Easy and Sweet Fruit Compote Recipe (Ready in just 15 minutes)

• Food: Fruit Compote
• Writer: Nicolas Wilson
• Content-Type: Food Blog

Looking for a quick and easy dessert? Fruit compote over vanilla ice cream is one of the easiest desserts to make. Fresh, saucy, and sweet compote can be made in as little as 15 minutes.

Compote can be made ahead of time and warmed up later, or it can be thrown on the stove after dinner.

Serve it with ice cream for dessert, yogurt or toast for breakfast the next day, or anything else that needs a fruity taste boost. You can’t go wrong with this.

What precisely is a compote? Compote is a basic fruit sauce made using fresh (or frozen) fruit and sugar that is heated on the stove for a short time.

The finished product could be described as textured fruit sauce or chunky fruit syrup. It’s what I refer to as “magic.”

To make a naturally sweetened compote, I use a small amount of maple syrup or honey instead of sugar. If your compote isn’t sweet enough, you can easily add extra after cooking because it’s liquid.

Compote isn’t as thick as jam or jelly, and it’s meant to be eaten as soon as possible after it’s made (it will keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator). It’s not meant to be canned or stored for months or years at a time.

Compote is so simple to make that you can whip up a batch on the spur of the moment!

Fruit compote possibilities

In these images, I’ve used a couple of my favorites (I made separate batches of strawberry, blueberry and peach compote). Here’s a longer list of fruits that can be used to produce compote:

• Strawberries
• Peaches
• Blueberries
• Raspberries
• Blackberries are a type of berry that grows (keep mind there will be seeds in the finished product)
• Cherries
• Pears
• Apples are a fruit that grows on trees (technically applesauce)
• Cranberries (recipe for cranberry sauce can be found here)
• Or a frozen berry blend, or any combination of the above.

Is it possible to prepare compote with frozen fruit?

Yes, you can! Frozen fruit is an excellent choice for compote because it doesn’t require any prior preparation (such as peeling or chopping) and warms up to a soft, jammy texture.

Frozen fruit does not need to be defrosted before being added to the pot. It will take a few minutes longer for your mixture to come to a boil, but the end result should be just as excellent.

Compote’s applications

Compote is similar to jam or jelly in appearance (but better). Serve it alongside:

• a scoop of ice cream
• Whipped cream or yogurt
• Spread almond butter or cream cheese on the toast.
• Pancakes
• Waffles
• Toasted French bread
• Cake
• Cheesecake
• Puff pastry (including chia pudding)

Extra flavoring suggestions that are completely optional.

This fruit compote is quite delicious in its most basic form. Try any of the following if you want to add some extra intricacy. As the list progresses, it becomes increasingly bizarre.

• (1/4 teaspoon lemon zest or orange zest added before cooking)
• (1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon or ginger added before cooking)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (added after cooking)
• vinegar balsamic (1 to 2 teaspoons added after cooking)
• Orange juice or lemon juice (1 to 2 tablespoons added after cooking)
• Mint or basil leaves, fresh (add after cooking)
• black pepper, freshly ground (to taste, add after cooking)

Fruit Compote

This simple recipe will teach you how to create a fruit compote. Fresh or frozen fruit can be used to produce compote. It’s great on ice cream, yogurt, toast, pancakes, and waffles, among other things. The compote yields around 2 cups.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound (16 ounces) of fresh or frozen fruit (for the photos, I used fresh strawberries, peaches, and frozen blueberries)
• 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• Dash of salt
• See optional flavoring ideas given above recipe

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To prepare the fruit, cut it into small pieces if using fresh strawberries or peaches. You can use whole berries like blueberries or raspberries if they’re small. There’s no need to defrost or chop frozen fruit before using it.
2. Combine your fruit of choice, sweetener of choice, and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat. For fresh fruit, this will take approximately 5 minutes, while for frozen fruit, it will take around 10 minutes.
3. Reduce the heat to medium once the water has boiled. If you’re using chunky fruit or prefer a smoother consistency, mash it with a potato masher or a serving fork until it’s the consistency you want. Continue to simmer, stirring often, for approximately 5 minutes, or until the compote has condensed to about half of its original volume.
4. Remove the compote from the heat and set it aside. I’m OK with the sweetness of my compote at this stage, but if it’s not sweet enough for you, you can add additional sweetener to taste. Mash it some more if you want it to be smoother.
5. Allow the compote to cool slightly before serving. Allow leftover compote to cool completely before covering and storing for up to 10 days in the refrigerator.

NOTES

• MAKE IT VEGAN: Serve with vegan accompaniments and maple syrup instead of honey.