Easy Cherry Compote

Are you looking for a delicious and easy cherry compote recipe? Look no further! I will teach you how to make this mouthwatering recipe in this blog post. It is perfect for dessert or topping on ice cream, oatmeal, or pancakes.

This summer, I had the pleasure of creating a cherry compote recipe, and it was amazing! Not only is it super easy to make, but it's also really versatile and a great way to enjoy cherries.

In this post, I'll walk you through how to make your own cherry compote, as well as share some ideas for ways to use it. So if you're looking for a sweet and delicious way to enjoy cherries this summer during cherry season or year-round, keep reading!

This easy cherry compote makes a delicious topping for vegan buckwheat banana waffles and vegan banana oat pancakes. Or you can put it in these Cherry Coconut Popsicles!

Jump to:

• What is compote made of?
• When are cherries in season?
• How to choose fresh cherries
• Ingredients
• How to make cherry compote
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• How to serve
• Should this compote be warm or cold?
• Storage
• Expert tip
• Easy Cherry Compote
• FAQ

What is compote made of?

A fruit 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 vanilla, citrus zest, nuts, raisins, or spices. Dried, frozen, fresh fruit or canned fruit can be used to make a compote.

Try my Poached Pears in Red Wine for a variation on a fruit compote.

When the fruit compote is pureed, it is called a coulis.

When are cherries in season?

Cherries grow well on the west coast. Those living in California, Washington, Idaho, and Oregon typically have access to cherries before the rest of the USA, with Washington producing the highest quantity of sweet cherries.

Cherries are in season from April through August, although I also saw them in the stores in early September. In Colorado, the season lasts from mid-June through October.

Sweet, fresh cherries (Bing cherries, Lambert cherries, or Rainier cherries) are firm and are typically available at grocery stores when in season and are perfect for eating out of hand.

Sour cherries are softer, tart, and acidic (Balaton cherries, Montmorency cherries, and Morello cherries), which makes them perfect for making cherry pies, jam, or dried cherries.

How to choose fresh cherries

Choose shiny cherries that do not have bruising on them. It does not matter if they have stems on them or not. If they have stems, it means they were probably hand-picked. They are machine-picked if they have no stems (the cherries get shaken from the trees).

Once you bring fresh sweet cherries home, they should be okay on the counter for a couple of days. Otherwise, refrigerate them for up to a week. If you find sour cherries, they do not last as long as sweet cherries on the counter or in the fridge; find a use for them promptly!

Ingredients

These are the simple ingredients you'll need to make this homemade cherry compote.

• Pitted cherries - You can use black cherries, sweet cherries, Rainier cherries, or sour cherries, fresh or frozen. I used whole cherries; you can halve the cherries or halve a portion and leave the rest whole.
• Organic cane sugar - this is vegan. The amount of sugar used will vary depending on the sweetness of the cherries. You will likely need to add more sugar if you use sour cherries.
• Lemon juice - freshly squeezed is best. Lemon juice provides acidity to balance the sweetness of the cherries. You may need to adjust the amount of lemon juice, depending on the variety of cherries.

Sweet cherries will need more lemon juice than sour cherries. Sour cherries have a higher acidity than sweet cherries, so they would need less lemon juice and more sugar. Start with a small amount, taste, and adjust to your liking.

See the recipe card for quantities.

How to make cherry compote

It is easy to make this simple cherry compote, even if it is your first time.

Be careful not to add too much water since the cherries release cherry juice as they cook. Stir occasionally while cooking, being careful not to crush the cherries.

Hint: Allow the cherry compote to cool before transferring it to a clean glass jar. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Substitutions

• Fresh cherries - You can use frozen cherries to make this recipe year-round.
• Organic cane sugar - use coconut sugar, agave syrup, or maple syrup instead.

Variations

Here are some delicious variations on this cherry compote recipe:

• Deluxe - add ¾ cup of brandy or orange juice while cooking the compote. Or stir in a tablespoon of kirsch at the end of cooking.
• Flavor - add almond extract or vanilla extract to the cherry compote as it is cooling
• Fruit - add blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries to the compote as it is cooking.
• Lemon juice - use balsamic vinegar instead.
• Thicker - mix a couple of teaspoons of cornstarch with the water before you start cooking for a thicker compote, similar to cherry pie filling.
• Zest - add the zest of one lemon or one orange.

Equipment

• Cherry pitter - If you don't have one, place the cherry on an empty wine bottle and use a chopstick to push the pit through into the bottle.
• Large, heavy saucepan - if you have a small or medium saucepan, you will need to cook the cherries in batches since they need to be in a single layer.
• Glass jars - I like to use these glass jars for storage with these plastic lids.

How to serve

You may be wondering how to eat this cherry compote. The options are endless!

There are so many ways to enjoy this delicious compote! It's the perfect topping for dessert, breakfast, or you can enjoy it on its own.

Serve this cherry compote on top of chocolate cake, pound cake, or vegan cheesecake, French toast, waffles, oatmeal, crepes, pancakes, vegan vanilla ice cream, whipped coconut cream, or vegan yogurt in a parfait, or mix a portion of it into popsicles.

Add the syrup to club soda, iced tea, prosecco, or sparkling wine.

Should this compote be warm or cold?

Storage

Refrigerate: Store this compote in the fridge for up to one week in an airtight container.

Freeze for up to six months in a glass container or freezer-safe ziplock bag; thaw overnight in the fridge.

Reheat the cherry compote in a small saucepan on the stovetop on low heat until warmed through.

I hope you enjoyed 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.

FAQ