How to make a compote out of frozen fruit

This simple 2-ingredient fruit compote is a delicious way to enjoy summer fruit. It’s incredibly quick and easy to make and can be served in many different ways.

Fruit compote is basically fruit cooked with some form of sugar (such as granulated or honey) which produces a syrupy fruit mixture (‘mixture’ in French is ‘compȏte’). It cooks quite quickly, enough for the fruit to release lots of juice while still holding their shape.

Fruit compote has been around for centuries. It’s easy and cheap to make using widely available ingredients and it’s a simple way of turning summer bounty into something delicious.

Fruit compote ingredients

The list of ingredients is quite basic. All you really need is fruit and sugar. Use any combination of berries (I used raspberries and blueberries), currants or stone fruit. You can make a single fruit or multi fruit compote. For a single fruit compote I would recommend using a naturally sweet fruit, such as blueberry or strawberry but not red currants as they are quite sour and would have to be cooked with quite a lot of sugar.

The amount of sugar you will need ultimately depends on the type of fruit you use as well as personal preference.

Recipe instructions

1.If using fresh fruit rinse the fruit and remove the pits (if applicable) then place the fruit in a large pan/saucepan. If using large fruit, such as peaches, remove the pits and chop into chunks before cooking. Add the sugar and cook over a medium heat for about 6 minutes (add 2 more minutes is using frozen fruit) stirring often. The fruit will soften and release lots of juice. Bring to the boil and cook for a couple of minutes. Stir gently so the fruit keeps its shape.

Add more sugar to taste at any point during cooking if needed.

2. Remove from the heat and serve immediately or wait for the sauce to cool before serving. See Serving Suggestions below.

How to thicken fruit compote

You can thicken your fruit compote and turn it into a fruit pie filling by simply dissolving 1 tablespoon of corn starch in 1.5 tablespoons of cold water and adding it into the compote as it’s cooking. Alternatively thicken the mixture after it’s been cooked. Bring to the boil and cook for about 2 minutes until the mixture has thickened stirring often. You may want to add more sugar into this mixture.

Another way of creating a thick fruit sauce is by adding dried fruit into the mixture. I used this method in my blackberry coffee cake recipe which needed a layer of fruit. I cooked fresh blackberries along with finely chopped dried prunes and a little sugar and the result was a thick, jam like mixture perfect to use in a cake.

What is kompot juice

‘Kompot’ in Polish stands for fruit juice and is a kind of East European version of the French fruit compote dessert. Growing up in Poland I was used to kompot being on the table at meal times throughout the summer when fruit was cheap and easily available. Kompot was cooked using any fruit that happened to be on hand which often included strawberries, cherries and rhubarb. The fruit was cooked with sugar and lots of water.

At Christmas we would drink dried fruit compote which usually contained more spice than everyday fresh fruit compote.

Serving suggestions

What I really love about fruit compote is that can be enjoyed for breakfast, snack or dessert. Starting with breakfast you can pour it over pancakes, waffles, hot porridge or stir it into overnight oats.

Turn it into a healthy snack by stirring into yogurt and making your own delicious flavoured yogurt. You can also add it into yogurt parfait.

Enjoy it as dessert alongside custard (German style), pour over ice cream or serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

You could also turn your fruit compote into a coulis which is a thin fruit sauce made from cooked and strained fruit. This mixture can be used to pour over desserts, add to frozen treats (such as ice pops) or flavour iced teas and other beverages. I also used it to add a fruity twist to my chocolate sauce recipe.

How to flavour fruit compote

You can add more flavour into your compote in the form of spices, herbs and other ingredients. Popular choices include cinnamon or pumpkin spice, finely chopped basil or mint, grated ginger as well as orange or lemon zest. Simply stir these into the fruit mixture as it cooks.

Top tips

Use fresh or frozen fruit. Frozen fruit will need to be cooked a little longer (about 2 minutes more).
Your fruit compote will thicken as it cools – add a splash of water, orange or apple juice to loosen the mixture if you like.
The amount of sugar needed depends on the kind of fruit you use as well as personal preference. So adjust the amount to your liking.
You can use a potato masher to break up larger pieces of fruit after the compote has cooked.
Keep in a jar, refrigerated, for up to a week. Cool completely before refrigerating.
Serve warm or chilled.

Keep in touch!

Do you have a favourite way of serving fruit compote? Let me know what it is in the comments below, thanks!

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Home » Recipes » Mixed Berry Compote using frozen berries

This rich and juicy mixed berry compote is so easy to make and is perfect as a topping for pancakes, porridge and even as a filling for cakes. One of the best uses for this recipe is as a frozen berry compote for cheesecake. The mix of the cream cheese of a cheesecake and the slightly sharp juicy berries is fantastic. You can use fresh or frozen mixed berries for this easy compote recipe.

