Easy Stewed Strawberries (No Sugar) Recipe
The next best thing to Preserves and Jam(s) is Stewed fruit. At least for me. I love the sauce/syrup with nice chunks of fruit. But more than that I love the fact that they are utterly simple and quick to prepare. Takes like 15-20 minutes MAX.  I make these often especially as a side to our breakfasts. Served warm over pancakes, waffles or toast, these make for better alternative than regular maple syrup, honey or butter. I mean when you are looking at 3-4 servings of fruit a day and if you are not one to pick up fruits as and when you cross the table( like me. Sigh!), then better to sneak it, in as many ways as possible!
Easy Stewed Strawberries (No Sugar) Recipe
I started doing this when I realized I was simply "forgetting" to eat fruits on a day to day basis ( except when it came to mangoes! I sure remembered to have those - way too many servings I tell ya!). I also make with mixed berries. Last week I made us this batch with fresh strawberries I found in our market. Generally regular sugar is used but I tend to replace it with natural sweeteners. Hence this is a No Sugar recipe. I have used Agave but you can use whatever strikes your fancy. You can enjoy them drizzled over arborio pudding and ice cream as well. Or on top of a warm cake (Pound cake, Angel Cake etc). Or on top of Custard...bliss..Umm..guess you get the idea :)
  • Cook time:
  • Prep time:
  • Serves: 4 people
  • Yields: Around 2 cups
Ingredients
  • 16 Oz fresh Strawberries
  • Agave Nectar to taste (see Tips)
Tips
1. If you do not have Agave Nectar, you can use regular sugar instead. Any other sweetener (honey, brown sugar, sucanant, Splenda etc) can also be used. The amount will vary depending the sweetness/tartness of the berries and your taste preference. My batch of berries were mildly sweet and since we do not like to eat too much sweet during mornings, I used about 1 tbsp ( may be a little more) of Agave. Agave is much sweeter than sugar or honey so a little goes a long way.
2. You can also add additional flavoring like lemon zest and juice to this.
Method
1. Chop the stem (hull). You can do a coarse chop or Quarter the berries. I like large chunks of berries. These berries were large hence I sliced them in half first
2. and then sliced each of the halves again into two. It will depend on the size of the berries too.
3. Place them in a colander and rinse them gently under cold water. You can wash them first and then chop. No hard or fast rules here.
4. Drain the water well and place the berries in a saucepan.
5. Cook them in medium heat. Give it a stir now and then.
6. Around 5 minutes you will find the berries releasing their juices.
7. In another 10 minutes (around 15 minute mark) it will look like this. I want nice flow'y sauce with sizable chunks of the fruit hence do not cook further.
8. At this point I add the sweetener. I cook it for another 5 minutes and cool the sauce.
Its now ready. We love the tart mildly sweet berries with almost all our breakfast goodies (exception of Indian B/Fs).  You can warm them up in microwave for few seconds. I have never made a huge batch since this is ridiculously simple. I usually make it on a week to week basis hence I am not sure how long it really keeps in the fridge. I store them in an air tight container. Easy Stewed Strawberries (No Sugar) Recipe Yummy warm stewed strawberries with waffles anyone?

Easy Stewed Strawberries (No Sugar) Recipe

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2 Member Reviews

By Raksha on Oct 24, 2012

Thanks soooo much DK for this recipe!! It looks gorgeous on pancakes and  tastes really good. Makes a yummy and healthy dessert with vanilla yoghurt. Both my husband and I dont like anything too sweet so the tartiness of the strawberries is perfect for us. And since its so simple to make Im totally addicted! Only change I made is I used 1 tbsp white sugar instead of other sweetners.

By Veena on Dec 3, 2011

Hi DK,

Simple and Excellent recipe...I made it too. color is amazing but what I like best is your suggestion for sugar subsitutes...Thanks alot \"laugh\"


 

29 Comments

By Chrishelle Laniece on May 13, 2020

Thank you for this simple and delicious recipe! I'm practicing the Mucus-Less Healing Diet (Lifestyle) and stewed fruits are prescribed for dinner the first two weeks. I'm having this over a baked banana tonight!

That actually sounds such a delicious combo esp for my kids. Thank you for the idea...yum!--DK

By Lisa on Jul 24, 2018

Have you ever canned this recipe? Either pressure cooker or water bath .

By Kimberly on Jan 14, 2017

This is the first time I've made a syrup substitute, and the first time I've ever used agave nectar. I was looking for more ways to reduce the sugar in my meals. This is a lovely and easy recipe! Your pictures were invaluable! I was thinking of making a strawberry coulis to put over over-night french toast for a family brunch, when I saw this recipe and I think it will be much better.

