Whip up this sugar free strawberry puree in 15 minutes! Enjoy over cake, yogurt, mix in cocktails or serve this as a strawberry sauce over ice cream!

Strawberry Puree

I love making my own sauces with fresh fruit!  Not only is it simple to do, but you can control the amount of sweetener you add to the recipe.

This recipe is from my sugar free strawberry topping recipe, but I changed the sweetener (still sugar-free) because when I was first experimenting with sugar alternatives I used xylitol quite a bit.

Plus, oh my gosh!  Look at those old pictures!! Bad, super-duper horrible, but I can’t bear to delete them.  LOL

Xylitol is a natural sweetener made from fruits and vegetables.  You can find it in sugar-free gums and candies.  I think it’s a great alternative to granulated sugar, except there is one MAJOR problem.  Xylitol can be toxic to dogs, so I have banned it from our house.

Can you imagine our Abby accidentally getting into something that I made with xylitol?  Nope. No way.  Not on my watch!   She’s sticking with the occasional table scraps and peanut butter dog treats!

Sugar substitutions

Although xylitol is now off my shopping list, stevia, erythritol or monk fruit are some of the sugar alternatives that add just the right amount of sweetness without spiking my blood sugar levels.

Of course you can use granulated sugar too if you aren’t watching your sugar intake.

You can also use frozen strawberries for this puree, but I would thaw them first.

How to wash strawberries

If you use fresh strawberries like I do here, then you want to wash and hull the berries.  The easiest way to clean strawberries is to put them in a colander, rinse with cool water, and then lay them on paper towels.

Gently dry the berries with an additional layer of paper towels to blot up the beads of water.

Remove the stems with a paring knife if you don’t have a fancy dancy strawberry huller.

Next, slice the strawberries in about 1/4 inch pieces.  Place in a saucepan and add sweetener.

Cook over medium high heat and stir occasionally while watching the berries breakdown into a delicious sauce.

Remove from the heat and add a splash of vanilla extract.

Finally, blend the berries to your desired consistency.    I often blend 3/4 of the strawberries, then fold in the remaining thicker chunks when I want more of a strawberry sauce for pancakes or  whole wheat chocolate waffles.

What to put strawberry sauce on

You will be tempted to eat this by the spoonful.  Your options are limitless!

Breakfast ideas

• Cottage Cheese Pancakes 
• Yogurt parfaits
• Waffles
• Over Toast
• Crepes

Dessert ideas

• Cheesecake
• Angel Food Cake
• Over Lemon Brownies 
• Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Drink ideas

• Mix with Lemonade
• Flavor Water
• Add to Prosecco
• Strawberry Champagne Bellini 
• Vodka and Gin Cocktails

Give me some more ideas and I’ll add them here!