5-Minute Strawberry Purée (For Drinks, Breakfast, Desserts & More!)
on Aug 20, 2025
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Strawberry purée is one of the best ways to use up a glut of strawberries! Make it in just 5 minutes in a food processor (no cooking!), then use it to flavor drinks, drizzle over yogurt, oatmeal or pancakes, and much more.
This purée is a little sweeter and less ‘seedy’ than this popular raspberry puree, making it perhaps more appealing for kids!
A great way to use up strawberries
This very simple strawberry purée is what I make when there’s a glut of strawberries. Either they’re on sale, or I need to use them up quickly before they go bad! The great thing about transforming them into this sweet, elegant sauce is that it will keep for around 5 days in the fridge, and much longer in the freezer – ready for you to add flavor, color and elegance to all your favorite breakfast, drinks, and dessert.
It’s also incredibly easy to make. All you’ll need is 2 cups of strawberries, a little powdered sugar – if you like, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt for balance. And a small food processor or blender to whizz up everything into a sauce!
📌Recipe snapshot
- 5-minute recipe
- No cooking needed.
- What you’ll need: Just strawberries, powdered sugar (perhaps!), vanilla, lemon, salt. You can use fresh or frozen strawberries.
- So versatile. Include in parfaits, add to oatmeal, granola, pancakes or waffles, or thicken slightly to drizzle over cakes or cheesecakes. Even use it in salad dressings!
About the ingredients
You’ll find a full list of ingredients with amounts in the recipe card below. But here’s a summary of what you need to know.
Strawberries: Choose fresh, ripe strawberries when in season for the best strawberry flavor. When it isn’t strawberry season, frozen will work well, too. Simply let defrost and drain the liquid well before using.
Powdered sugar (icing sugar): I usually add just a very tiny amount (say 1 tablespoon), but you can certainly tweak the amount to taste. Some sweet strawberries may not need any added sugar at all. If you prefer, use honey or maple syrup instead.
Vanilla extract: Who knew, strawberries go perfectly with vanilla!
Lemon juice: I like to add around a tablespoon of lemon juice. This is enough to enhance the natural flavor of the strawberries but without overpowering them.
Salt: You might think this is a strange addition, but just a pinch will help to enhance the fruity flavor of the purée!
How to make strawberry purée
This strawberry purée recipe is so easy it’s barely a ‘recipe’. Don’t you just love those?
So here’s all you do. Wash and chop your strawberries roughly. Throw them into a food processor or blender with all the other ingredients.
Then blend until smooth. That’s it!
Helen’s Top Tips
- Taste the strawberry purée after blending. Does it need more powdered sugar, lemon juice or vanilla?
- If you’re using frozen strawberries, let them defrost first, then drain off the water. If you can, also blot them with kitchen paper to remove as much extra moisture as possible.
- If you like, you can freeze portions of the puree in ice cube trays. You can add them still frozen to smoothies or defrost to use in any of the ways listed below. Pop the frozen cubes out and place them in a labeled freezer bag or airtight container. They’ll keep well for 3 to 6 months.
- If you’d like a ‘sauce’ to pour over a cake, I would recommend going with this 5-minute raspberry purée instead, since it’s a little thicker.
Ways to use it
Here are some of my favorite ways to use strawberry purée. I’m sure you can think of even more!
- Add to smoothies, soft drinks such as lemonade, and even cocktails and mocktails.
- Spoon over yogurt and granola, yogurt parfaits, or even oatmeal for breakfast.
- Drizzle over pancakes or waffles instead of maple syrup. How about these thin pancakes? I grew up on these!
- Drizzle over simple no-bake desserts such as raspberry panna cotta (just replace the raspberry jello and fruit with strawberries), white chocolate pots, lemon posset, no-bake chocolate cake or chocolate banana ice cream.
- Make popsicles for the kids!
- Wild card option: Add to salad dressings.
Recipe FAQs
If it’s stored in an airtight jar or container, the purée will keep for 4 to 5 days in the fridge.
Since strawberry purée naturally contains more water than say raspberry purée, I would not generally recommend it for serving with a cake. However, it is possible to thicken it slightly so that this would be possible. The easiest way to do this is to reduce it by simmering gently in a small saucepan on a low heat. This can also intensify the flavor.
Yes, you can! Berries like raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries work beautifully. You can strain out the seeds if they bother you, but I usually don’t. Stone fruits such as peaches, plums, or apricots make a smooth purée, and tropical fruits like mango or pineapple also blend well. Just keep in mind that some fruits may need a little extra powdered sugar (like tart raspberries) or a splash more lemon juice (for fruits that can taste flat once cooked, such as peaches). You could even mix fruits together to make your own flavor blends.
More 5 to 10 minute desserts
- This simple chocolate dipping sauce will make you very popular with your friends and family. Just serve with a mix of donuts, fruit, pretzels, and cubes of cake on the side. Dessert is served!
- This European style thick hot chocolate is the perfect choice in Winter!
- If you’re looking for more strawberry desserts, try this angel food cake with strawberries. Perfect for BBQs.
- Chocolate and banana ice cream is another one you can make in minutes in your food processor.
Or check out this list of 5-minute no bake desserts for even more ideas.
5-Minute Strawberry Purée (For Drinks, Breakfast, Desserts & More!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups strawberries, fresh or frozen (2 cups is around 10 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar, (powdered sugar/icing sugar) You can skip this if your strawberries are already quite sweet.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tbsp is roughly the juice of half a lemon.
- 1 pinch salt, (optional but it just helps to bring out the other flavors more)
Instructions
- Wash and roughly chop the strawberries. If using frozen, defrost them in a colander so that any excess liquid drains away, then blot with kitchen paper to remove as much moisture as possible.
- Put all of the ingredients into a food processor or blender. Pulse the mixture until smooth (20 to 30 seconds).2 cups strawberries, 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 pinch salt
- Your puree is ready to enjoy in smoothies, soft drinks, oatmeal, yogurt and more. If you'd like to drizzle it over cakes or cheesecakes, I would recommend gently reducing in a small saucepan until slightly thickened.
- Keep any leftover puree in an airtight container or glass jar in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or freeze in ice cube trays then in a freezer proof bag or container for up to 6 months.
