This delicious apple compote is made with fresh apples and can be enjoyed on its own or used as a topping for various dishes.
Made from fresh apples, this compote is rich in flavor and has a delightful balance of sweetness and tartness.
It can be enjoyed warm or chilled, making it perfect for any season. Whether served over pancakes, yogurt, or ice cream, this apple compote adds a burst of fruity goodness to any dish.
Made from fresh apples, this compote is simmered with sugar, spices, and sometimes a hint of citrus for added flavor.
If you like apple desserts as we do, you should try out our apple crumble cheesecake, apple crumble cake, apple fritters, apple crumble muffins, easy apple cake, apple crumble pie, and apple turnovers!
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Why this recipe works
- Natural and uses fresh apples- this recipe does not use artificial flavoring or food coloring. This recipe is also great if you have a lot of fresh apples to use up!
- Flavor- this easy compote is spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg for the most delicious flavor combo. It is warm and comforting and tastes amazing as a topping for various desserts!
- Versatile- this recipe is super versatile and can be made in so many ways and flavors. You can add different spices to it like ginger, cardamom, or add different fruits that go well with apples like pears, or strawberries!
- Time- this whole recipe takes 20 minutes to make from start to finish without the prep time.
What is an apple compote?
An apple compote is a sweet and flavorful dish made by cooking apples with sugar and spices until they become soft and tender.
It is often used as a topping or filling for desserts, such as pies, tarts, or pancakes. The apples are peeled, cored, and sliced before being cooked down to a thick and luscious consistency.
Apple compote can be enjoyed warm or cold and is delicious either way!
Ingredients
Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Apples- we like to use green apples for this recipe, they are a little bit less sweet, but any kind of your favorite apples will work!
Brown sugar- we use brown sugar for this recipe. Brown sugar adds a caramelly flavor. You can use dark brown sugar as well.
Lemon- helps to balance the sweet flavor. If you love lemon and apple flavor, add ⅓ teaspoon of lemon zest to the mixture.
Cinnamon and nutmeg- give a delicious flavor and complement the apples perfectly.
Cornstarch- to thicken up the mixture. Cornstarch activates in heat and is added at the end of the recipe. I suggest mixing the cornstarch with a little bit of water before adding it to the mixer to prevent cornstarch lumps.
Kosher salt and water- you will need water to cook the apples and a pinch of salt to balance the flavors.
Instructions
Peel and cut the apples into small cubes. I like using my apple corer and slicer to make this process easy and quick.
Add the chopped apples to a saucepan over medium heat, and add the cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, vanilla extract, pinch of salt, and a little bit of water.
Mix it with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula mixing constantly to prevent it from burning.
Allow the mixture to simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes until the apples get tender and caramelized.
Into a small mixing bowl, add the cornstarch and a little bit of water and mix it with a spoon until it's well combined. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the saucepan and mix it until the liquids thicken up.
Remove the saucepan from the heat transfer the mixture to a mason jar and allow it to cool to room temperature with the lid open. Transfer it to the fridge with the lid closed and store for up to 5 days.
Expert Tips
- Cut the apples into thick or small pieces. If you like larger pieces of apples in your compote, keep the apples chunks larger.
- Keep in mind that the sauce thickens as it chills, if it looks too runny, you may need to let it cool before adding more cornstarch to make it thicker.
- To make this process easy, quick, and clean, use an apple peeler and corer. Here is the one I use all the time.
- Use firm apples for this compote to ensure they hold their shape and not turn into mush. The best firm apples to use are Granny Smith, Braeburn, Jonathan, Fuji, and Gala.
- If you are looking for a chunky consistency, cut your apples into large cubes. If you are looking for a smoother texture, cut the apples into smaller pieces and they will break while cooking.
- Taste the apples before making the sauce. If they are sour and less sweet, add more sugar. If they are very sweet, use less sugar.
- Cook this compote over low medium heat while it cooks so it won't burn on the bottom of the pan.
- Let the sauce completely cool before you use it for desserts like ice cream, or cheesecakes, so it won't melt the dessert down.
Faq's
Applesauce is typically made by cooking apples until they are soft and then pureeing them into a smooth consistency.
On the other hand, apple compote involves cooking sliced or chopped apples with sugar, spices, and sometimes other fruits until they become tender and syrupy.
Apple compote is made from a simple combination of apples, sugar, water, and spices like cinnamon or nutmeg.
The apples are cooked down until they become tender and release their natural sweetness, resulting in a flavorful and comforting treat that can be enjoyed on its own or used as a topping for various dishes.
