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Just a fancy name for a delicious, super versatile raspberry sauce, this Ridiculously Easy Raspberry Coulis pairs fabulously with chocolate, lemon and a zillion other desserts! Along with being ridiculously easy, it's also ridiculously delicious!
I can't remember when or where it was, but the first taste of raspberry coulis had me totally smitten. It was more than the sweet, vibrant flavor and the delicious, intense raspberry essence that enchanted me. The gorgeous crimson color also made a huge impression as I love to serve food that has beautiful eye appeal.
What I didn't know, was how amazingly easy this gourmet sounding raspberry coulis is to make! So easy that it definitely falls into our ridiculously easy recipe category. You can read in more detail about our ridiculously easy recipes in this post but, in a nutshell, they're all recipes that require minimal work, while making you (and me) look like a cooking rock star.
This raspberry coulis is almost too easy to be considered a recipe although I have learned some little tricks over the years to share with you. I know you'll find the results super delicious!
What is a coulis?
What's a coulis? Coulis (pronounced koo-LEE) is French for a thick sauce that's made from puréed and strained vegetables or fruits. The original, classical use of the term was a meat sauce that was reduced three times. These days, savory coulis made from puréed veggies and sweet coulis, from just about any kind fruit are more common. Restaurant chefs often use coulis as a delicious garnish for both entrees and desserts.
What do you do with raspberry coulis?
This Easy Raspberry Coulis is one of those wonderful culinary magic tricks I love to have up my sleeve and can be used in lots of delightful ways.
- It pairs deliciously with chocolate desserts like this easy Chocolate Obsession Cake or this wonderful Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake.
- It also goes well with anything lemon (like this French Grandmother's Lemon Yogurt Cake or this Limoncello Lemon Tart)
- Drizzle it over ice cream, pound cake, cheesecake and or meringues.
- Serve it with fresh fruit. It's wonderful with fresh peaches, bananas, pineapple, melon, strawberries, etc.
- A little raspberry coulis drizzled over yogurt or oatmeal is a fabulous way to start the day.
- Try it as a unique and beautiful topping for baked brie. Drizzle the warm brie with raspberry coulis, then add a few fresh raspberries and a scatter of thyme or basil leaves. Serve with crackers for an appetizer that will bring rave reviews!
Don't believe such a fancy sauce could be easy? We created a little video so you could see for yourself:
Café Tips for making this Easy Raspberry Coulis
- This raspberry coulis will keep well in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. If you won't use it up within a week, it also freezes beautifully and can be pulled out for a quick and easy dessert drizzled over ice cream (or any of the suggestions above in the post).
- This coulis recipe is fabulous on its own but for a fun depth of flavor, add a splash of Chambord, Framboise (both raspberry liqueurs) or Grand Marnier (orange liquor).
- You can either drizzle this raspberry coulis over a dessert or, for something different, serve the dessert on a pool of the delicious raspberry sauce. Either way, it will be a winner.
- I make a simple syrup in the microwave when preparing this sauce. You could also make the syrup on the stovetop.
- You can you fresh raspberries for this coulis but I really like frozen better. It's funny, I find that the color is not as pretty with fresh. If you use fresh, you may need to add a tablespoon more liquid when pureeing.
- Any blender or food processor will work well for this recipe. I use my Wolf High-Performance Blender to make my raspberry coulis. This is truly a dream machine that's a workhorse in my kitchen for so many tasks. It's similar to the Vitamix, but to me is built a lot stronger and sturdier. I use it for soups, sauces, smoothies, nut butters and a myriad of other things. If you're in the market for a high-quality blender that will literally blend everything from soup to nuts, this is a fabulous machine.
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One of our favorite ways to use this raspberry coulis is paired with this crazy delicious, incredibly moist Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake that could possibly elicit marriage proposals - or at the least, lots of ooohs and aaaahs!
This Easy Raspberry Coulis recipe was originally published in January of 2018. We've updated the post and images and added a video so we're sharing it again for your culinary pleasure. Bon Appétit!
Just a fancy name for a delicious, super versatile raspberry sauce, this Easy Raspberry Coulis pairs fabulously with chocolate and a zillion other desserts!
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons water or orange juice
- 12 ounces frozen raspberries thawed
- 1 tablespoon Chambord Framboise or Grand Marnier liqueur (optional)
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Combine sugar and water (or orange juice) in a 1 cup (or larger) microwave-safe cup or bowl. Stir to combine. The mixture will be very thick.
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Cook in the microwave on high power for two minutes. Stir for 5-10 seconds to ensure that the sugar crystals are dissolved.
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Combine the raspberries and hot syrup in a blender container. Blend until the mixture is smooth and pureed.
