My recipe for Strawberry Compote is just two simple ingredients that makes for a delicious strawberry sauce that can be used on top of waffles, pancakes, and even desserts like ice cream and cheesecake!
I love to breakfast and dessert with homemade strawberry compote. My family and friends are always in awe that I made my own strawberry sauce from scratch and yet little do they realize how extremely easy it is to make.
We live in Florida, and every year during strawberry season (January-March) we always go strawberry picking at least once during the season. We typically pick 10-15 pounds worth of strawberries. Because of this, I’ve gotten really good over the years at using up all the strawberries during their peak freshness! I love making strawberry compote to top on ice cream, cheesecakes, or elevate breakfast and add the compote to waffles, french toast, and pancakes!
Table of contents
Ingredients
- Strawberries – Fresh strawberries are best for this recipe. But if you don’t have access to fresh strawberries you can thaw frozen strawberries.
- Granulated Sugar – I have only ever used granulated sugar. I’m sure in a pinch powder sugar could work, but have never tested it. I also have never used brown sugar to make strawberry sauce.
Directions
Combine Combine the strawberries and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries begin to release some of their juices and the mixture is simmering for about 15 minutes.
Remove the strawberries from the heat and keep warm if desired. Or let rest at room temperature and store in a glass jar for future use.
FAQs
Compote or compôte (which is French and means u0022mixtureu0022) is a dessert originating from medieval Europe, made of whole or pieces of fruit in sugar syrup. Whole fruits like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, etc are cooked with sugar and sometimes people add additional seasonings like lavender, cinnamon, nutmeg, or vanilla and water to thin out of the sauce if desired. Compotes can be served either warm or cold.
Compotes in general do not contain preservatives and therefor should be consumed within 2 weeks. Always refrigerate and freeze before the two week mark to enjoy at a later date.
If you would prefer a thicker compote or sauce you will want to mix a two tablespoons of water with one tablespoon of cornstarch. Mix it until it is well blendedu002du002dthis is called a slurry. Then gently stir in the cornstarch slurry into the hot compote mixture. You will notice it should start to thicken up immediately.
Unlike jam, which is more of a spreadable form that contains pectin and sometimes preservatives for freshness. Fruit in a homemade compote is left whole and can sometimes include spices.
The main difference between strawberry compote and strawberry sauce is that compote is thicker in texture and strawberry sauce is much thinner. You can use the same exact recipe to replicate whichever version you would like.
Tips & Tricks
Here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks I’ve found helpful when making strawberry topping.
- Servings – This recipe makes 2 cups of strawberry compote.
- Fresh Strawberries – I always prefer to use fresh strawberries when they are in season.
- Strawberry compote with frozen strawberries – I would advise on using chopped strawberries over whole. However, once the strawberries are broken down and cooked for long enough you can mash a few of them with a fork to break them down into smaller bite-size pieces.
- Thickening Sauce – If I find my strawberry sauce is too thin, I will thicken it by mixing together a cornstarch slurry. Make sure you stir in a little bit of the slurry at a time to monitor how thick it gets.
- Thinning Sauce – If you find your compote is too thick you can thin it out by adding a few tablespoons of water. Typically, fruit compote is thicker.
- Spices – If you want to get creative and add additional spices to your compote you can add in lavender for a more floral flavor. As well as cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, all spice, and even scraped vanilla bean.
- Storing – I like to store my strawberry topping in glass jars. I love to use these Weck Tulip Style Jars. These store well in the refrigerator and can be frozen as well.
- Freezing – To freeze the strawberry compote just place it in a freezer safe glass jar or freezer bag. Always label the contents of the bag plus the date. Freeze for up to 6 months.
- Thawing – To defrost the strawberry compote simply place the frozen jar or bag in the refrigerator over night and let it naturally thaw. You can also expedite this process by using the defrost setting on a microwave for a quicker thaw. The last way to defrost compote is by placing the frozen compote in a sauce pan. This only works if you freeze it in a freezer bag.
Strawberry Compote Recipes
If you are like me you will want to use up the strawberry compote on anything and everything you can. Here are a few of my favorite recipes that you can use strawberry sauce on.
If you make my homemade strawberry compote, I would be honored and love for you to take the time to leave a star rating and comment! I spend hours developing and testing these recipes, and always love to hear feedback and user experience!
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Strawberry Compote
Equipment
- Stove Top
- Glass Jars
Ingredients
- 2 cups Strawberries diced and tops removed
- ¼ cup Granulated Sugar
Instructions
- Combine the strawberries and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries begin to release some of their juices and the mixture is simmering for about 15 minutes.
- Remove the strawberries from the heat, let rest for 15 minutes. Serve warm if desired. Or let cool to room temperature and store for future use.
Notes
- Servings – This recipe makes 2 cups of strawberry compote.
- Fresh / Frozen Strawberries – I always prefer to use fresh strawberries when they are in season. However, you can thaw and use frozen strawberries. I would advise on using chopped strawberries over whole. However, once the strawberries are broken down and cooked for long enough you can mash a few of them with a fork to break them down into smaller bite-size pieces.
- Thickening Sauce – If I find my strawberry sauce is too thin, I will thicken it by mixing together a cornstarch slurry. Make sure you stir in a little bit of the slurry at a time to monitor how thick it gets.
- Thinning Sauce – If you find your compote is too thick you can thin it out by adding a few tablespoons of water. Typically, fruit compote is thicker.
- Spices – If you want to get creative and add additional spices to your compote you can add in lavender for a more floral flavor. As well as cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, all spice, and even scraped vanilla bean.
- Storing – I like to store my strawberry topping in glass jars. These store well in the refrigerator and can be frozen as well.
- Freezing – To freeze the strawberry compote just place it in a freezer safe glass jar or freezer bag. Always label the contents of the bag plus the date. Freeze for up to 6 months.
- Thawing – To defrost the strawberry compote simply place the frozen jar or bag in the refrigerator over night and let it naturally thaw. You can also expedite this process by using the defrost setting on a microwave for a quicker thaw. The last way to defrost compote is by placing the frozen compote in a sauce pan. This only works if you freeze it in a freezer bag.
Nutrition
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Teri Finegan Dalco
Made it for Mother’s day tomorrow. Cooked it a bt longer and got the most delicious almost roasted -like concentrated flavor. I also added a large pinch of salt to cut that too sweet sugary flavor. Going to pour over belgian waffles and fresh toast with whipped cream.
Katie
Teri– glad you loved this strawberry compote recipe. It’s so good on just about everything!