By Cindy on Mar 28, 2016

I love how simple this recipe is. I am thinking of making it for our family breakfast gathering this weekend. Thanks for the idea as many of my family are having to watch what they eat.

By Maria on Dec 3, 2015

Thank you the for the above. I prepared some strawberries as directed, added Fructose and then cooled it in the freezer to enable us to have it as dessert after lunch. Probably not more than 20 minutes, all in all. Regards

By violet on Aug 13, 2015

you don't need to put any sugar in at all as strawberries are sweet enough. If you want more/different flavour you can add cinnamon or ginger. Also to sweeten naturally you can add a little banana. No need for any sugar as fruits contain fructose.

By Menu Plan Monday – on time! | Adventist Homemaker on Jul 12, 2015

[…] Stewed Strawberries cooking […]

By monica on Feb 23, 2015

Can I use Frozen Strawberries?

Oh yes. --DK

By Edwin Newell on Oct 11, 2014

I am a type 2 diabetic and am in need of sweet things that aren't full of Unnatural sugars, Agave, Truvia , but never Splenda it tastes bad.

By Kefir Cheesecake with Coconut-Almond Crust on Aug 7, 2014

[...] Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown along the edges and wobbly in the center. Cool the cake to room temperature and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours. When cooled, top with no sugar strawberry glaze [...]

By Peggy on Jun 29, 2014

I tried it to day and i am going to make it for the 4th on a sheet cake with chream cheese icing and a few blue berries it was real good

By Carol on Apr 2, 2014

Hi! I can't seem to find the nutritional information anywhere. Could you tell me what the calories and other nutritional values are? Thank you so much!

By Emily on Aug 1, 2013

Is this possible with other berries??

By jennie on Jun 2, 2013

I make this to pour over the top of a sweet cheesecake I baked. It was the star of the dessert cause it was tart and not too sweet. I used just a hint of sugar (maybe a Tablespoon) that wsy they tasted natural wasn't too much sweetness. Everyone was bragging on it and wants more!!

By Bill Knox on May 17, 2013

fantastic - I had no idea .. garden fresh strawberries and 1/2 tsp of honey crystals. posted on my facebook page :-) THANK YOU for sharing!

By Cori R on Apr 16, 2013

By the way,...they are fabulous canned! I canned them in little half pint jars, adding 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice as a preservative. They taste wonderful!

By Kathy on Mar 15, 2012

:wink: Thanks for sharing this recipe, I always wanted to learn how to make this one. I will make it soon!

By renya on Feb 24, 2012

It looks like broken hearts - sweet!

By Fredo on Jan 7, 2012

Sorry for the duplicate, I forgot to click the notify button. I have a quick question: how long will the stewed strawberries last?

By Fredo on Jan 7, 2012

Thanks for the lovely recipe. I have a quick question: how long will the stewed strawberries last?

By 6 Ways to Add Berries to Your Diet | Feather Magazine on Oct 28, 2011

[...] source:1,2,3,4,5) [...]

By ng on Oct 2, 2011

Hello DK. I tried this recipe yesterday. It came out very good. I have been looking to make strawberry compote at home. When i saw your recipe i was so excited. I took out my waffle maker and made some waffles to try this stewed strawberries with it. Thank you so much for such a great recipe. :lol:

By Cassandra on Sep 21, 2011

I made this recipe this morning and it was REALLY good. We'll be making it again. :D There wasn't as much as what shows in your photos though. I suspect I cooked it too long or at too high of heat. It covered three waffles and was gone. YUM!

Yes, depends on how long you cook it. For me I cooked enough to get me around 2 cups. But trust me, it lasted us 4 (and a half!) waffles not much more than you ;) Thanks for the feedback :)

By dolly mohta on Sep 17, 2011

I have always made this by mixing strawberries and sugar in a large glass bowl and cooking in microwave oven, it turns out good. Chill it and spoon on top of diced ripe mangoes.....heavenly.

By Jayasri on Sep 17, 2011

This looks gorgeous, I made one with Balsamic vinegar for cakes from deeba's blog I should try this, may be my kids might like, lovely clicks

By Priya on Sep 17, 2011

Woww i can have this delicious stewed strawberries with anything..

By La @ FoodSlice on Sep 17, 2011

Lovely colour and so much simpler than jam. I don't think it will even last a week in the fridge :)

By Vardhini on Sep 16, 2011

Love the color .. perfect with pancakes.

By raga on Sep 16, 2011

thats a nice one...what i do is blend the fruit add sugar and boil it....while boiling add a little cornstarch for thickness....and it goes well with waffles, pancakes, .......