10 Quick And Easy Sauce Recipes
Can you use some quick and easy sauce recipes? I love cooking from scratch, so after sharing my Bread Pudding Recipe a reader asked me for a vanilla sauce recipe. It’s crazy because when I wrote that post I thought to myself, “Am I the only one that likes a sauce on bread pudding?” Thank you, Pat, for asking for a vanilla sauce recipe! Here’s the Bread Pudding Recipe in case you missed it.
Well, I started rummaging through my mom’s recipes and some old recipes I have and that’s what led to this post being written today. There is something about jazzing up a simple meal or dessert with a creamy sauce.
Some of these recipes are very old, and I have had to substitute butter for the original margarine ingredient. Let’s get started. I can tell you right now, some are not low-fat, just giving you the heads up here. I highly recommend getting a Danish Whisk.
Quick And Easy Sauce Recipes
1. Vanilla Sauce
I found this recipe in my mother-in-law’s recipe stash. She always made the best sauce recipes to put over bread pudding, banana bread, and pumpkin bread. If you pour a little vanilla sauce over the bread pudding, for instance, put a dollop of whipped cream on top and a
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup butter, cubed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
-
Grab a saucepan, add the sugar and cornstarch. Add the water, and whisk constantly over medium heat. Bring the mixture to boil, cook one minute. Add the butter pieces and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Best when served warm.
2. Lemon Sauce
This is another sauce my mother-in-law had in her recipe stash. Now, if I could find her carrot, raisin salad dressing I would be set. This is really good over vanilla pudding, bread pudding, banana bread, or even pumpkin bread. Life is good when it’s homemade, right?
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- juice from one lemon
-
Grab a saucepan, combine the sugar, corn starch, and salt. Gradually add the boiling water, stirring constantly. Simmer over low heat until it starts to thicken. When it’s thick enough, remove from heat. Add the butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stir through. Tastes best when slightly warm or at room temperature.
3. Caramel Sauce
This is the caramel recipe I drizzle over popped corn, but also over ice cream. And another awesome thing I do with this caramel sauce is cover some fresh crisp apples. I may need to make some of this very soon!
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 butter, cut into pieces
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
-
Bring the brown sugar and corn syrup to a boil. Stir constantly and add the butter pieces and sweetened condensed milk. Continue stirring constantly over medium heat. Cook to a semi-firm ball. Cooking time will vary depending on how high you have the heat. If I drop some caramel in a cup of cold water and if it can be made into a semi-firm ball…it’s ready.
4. Hot Fudge Sauce
This hot fudge sauce was really popular about 40 years ago. I think everyone in the nearby church handed out mason jars of this yummy chocolate to the whole neighborhood. It’s that good, I promise!
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
-
Grab a medium size saucepan. Combine the butter and condensed milk in the saucepan. Stir until the butter melts and the milk is warm. Stir in the chocolate chips, stir constantly until the chips melt, and the mixture is smooth. When slightly cool, pour into a mason jar. This keeps for about 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator.
5. Tartar Sauce
If you’re like me, you have some fish cooked for dinner, and your husband asks, “Do we have any tartar sauce?” That’s when I quickly grab a bowl and make this easy recipe. You will never be out of tartar sauce if you have these simple ingredients in your home grocery store.
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped dill pickle
- 1-1/2 teaspoons parsley
- 1 teaspoon pimento
- 1/2 teaspoon finely minced onion
-
Combine the ingredients, stir until mixed completely. Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.
6. Sweet And Sour Sauce
Do you ever go to a Chinese food restaurant and wish you knew how to make sweet and sour sauce? I know, it has red food coloring, but oh my goodness, I still love it! This is great over baked chicken with rice. It’s perfect with homemade wontons, too!
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 2 tablespoons icy cold water
- 2-3 drop red food coloring, if desired
-
Stir the corn starch into the cold water, mix until smooth, set aside. Combine the remaining ingredients (except the food coloring) in a medium saucepan. Bring it to a boil, stirring constantly. Stir in the food coloring if desired.
7. Teriyaki Sauce
I love teriyaki sauce and I didn’t want to have to buy the bottled ones at the grocery store. I never felt like I could use up the whole bottle, so I experimented and came up with this recipe. It’s easy and it makes just enough for a meal or two depending on how many I am feeding.
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup of water
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt or powder
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 3/4 cup icy cold water
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
-
I like to start by dissolving the corn starch in the icy cold water, stir until smooth. Set aside. Grab a saucepan, over medium heat, combine soy sauce, water, ginger, garlic, brown sugar, and honey. Heat through. Add the corn starch mixture and continue cooking until you reach the desired thickness. Add a little water to thin, if you need to. Fold in the sesame seeds and serve.