What I love so much about this recipe is how juicy it is. It’s messy and fruity and works so well for a host of different recipes. I love it on pancakes for a tasty weekend brunch. I like adding a mixed berry compote to cheesecakes too.

Why you’ll love this recipe

You can’t beat this as a fresh and juicy frozen berry compote for pancakes. The sweet berries with the hint of lemon zest is delicious against pancakes or on a fresh cheesecake.
You can freeze this mixed berry compote to use later too!

Ingredients

MIXED BERRIES

You can use frozen or fresh mixed berries for this recipe. The mix berries I used was made up of strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, redcurrants, blueberries and blackcurrants.

LEMON

The lemon zest and juice is not only added for flavour but also to help the mixed berries to turn more jammy. The lemon juice causes a reaction with the pectin which starts the fruit setting. If you wanted to make jam you would leave it bubbling a little more (you would also need a lot more sugar). A little lemon juice in this recipe really makes the finished compote really delicious.

SUGAR

As the fruit has fructose already it is a little sweet. As the mix of frozen berries, I had some blackcurrants and red currants which can be a bit sour, so I wanted to add some sugar. It also helps the overall sweetness be at that great level of sweet and bitter.

How to make mixed berry compote – step by step

In a saucepan add the frozen mixed berries. Break them up if they are frozen together. You can also use a mix of fresh berries.

Add the lemon zest and lemon juice and the caster or granulated sugar.

Place the saucepan on a medium-low heat and allow the frozen fruit to defrost and soften with the sugar and lemon.

Stir regularly and after 5 minutes it should have softened and started to thicken. Remove from the heat and serve straight away when it’s hot with pancakes, allow to cool for a cheesecake or add it to a sterilised jar to use later.

Top Tips

A quick zest of lemon adds a wonderfully sharp hint to this mixed berry compote.

Freeze this easy frozen berry compote to use later, place in a freezer safe container or bag and it will keep for a few months. Just defrost and use as you would if it were a fresh mixed berry compote.

I prefer to add it to a steralised hot jar so I can store it for a few months – it never lasts that long but it’s good to know it’s there for a quick porridge or pancake breakfast.

Serving Suggestions

Mixed berry compote for cheesecake

Fresh fruit coulis makes for a perfect cheesecake topper, the sharpness mixed with the sweet flavour of the cheesecake is excellent and makes for a truly elegant dessert. Serve with a tall glass of prosecco.

Frozen berry compote for pancakes

Is your weekend really complete without pancakes? And if you fancy something fresher than bacon and maple syrup than this frozen berry is the answer! You can also swap out the berries for your favourite seasonal fruits.

Mixed berry compote for cake

Tired of jam on your Victoria sponge? Use this easy compote recipe to mix it up! Replace your jam with this easy fruit compote for an elevated afternoon tea sponge.

Equipment

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large saucepan
chopping board
knife
Grater
jam jar (approximately 270 ml/ 9 oz) Sanitised by pouring in boiling water and leaving it upside down to drain.

Storing / Making ahead of time options

The thing I love about fruit compotes is that they can be kept for a long time! Once they are in the sterilized jar it can last for weeks in the fridge.

Substitutions and variations

For this recipe, I used lemon zest but for a different flavour, you could use orange or a lime.

For a truly extravagant version, add some chocolate chips once the mixture has cooled. Dark chocolate pairs perfectly with these berry flavours.

If you are using this recipe as mixed berry compote for cheesecake then I would recommend adding a flavour from the cheesecake into the compote too. For example if you are adding vanilla extract to the cheesecake you can add a little into the compote too.

FAQS for a mixed berry compote

Can fruit coulis be frozen?

Yes! Once it has cooled down place it in freezer – suitable container and freeze!

What’s the difference between coulis and compote?

The two are similar and made from the same ingredients. A berry compote is fresh or frozen fruit that has been slowly cooked with sugar and lemon. However, a fruit coulis is just a fruit compote which is pureed and strained fruit. I prefer a compote!

What can you do with coulis?

There are so many options with what you can do with coulis or compote! This mixed berry compote pairs best with pancakes. However you can also have it with cheesecake, drizzled over a hot dark chocolate brownie or even as a healthy topping for porridge.

How do you store coulis?

In a sterilized jar, you can keep the fruit compote in the fridge for a few weeks.

If you want, you can even freeze the mixed berry compote for later.

If you only want it for the next day or just until it goes cool for example as amixed berry compote for cheesecake, then you can let it cool in a bowl and then cover with cling film or a lid until it’s needed.