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!
This recipe shows you how to make a strawberry compote with a few simple ingredients.
My favorite ways to serve this compote are as a topping for pancakes, topping for cakes, topping for waffles, with strawberry filling for cakes, or serving it with vanilla ice cream.
Serve this strawberry compote as a filling for our strawberry cinnamon rolls, or as a topping for our strawberry danish, cheesecake with strawberry sauce, mini strawberry cheesecakes, strawberry sheet cake, mini strawberry pavlova nests, vanilla cheesecake, no bake mini cheesecakes.
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Why this recipe works
- Flavor- this compote tastes fresh, and sweet, and is made with orange zest or lemon zest that adds a delicious aroma.
- Ease- this recipe is super easy to make, all you have to do is cut the strawberries in half and add all the ingredients to the saucepan.
- Time- this whole recipe takes 20 minutes to make from start to finish.
- Simple- this recipe uses super simple ingredients that you can find in any grocery store.
- Versatile- you can make this recipe with any berry that you have available!
- Natural- this recipe does not use artificial flavoring or food coloring.
What is a compote?
Compote is a dessert, or fruit spread originating from medieval Europe, made with pieces of fresh or frozen fruit combined with sugar syrup.
There are a lot of add-in flavors for compote like lemon zest, orange peel, cinnamon sticks, spices, grated coconut, canned fruit, etc.
For this strawberry compote, I added orange zest and fresh lemon juice for a delicious balance of flavors and aromas.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this strawberry compote for cake recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Strawberries- we used fresh strawberries for the sauce, but you can use frozen strawberries as well! If you are using frozen strawberries, there is no need to defrost them. You will have to cook the mixture for longer.
Lemon juice- we used lemon from a fresh lemon. This balances the sweetness of the sauce.
Sugar- we used granulated sugar for the sauce, but you can use caster sugar as well.
Orange zest- the orange zest adds an aroma and a light flavor to this sauce. You can use lemon zest instead of you'd like.
Cornstarch- to thicken the sauce.
Instructions
Cut the strawberries in half and place them in a saucepan. Add the sugar, orange zest, and lemon juice, and mix constantly over medium-high heat.
Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes mixing occasionally.
To thicken up the compote, mix the cornstarch in a small bowl with a little bit of water and pour it into the strawberry mixture mixing constantly. Simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
Let it cool for about 10 minutes, and serve it over ice cream, pancakes, crepes, or waffles, or let it cool completely and serve it over a cold dessert like cheesecakes.
Expert Tips
- Cut the strawberries into thick or small pieces. If you like larger pieces of strawberries in your sauce, keep the strawberry 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.
- For a smooth sauce, don't blend the strawberries before cooking them. It will make the mixture runny. Simply cook it as written in the instructions and then blend the finished sauce.
- If you are looking for a chunky consistency, cut your strawberries in half. If you are looking for a smoother texture, cut the strawberries into smaller pieces and they will break while cooking.
- Taste the strawberries before making the sauce. If they are sourer and less sweet, add more sugar. If they are very sweet, use less sugar.
- Cook this compote over low 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
A compote is a sauce made with sugar syrup and fresh or frozen fruit. It is cooked in a saucepan for 15 minutes over medium-low heat until it's cooked but not overcooked.
Yes! If you are using frozen strawberries, there is no need to defrost them. You will have to cook the mixture for longer.
This compote will last for up to 5 days sealed in an airtight container. We used our favorite mason jars.
Jam cooks longer than a compote resulting in a thicker consistency. A fruit compote takes less time to cook and has a chunkier and fruity texture and feel. A compote is perfect if you don't have a lot of time to cook the fruit.
The best way to thicken a compote is by making a cornstarch slurry. Into a small mixing bowl, add 2 teaspoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoon of water. Mix well and immediately add it to the compote.
Storing
Store this homemade compote in the fridge stored in an airtight container or mason jar.
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 3 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.
Reheating
Reheat the sauce over the stovetop on medium-low heat until its warm. Or reheat it in the microwave for about a minute.
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 strawberry shortcake.
- Use it for our favorite strawberry shortcake cake.
- Top vanilla pound cake with this compote.
Substitutions
Sugar- you can replace the sugar with stevia or natural sweetener for your preference.
Variations
Cornstarch- feel free to add more cornstarch for a thick strawberry compote.
Fruit- spice up this recipe and add your favorite berries to the mixture. This will give this sauce a new flavor!
Food coloring- we didn't use food coloring for this sauce, but you can add a few drops of red food coloring if desired!
Spices- instead of using citrus, you can add vanilla extract or vanilla bean extract, and add a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg for a warmer compote.
Equipment
- Whisk Set (pack of 3) to whisk the ingredients together.
- Saucepan.
- Mason jars to store.
More strawberry recipes
Mini strawberry cheesecakes- These mini strawberry cheesecakes are made with a graham cracker crust, topped with an easy and creamy cheesecake filling, and topped with homemade strawberry topping.
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.
Strawberry turnovers- Strawberry turnovers are very easy to make, they are made with a flakey and buttery puff pastry dough and filled with homemade strawberry filling, topped with a simple glaze, and served with vanilla ice cream.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Strawberry Compote (20 Minutes)
Ingredients
- 1 lbs Strawberries
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Orange zest
- â…“ cup Granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon Cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon Water
Instructions
- Cut the strawberries in half and place them in a saucepan. Add the sugar, orange zest, and lemon juice, and mix constantly over medium-high heat.
- Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes mixing occasionally.
- To thicken up the compote, mix the cornstarch in a small bowl with a little bit of water and pour it into the strawberry mixture mixing constantly. Simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
- Let it cool for about 10 minutes, and serve it over ice cream, pancakes, crepes, or waffles, or let it cool completely and serve it over a cold dessert like cheesecakes.
Notes
- Cut the strawberries into thick or small pieces. If you like larger pieces of strawberries in your sauce, keep the strawberry 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.
- For a smooth sauce, don't blend the strawberries before cooking them. It will make the mixture runny. Simply cook it as written in the instructions and then blend the finished sauce.
- If you are looking for a chunky consistency, cut your strawberries in half. If you are looking for a smoother texture, cut the strawberries into smaller pieces and they will break while cooking.
- Taste the strawberries before making the sauce. If they are sourer and less sweet, add more sugar. If they are very sweet, use less sugar.
- Cook this compote over low 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.
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