Blueberry Compote

Compote is an excellent addition any time you need a sweet topping. This fruit sauce adds a little freshness to great breakfasts like pancakes, French toast, or oatmeal—or a nice addition to sundaes and ice cream. 

And if you’re a fan of blueberries, this recipe is just the thing for you. This sweet and sour spreadable sauce is as easy to make as it gets. Water, frozen blueberries, and sugar are all that’s needed to have a spreadable fruity sauce. Here's everything you need to know about making blueberry compote:

What is Blueberry Compote?

Compote in French means “mixture.” So, this is essentially a mixture of blueberries, sugar, and water, reduced on the stovetop to create a chunky, sweet, spreadable sauce. Compote can be served cold or hot out of the pot.

Is compote only made with berries? No, compote can be made with basically any type of figs, pears, apples, plums, berries and rhubarb.

If you want to add in extra flavor to this blueberry compote, consider ingredients like cinnamon, vanilla, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, or lemon juice.

What is Compote Used For?

Anything your heart desires, really. The items everyone thinks of are pancakes and waffles, but a sauce like this goes great with yogurt, granola, or ice cream. If you want to feel your Frenchiest self, spread this compote over a baguette, crepes, or serve with some of your favorite cheeses. 

How To Make Blueberry Compote

It’s quite simple. You'll find the full, step-by-step recipe below—but here's a brief overview of what you can expect: 

Add sugar, water, and half of the blueberries into a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to a simmer and let stand for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add in the remaining blueberries and simmer for 8 more minutes, until the compote is thick and saucy.

While this compote recipe uses water, other liquids like juices, wine, honey, or syrup can be used instead. Be mindful of the amount of liquid that goes in the pot. Blueberries will release their own liquid when heated.

How To Thicken Blueberry Compote

“Blueberries are a thick fruit with a lot of pectin in them, and intensely flavored,” says pastry chef Emily Luchetti in The Flavor Bible. A blueberry compote would be naturally thicker to start as a result of the pectin and would likely not need any thickening agents. 

If the texture of your compote ends up too thin, there are a few ways to thicken the sauce. A little cornstarch slurry can go a long way. Simply combine equal parts cornstarch and cold water, stir until smooth, and add it into your compote, stirring as you do.

Alternatively, you can let your compote simmer on the stove top for longer to let it reduce. Just continue to stir the sauce often.

Can You Freeze Blueberry Compote?

Yes, blueberry compote can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks and in the freezer for three months. Allow the compote to thaw in the fridge overnight before serving. If you want to serve the sauce warm, reheat gently in a small pan on the stovetop or in a microwave.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praises

“Just the right amount of added sugar (just about every compote or syrup I ever tasted, at least the commercial products, were cloyingly sweet) so this [in my humble opinion] is dead-on,” says Cowboy Coug. 

“This was so well received by my diabetic husband!” says Yancando. “I used Splenda and a splash of vanilla extract. I put in half a cup of water instead of a third, so I had to add a bit of cornstarch to thicken it. He says it's better than syrup!”

“I did this recipe with raspberries, and it turned out amazing,” says Kris. “I used a little fresh squeezed lemon juice with the water and had to add a little more sugar because of it. But my boys went crazy over it.”

Editorial Contributions by Keaton Larson