8. Egg Foo Young Sauce
I have to tell you about this recipe. I grew up with my mom making Egg Foo Young. Well, my girls loved it when they were growing up. Mark, not so much. So, now that the girls have moved out, I’m the only one that likes it. Actually, I LOVE it. I also experimented and come up with a baked Egg Foo Young.
Egg Foo Young you usually fry in oil in a frying pan. Well, I was looking for a healthier option and this is the recipe I make for myself now. LOL! Baked Egg Foo Young Then I scoop this Egg Foo Young Sauce over it, it’s delicious, I promise. If you like vegetables and eggs.
- 2 cups water
- 2 bouillon cubes or 1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce or Bragg’s sauce
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
-
Place these ingredients in a medium saucepan and whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Serve warm over egg foo young.
9. Alfredo Sauce
I must confess, I cringe when my husband orders Chicken Alfredo at a restaurant. I know it’s a heart attack waiting to happen, I think to myself. No, I don’t say anything because I know he doesn’t eat it often. Life is good with a meal you enjoy, right? Sometimes I just love to make an Alfredo sauce to serve over noodles, man is it good!
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 pint heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated garlic
- 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
-
Grab a saucepan, and melt the butter.
-
Stir in the garlic, then add the cream.
-
Add the Parmesan cheese and simmer until thick and cooked through.
10. White Sauce
This is one of my very favorite recipes because I grew up on creamed chip beef and creamed tuna on toast. I make this white sauce a lot. If you can learn to make a roux with butter and flour and then add the milk you can make so many recipes. I’m talking about being able to feed a lot of people on a shoestring. Here is my post with ideas to make White Sauce Recipes
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 4 cups milk
- salt and pepper to taste
-
Make a “roux” in a saucepan by melting the butter, then add the flour. Stir until completely smooth. Slowly add the milk, stir constantly until it comes to a boil. Add the salt and pepper to taste.
Final Word
Do you get excited when you see a new recipe you haven’t tried before? It’s funny how old recipes sometimes recycle themselves. There is something about cooking at home for family and friends, don’t you think? Thanks again for being prepared for the unexpected. Hard times are coming, the storms this year will affect food prices, house prices, and several jobs. Please be ready. May God bless this world. Linda
Thanks Linda, for this Sauce post. We have fooled around with the sweet and sour sauce for ages now we can follow a recipe. I taught my son how to make the white sauce for Mac and cheese long ago and it made him so happy. You really help people get prepared when we do not hear it much anymore. Thank you for all you do.
Hi Sue, oh you are so nice!! Thank you for your kind words. It means the world to me. I love hearing you taught your son to make the white sauce. I LOVE IT! Linda
Thank you, Linda for your prompt attention to my request. You have far exceeded my expectations in giving us so many different and definitely usable recipes. These all look great and I am looking forward to trying the ones I have not made before.
Hi Pat, you are so welcome. Linda
Thanks for putting the sauces in print. Nice to have it in one place.
I always do sauce I the microwave. It’s faster and doesn’t burn.
This is wonderful! Question; if i take out the sugar could this be a good sauce for putting over chicken or fish? or would it be too tangy?
Hi Camille, which recipe? Is it the chalupa recipe or one of my 10 quick and easy sauce recipes? Let me know, Linda
Oops! I probably should have mentioned that sorry…..the lemon sauce!
Hi Camille, that’s okay. I use the lemon sauce on so many things. I would try it for sure. You may want to try cutting the sugar amount and see if you like it on fish. It’s a sweet type of creamy dressing. Linda
Thanks for this post. Not sure why I didn’t see it when it first came out!!
Hi Leanne, you are so cute! I hope you can use some of the recipes! Linda
Linda – There are several recipes I will be using at some point. I have been wanting to try making Egg Foo Young and I like the idea of baked rather than fried. I also have a low carb cake (more like a brownie consistency but almond flavored) that I think the lemon sauce or vanilla sauce would go with! I will just try replacing the sugar with a low carb variety!
Hi Leanne, oh my goodness, I love baked egg foo young, especially with my mom’s gravy recipe!! I would love anything with chocolate!! Linda
Yummy! So many great sauces to try!
Hi Tiffany, thank you, I really wanted to share most of my homemade sauces. Linda
Oh my goodness! I’ve tried most of these sauces and my favorites are the vanilla and caramel. I love your recipes! Thanks for sharing them.
Hi Alli, Oh I love hearing this! It’s so fun to make homemade sauces!! Linda
Omg!! I love all of these sauces!! I’ve tried each one :)) They are a staple in our house. I printed them out so I can access them easily. Thank you!!❤️❤️
Hi Camille, thank you so much! I love making homemade sauces!! Enjoy, Linda