This blackberry coulis is rich, creamy and made without cornstarch or granulated sugar. It has a delicious tangy flavour, contains a moderate amount of sugar, and can be enjoyed with sweet as well as savoury dishes. Ready in minutes!
This blackberry coulis is an easy way of turning seasonal fruit into something delicious. Blackberries are a classic crumble ingredient, but their fantastic, rich favour works in many other recipes including cakes, granola bars as well as sauces, such as coulis.
Making this 6-ingredient blackberry coulis sauce involves cooking the blackberries briefly along with a handful of ingredients until soft, juicy and syrupy. This produces a compote of sorts, which is then strained for a perfectly smooth, velvety coulis (different from a puree, which is simply cooked blended fruit).
This homemade blackberry coulis is rich and creamy, naturally sweetened (mostly) by the blackberries and made without cornstarch or water, so it’s intensely fruity. It’s quick, easy to make and can be enjoyed in many different ways (scroll down to the bottom of the post for serving suggestions).
Blackberry coulis ingredients and substitutions
- Blackberries: use fresh or frozen. You can also use mixed berries or just raspberries, instead.
- Maple syrup: use honey instead if preferred.
- Balsamic vinegar: adds depth of flavour (and works also in other fruit-based sauces, such as redcurrant).
- Prunes: add sweetness and thicken the sauce. They make a fantastic pairing with blackberries (blackberry coffee cake is another recipe where I’ve used this combination).
- Marsala: adds flavour. You can use port instead or omit the alcohol altogether.
- Lemon zest and juice.
Equipment you’ll need
- Medium sized saucepan.
- Potato masher or fork.
- Flexible silicone spatula (recommended) or large spoon.
- Fine-mesh sieve.
- Small jar or bottle for storing the coulis.
Step-by-step recipe instructions
1. Assemble ingredients: Place all the ingredients (not the lemon juice) in the saucepan.
2. Cook blackberries: Cook over a medium heat stirring often until the blackberries start releasing juice, stirring often (approx. 3-5 minutes). Continue cooking for a few more minutes until the fruit is softened and the mixture is bubbling away, stirring occasionally (3-5 minutes). Remove from the heat.
3. Mash blackberries: Mash the blackberries using either a potato masher (recommended) or fork.
4. Strain and remove seeds: Place a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl (not too shallow so there is plenty of space between the bottom of the bowl and the sieve). Pour the blackberry mixture into the sieve and using a flexible silicone spatula (recommended) or large spoon stir until all the juice has collected in the bowl. Do this step thoroughly wiping the bottom of the sieve on the sides of the bowl to ensure none of the sauce gets wasted. Stir in the lemon juice.
5. Serve warm or chilled. Yields a little over 1 cup of sauce (250-260 ml).
TIP: If planning to serve it chilled cool your blackberry coulis sauce completely then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to an hour (preferably) before serving. The mixture will thicken as it cools.
Serving suggestions
This healthy coulis with blackberries is extremely versatile and can be enjoyed with different foods, both sweet as well as savoury. Examples include:
- For breakfast, drizzled over pancakes, crepes, muesli, waffles, french toast, porridge etc.
- As a snack, with yogurt or cottage cheese. You could also make your own flavoured yogurt with it.
- For dessert, drizzled over cheesecake (especially vanilla and chocolate!), ice cream, chocolate mousse etc.
- With smoothies, added to a veggie smoothie or milkshake for sweetness and flavour.
- As a dressing, by combining with a little oil and lemon juice or red wine vinegar. It would be delicious with blueberry salad or strawberry spinach salad.
- With savoury dishes, such as roast chicken, duck or turkey, by adding a little soy sauce, black pepper, onion granules, thyme or rosemary, a spoonful of hoisin sauce, more marsala wine etc.
Top tips
- Use either fresh or frozen blackberries. If using frozen you’ll have to cook the coulis mixture 2-3 minutes longer.
- It is important to finely chop the prunes (rather than use whole) so they soften along with the blackberries.
- Take your time separating the juice from the seeds to make sure that none of the juice gets left behind and you collect some of the fruit pulp too (this will thicken your blackberry coulis mixture).
- Adjust the amount of maple syrup to suit your taste (taste the mixture after you’ve mashed the fruit).
- The sauce will thicken as it cools.
- Serve either warm or chilled.
- Keep in a jar/bottle, refrigerated, for up to 1 week.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Related recipes to try next
See also these other snack/side recipes!
Recipe
Healthy Blackberry Coulis
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Fine mesh sieve
Ingredients
- 3 cups (400 g) blackberries fresh or frozen
- 1½ tablespoons maple syrup or to taste
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon marsala wine can be omitted
- 5 prunes pitted, *finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or to taste, plus zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients (except the lemon juice) in the saucepan.Cook over a medium heat stirring often until the blackberries start releasing juice, stirring often (3-5 minutes).
- Soften fruit: Continue cooking for a few more minutes until the fruit is soft and the mixture is bubbling away, stirring occasionally (3-5 minutes). Remove from the heat.
- Mash blackberries: Mash the blackberries using either a potato masher (recommended) or fork.
- Remove seeds: Place a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl (not too shallow so there is plenty of space between the bottom of the bowl and the sieve).Pour the fruit mixture into the sieve and using a flexible silicone spatula (recommended) or large spoon stir until all the juice has collected in the bowl. Do this step very thoroughly wiping the bottom of the sieve on the sides of the bowl to ensure none of the sauce gets wasted. Stir in the lemon juice.
- Serve warm or chilled. If planning to serve it chilled cool your blackberry coulis completely then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to an hour (preferably) before serving. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
Notes
- Use either fresh or frozen blackberries. If using frozen you’ll have to cook the mixture 2-3 minutes longer.
- *It is important to finely chop the prunes (rather than use whole) so they soften along with the blackberries.
- Take your time separating the juice from the seeds so that none of the juice gets left behind and you collect some of the fruit pulp too (this will thicken the sauce).
- Adjust the amount of maple syrup to suit your taste (taste the mixture after you’ve mashed the fruit).
- The coulis will thicken as it cools.
- Serve either warm or chilled.
- Keep in a jar/bottle, refrigerated, for up to 1 week.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.
Keep in touch!
If you make this healthy blackberry coulis recipe I’d love to know how you served it. Did you add your own twist to this recipe? Let me know in the comments below, thanks:)
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Judy says
Delicious, and I really appreciate learning that prunes will thicken the coulis so that cornstarch isn’t needed.
Monika says
Thank you:)