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Pour puree through a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium-size bowl. Stir and push on the solids with the back of a rubber spatula until all of the liquid has been extracted. This will take several minutes as the mixture will be thick.
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Discard the seeds. Add the liqueur, if using and stir to combine.
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Store in the refrigerator for 5-7 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months.
See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips.
Paul says
I am diabetic so sugar is band!
Could the suger be replaced with a powderd sweetner such as candare.
Will it still work?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Paul, it should work although the sauce might be thinner than with sugar.
Adriana says
Could this sauce be used to layer in to a dessert? I want to layer into mini cheesecake bites and wondered if this recipe was thick enough? Looks delish!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Adriana, I think this coulis might be a little thin for layering in a dessert. I would probably use a raspberry jam instead like this recipe: https://thecafesucrefarine.com/overnight-raspberry-freezer-jam/
yvonne says
Hi,
Is this shelf stable at room temp.? Im gonna use this to drizzle mg white chocolate raspberry cupcakes and will be displayed at room temp for few hours.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Yvonne, this is definitely stable at room temperature for several hours. I wouldn't let it sit out for several days though since there are no preservatives.
T says
It tastes good. Mine came out fairly thin, how would I thicken it if I were to make it again?
Chris Scheuer says
It may be that your raspberries were more watery. You could always simmer it a bit to thicken it or use a teaspoon of cornstarch and heat it till it thickens a bit.
Ella says
I simply used a bit less water and a bit more raspberries to make mine a bit thicker. Yummy!!
Chris Scheuer says
Great! Thanks Ella!
diana says
Wow, as usual, your recipes look and are divine, going to make it very soon but may I ask where you purchased that adorable glass tiny pitcher I want to get one thank you for all your recipes and your amazing photos and I love the videoes , diana from toronto
Emi says
Made this with freshly squeezed orange juice as suggested and it was way too sweet. It lost all the tang of the raspberries. Tried to rescue it with a couple teaspoons of lemon juice but still too sweet. Would use half the amount of sugar next time.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Emi, Thanks for sharing your review. Raspberries will differ in their level of sweetness. Some are more tart than others and personal taste definitely comes into play too.
Jess says
What is the raspberry ratio? 112 ounce? Or 12 ounce?
Chris Scheuer says
It's 1 12-ounce bag. Enjoy!
PeteH says
I've used a raspberry/blackberry coulis with a honeydew melon and parma ham starter many times. Doing the same this Christmas.
Chris Scheuer says
Yum, sounds wonderful!
Donna Lambert says
Can you make this with honey? How would you change up the recipe?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Donna, I haven't tried this with honey but I would think it would work fine. I would probably use a little less honey and you will probably need to cook it just a bit longer to get the right consistency.
Corrin says
Can I use fresh raspberries instead of frozen
I’m making this tomorrow
Chris Scheuer says
Yes, even better! 🙂
Corrin says
Thank you so much!! 🙂
Linda Jean says
So beautiful and flavorful! The strength of the raspberry flavor was unexpected and wonderful. Served two nights in a row with different chocolate cakes and to different guests - a hit with everyone!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much Linda Jean, I appreciate you taking the time to share your results!
Sandra L Garth says
Raspberries are one of my favorite fruits and I can think of lots of things to put this on.
Laura | Tutti Dolci says
So delicious, I'd love this over vanilla bean ice cream! 🙂
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says
Absolutely beautiful and you just can't beat the full and fresh flavour of raspberries, especially this time of year.
Jenna says
How easy and fabulous is this!! Thanks Chris!
John/Kitchen Riffs says
This looks terrific! And just loaded with flavor. Best of all, easy to make. Winner! 🙂 Thanks so much.
Tricia @ Saving Room for Dessert says
We love raspberry coulis and there's nothing better on a chocolate dessert! Great for Valentine's Day - and so pretty too.
Marcellina says
Yes, totally agree! Raspberry coulis is great with so many desserts! I used it over pavlova at Christmas and it was the perfect pairing. But I had never considered it with baked brie. Simply genius!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much Marcellina, it is wonderful with pavlova!
Karen says
What is the yummy looking chocolate dessert pictured with it. I couldn't find it in your recipes. The sauce looks delicious!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Karen, that is a crazy good chocolate cake. I will be sharing the recipe in my next post. It's easy and so... good!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
Perfect with any chocolate dessert Chris! Love how easy it is!
Madonna says
Makes you want to lick the plates. 🙂
monique says
So pretty!I love keeping some frozen too!
Liz says
One of my favorite accompaniments to a rich chocolate dessert! I can't wait to see your pairing!!
Ginny Hartzler says
I learned what coulis is now! This is so pretty, and I bet has an intense flavor. It would be perfect for Valentine's Day, and Christmas as well.
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
I like that you made this using microwave...gotta give it a try too. Thanks, Chris.