To cook apple compote, it typically takes around 15-20 minutes on medium heat.
The best apples to use in baking typically have a balance of sweetness and tartness, as well as a firm texture that holds up well during the baking process.
My favorite apples to use are Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Pink Lady apples.
Storing
Store this homemade compote in the fridge in an airtight container or mason jar for up to 5 days.
Freezing
To freeze this compote, make it according to the instructions and let it cool completely to room temperature, then transfer the compote to a freezer-friendly container and freeze for up to 2 months.
To thaw, place the container in the fridge overnight or remove the container from the freezer and place it at room temperature for a few hours or until it's thawed.
If your compote is watery from thawing it, place it in a saucepan and cook it over medium heat until the water evaporates.
Reheating
Reheat the sauce over the stovetop on medium-low heat until its warm. Or reheat it in the microwave for about a minute.
Substitutions
Low sugar- you can replace the sugar with stevia or natural sweetener for your preference.
Fruit- instead of using just apples for this, you can use pears and apples or just pears!
Variations
Cornstarch- feel free to add more cornstarch for a thick apple compote. ¼ teaspoon at a time.
Fruit- spice up this recipe and add your favorite berries to the mixture. This will give this sauce a new flavor!
Flavoring- you can add your favorite flavoring to this compote. You can add the inside of a vanilla bean, and the vanilla bean itself (remove it when the compote is ready), or add vanilla extract or vanilla bean extract.
Spices- add your favorite spices for cinnamon-spiced desserts! Like nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin spice, ginger, etc.
Serving suggestions
- Top cheesecake or mini cheesecakes with this compote.
- Use it as a topping for pavlovas.
- Serve it with vanilla ice cream.
- Top your favorite pancakes and waffles with this compote.
- Filling for french crepes. We love filling crepes with this topping and whipped cream.
- Filling and topping for apple shortcake.
- Use it to layer it with yogurt parfait and granola.
- Spread it on toast.
- Use it for a delicious topping for french toast.
- Top vanilla pound cake with this compote.
Equipment
More fruity recipes
Strawberry compote- This easy strawberry compote can be made with fresh or frozen strawberries, takes 20 minutes from start to finish, and is a perfect way to use up ripe strawberries!
Strawberry crumble- This strawberry crumble is made with lots of fresh strawberries, and topped with a crispy and buttery oat crumble which is topped with vanilla ice cream for a perfect dessert.
Mini Fruit Tarts With Pastry Cream- These mini fruit tarts are made with easy and buttery tart shells, filled with homemade pastry cream, and topped with fresh fruit
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If you liked this recipe
📖 Recipe
Easy Apple Compote (30 Minute Recipe)
Ingredients
- 2 cups Apples chopped
- ¼ cup Brown sugar light or brown sugar will work
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
- 2 teaspoon Lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2-4 tablespoon Water
- 1 teaspoon Cornstarch plus 2 tablespoon of water
Instructions
- Peel and cut the apples into small cubes. I like using my apple corer and slicer to make this process easy and quick.
- Add the chopped apples to a saucepan over medium heat, and add the cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, vanilla extract, pinch of salt, and a little bit of water.
- Mix it with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula mixing constantly to prevent it from burning.
- Allow the mixture to simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes until the apples get tender and caramelized.
- Into a small mixing bowl, add the cornstarch and a little bit of water and mix it with a spoon until it's well combined. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the saucepan and mix it until the liquids thicken up.
Notes
- Cut the apples into thick or small pieces. If you like larger pieces of apples in your compote, keep the apples chunks larger.
- Keep in mind that the sauce thickens as it chills, if it looks too runny, you may need to let it cool before adding more cornstarch to make it thicker.
- To make this process easy, quick, and clean, use an apple peeler and corer. Here is the one I use all the time.
- Use firm apples for this compote to ensure they hold their shape and not turn into mush. The best firm apples to use are Granny Smith, Braeburn, Jonathan, Fuji, and Gala.
- If you are looking for a chunky consistency, cut your apples into large cubes. If you are looking for a smoother texture, cut the apples into smaller pieces and they will break while cooking.
- Taste the apples before making the sauce. If they are sour and less sweet, add more sugar. If they are very sweet, use less sugar.
- Cook this compote over low medium heat while it cooks so it won't burn on the bottom of the pan.
- Let the sauce completely cool before you use it for desserts like ice cream, or cheesecakes, so it won't melt the dessert down.
Susan says
This came out really good! Made it for my husband for Father’s Day.