This homemade strawberry filling is bright, fruity, and so versatile. Use it to fill cupcakes, layer it into cakes, spoon it over ice cream, or swirl it into yogurt. It’s made with fresh or frozen strawberries, a touch of sugar, and a splash of lemon juice to bring out all that natural berry flavor.
The only thing better than a soft, fluffy cake is one filled with sweet, jammy strawberry goodness. This homemade strawberry filling is the perfect way to add a fruity twist to any dessert. Whether you’re layering it into cakes, piping it into cupcakes, or spooning it over cheesecake. It’s quick to make and full of fresh strawberry flavor, with just enough sugar to bring out the sweetness and a splash of lemon juice to brighten it up. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself eating it straight from the jar.
What Makes This Strawberry Filling So Irresistible
- Only 5 simple ingredients. No fancy tools or hard-to-find ingredients. Just strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and a couple pantry staples.
- Quick and easy. The filling comes together in minutes on the stovetop.
- Big strawberry flavor. Made with puréed berries and a splash of lemon juice, this filling is bursting with fresh, fruity flavor.
- Just the right thickness. A little flour helps it thicken up so it’s easy to spread, layer, or spoon.
- Endlessly versatile. Use it to fill cupcakes, layer into cakes, top waffles or pancakes, swirl into yogurt… so many options!
What You’ll Need
This recipe keeps it simple with just 5 ingredients involved.
- Strawberries: Pureed.
- Lemon Juice: keeps these berries nice and bright.
- Sugar: You’ll need 1/4 cup.
- Flour: Just a few tablespoons, sifted to thicken.
- Water: warm but not hot
How to Make Strawberry Filling
To make this filling, you just have to puree the strawberries and then let the ingredients simmer over the stove. Easy enough, right?
- Puree Berries: Chop and puree the strawberries using an immersion blender or food processor.
- Heat Puree: In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the strawberry puree over medium-low heat until it’s lightly bubbling.
- Add Lemon Juice & Sugar: Add the lemon juice and sugar, stirring to combine. Cook over medium-high heat and bring back to a boil.
- Make Slurry: In a small dish, combine the flour and warm water and whisk until the flour is dissolved. Pour the slurry into the puree mixture and whisk to combine.
- Lower Heat & Thicken: Reduce the heat and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. The bubbles will go from small and rapid to a thick and a slow boil. Stir occasionally until the strawberry puree is thickened.
- Let Cool: Allow the puree to cool completely, refrigerating to help speed up the process.
Tips for Success
- Rinse the berries. Always start by washing your strawberries to remove any lingering dirt or pesticides. Once they’re clean, pat them dry before pureeing.
- Adjust the consistency. If you prefer a thinner filling, you can totally make that happen. Just shorten the cook time by about 5 minutes and check the texture. It should still be glossy and spreadable, just a bit looser.
- Leave it chunky. Want some texture? Skip pureeing all the berries and leave about half of them roughly chopped. You’ll get little pockets of juicy fruit in every bite, which is never a bad thing.
- Frozen berries work too. No fresh berries? No problem. Just cook frozen strawberries down until they’re soft, then puree (or don’t!) and carry on with the recipe like usual.
Ways to Use Strawberry Filling
- Fill cupcakes. Spoon it into the center of your favorite vanilla or strawberry cupcakes before topping with frosting.
- Layer into cakes. This makes the perfect fruity layer between cake rounds—especially with vanilla, lemon, or strawberry cake.
- Top pancakes or waffles. Swap your usual syrup for a big spoonful of this warm, jammy filling.
- Swirl into yogurt. Add it to plain or vanilla yogurt for a quick, fruity upgrade.
- Serve over cheesecake. A dollop of this on top of a slice of cheesecake? Yes, please.
- Stir into oatmeal. Brightens up a bowl of warm oats and makes it taste like dessert.
- Drizzle onto pound cake. Warm it slightly and serve with slices of buttery pound cake.
- Spread on toast or biscuits. Just like jam, but fresher.
- Spoon over ice cream. I love adding this to a big bowl of vanilla or chocolate ice cream.
- Use it for strawberry shortcakes. Skip the macerated berries and spoon this glossy filling over biscuits or sponge cake. It’s sweet, saucy, and so easy.
How to Store Strawberry Filling
- Store in the fridge: This strawberry filling stays fresh in the fridge for up to a week! I like to keep it stored in a mason jar, but any airtight container will do.
- Can I freeze this? Yes! This filling is freezer friendly. First, let it cool completely in the fridge, then transfer it to the freezer. Just make sure it’s in a freezer-safe container. Frozen filling will stay good for 3 months! Thaw it out in the fridge before using.
Strawberry Filling
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 3/4 cups
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: American
Description
This sweet homemade Strawberry Filling is a delicious dessert condiment that you can use for anything from topping ice cream to filling cupcakes! Made with fresh or frozen strawberries and a pop of lemon juice, you’ll fall in love with this fruity filling.
Ingredients
- 32 ounces (2 containers) strawberries, pureed
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons flour, sifted
- 1 1/2 tablespoons warm water
Instructions
- Chop and puree the strawberries using an immersion blender or food processor.
- In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the strawberry puree until it’s lightly bubbling. Then, add the lemon juice and sugar, stirring to combine. Cook over medium-high heat and bring back to a boil.
- In a small dish, combine the flour and warm water and whisk until the flour is dissolved. Pour the slurry into the puree mixture and whisk to combine.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. The bubbles will go from small and rapid to a thick and a slow boil. Stir occasionally until the strawberry puree is thickened.
- Allow the puree to cool completely, refrigerating to help speed up the process.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoon
- Calories: 35
- Sugar: 6.8g
- Sodium: .7mg
- Fat: .2g
- Carbohydrates: 8.7g
- Fiber: 1.3g
- Protein: .4g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Could you use cornstarch instead of flour?
Yep!
I tried to make the slurry 2x following the directions exactly. Both times the slurry ended up being a dough ball. I added 3 tablespoons of warm water to make it more of a slurry but really probably needed 3.5-4 tablespoons
This looks amazing. I am not a big fan of frosting in the middle of cakes or just frosting in general. I think this would be an excellent addition to a cake. Maybe mix it with whipping cream for a frosting replacement too. So many ways to use it! I think throwing in the extra into a drink too would be great