Simple Summer Fruit Compote Recipe

Don’t let your delicious fruit go to waste – This is the perfect topping for ice cream, yogurt and much more!

Fruit Compote is the best topping you can add to any bowl of ice cream, yogurt or toast. You can even eat compote on its own as a snack. In fact, you probably have already! One of the most common fruit compotes that you’ve probably encountered before is Applesauce. This process of cooking fruit down into a sauce like consistency has been around for a long time, originating in 17th century France. With just a handful of fruit you can have a fresh topping for a variety of treats. Since this simple dish can be enjoyed either warmed or chilled, the possibilities really are endless.

It’s not necessary to add sweetener to this recipe but if you’d like to then we recommend either honey or maple syrup for the best flavor. This recipe is a great way to use your close to expiring fruit. By using very ripe and sweet fruit, you can get a sweeter result without adding any sugar. You can create more complex versions of compote by adding spices like lemon peel and cinnamon sticks to create whole new flavor profile like this Spiced Compote Recipe made with a variety of fruit and spiced with cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Balsamic Vinegar and salt can be unexpected flavor addition to compotes, think about what flavors would work best for the meals you’re going to use the compote with most. If it’s for vanilla ice cream you can really get creative, but if it’s just to eat on its own or with another strong flavor you might prefer a milder spice blend.

For this recipe we used raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries. I like to call this the berry-trifecta because these berries are so delicious together. The tartness of strawberries and raspberries mixing into the deeply sweet blueberry flavor - Just perfect! You don’t have to make a blend; compote can be made using a single type of fruit as well. Peaches, cherries, apples and pears as well as all berries work well in compotes. If you do choose to use fruit that is very ripe that you might otherwise toss out, make sure it’s not to the point where it’s molded. This is important especially for raspberries to avoid using fruit that is too far gone, as you will taste it in the final product. To keep things easy you can always use frozen fruit. Frozen will take a little longer to reduce the moisture but will still produce a tasty result.

You can start with any amount of fruit that you would like for this recipe, whether you only have 1 cup of berries or if you have a huge 4 pound Costco bag of them. Even with just one apple you can create delicious compote! The process is quick, about 15 minutes, but you can also choose to make a large batch of compote ahead in a crock pot or instant pot. Using a crockpot or instant pot is a great idea for fruit that takes longer to cook down such as apples and pears. It freezes well and can be rewarmed easily on your stove top.

Try some berry compote on your toasted Double Chocolate Breakfast Cookie or in your next bowl of oatmeal. Top your birthday cake with a dollop of peach compote or layer it into your Overnight Oats. Pancakes, waffles and French toast with warm strawberry compote will be your favorite new brunch recipe, while also replacing your usual syrup to sweeten the meal. Cheese & crackers with cherry compote would make a delicious picnic snack. I’m telling you, endless possibilities. 

Summer Fruit Compote Recipe

Ingredients:

Any amount of fresh or frozen fruit.

Recommended Fruits: Strawberries, Blackberries, Blueberries, Pears, Apples, Peaches, Raspberries, and Cherries

Directions:

1. Add frozen or fresh fruit to a pot on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
2. Once the mixture reaches a rapid boil, reduce to low heat and continue cooking until the mixture thickens. Takes 10-15 minutes depending on how much fruit you’ve used.
3. Remove the pot from heat and allow compote to cool then store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze.

Let us know how you like to use compote for your family!

Symone Maruyama
Customer Service | Erin Baker's