Try this cozy Apple Compote if you're looking for an easy-to-make and delicious dessert or topping. This simple yet flavorful compote comes together in just half an hour and is perfect for cold autumn nights or as a topping for your morning oatmeal or vegan cream of wheat.
As we move into autumn, there's nothing quite like making a delicious, wholesome, homemade apple compote to fill your home with warmth and coziness.
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As the days get shorter and the temperatures drop, it's time to cozy up with comforting fall recipes. A delicious apple compote is one of my all-time favorite dishes this time of year along with Vegan Apple Cider Mini Bundt Cakes or Vegan Apple Cider Donuts. It's a great way to enjoy apple season!
Whether you like tart apples or sweet apples, Granny Smith, or Honeycrisp - modify this versatile recipe with any apple to create the perfect fall flavor profile.
What could be better than an apple fruit sauce with in-season apples fresh from the apple tree and just a few simple ingredients? You will also enjoy this Cherry Compote, Blueberry Compote, or Rhubarb Compote.
This apple compote is a delicious topping on vegan banana oat pancakes, vegan buckwheat sourdough pancakes, or vegan buckwheat banana waffles.
A classic cookie recipe you'll enjoy is these Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies made with coconut oil.
I added this apple compote to my oatmeal this morning and it took it to the next level. I love this!
- Bobby
Ingredients
Here are the simple ingredients you need to make this wholesome apple compote recipe:
- Apples - The best apples to use are firm, fresh apples such as Granny Smith apples, Honeycrisp apples, Pink Lady, Pippins, Fuji, and Macintosh. You can use a variety of apples; I used Honeycrisp and Granny Smith. Note that different apples soften at varying rates. When more than one variety of apple is used, the texture of the apple compote will reflect the difference. Golden Delicious or Red Delicious will not have the right texture and will not hold their shape.
- Light brown sugar - you can vary the amount of sugar to your taste.
- Spices - I used ground cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, ground cardamom, and ground ginger for apple pie spice flavor. Adjust the spices to your taste.
- Lemon juice - fresh lemon juice complements the flavor of the apples and adds acidity for balance.
- Fine sea salt (not pictured) - to bring out the flavors. Just a pinch is needed.
- Vanilla extract - for additional flavor.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements and recipe instructions.
Substitutions
Here are some substitutions you can try when making this apple compote:
- Apples - instead of apples, you can use pears or a mixture of apples and pears. Or try quince; place the chopped quince in a cup of water with lemon juice to prevent it from oxidizing. Drain before cooking. To cook the quince, add a half-cup of water to the quince while cooking and cook until softened, approximately 20 - 30 minutes.
- Light brown sugar - use maple syrup, coconut sugar, dark brown sugar, regular white sugar, or organic cane sugar.
- Spices - use an apple pie spice blend instead.
Variations
- Sugar-free - omit the sweetener and stick to the apples' natural sugars.
- Deluxe - add a tablespoon or two of vegan butter or bourbon or dark rum.
- Spices - instead of ground cinnamon, use a cinnamon stick or star anise - remove when the fruit sauce is done cooking. Instead of vanilla extract, use a vanilla bean that is cut lengthwise. Instead of ground ginger, use fresh ginger.
- Lemon zest - add the zest of a lemon.
- Thicker apple compote - add cornstarch.
How to Make This Apple Compote
It's easy to make this simple recipe, even if it is your first time!
- Step 1: Add the lemon juice to the peeled, cored, and chopped apples in a medium bowl and combine.
- Step 2: Transfer the chopped apples to a medium saucepan and add the rest of the ingredients.
- Step 3: Heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture starts bubbling. Then reduce to medium-low heat or low and put the lid on slightly ajar.
- Step 4: Simmer the apple compote for another 10 to 15 minutes until the apples soften.
Expert Tips
- Stir the apple compote as it cooks to prevent burning. Add one to two tablespoons of water (or apple cider) to keep the apple mixture from drying out and sticking to the saucepan.
- If your apples are juicier than expected, leave the lid off while you cook the compote to allow some of the juices to boil off.
- For a thicker compote, stir in a teaspoon of cornstarch in the liquid while the compote cooks to thicken it.
- Adjust the amounts of lemon juice and spices to suit your taste. Taste while the apple compote cooks, and near the end, adjust the flavoring as needed. If you like a stronger lemon flavor, add a splash of fresh lemon juice when you take the apple compote off the heat.
- If your cooking range runs hot, reduce the heat slightly and cover the apple compote while it cooks. If you want more moisture to cook off, remove the cover.
Once the apples have softened to your liking, remove the apple compote from the heat and let it cool slightly before serving. Avoid overcooking; otherwise, the apples will become mushy.
How To Serve Apple Compote
This versatile apple compote is the perfect topping for breakfast, dessert, and savory dishes. You can serve it warm or at room temperature. Try it on:
- pancakes
- waffles
- French toast
- overnight oats, on top of cooked oatmeal, or vegan cream of wheat
- vegan vanilla ice cream or plant-based yogurt
Storage
- Once cooled, store apple compote in the refrigerator in an airtight container or mason jar for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Leftover cooled compote can be frozen in airtight freezer-safe bags for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before gently reheating.
