This easy, fruity raspberry coulis with a hint of lemon is the perfect dessert sauce for flourless chocolate cake, cheesecake, ice cream, and more. It’s smooth, bright, and refreshing!
You might also like these gluten-free raspberry crumb bars or this gluten-free raspberry pretzel salad.
Raspberry coulis is a smooth, refreshing sauce that has a tart sweetness and hint of bright lemon. It’s naturally gluten-free and pairs perfectly with a rich and fudgy chocolate cake, vanilla ice cream, and so much more.
I love that this coulis seems fancy, but comes together so quickly and easily. Make it for brunch or dessert, and your guests are sure to be impressed!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- 3 simple ingredients – You only need lemon, raspberries, and sugar to make this bright and fruity sauce. You won’t find a simpler ingredient list!
- Cooks in 5 minutes – Though it seems fancy, it only takes five minutes to make this EASY and delicious raspberry coulis. No one has to know!
- Pairs well with many recipes – This coulis tastes amazing on so many desserts and breakfast recipes, from pound cake to pancakes!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are the simple ingredients you’ll need to make this raspberry coulis recipe:
- Lemon: Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds brightness and acidity to the coulis. Make sure it’s freshly squeezed—it really makes a difference in the flavor! Lemon zest enhances the flavor even more and makes the sweet berries really shine!
- Raspberries: I like to use fresh berries for this recipe, but frozen berries will work if that’s all you have on hand.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar adds a bit of sweetness to the sauce. I recommend tasting your berries before you make the coulis and adjusting the amount of sugar based on the sweetness of your berries. You may not need any at all, or you may need up to ¼ cup.
How to Make Raspberry Coulis
Combine ingredients. Add the raspberries, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest to a medium or small saucepan. Using a fork or pastry blender, mash the berries until they begin to release their juices.
Bring to a simmer. Set the pan over medium heat and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the sugar dissolves and the berries have broken down.
Strain the sauce. To get a smooth raspberry coulis, place a fine-mesh strainer over a heatproof bowl and pour the raspberry coulis through the sieve. Use the back of a spoon or a rubber spatula to gently stir the sauce and force it through the sieve. Discard the raspberry seeds.
Cool and serve. Allow the fresh raspberry coulis to cool completely before enjoying. You also might like this peach clafoutis.
Storage and Make Ahead Instructions
To store: Store this homemade raspberry sauce in an airtight container or Mason jar in the fridge for up to seven days.
To make ahead: This coulis can be made several days in advance. Follow the instructions as usual, making sure to cool the sauce before storing in the fridge. Store in a Mason jar in the fridge for up to seven days.
What to Serve with Raspberry Coulis
You can enjoy this raspberry sauce as a topping for so many different dessert and breakfast dishes! Here are just a few pairing ideas for this dessert sauce:
- Flourless chocolate torte
- Gluten-free pancakes
- Lemon posset
- Gluten-free cheesecake
- Gluten-free no-bake cheesecake
- Gluten-free angel food cake
- Gluten-free chocolate lava cake
- Oatmeal (Is oatmeal gluten-free?)
Recipe Tips
- Use frozen berries: This fruity topping can be made with frozen berries if that’s what you have on hand! Simply skip the mashing in Step 1 and increase the cook time to 8-10 minutes.
- Add sugar to taste: I recommend tasting your berries before you make this raspberry coulis recipe and adjusting the amount of sugar based on the sweetness of your berries– you may not need any at all or you may need up to ¼ cup.
- Use a sugar substitute: Don’t want to use refined sugar? No problem! Just swap it for honey or agave.
- Choose another citrus flavor: I love the combination of raspberry and lemon in this raspberry coulis recipe, but you could change the flavor of the sauce slightly by using freshly squeezed orange juice and zest. You could also leave the citrus out entirely. (Just make sure to replace the lemon juice with two tablespoons of water.)
- Add a bit of alcohol: If you’d like to add a bit of alcohol to this raspberry coulis recipe, try adding ½ ounce of orange liqueur or limoncello in Step 4.
More Fruit Topping Recipes
- Fruit Compote – Check out my complete guide to making any fruit compote, including apple, blueberry, and more!
- Raspberry Compote – This raspberry compote is very similar to raspberry coulis and could be used as a topping on similar dishes!
- Strawberry Compote – This is another recipe that could be substituted as a topping for chocolate desserts, pancakes, and more!
- Blueberry Compote – Our family LOVES topping pancakes and French toast with this compote.
- Apple Compote – This thick compote is full of warm spices and great for fall!
3-Ingredient Raspberry Coulis
Ingredients
- 1 package 6 ounces fresh raspberries
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Add the raspberries, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest to a medium saucepan. Using a fork or pastry blender, mash the berries until they begin to release their juices.
- Set the pan over medium heat and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved and the berries have broken down.
- Place a fine mesh strainer over a heatproof bowl and pour the raspberry coulis through the sieve. Use a spoon to gently stir the sauce and force it through the sieve. Discard the seeds.
- Allow the sauce to cool completely before enjoying.
Notes
- Use frozen berries: This fruity topping can be made with frozen berries if that’s what you have on hand! Simply skip the mashing in Step 1 and increase the cook time to 8-10 minutes.
- Add sugar to taste: I recommend tasting your berries before you make this raspberry coulis recipe and adjusting the amount of sugar based on the sweetness of your berries– you may not need any at all or you may need up to ¼ cup.
- Use a sugar substitute: Don’t want to use refined sugar? No problem! Just swap it for honey or agave.
- Choose another citrus flavor: I love the combination of raspberry and lemon in this raspberry coulis recipe, but you could change the flavor of the sauce slightly by using freshly squeezed orange juice and zest. You could also leave the citrus out entirely. (Just make sure to replace the lemon juice with two tablespoons of water.)
- Add a bit of alcohol: If you’d like to add a bit of alcohol to this raspberry coulis recipe, try adding ½ ounce of orange liqueur or limoncello in Step 4.
Nutrition
FAQs
This raspberry sauce recipe is made from three simple ingredients: sugar, lemon zest and juice, and fresh raspberries.
A coulis is a French sauce made from fruit (or vegetables) that have been pureed and strained. It can be served warm, cold, or room temperature. This raspberry coulis recipe is my personal favorite!
No, the fruit doesn’t technically need to be cooked in a simple raspberry coulis, but doing so will help bring out the flavor and create a richer sauce.
I am making this again for Vday! It’s super easy, vibrant and delicious.
This is so tasty that I could eat it all day long! Thank you for the easy recipe!
We absolutely loved this on pancakes! Added such a fun touch!
Used this recipe for Chocolate cake and it turned out so delicious! I love that it’s gluten free too, what a great recipe!
Made this to go on top of my classic cheesecake and wow! Took it to the next level. Going to make this again to try on some chocolate cake next. Great recipe.
This was incredible! I made this to drizzle on a chocolate dessert that I made and it was fabulous! Thank you!