success. Whether it's for a heartwarming dish or insights into food blogging, Elaine's diverse experiences make her a beacon in the culinary digital landscape.

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34 Comments

  1. This looks oh-so-dreamy! I’m a sucker for cherry-flavored EVERYTHING. I also love the idea of that pitter — how efficient! I’m telling you though, when I get around to making this one, day, I’ll be eating with by the spoonful!

  2. Cherries are a real treat for me. Growing up, my Mom rarely bought them because they were so much more expensive than apples and bananas — we were on a budget. Now when I buy them — I practically hoard them all to myself because I so seldom had them as a kid. This sauce sounds amazing!

  3. Yes cherry season is here. What a great way to preserve them for use down the road. This is a great food gift too.

  4. Ooooh I love cherries! I am so glad that you use the natural sweetness of cherries. I can’t wait to have this on my cheesecake.

  5. The next time I get some cherries I’m making this. I’d like to think I’d use it in a dessert but I think I’ll just end up eating it from the jar! It looks so good.

    1. Thanks Georgina! I tend to put it on yogurt or eat it from the jar. Hub puts it on toast. 🙂

  6. We had this cherry sauce drizzled over cheesecake this weekend. You are right, the sauce doesn’t need any sweetener. It’s perfect the way it is!

  7. I love how simple this is and how versatile too! Perfect for both sweet and savory dishes…a perfect seasonal recipe to try!

  8. What a wonderful sauce. It is so easy to make and you are right, perfect with a cheesecake. I also wasn’t this on some homemade vanilla ice cream,yummy.

  9. I’ll be going cherry picking soon and I’m already excited to make this cherry tips. Your tips are so helpful too – especially about the pitting and wearing an apron – that’s going to save me big time!

    1. I learned the hard way (about the apron). 🙂 Thanks Alena! I hope you enjoy the sauce and I wish I could go cherry picking.

  10. So luscious. Love thsi vibrant sauce with almost everything! Oh I love it so much drizzled on my yogurt!

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