Strawberry Red Wine Sauce? WINE-Not? What could be better than strawberries in a delicious wine sauce! This is good on ice cream, cheesecake, waffles and so much more!
Updated January 2021 with process photos, ingredients photos and more information. Updated April 2022 with expert tips, ingredient notes, etc.
Got leftover red wine? This Strawberry Red Wine Sauce is only 3 ingredients and is delicious on everything!! It's fruity, sweet with a deep wine flavor. Spoon it over vanilla ice cream but there's endless possibilities — strawberry shortcake, cheesecake, cake, waffles, or even fruit salad. I spoon it generously on my Leftover Red Wine Chocolate Cake.
I used Hess Select Cabernet Sauvignon as my wine, it offers fruity aromas with spicy notes and a touch of vanilla. For this sauce, it's sweetened with a bit of granulated sugar and fresh sliced strawberries. Reducing it all together on the stovetop makes the strawberries soft and juicy. Once it's blended smooth and refrigerated, spoon it generously over your dessert of choice for an effortless and delicious dessert. The Strawberry Red Wine Sauce is bright, sweet with rich deep undertones from the red wine.
Why You'll Love this Recipe:
- Super versatile! Serve in on ice cream, trifles, waffles, cake, etc.
- Only 3 ingredients!
- An elevated (and slightly boozy) strawberry sauce
Ingredients Photo
Ingredient Notes
- Fresh Strawberries: Washed and sliced
- Granulated Sugar: Just enough to sweeten the sauce without taking away from the strawberry’s natural flavor.
- Red Wine: Choose a red wine you would like to drink that is fruit-forward. Good choices are Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux Blends, and Claret.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Thinly slice 1 lb of strawberries.
- In a medium saucepan, combined sliced strawberries, ¼ cup of granulated sugar, and 1 cup of red wine*.
- Bring to a boil and stir occasionally.
- Reduce to a simmer for roughly 10 minutes and stir occasionally.
- Remove from the stove. Let cool slightly.
- Place red wine and strawberries into a blender.
- Blend until smooth. Cool to room temperature.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for a few hours before serving.
Notes: Any red wine will work however the sauce will vary slightly different results based on the flavors and undertones of the wine.
Expert Tips:
- Looking for a chunkier strawberry sauce? Take out a few pieces of strawberries before you blending. Chop these pieces into chunks and add it back to the sauce after straining.
- I use a heavy-based saucepan as they distribute the heat better. Make sure to stir every so often to stop the sugar from catching on the bottom of the pan.
Recipe FAQ
Any leftover red wine you have! Every wine has a slightly different flavor tones so no wine sauce will be the same. If you want to use a wine that enhances the strawberries look for a red that has fruity notes.
Usually if the sauce looks too thin if it hasn't been cooked long enough. First, make sure you cool the sauce completely and then check the thickness.
If it is really too thin, get it back onto the heat and cook it longer.
I used fresh strawberries in this recipe. Fresh strawberries will provide the best flavor and glossy appearance, but frozen strawberries can be used. If using frozen strawberries, do not thaw. Thawed berries will release unwanted liquid and water down the sauce. You might need to increase the simmer time, since frozen berries will be larger pieces.
About 3-5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
It depends! Check out this article here from Martha Stewart.
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Strawberry Red Wine Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb strawberries washed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup red wine* I used Hess Select Cabernet Sauvignon
Instructions
- Thinly slice strawberries
- In a medium saucepan, add in strawberries, red wine*, and sugar. Bring to a boil and whisk frequently.
- Bring to a boil and stir occasionally.
- Reduce to a simmer and stir occasionally for 10 minutes, until strawberries are soft and sauce is slightly thickened.
- Remove from the stove. Let cool slightly.
- Place red wine and strawberries into a blender.
- Blend until smooth. Cool to room temperature.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for about 2 hours.