This quick and easy strawberry compote recipe is ready in 25 minutes, made with fresh strawberries, and it's the perfect topping for pancakes, waffles, French toast, and more! Low sugar, just a few ingredients, and thickens without cornstarch.
Homemade fresh strawberry compote is an easy recipe that brings more berries into your life, and who doesn't want that? It only has two tablespoons of sugar, and thickens naturally with the addition of a little lemon juice.
Compote is a great way to use up strawberries before they go bad and can be used in so many delicious ways, including as a filling in cakes or crepes, as an ice cream topping, you decide! Let's cut down on food waste while enjoying all the flavor, shall we?
And try my blueberry compote recipe or some apple compote when you want to change things up!
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Strawberry compote ingredients
You only need 4 simple ingredients to make strawberry compote!
- Strawberries: To make strawberry compote, you don't need the most perfect berries ever. If they are perfect, yay, but if they have been hanging around in the fridge and aren't looking so perky anymore, that's okay. Just cut off any really bad mushy spots and you're good to go.
- Sugar: Great news - unlike jam, compotes only use a little bit of sugar, so you can feel a bit better about indulging.
- Lemon juice and zest: The lemon juice will help it thicken a bit, the lemon zest adds additional brightness.
- Water: You need a little bit of water to get the strawberries started cooking without scorching them.
How to make strawberry compote
Step 1: Cut up the strawberries
Hull the strawberries and cut them in half, or quarters if they are very large.
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Step 2: Combine strawberries with sugar and lemon juice
Add the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and water to a deep saucepan and place over medium heat.
Step 3: Simmer the strawberry compote
Cook the strawberry compote over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture thickens to your desired consistency, 20-25 minutes. Stir in lemon zest, and set aside to cool.
Expert tips
- If you want to skim the foam off the top, you can, but it's not essential: Since the compote will be stored in the fridge and you're not canning it, there's no need to worry about air bubbles letting in bacteria. You can just stir them away.
- You can adjust the cooking time to suit the thickness you prefer: If you want it more liquidy to use on pancakes, stop the cooking sooner. If you like a thicker consistency, cook it longer. Just remember it will thicken slightly as it cools.
- When making strawberry compote, don't use high heat: You want a medium simmer, not a rolling boil.
- Try other berries: You can substitute other berries or even mixed berries in equal amounts.
How to serve strawberry compote
You can use this homemade strawberry compote recipe in so many ways. Try these ideas.
- Pour over the top of my Cornmeal Pancakes or these Lemon Ricotta Pancakes for a delicious combo.
- Serve inside my Buckwheat Crêpes when you're feeling French!
- It's the perfect strawberry topping for your favorite ice cream flavor.
- Layer compote into Yogurt Parfaits.
- Ladle some on top of French toast or waffles.
- Put strawberry compote on cheesecake! The most classic thing ever!
FAQ
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
Compote freezes well in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
Compote is not jam, it's much easier and stress-free in my opinion! Compotes use just a couple of tablespoons of sugar, and they should be stored in the refrigerator and eaten within a few days. Jam might use several cups of sugar, and if you plan to can it, needs to be transferred to sterilized containers and prepared in a very specific way to avoid bacterial growth.
More strawberry recipes
- A Strawberry Galette is so much easier than pie, with that ooey-gooey filling you love!
- Flip strawberries to the savory side with this Strawberry Arugula Salad with Basil and Mint.
- A Strawberry Dairy Free Milkshake hits the spot on a hot day. Or anytime, really.
This fresh strawberry compote recipe is quick and easy to make!
- Making strawberry compote is easy: You can do it in 3 steps!
- Low in sugar: Only 2 tablespoons of sugar per pound of fruit.
- Ready in 25 minutes.
- Serve fresh strawberry compote on pancakes, ice cream, yogurt, the possibilities are endless!
- Dairy-free and gluten-free!
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Recipe
Strawberry Compote Recipe
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Equipment
- large saucepan non-reactive
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh strawberries
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon water
- zest of one lemon
Instructions
- Hull the strawberries and cut them in half, or quarters if they are very large.
- Add the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and water to a deep saucepan and place over medium heat.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture thickens to your desired consistency, 20-25 minutes.
- Remove from heat, stir in lemon zest, and set aside to cool.
Notes
- If you want to skim the foam off the top, you can, but it's not essential. Since the compote will be stored in the fridge and you're not canning it, there's no need to worry about air bubbles letting in bacteria. You can just stir them away.
- You can adjust the cooking time to suit the thickness you prefer. If you want it more liquidy to use on pancakes, stop the cooking sooner. If you like a thicker consistency, cook it longer. Just remember it will thicken slightly as it cools.
- You can substitute other berries or even mixed berries in equal amounts.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
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