Fresh Raspberry Glaze

Here’s my go-to raspberry glaze recipe that’s perfect for drizzling over cakes, muffins, or your morning scones. It’s quick to make and uses fresh or frozen raspberries, plus a few basic ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.

I love making this glaze when I’m hosting brunch or need to add something special to a dessert. My kids always ask me to make extra so they can spread it on their toast the next day – and honestly, I can’t blame them!

What Kind of Raspberries Should I Use?

Both fresh and frozen raspberries work great for making this glaze, so you can use whichever is more convenient or in season. Fresh raspberries are perfect when they’re available in summer, but frozen berries are just as good and often more affordable year-round. If you’re using fresh raspberries, look for ones that are bright red, plump, and free from mold – they should be firm but not hard. When using frozen raspberries, let them thaw completely before starting your glaze, and don’t worry about any extra juice that comes out during thawing – it’ll add great flavor to your glaze.

Options for Substitutions

This glaze recipe can be tweaked with several substitutions if you need to:

• Raspberries: You can swap raspberries with strawberries, blackberries, or even blueberries. Just keep in mind that different berries will change the color and slightly alter the flavor of your glaze.
• Lemon juice: Fresh lime juice works great as a substitute, or you can use bottled lemon juice in a pinch – though fresh is always better for the brightest flavor.
• Cornstarch: Arrowroot powder can be used in equal amounts instead of cornstarch. You could also use 1 teaspoon of flour, though the glaze might not be as shiny.
• Butter: Plant-based butter or margarine can work here. If using margarine, make sure it’s at room temperature for the best mixing results.
• Vanilla: You can use almond extract for a different flavor profile (use half the amount), or skip it altogether if you don’t have any on hand.
• Powdered sugar: This is pretty essential for the right texture, but in an absolute emergency, you can make your own by blending granulated sugar in a food processor until very fine.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest challenge when making raspberry glaze is getting the right consistency – too thin and it’ll run right off your dessert, too thick and it won’t spread properly. If your glaze ends up too runny, add powdered sugar one tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired thickness; if it’s too thick, thin it out with tiny amounts of lemon juice. Another common mistake is not straining the raspberry puree properly, which can leave seeds in your glaze – use a fine-mesh strainer and press firmly with a spatula to get every bit of smooth puree while leaving the seeds behind. For the smoothest results, make sure your butter is truly at room temperature (not melted or too cold) and whisk it thoroughly with the powdered sugar before adding the fruit puree – this prevents any lumps from forming in your final glaze.

What to Serve With Raspberry Glaze?

This sweet and tangy raspberry glaze is super versatile in the kitchen! It’s perfect drizzled over breakfast treats like pancakes, waffles, or French toast for a fruity kick to start your day. For desserts, try spreading it on vanilla pound cake, angel food cake, or use it as a topping for cheesecake – the bright berry flavor really makes these classics shine. You can also spoon it over vanilla ice cream or mix it into plain yogurt for a quick and tasty treat. If you’re serving breakfast pastries or scones at brunch, keep this glaze warm in a little pitcher so everyone can add their own.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: Your raspberry glaze will stay good in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The glaze might thicken up a bit in the fridge, but don’t worry – that’s totally normal!

Make Ahead: You can prepare this glaze a day or two before you need it. Just keep it covered in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. When you want to use it, let it sit at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes and give it a good stir.

Adjust: If your stored glaze becomes too thick, simply add a tiny splash of lemon juice or water, about ½ teaspoon at a time, and stir until you reach the right consistency. If it’s too thin, gradually mix in a bit more powdered sugar.

Preparation Time	10-15 minutes
Cooking Time	10-15 minutes
Total Time	20-30 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Easy

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 600-700
• Protein: 2-4 g
• Fat: 30-35 g
• Carbohydrates: 90-100 g

Ingredients

For the raspberry sauce:

• 1/2 tsp corn starch (helps thicken the glaze)
• 4 oz fresh raspberries (or frozen, thawed if using for glaze)
• 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

For the buttercream:

• 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar (sifted to remove lumps)
• 1 1/2 tbsp softened butter (room temperature for smooth mixing)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Step 1: Prepare Your Mise en Place

• 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp softened butter
• 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a bowl to remove any lumps, which ensures a smooth final glaze without grittiness.

Set out the softened butter at room temperature—this is crucial because cold butter won’t blend smoothly with the other ingredients and can create a lumpy texture.

Measure out the lemon juice and vanilla extract into small bowls for easy access during mixing.

Step 2: Cook and Reduce the Raspberries

• 4 oz fresh raspberries
• 1/2 tsp corn starch
• 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Combine the fresh raspberries, corn starch, and lemon juice in a small saucepan over low to medium-low heat.

Stir gently and use the back of a spoon to smash the berries as they release their juice and begin to break down.

Continue cooking for 3-5 minutes until the mixture thickens noticeably—you’ll see it coat the spoon and the liquid will reduce.

I like to cook raspberries just until they reach a jammy consistency; if you cook them too long, you lose that bright, fresh flavor.

Once thickened, remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, which typically takes about 10-15 minutes.

Step 3: Strain the Raspberry Sauce

• cooked raspberry mixture from Step 2

Pour the cooled raspberry mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, pressing gently with the back of a spoon to extract all the flavorful juice while leaving most of the seeds behind.

This step is important because it creates a silky-smooth glaze without the grittiness of seeds.

You should have about 2-3 tablespoons of strained sauce; if you have significantly less, your heat was too high and some liquid evaporated.

Step 4: Combine and Whisk to Smooth Perfection

• sifted confectioners’ sugar from Step 1
• 1 1/2 tbsp softened butter
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• strained raspberry sauce from Step 3

In a clean mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, sifted confectioners’ sugar from Step 1, vanilla extract, and the strained raspberry sauce from Step 3.

Using a whisk, beat everything together for 1-2 minutes until the glaze is completely smooth and uniform in color.

I find that whisking creates a lighter, more spreadable texture than using a wooden spoon.

If the glaze seems too thick, add a tiny splash of milk or lemon juice; if too thin, add a teaspoon more confectioners’ sugar and whisk again.

The final glaze should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but still pourable.