If you're looking for an easy-to-make and cozy dessert or topping, try this tasty apple compote recipe. This simple yet flavorful compote comes together in just a few steps, perfect for cold autumn nights or as a topping for your morning oatmeal.
As we move into the fall season, there's nothing quite like making a delicious homemade 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. This fall fruit compote will surely delight family and friends throughout the season! 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 compote recipe with in-season apples fresh from the apple tree and just a few simple ingredients?
This apple compote is a delicious topping for vegan cream of wheat, Banana Oat Pancakes, buckwheat sourdough pancakes, or buckwheat banana waffles.
Ingredients
Here are the simple ingredients you need to make this homemade 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. I love Burlap & Barrel's Royal Cinnamon; it's so fresh and flavorful.
- Lemon juice - fresh lemon juice complements the flavor of the apples and adds acidity for balance.
- Vanilla extract - for additional flavor.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to make an Apple Compote
It's easy to make this simple recipe, even if it is your first time!
Add the lemon juice to the peeled, cored, and chopped apples in a medium bowl and combine.
Transfer the chopped apples to a medium saucepan and add the rest of the ingredients.
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.
Cook the compote for another 10 to 15 minutes until the apples soften.
Once the apples have softened to your liking, remove the compote from the heat and let it cool slightly before serving.
Hint: Add one to two tablespoons of water, if needed, to keep the apple mixture from drying up, or add apple cider.
Substitutions
Here are some substitutions you can try:
- 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
Here are some variations you can try:
- 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 apple compote 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 compote - for a thicker compote, add cornstarch.
Try this Cherry Compote for another delicious fruit compote.
Equipment
You need simple equipment to make this spiced apple compote:
- a medium saucepan
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- vegetable peeler
Storage
Store the apple compote, once cooled, in the fridge, in an airtight container or mason jar for up to 5 days.
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 or on top of oatmeal
- cream of wheat
- vegan vanilla ice cream
Expert tip
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.
FAQ
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.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did! If you make this recipe, please take a moment to ★★★★★ star rate it and leave a comment below. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook, and share your creation with me! Tag me @resplendentkitchen and hashtag #resplendentkitchenrecipes.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this apple compote recipe:
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
- 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, and ginger if using, and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the apples release liquid, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples have softened.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 from heat and allow to cool slightly. Serve warm or cool.1 tablespoons water
Notes
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.
Shelby
This compote is so versatile and delicious. It's the perfect recipe for using up an abundance of apples!
Emily Miller
Thank you for your kind words, Shelby!
Carrie
I have been looking for a way to use up the last of the apples we picked! 🙂 Definitely going to make this.
Emily Miller
I am glad to hear it, Carrie! I hope you enjoy!
Bobby
I added this to my oatmeal this morning and it took it to the next level. I love this recipe! Thank you.
Emily Miller
Thank you so much for your review, Bobby! I am very glad to hear that you enjoyed this apple compote with your oatmeal!
Jill
Perfect recipe for fall. We loved it over ice cream!
Emily Miller
Thank you for your review, Jill! I am glad to hear that you got to enjoy this apple compote over ice cream!
Kushigalu
Perfect recipe to try this season. Looks so delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Emily Miller
Thank you for your kind words, Kushigalu!