This quick and easy recipe for Sugar-Free Strawberry Sauce makes a healthy sauce loaded with strawberry flavor. This versatile recipe offers two variations of strawberry sauce– a classic strawberry sauce and an option with balsamic, strawberries and black pepper. Both variations can be part of a low-carb, keto, or gluten-free diet.
The recipe for Sugar-Free Strawberry Sauce
This recipe makes a crave-worthy sauce loaded with strawberry flavor. It’s easy to make, takes only a few minutes and can be made with either fresh or frozen strawberries.
This sauce is gently cooked on the stove-top to thicken it slightly and meld the flavors together.
Whether you choose to make the basic sauce or the balsamic peppered variation, you’ll find yourself spooning this sauce over everything sweet!
The Inspiration for Sugar-Free Strawberry Sauce
In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been on a strawberry kick lately. I’ve created a recipe for low-carb strawberry mousse, low-carb strawberry cream pie, and now this strawberry sauce.
This sauce was actually inspired by a dessert at a tiny restaurant in Monroe, NC called Bibi’s. The chef, Jason, used to serve peppered strawberries over ice cream. It seemed like a strange flavor combination to me, but the waiter convinced me to try it and I’m glad I did!
While Bibi’s no longer exists, I still crave that peppered strawberry goodness and brought it back to life in this recipe.
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Why do you put pepper on strawberries?
While strawberries and cracked black pepper might seem like a strange combination, the flavors actually work quite well together.
The pepper helps to neutralizing the tartness. This brings out the natural sweetness of the berries. In addition to neutralizing the tartness, the black pepper also balances the sweetness which allows all of the subtle fruit flavors to shine. This creates a complex blend of flavors that will have you coming back for more.
You can read more about the combination of black pepper and strawberries in this post.
Can you make this Keto-Friendly Strawberry Sauce from Frozen Strawberries?
You can use either fresh or frozen strawberries to make either variation of this sauce. Either choice makes a delicious sauce.
You do not need to defrost the frozen strawberries completely before making this recipe, but you will need to slice them first.
How to slice frozen strawberries
You will need to slice the strawberries for this recipe. While slicing fresh strawberries is easy, slicing frozen strawberries presents a bit of a challenge. In order to make this easier, I recommend allowing them to soften slightly by allowing them to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.
Do not allow the berries to defrost completely. You don’t want them rock-hard, but they should still be mostly frozen. If they are completely thawed, they will turn into mush when you try to slice them.
To slice them berries, you will want to use a cutting board and a sharp knife. Before beginning, place a damp cloth under the cutting board to stabilize it.
After your cutting board is properly stabilized, you’re ready to cut the berries. First, place a berry on the cutting board on the flattest side of the berry so that it doesn’t roll.
Next, hold the berry still with one hand, being careful to keep your fingers curled back away from the knife. You will want to slice the berries length-wise. The slices should be about 1/8 to 3/16ths of an inch thick.
How to serve Keto-Friendly Strawberry Sauce
No matter which version of this sauce you choose to make, you will find that it’s a super-versatile sauce. You can spoon it over our grain-free waffles, or our chocolate waffles. It would even be wonderful over our keto-friendly banana pancakes. You might want to leave the nuts out of the banana pancakes if you decide to do this.
One of my favorite ways to serve this sauce is over low-carb vanilla ice-cream. It also works well to sweeten up and flavor some plain greek yogurt. These options are both shown in the photos.
The classic version of the recipe would be delightful layered with my recipe for lemon chia pudding or spooned over a serving of my keto-friendly chocolate pudding.
How long does strawberry sauce last?
You’ll want to put any leftover sauce in an air-tight container and store it in the refrigerator. This sauce should last about 3 or 4 days.
Can you freeze strawberry sauce?
If you need to store the sauce for more than 3-4 days, you will need to freeze it. To freeze the sauce, allow it to cool, then simply it to a freezer-safe container and place it in the freezer.
Frozen strawberry sauce should last for a few months.
Final Words
I hope this strawberry sauce brightens your day and adds flavor to your foods. Enjoy!
-Annissa

Low Carb Strawberry Sauce
This quick and easy recipe for Sugar-Free Strawberry Sauce makes a simple strawberry sauce or a variation with balsamic and black pepper. Low-Carb and Keto.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons granulated stevia erythritol blend (Pyure--2x sweeter than sugar)
- 2 teaspoons glucomannan (or 1 tsp. cornstarch or arrowroot starch)
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (use lemon juice for plain strawberry sauce)
- 10 ounces strawberries fresh or frozen, sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (Omit for plain strawberry sauce)
Instructions
In a medium saucepan, whisk the granulated stevia erythritol blend and the glucomannan together.
Slowly stir in the balsamic vinegar. Heat over medium-low until the sweetener has dissolved.
Stir in strawberries. Bring the mixture to a simmer while stirring frequently. Simmer for a few minutes or until the mixture thickens slightly.
Stir in the black pepper if using.
Recipe Notes
For classic strawberry sauce, use lemon juice instead of the balsamic vinegar and leave out the black pepper.
Nutritional information has been calculated for the balsamic and black pepper version. The nutritional information will be similar for the classic option.
What a great recipe it is! No refined sugar strawberry sauce is the perfect healthy option to accompany desserts!
This looks so good. I love a good strawberry sauce on some vanilla ice cream or on some shortcake. This will be a good one to have on hand to keep the carbs down. Thanks!
This sauce looks great! I love adding sauces to my yogurt!
I love your in-depth instructions! What a wonderful way to enjoy strawberries and how interesting that you used pepper to balane the tartness. Definitely worth a try!
I’m loving my new keto journey and discovering recipes like THIS. So yummy ! Thanks. I look forward to making more recipes on your website.
loved how amazing the sauce turned out
This was delicious — I liked the little tartness that remained since I used frozen already sliced strawberries. I swirled this into my overnight “oats” — cup of almond milk, scoop of protein powder, tablespoon each of hemp hearts and chia seeds.
Sounds like a great way to use the strawberry sauce!
-Annissa