This fresh cherry compote recipe is an easy and delicious way to use ripe cherries at the height of cherry season. Cherry compote is the perfect topping for French toast, crepes, yogurt and granola or simply a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Those sweet summer cherries just bursting with juice are one of my favorite treats. I buy pounds of cherries at a time, perhaps overly optimistic at how many my family will eat during the week...hence why this simple cherry compote is my go-to.
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Simple Ingredients
- 2 cups of ripe, pitted sweet Northwest cherries (I love bing cherries especially)
- 2 tbsp of butter (adds a smooth, rich flavor to the compote)
- zest of one lemon
- 2 tsp sugar (this is absolutely optional- no need for sugar when you are using very ripe fruit)
Note - fresh Lemon juice or orange juice work well if you don't have a fresh lemon for zesting.
Recipe card is at the bottom of this post. This blog post was sponsored by Northwest Cherries. Thank you for supporting my small business.
Instructions for homemade cherry Compote
- Pit and roughly chop the cherries. I like to leave large pieces of fruit visible.
- Melt the butter in a non-stick skillet or small saucepan on medium heat (don’t let the butter get brown). I like to use my Le Creuset dutch oven when cooking a bigger batch to ensure an even heat distribution.
- Toss in all of the diced cherries all at the same time as well as the sugar (if using) and bring to a simmer stirring frequently.
- Reduce the heat & add the lemon zest while stirring frequently. The butter adds a wonderfully rich taste to the fruit – be generous with the butter!
- Simmer long enough to allow the fruit to break down so that the mixture resembles a chunky fruit sauce. Cook time is about 10-12 minutes. Your kitchen will smell amazing while you are at it!
Le Chef's tip
Observing Le Chef prepare breakfast one morning I realized there was a much simpler way to use overripe fruit. Fresh fruit compote! So quick to prepare and it can be done in small batches which you can easily freeze.
Within minutes you can have a decadent fruity sauce to spoon over crêpes, french toast or plain yogurt for a healthy snack. Such a great way to use up ripe fruit. Have you ever tasted ice cream with warm fresh cherry compote? Unbelievably good!
So while I know that there are much more advanced recipes of compote out there, here is my approach that can easily be done in minutes. It is so quick and easy you will want to make this every weekend!
Frequently asked questions
Jam and compote are similar, both consist of cooked fruit, with sugar. However jam is often strained and easily spreadable and meant to be preserved. Compote on the other hand is made of whole or big pieces of fruits and is meant to be enjoyed immediately. Compote can be savory or sweet and is a the perfect topping to crêpes, french toast ( a great alternative to maple syrup) or a fresh baked baguette.
Absolutely. Compote can be made with fresh, frozen or dried fruit. If you are using frozen cherries you will need to equate for a little more liquid while dried fruit should soak in water before cooking into a compote to that the fruit plumps up a bit.
I don't mind a runny compote! It is like a delightful syrup with chunks of delicious fruit in it. What could be yummier than a cherry sauce? If you would like your compote to be thicker , you can add a thickening agent such as cornstarch (make sure to make a cornstarch slurry by mixing it well in water before adding to the compote) or pectin. Simply simmering the fruit for longer with sugar also helps to boil off the extra juice. Careful not to let your pan get too hot and burn the fruit.
Not at all. When I am cooking compote in summer I rarely add sugar. Fresh, ripe strawberries or peaches need no extra sugar. If you are using frozen or out of season fruit I do recommend adding sugar to boost the sweetness of the compote.
Growing up on a Cherry Orchard
Long before I met Le Chef and moved to France I grew up on a farm. An Organic, Biodynamic farm in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada. My father was a pioneer of Biodynamic farming and taught me the value of fresh, seasonal food at a very young age. I spent my summers surrounded with cherries, peaches and apricots and nectarines and plums. Sweet, juicy fruit, fresh off the tree – that is summer to me.
As kids, my mother taught my sister and I how to can fruit. The hot summers of the Okanagan Valley ripened the fruit so quickly and we hated to see it go to waste. We canned all sorts of jams and sauces to be stored away in our cellar for the winter. There was no greater pleasure than opening up a jar of our own cherry jam to smother over Crêpes in February. We could almost taste the sunshine!
