Italian Strawberries with Sugar and Lemon

You just need 10 minutes and three ingredients to make Italian Strawberries with Sugar and Lemon! These dessert strawberries are so delicious. They're perfect by themselves or as a topping for angel food cake, cheesecake, shortcake or pancakes!

Here's a three-ingredient recipe that'll knock your socks off. I give you Italian Strawberries with Sugar and Lemon.

Have you heard of this dish before? It's common in Naples, where my family is from, but I've read it originated in Rome.

Who knows?

I've eaten these dessert strawberries my entire life. I thought everyone else did too.

But, then I realized I've never seen these strawberries anywhere in America, outside of our family gatherings. Hmmm.

So I googled it. I didn't come up with anything quite the same in English.

The closest thing would be "macerated strawberries," which involves adding sugar to the berries and letting them sit until juicy. Those get really soft, though.

Mom's Italian Strawberries with Sugar and Lemon are nice and firm. More like a strawberry salad.

And that sweet syrup with a lemony tang just begs to be slurped from the bottom of your bowl.

You have to make these! They're one of the best healthy summer desserts.

Recipe ingredients

Strawberries. Sugar. Lemon.

I wasn't kidding when I said three ingredients. This is definitely easier than strawberry pie.

How to cut strawberries

1. Cut out and discard the green stems.
2. Cut the strawberries in half the long way. I love using this type of cutting board (affiliate link).
3. Cut the berries in half again the long way. Now you have quartered strawberries.

Recipe tips

• You can quarter the strawberries up to one hour ahead of time.
• Don't add the sugar and lemon until you're ready to serve these strawberries. Otherwise, they'll get soft and mushy.
• You can adjust the amount of sugar according to the sweetness of your strawberries. If they're not sweet enough, add more sugar.

How to serve strawberries with sugar and lemon

We enjoy this dish on Easter and at Sunday dinners throughout strawberry season. You can serve it as a stand-alone, lighter dessert or as a topping for:

• Sour Cream Pound Cake
• Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes
• Chocolate Cheesecake
• Creamy Cheesecake with Sour Cream Topping

This also is a great way to prepare strawberries for strawberry shortcake.

Frequently asked questions

Friends, I hope you try these sweetened strawberries. My kids go nuts for them!

Whenever Mom (their Nonna) says, "Do you want me to fix the strawberries?" their answer is always, "Yes!!"

Because one of life's greatest pleasures is having your Nonna fawn over you, cut up your fruit, stir in sugar and lemon, and toss it all together until an irresistible strawberry syrup coats each berry. 

What's not to love?

Enjoy!

P.S. Don't miss these 15 Cheesecake Toppings from Scratch or this Easy Grape Salad!

(Recipe Source: My Mom, who doesn't use a measuring cup but grabs a regular tablespoon from the drawer. Originally published on April 6, 2017 and updated now with additional information.)