Recipe FAQs
Apple sauce is cooked down further and is pureed. Apple compote retains the chunks of apple.
A compote is a chunky sauce made from cooked whole fruits or pieces of fruit, typically simmered in their juices with sugar, water, and other flavors such as citrus zest, nuts, raisins, spices, or vanilla. The fruit used to make a compote can be canned, dried, fresh, or frozen.
More Fruit Compote Recipes
If you try this recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Recipe
Apple Compote
EQUIPMENT
- large saucepan
- Vegetable peeler
INGREDIENTS
- 1 ½ pounds tart apples such as Granny Smith, Gravenstein, Pink Lady, Pippins, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch chunks
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg or to taste
- Pinch ground cardamom optional
- Pinch ground ginger optional
- Pinch fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoons water or more, optional
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add lemon juice to apples in a medium bowl and combine. Transfer to a medium pot, add brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger if using, and pinch of fine sea salt; heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the apples release liquid, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples have softened. Taste and adjust the spices as needed.1 ½ pounds tart apples, 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice, ¼ cup light brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon , ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg or to taste, Pinch ground cardamom, Pinch ground ginger
- Add a tablespoon or two of water if needed. Once the apples have softened to your liking, remove them from the heat and allow them to cool slightly. Serve warm or cool.1 tablespoons water
NOTES
- Store the apple compote, once cooled, in the fridge, in an airtight container or mason jar for up to 5 days.
- Stir the compote as it is cooking to prevent burning. Add one to two tablespoons of water (or apple cider) to keep the apple mixture from drying up and sticking to the saucepan.
- If your apples are juicier than expected, leave the lid off while you cook the compote to allow some of the juices to boil off.
- For a thicker compote, stir in a teaspoon of cornstarch in the liquid while the compote cooks to thicken it.
- Adjust the amounts of lemon juice and spices to suit your taste. Taste while the apple compote cooks and near the end; adjust the flavoring as needed. If you like a stronger lemon flavor, add a splash of fresh lemon juice when you take the apple compote off the heat.
- Once the apples have softened to your liking, remove the apple compote from the heat and let it cool slightly before serving. Avoid overcooking; otherwise, the apples will become mushy.
- If your cooking range runs hot, reduce the heat slightly and cover the apple compote while it cooks. If you want more moisture to cook off, remove the cover.
NUTRITION
Resplendent Kitchen offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site as a courtesy. Although resplendentkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information from online calculators, these figures are estimates.
Maria P says
Just made it this morning. Very easy to make and delicious!
Emily Miller says
So glad you enjoyed the apple compote, Maria! Thank you for trying it!
Gigi Desin-Phillips says
This was the absolutely perfect compliment to our grilled porkchops. It will also be wonderful warm on top of ice cream! the only adjustment that I made was to cook covered for some of the time as our gas stove cooks very hot and this saves some of the moisture. It's a keeper, for sure!
Emily Miller says
Thank you so much for your kind review, Gigi! I love that you found this apple compote so versatile - what a great idea to enjoy it warm on top of ice cream! Thanks for sharing your tip about cooking it covered; that's a smart adjustment for a stove that runs hot. I'm so glad this recipe is a keeper for you!
Jon v says
Made a big batch with 3 dozen tart apples in 1 inch pieces, 8 tsp of lemon juice, 1.5 cups of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons apple pie spice and 3 tablespoons of cornstarch. Simmered for 40 minutes to soften apples and thicken. Nice. Could have used more apple pie spice
Emily Miller says
That sounds delicious, Jon! The apple pie spice amount can certainly be adjusted to taste. Thank you for the feedback and for leaving a review!
Patricia M says
Smells Devine! I was left with a lot of juice though even with the lid cocked on the pot. Maybe it’s the apples I used; Gala. I guess I could put some cornstarch in it but I’m too lazy today.
Emily Miller says
Thank you for your review, Patricia! If you notice a lot of apple juice while cooking, it can help to leave the lid off so it can evaporate. Even if it's a little juicy, I'm sure it's delicious, enjoy!
Kushigalu says
Perfect recipe to try this season. Looks so delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Emily Miller says
Thank you for your kind words, Kushigalu!
Jill says
Perfect recipe for fall. We loved it over ice cream!
Emily Miller says
Thank you for your review, Jill! I am glad to hear that you got to enjoy this apple compote over ice cream!
Bobby says
I added this apple compote to my oatmeal this morning and it took it to the next level. I love this! Thank you.
Emily Miller says
Thank you so much for your review, Bobby! I am very glad to hear that you enjoyed this apple compote with your oatmeal!
Carrie says
I have been looking for a way to use up the last of the apples we picked! 🙂 Definitely going to make this.
Emily Miller says
I am glad to hear it, Carrie! I hope you enjoy!
Shelby says
This compote is so versatile and delicious. It's the perfect recipe for using up an abundance of apples!
Emily Miller says
Thank you for your kind words, Shelby!