Today, visiting my local farmer's markets brings me right back to those childhood memories. I buy pounds of fruit somewhat optimistically as if each meal during the week will be of fresh cherries. Despite my best efforts sometimes life gets in the way and that bowl of gorgeous fruit on my counter gets a little too ripe. I would love to be able to can fruit as we used to, but I know the time commitment and the equipment that canning requires and I just don't see it happening this summer. Freezing compote is a wonderful alternative to canning
Storage Instructions
Once the compote is cooked you can serve it immediately as a fresh cherry sauce topping for crêpes, french toast, a yogurt parfait or a fresh baked baguette.
I like to save any remaining compote in an airtight container to eat during the week (over yogurt or granola most likely) then freeze the rest to enjoy on a winter day.
A space saving tip I learnt is to freeze the compote in Freezer bags so that you can lay them flat and stack them in your freezer. Compote will keep for a few months in the freezer and is perfect to take out when you want a delicious topping to your favorite dessert.
How to pit cherries without a cherry pitter
If you have a cherry pitter tool, you are winning in life! It is the easiest way.
If you don't have a cherry pitter tool (like me) pitting whole cherries can be a little bit of a struggle until you get the hang of it.
With a sharp knife (a paring knife works great), cut around the pit, making 4 slices of each cherry. Discard the cherry pits and stems.
Health Benefits of Cherries
How to Use Compote
This recipe for fruit compote is a quick way to add a burst of flavor to brunch or dessert but also a delicious savory dish.
I love to serve compote over crêpes, french toast, steel cut oats or a fresh baked baguette.
Compote served warm over vanilla ice cream is a true delight. Why not serve over sweet desserts such as panna cotta or cheese
Compote is also delicious over plain yogurt or granola for a quick mid-week breakfast or post workout snack
I also greatly recommend serving a cherry compote with savory dishes such as duck breast magret or pork tenderloin. Absolutely irresistible!
Compote Variations
Last but not least, I invite you to get creative. Experiment with adding ginger, or basil, or chili peppers for a little extra flavor – whatever you fancy! Just make sure to write back and tell me about how you used this fresh fruit compote recipe. I would love to hear what you are cooking!
Let me know if you try this recipe, I love to hear from you!
Au plaisir,
Le Chef's Wife
ABOUT LE CHEF'S WIFE
Bonjour! I am Anina Belle. I translate the fancy cooking of my Michelin-star trained French Chef Husband, Le Chef, into easy to make dishes that busy people with no culinary training (like me!) can make at home. We have two young kids (6 and 3) and I work full time in addition to this blog. I strongly believe that even busy people deserve to eat well at home.
Look inside our Kitchen with this recent Washington Post Article. We were recently featured on the TODAY SHOW for our recipes of French Onion Soup Gratinée and Moelleux au Chocolat. You can watch our full segment here:
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Fresh Cherry Compote Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: toppings
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: french
Description
This Fresh cherry compote recipe is an easy and delicious way to use ripe cherries at the height of cherry season. Cherry compote is the perfect topping for French toast, crepes, yogurt and granola or simply a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
-
- 2 cups of ripe, pitted sweet Northwest cherries (I love bing cherries especially)
-
- 2 tbsp of butter (adds a smooth, rich flavor to the compote)
-
- zest of one lemon
-
- 2 tsp sugar (this is absolutely optional- no need for sugar when you are using very ripe fruit)
Instructions
-
- Pit and roughly chop the cherries. I like to leave large pieces of fruit visible.
-
- Melt the butter in a non-stick skillet or small saucepan on medium heat (don’t let the butter get brown). I like to use my Le Creuset dutch oven when cooking a bigger batch to ensure an even heat distribution.
-
- Toss in all of the diced cherries all at the same time as well as the sugar (if using) and bring to a simmer stirring frequently.
-
- Reduce the heat & add the lemon zest while stirring frequently. The butter adds a wonderfully rich taste to the fruit – be generous with the butter!
-
- Simmer long enough to allow the fruit to break down so that the mixture resembles a chunky fruit sauce. Cook time is about 10-12 minutes. Your kitchen will smell amazing while you are at it!
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