Description

This homemade Strawberry Purée for Buttercream Frosting gives your frosting real strawberry flavor and a natural blush-pink color—no extracts, no artificial taste. I gently simmer fresh strawberries with a touch of sugar and lemon, blend until silky, then reduce the purée until thick and concentrated so it won’t water down buttercream. Perfect for cakes, cupcakes, macarons, and fillings when you want a bright, fruity finish that tastes like spring.

Ingredients

Scale

500 g (about 1 lb) fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

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Instructions

Wash, hull, and chop the strawberries into halves or quarters.
Add strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice to a small saucepan over medium heat.
Cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring often, until the berries soften and release lots of juice.
Remove from heat and blend until completely smooth (use an immersion blender or countertop blender).
For an extra-silky purée, strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds.
Return the purée to the saucepan and simmer on low to medium-low for 10–15 minutes, stirring frequently, until thick and concentrated (it should coat a spoon and briefly hold a line when you drag a spoon through it).
Transfer to a bowl or jar and cool completely to room temperature before adding to buttercream.
Use 2–4 tablespoons in a standard batch of buttercream, adding gradually and tasting as you go.

Notes

For stable buttercream, always reduce the purée until thick—thin purée can make frosting loose. If your strawberries are very sweet, reduce the sugar to 1 tablespoon. Lemon juice brightens flavor and helps the color stay vibrant. Store purée in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze in small portions for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and stir well before using.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 tbsp
Calories: 15
Sugar: 3 g
Sodium: 0 mg
Fat: 0 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 4 g
Fiber: 0.5 g
Protein: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg